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12-01-2020, 12:14 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 6
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Fresh water draining into grey tank overnight?
Hello all, first post on here so bear with me. My wife and two babies just started full time RV living. We are in a hemisphere 378. Due to some water source issues with the city water, we had to resort to filling the fresh tank and using that until our water source is fixed. Last night we filled the fresh tank 2/3 full, we each took a shower and no other water use. This morning when we woke up, the fresh water tank was empty and the Grey tank was 2/3 full. Has anybody come across this issue? Any advice would be much appreciated!!
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12-01-2020, 12:26 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 4,295
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The first question that would come to mind, is how much water was used for the showers? Perhaps you didn’t check the water supply right after the showers, but instead checked it the next morning. If you took showers with water usage like you would in a house, I could see how you would drain the fresh water tank just from the shower use, assuming you have an on demand water heater that could keep enough hot water flowing.
In my RV, anyway, there is no connection between the fresh water supply and the grey tank except through the drain traps of the shower and the two sinks. Do you have any other water using appliances, such as a clothes washer? From the looks of the floor plan, I don’t think it does.
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2020 Sunseeker 2440DS on 2019 Ford E-450, Trekker cap, Topaz paint
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12-01-2020, 12:43 PM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 6
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Hey, thanks for a response. i don't know the capacity on the freshwater tank on this RV, but i know it's in the ballpark of 50 gallons. We have a 13 gallon water heater on it as well. I know i didn't run out of hot water, and i don't believe my wife did either. I could estimate we used 25 gallons at most, since the water heater was previously full from the city water connection. I'm working and haven't had a chance to look into anything or under the trailer, but i wanted to get some ideas before i got home.
Hopefully you are right and we just used a ton of it.
On another note. Is there a place online i can download an owners manual for this RV for free? I have all the owners manuals for the appliances and what not, but never could find anything that talked about the plumbing.
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12-01-2020, 12:45 PM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Elmore, AL
Posts: 54
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Id crawl under and check out the size of the Grey Tank. My spec sheet says 40 gallons for fresh, 30 black, 40 for grey, well turns out 40 for Fresh, 40 for Black and 22 for Grey. This is on my 2021 FR Wildwood X-Lite 24RLXL.
Pretty much drain our grey tank after any shower since it too shows 2/3 full.
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John Fertsch - HAM=KJ6MTJ - GMRS=WRQZ336
2021 Forest River Wildwood X-Lite 24RLXL
5300 Dry, Max 7500, Easy Lift Recurve R3 WDH
2019 Ram 1500 Bighorn - 5.7 Hemi with 3.21 Gears
Max tow is 8500 LBS with 1788 Payload capability.
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12-01-2020, 12:50 PM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 6
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Alright good to know, that's definitely worth checking. Thank you!!
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12-01-2020, 12:54 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 4,295
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KolbyS
Hey, thanks for a response. i don't know the capacity on the freshwater tank on this RV, but i know it's in the ballpark of 50 gallons. We have a 13 gallon water heater on it as well. I know i didn't run out of hot water, and i don't believe my wife did either. I could estimate we used 25 gallons at most, since the water heater was previously full from the city water connection. I'm working and haven't had a chance to look into anything or under the trailer, but i wanted to get some ideas before i got home.
Hopefully you are right and we just used a ton of it.
On another note. Is there a place online i can download an owners manual for this RV for free? I have all the owners manuals for the appliances and what not, but never could find anything that talked about the plumbing.
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The only owners manuals that RV builders publish are generic. Don’t expect a manual like you would get from an automotive manufacturer. You can go to the Forest River interactive manuals library and see what they provide for your RV model. Link below.
https://forestriverinc.com/Owners/Interactive-Manuals
__________________
2020 Sunseeker 2440DS on 2019 Ford E-450, Trekker cap, Topaz paint
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12-01-2020, 01:41 PM
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#7
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Always Learning
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Four Corners, FL
Posts: 21,888
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There is no direct drain from the freshwater tank to the gray tank. The freshwater tank leads to the camper’s water system. Some fixtures will run to the gray tank (shower and sink(s)).
There are 2 possibilities:
1, your showers took more water than you expected (likely)
2, someone forgot to turn off the water (this happened with my son a lot)
For #2, my son would turn off the shower head and lay it in the bottom of the shower. This would dribble water into the gray tank. Being on the pump, though, you should have heard it running.
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Officially a SOB with a 2022 Jayco Precept 36C
Checkout my site for RVing tips, tricks, and info | Was a Fulltime Family for 5 years, now we're part-timing on long trips
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12-01-2020, 02:00 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 6
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I suspect we used more water than expected after doing a little bit of math. I filled it back up and will monitor a little closer.
My main concern was we didnt notice any lack of pressure towards the end of shower #2. I thought we may have if the talk was low and air was starting to come through.
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12-01-2020, 02:15 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Eastern NC
Posts: 3,963
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Don't ever believe the sensors. It may have said 3/4 tank and been full or nearly empty. There is no direct line from the FW to a gray tank. In order to fill it the water must come from a spigot or toilet.
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2022 Montana 3855 BR
2019 F350 6.7 4X4 LB Dually
Edgewater 205 EX 150 Yamaha
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12-01-2020, 02:30 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 9,412
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No, not the toilet
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptnJohn
Don't ever believe the sensors. It may have said 3/4 tank and been full or nearly empty. There is no direct line from the FW to a gray tank. In order to fill it the water must come from a spigot or toilet.
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No, not the toilet. The toilet drains to the black tank.
__________________
Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
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12-01-2020, 03:29 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,305
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I'm of the "sensors lie" group. In my trailer the black tank goes from empty to full whenever anything is put into it. My freshwater stays on full then goes straight to empty. They are usually very inaccurate. Learn your capacities,start out with empty tanks. Fill the fresh and monitor them closely for a few times. You'll get a feel for excessive use or a leak. Be sure everyone knows how to take an RV shower also.
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2003 Duramax
2017 Crusader 315
2016 Boston Whaler Montauk 150
Former Montana owner
Colorado Cruiser, Over the Pass and Down the Hill
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12-01-2020, 04:04 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 473
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As others have mentioned, monitor water use and try to get by using less. Another thing that I have experienced: If RV is not level when filling water tank, water may move toward your water level sensors and show you are full and you may have only filled the tank ⅔ full. Same with tank water fill inlet, water may start to overflow out the inlet indicating a full tank and it isn't so when RV is level again.
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2019 Forester 2861DS
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12-01-2020, 04:24 PM
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#13
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,051
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I'll jump in and say if you believe you used 25 gallons of water for two showers, you likely used way more.
Most of us R/Vers have come from the world of using less than 5 gallons of water per shower (if not on full hook-ups) to make our boondocking sources last as long as possible. (commonly called Navy showers)
Your water pressure should remain as steady with a fresh tank NEARLY empty as it does when completely full. Only when you run TOTALLY out of water and the pump begins to such air will it sputter and flow less.
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2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2017 Ford F-Series SCREW 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=64
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12-01-2020, 04:25 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: NJ
Posts: 606
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Tank gauges are notoriously inaccurate so you may not have had as much water in your tank as you thought. Also, there's no way the fresh water tank is connected with the grey tank unless the manufacturer made a huge and virtually unheard or error in piping. In your situation I'd fill the FW tank to overflowing next time you fill and see what happens.
And welcome to RVing. You'll find that these kind of challenges are part of the fun.
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DrLewie
Flemington, NJ
Former: 2007 Cardinal 30W LE
Now:2018 Arctic Fox 27-5L
2008 Ford F-250 Long Bed Diesel
Total of 30 Months on the Road Since 2008
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12-01-2020, 11:20 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: California
Posts: 179
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptnJohn
Don't ever believe the sensors. It may have said 3/4 tank and been full or nearly empty. There is no direct line from the FW to a gray tank. In order to fill it the water must come from a spigot or toilet.
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X2 on sensors
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Chuck& Shar
2018 2715VS
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12-01-2020, 11:58 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 9,095
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KolbyS
My wife and two babies just started full time RV living !
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Others have listed possible causes. I'm going to suggest that you have a few 'milk jugs' filled with water on hand in case you unexpectedly run out of water. Cleaning up after small children takes an amazing amount of water that you probably don't even realize that you're using.
Wet wipes near all sinks help too. You can clean sticky fingers without using water.
Also, you might want to pick up an Oxygenics shower head. It limits water use while giving you the feel of a real shower. At most campgrounds, you'll find the ladies showering at the campground showers because of the amount of water required to rinse the soap out of hair can empty a tank quickly.
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2015 Dynamax REV 24TB class C
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12-02-2020, 12:44 AM
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#17
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Just as confused as you
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: south central Wisconsin
Posts: 5,108
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird
Others have listed possible causes. I'm going to suggest that you have a few 'milk jugs' filled with water on hand in case you unexpectedly run out of water. Cleaning up after small children takes an amazing amount of water that you probably don't even realize that you're using.
Wet wipes near all sinks help too. You can clean sticky fingers without using water.
Also, you might want to pick up an Oxygenics shower head. It limits water use while giving you the feel of a real shower. At most campgrounds, you'll find the ladies showering at the campground showers because of the amount of water required to rinse the soap out of hair can empty a tank quickly.
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Since your talking about wet wipes it should be mentioned do not put disposable wipes in the toilet.
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Richard & Jill
2014 Flagstaff 832IKBS Classic Super Lite
2018 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab Z71 4WD All Star Edition
Camping since 1989, Seasonal since 2000.
Car Shredder Op/Tech, Scrap Metal Recycling - retired
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12-02-2020, 10:40 AM
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#18
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Always Learning
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Four Corners, FL
Posts: 21,888
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrapper
Since your talking about wet wipes it should be mentioned do not put disposable wipes in the toilet.
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Yup, this was after *hours* of being in water:
They don't break down.
__________________
Officially a SOB with a 2022 Jayco Precept 36C
Checkout my site for RVing tips, tricks, and info | Was a Fulltime Family for 5 years, now we're part-timing on long trips
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12-02-2020, 11:10 AM
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#19
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Director, FROG
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Middlebury, IN
Posts: 3,508
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Specs on the Salem Hemisphere 378 show 48 gallons of fresh water. That typically includes the capacity of the water heater, which you say is 13 gallons, leaving 35 gallons in the tank. At 2/3 full, that's 24 gallons, and you say you might have used about 25 gallons for your showers, so you apparently drained the tank.
Salem Hemisphere Specs
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12-02-2020, 03:10 PM
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#20
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Always Learning
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Four Corners, FL
Posts: 21,888
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F.R.O.G.
That typically includes the capacity of the water heater...
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Hey Bob, do you have any insight as to why it's marketed that way? Since the water heater is a top drain, you can't get to its water without having water in the tank. Meaning, it's essentially unavailable as "extra" water.
Just curious if you have any insight into the marketing side of things on this?
__________________
Officially a SOB with a 2022 Jayco Precept 36C
Checkout my site for RVing tips, tricks, and info | Was a Fulltime Family for 5 years, now we're part-timing on long trips
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