More Lessons Learned about my 291

tanksapper · 08-02-2009, 10:10 AM

Like the Army says - every action needs a review so you can learn - here are my lessons learned from last weekend.

Last weekend we took our new 291 out to the lake for the weekend. We had a great time, and learned lots of stuff.

1. the screws that hold the water filter to the wall are small and a small amount of torque will remove said water filter contraption from the wall, with much frustration and angry words used trying to re-attach the filter.

2. Ants love to go camping in a trailer - especially red "fire" biting ants. Any part of the trailer that touches the ground or tree should be ant proofed (i sprayed it with ant killer spray, but I have seen others use ant powder.

3. When measuring for wood to use a leveling boards, measure from the outside edge of tires to outside edge - not middle of hub to middle of hub - this will cause your leveling boards to be too short

4. When attempting to run the refrigerator on AC power - ensure that it is plugged in. The plug is located behind the slotted access panel in front of the rear door. Apparently it does not come already plugged in. Propane works great when it is not plugged in, AC does not (once again much angry words and reading involved)

5. The gray water tank will not hold as much as you think it will. 30+ gallons seems like alot, but it is not. We began (after the tank filled up on Friday night) showering outside at the outside shower (kind of strange feeling at first, but then became nice - almost like I was back to nature) We washed our dishes outside with hot water and then rinsed them outside at shower.

Next time I will try to figure out if the small "T" connection behind the tires on the gas line is meant for an external grill connection.

Take care

Tom

NWJeeper · 08-02-2009, 12:59 PM

Tom,

All good things learned. In reference to your grey water storage problem, this is common on all rigs. For this reason on our last motorhome as well as our new Georgetown I replaced the sewer cap with one that has a hose bib fitting on the cap. I carry a length of old garden hose that I connect to the fitting and drain the grey water to make room for more when necessary. You have to use caution though as many states consider this illegal (Oregon for one) and it is frowned upon in many state and FS campgrounds however I don't see the difference between that and doing your showering and dishes outside. I just do it quietly after dark.

Mr.B · 08-02-2009, 07:14 PM

Are you new to camping? Are you using water conservation techniques? I have a fiver, and not really sure of the gray water storage, but with conservation we (two adults and a teenage daughter) can shower, wash dishes, use the bathroom sink for about 3 days without having to dump.

NWJeeper · 08-03-2009, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.B

Are you new to camping? Are you using water conservation techniques? I have a fiver, and not really sure of the gray water storage, but with conservation we (two adults and a teenage daughter) can shower, wash dishes, use the bathroom sink for about 3 days without having to dump.

As for us we are not new to camping, been doing it for many many years with several types of rigs. However we are into Jeepin' and tend to come back to camp looking like huge dust bunnies after a day on the trails with the top down.

Typically we too will last 3 to 5 days before the grey tank fills up but we will spend 10 days dry camping so it is inevitable that we will have to dump the grey at some point. We don't do dishes when we dry camp, strictly paper and plastic. We also plan our meals to not have to use up a bunch of pans or utensils to cook. We fill our coffee pot with the water from the shower head while waiting for the water to get warm and conserve as much as we can.

MtnGuy · 08-04-2009, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWJeeper

We fill our coffee pot with the water from the shower head while waiting for the water to get warm and conserve as much as we can.

I don't know if I would do that. After checking out the sediment at the bottom of the hot water tank, and considering a lot of hot water tanks have an aluminum or zinc anode rods, I would shy away from drinking water from that source.

Here is an interesting article on using hot water for drinking purposes: http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1413847

We too capture the "cold" hot water in the shower.....we fill a milk carton with that water, and then use it later to put water in the toilet before a #2.

slpybeartx · 08-05-2009, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtnguy

I don't know if I would do that. After checking out the sediment at the bottom of the hot water tank, and considering a lot of hot water tanks have an aluminum or zinc anode rods, I would shy away from drinking water from that source.

Here is an interesting article on using hot water for drinking purposes: http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1413847

We too capture the "cold" hot water in the shower.....we fill a milk carton with that water, and then use it later to put water in the toilet before a #2.

Looking at that article as well as a good NYT piece, it looks like lead is the concern that the gov has. Hot water will pick up a bit more dissolved lead from older pipes and solder that contain lead.

Not sure I would worry about that from making coffee from the cold water delivered through your RV's HW Heater, but sure won't hurt your toliet!

===================================
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/health/29real.html

"The claim has the ring of a myth. But environmental scientists say it is real.

The reason is that hot water dissolves contaminants more quickly than cold water, and many pipes in homes contain lead that can leach into water. And lead can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in young children.

Lead is rarely found in source water, but can enter it through corroded plumbing. The Environmental Protection Agency says that older homes are more likely to have lead pipes and fixtures, but that even newer plumbing advertised as “lead-free” can still contain as much as 8 percent lead. A study published in The Journal of Environmental Health in 2002 found that tap water represented 14 to 20 percent of total lead exposure.

Scientists emphasize that the risk is small. But to minimize it, the E.P.A. says cold tap water should always be used for preparing baby formula, cooking and drinking. It also warns that boiling water does not remove lead but can actually increase its concentration. More information is at www.epa.gov/lead or (800) 424-5323 (LEAD)."

MtnGuy · 08-05-2009, 10:59 AM

From the article that I linked to, I realize that lead is the major concern with using the water from a hot water source in an older home that has lead in the pipes and solders. That should not be a concern in an RV with plastic piping.

Also, since the article also refers to hot water heaters that are above 140 degrees F, that should be enough to kill bacteria. Older model RVs have the water heater thermostat somewher in the area of 160 to 180 degrees F, which eliminate that concern. But, it is my understanding that newer models of RV water heaters now have a lower set point on the thermostat, leading to the bacteria breeding ground that is mentioned in the article. Boiling that water for coffee would eliminate the danger from bacteria in that situation.

My main concern is the impurities and sediment buildup in the water heater. The last time I checked the elements in my home water heater, it looked like slime growing on the elements, and all sorts of stuff in the bottom of the tank. When I flush my RV hot water heater ever fall during winterization, there is all sorts of crappy stuff that comes out of that puppy......probably 1 of those being residue from the anode rod. That stuff just can't be good to drink.

Bill U · 08-07-2009, 04:14 PM

Just my two cents worth here about grey water tanks:
1. they fill up fast
2. when camping with grand daughters who are drama queens the grey tanks fill at warp speed
3. they fill fast
4. dogs and kids multiply the dirt factor by ten
5. grey tanks fill fast

NWJeeper · 08-07-2009, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill U

Just my two cents worth here about grey water tanks:
1. they fill up fast
2. when camping with grand daughters who are drama queens the grey tanks fill at warp speed
3. they fill fast
4. dogs and kids multiply the dirt factor by ten
5. grey tanks fill fast

Bill, I think you left out one important fact:

Grey tanks fill up fast.....

Bill U · 08-07-2009, 09:39 PM

Oh...I forgot to mention this, when my wife was pregnant her bladder could have been compared to a grey water tank, it fills fast. Still love her though, tiny grey water tank and all.

NWJeeper · 08-07-2009, 10:16 PM

LOL, mine has the same problem only she isn't pregnant. It's a real pain when we get out on the boat fishing and have to turn around and come back to shore. Also a good reason we bought a motorhome, I'd loose a lot of time having to pull over all the time if we had a trailer...

shineysideup · 08-08-2009, 08:15 AM

Reminds me of one of the first times we had our trailer out and there was no sewer hookup. We ran into friends that had been there 3+ days and did not have a problem running out of room in their tanks. I had been looking at the grey water level indicator and it started to say "FULL" after a day or so... Thinking that the indicators are "always off" we continued to fill the grey water tank... I can tell you that if you fill it too much your bath tub will take over the duties of the tank! ( at least in my trailer ). I forgot to mention that my friends were seasoned campers and we were new to the whole tank thing (a much older tent trailer previously) Needless to say we have become water conservers now... although my young children still need alot of prompting! We can go 3-4 days no problem now. I've wondered why they would not put a 20 gallon toilet tank along with a 40 gallon grey water tank. this would make more sense to me since I am forever filling the black water tank before we leave!

cheers,

shineysideup

NWJeeper · 08-08-2009, 11:17 AM

I had found a guy on the net with a larger 5th wheel trailer that set up a transfer pump using an old rv water pump to move grey water to his black tank for extended stay because he realized that the black tank can take up to 14 days or more to fill but the grey always fills up much quicker. He just had a switch on the wall for the pump and when he wanted he would turn it on for a few minutes and transfer the grey water over. Sounded like a good idea. I would think you would want a check valve in there so that black could not back track into the pump or the grey tank.

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