Hi all!
We are new Geo Pro 19FBS owners! We took our maiden voyage last night and minus the 45 minute back in, all was great!! 😂
My question: do you deem it necessary to drain your hot water heater after every camping trip? I’m pretty sure our dealer said it would be a good idea, however, with all the info given, I might be mistaken!
Lastly, we have the original Equalizer sway control hitch - it seemed like it was squeaking a lot on this trip. Maybe we didn’t notice at our dealership, maybe we are just hyper sensitive as newbies! Thoughts?
Thanks and I love these forums!
MaxHiker
i drain mine when i put it in storage and it is going to stay there for longer than a few weeks. not that anything said it was necessary but it's just the habit i got into. i also drain the fresh water tank and low point drains. again based solely on personal preference. all these things take only a short time. we also vacuum and possibly shampoo the rugs, swiffer the vinyl floors, refill propane tanks, put out mouse repellent and just verify that we can store it without having to worry.
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2015 cardinal model 3825fl
2015 dodge ram 3500 dually
Hi all!
We are new Geo Pro 19FBS owners! We took our maiden voyage last night and minus the 45 minute back in, all was great!! [emoji23]
My question: do you deem it necessary to drain your hot water heater after every camping trip? I’m pretty sure our dealer said it would be a good idea, however, with all the info given, I might be mistaken!
Lastly, we have the original Equalizer sway control hitch - it seemed like it was squeaking a lot on this trip. Maybe we didn’t notice at our dealership, maybe we are just hyper sensitive as newbies! Thoughts?
Thanks and I love these forums!
MaxHiker
We only drain the WH, at the end of camping season.
Did you get Bracket Jackets for the L-brackets? They cut down a lot of the noise.
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Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
I leave the water heater full if it’s going to be less than a month. Other than that I will drain it. They make anode rods with drains integrated into them. I think I may try that next. That way the anode only comes out once a year.
Thank you all for clarifying about WH and the noisy hitch!! I think I’ll be purchasing the jackets and properly lube. I apologize for posting this in the wrong forum site.
Thanks to all!
This forum is so helpful to me as a new TT owner!
Whether to drain the water heater depends on the quality of water you put in it.
If I use water from my own well for a camping trip, it will not keep fresh for more that a few weeks in the WH, because it is not treated with chlorine ir whatever city water systems use. Therefore, after the camping trip I must drain the water heater and fresh water tank if I expect it to be a few weeks or more before we go again. I have left water in too long and ended up with a bad smell that was difficult to remove from the camper.
If you fill your water system from a source of unknown quality, like at a rural campground, you’ll have to decide if the water will stay fresh, or if it would be better to drain it.
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2020 Sunseeker 2440DS on 2019 Ford E-450, Trekker cap, Topaz paint
I leave the water heater full if it’s going to be less than a month. Other than that I will drain it. They make anode rods with drains integrated into them. I think I may try that next. That way the anode only comes out once a year.
The anode with a drain valve sounds interesting, but will there be residual water in the tank, even if you open the drain? The level of the valve can't be at the very bottom of the tank.
The anode with a drain valve sounds interesting, but will there be residual water in the tank, even if you open the drain? The level of the valve can't be at the very bottom of the tank.
Yes, there is water left in the bottom of the tank and also crud.
On top of that the inlet hole for the water to drain out is small and easily could be positioned towards the top of the tank depending on how tight you make it, leaving even more in the tank.
Many make the mistake of believing if they put one of those in they never have to remove the anode.
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2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2024 Ford F-Series SCREW•7.3L•4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=90
I drain mine between trips in the summer to avoid dealing with the sulphur smelling water that accumulates otherwise in my tank.
X2
I have that camco anode, ball valves on the lp drains . Takes all of 30 seconds to dump the whole shebang at the cg. Empty by the time I get home. Been doing it that way for years. That's my story and ..
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2016 Flagstaff 27VRL Emerald
14K Equalizer
2020 Silverado 2500HD CC 4X4 6.6L gas 3.73
I think I’ll be purchasing the jackets and properly lube.
Lightly lube the pivot heads for the bars. But, the friction between the bars and the L brackets contributes to your sway control. The noise you hear is your sway control. We call our hitch "Moana" and live with it.
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Wright and Penny
(with Fitz and Lizzie, the camping kitties)
Richmond, Va.
2010 Tundra 4X4 5.7L V8
2014 Rockwood 2604WS
Life is a cruel teacher. She gives the test first; the lesson then follows.
I install a new anode rod every spring, and we don't drain WH until we winterize in the fall. We bring water for drinking and coffee etc. RV water is for showers and flushing.
Works for us.
I keep some water in the fresh water tank and run a few gallons thru the hot water tank every couple of weeks. This prevents the sulfur tank issue and keeps the rv ready to go. If you have a Atwood tank you do not have a anode rod and service is really simple.
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2017 Open Range RES 347, 2022 F 450 4X4 LWB 6.7.
Hayes Autoformer, Moryde SRE 4000, Sailun Tires, Andersen Aluminum hitch.
X2
I have that camco anode, ball valves on the lp drains . Takes all of 30 seconds to dump the whole shebang at the cg. Empty by the time I get home. Been doing it that way for years. That's my story and ..
There is a hazard using the low point drains to drain the water heater. Doing that allows sediment to enter the bottom cold water fill pipe as the water "glugs" out of the tank.
That sediment will lay in the cold water pipes until you go and refill the system. That will push the sediment throughout the system potentially clogging the faucet valves and the toilet flush valve.
I learned this the hard way when my toilet valve got blocked by a nodule of calcium.
Better to isolate the heater and drain through the anode hole.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
I keep some water in the fresh water tank and run a few gallons thru the hot water tank every couple of weeks. This prevents the sulfur tank issue and keeps the rv ready to go. If you have a Atwood tank you do not have a anode rod and service is really simple.
The Sulphur smell is caused by bacteria in the water. If your hot water has a Sulphur smell you must sanitize again.
From the manual:
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
My opinion on the electric heater anodes and the anodes with the drain valve is not to use them.
The heater anode is half the size of a proper anode and will need to be changed twice as often. Unless you REALLY need an AC water heater, its not worth the extra money to replace it every few years. PLUS, you are more likely to never remove it and cause irreparable damage to the water heater by the time you do.
The type with the drain is also smaller because instead of a wire in the center of the anode, there is a pipe. Therefore less anode material. Additionally, since you can drain the water using the valve during winterizing, the incentive to examine the anode annually is eliminated. Forgetting once will lead to forgetting twice, then this happens:
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL