Fill Water tank via Winterize hose

[KansasFR3]

Never ends, but here is the next mod...

Here is what I did to modify the plumbing to allow intake of fresh water via the winterize hose that's in the hot water heater bay.

Just need the following:
1x 1/2" 3 way bypass valve
1x 1/2" T
6x 1/2" Pinch Clamps (Got from Lowes)
~1ft of 1/2ID hose. (Got from Lowes)

Install the 3 Way By pass on the outlet of the pump to the cold water supply to the coach.
Install the T on the supply line TO the pump. It'll intersect the winterization bypass valve.
Pinch all 6 clamps.
Turn both valve (Winterization valve and the newly added Bypass valve) to fill your tank via your external water supply. Once it goes empty, turn off both valves and the water pump will stop after it reaches pressure limit (~15 seconds). Fill up your container again, turn both valves again and repeat the process. Really no need to add external pump switch.

[Technorick]

I get it but if I had a 5 gallon jug of fresh water to supplement the tank say while dry camping, couldn't we just place the jug on the ground outside with the unplugged hose in it, flip the existing winterize three way valve and suck up the water into the system from the jug directly?

Btw: in many of the state parks in New England they use a water spigot with our threads. I've used this "water bandit" to acquire fill ups into the tank from the filler using it a few times.

[KansasFR3]

That'll work if you only want to run on that 5 gallons. I wanted a way to suck in a bleach solution to sanitize the tank as well as a method to fill the tank with water from a creek, remote spigot, etc. I still need one of the water bandits.

[rockfordroo]

If you have a gravity feed FW tank fill, you can suck the water out using the winterization line and just use your outside shower, if it's close enough.

See attached. I show the shower head, but it might be easier to unscrew the shower head and just insert the shower hose into your gravity fill.

If you haven't removed your filter, this will also filter the water in the jug.

[Technorick]

Thanks to Kansas and Rockfodroo for a brilliant solution!


This .90 cent adapter stolen from
My sprinkler head spare parts does the trick. Hand tighten and go!

Take off the shower spray head in the water bay as Rock suggested.

Add this 3/4 to 1/2 nylon male to male adapter. To the shower head hose.

Screw the 3/4 male end into the fresh tank refill.

Place your 5 gal Aqua container outside your winterization bay and turn the three way to suck water out of the jug.

Go back to your water bay and turn on your cold water faucet from outside. And turn on your pump.

As advertised, the pump sucks up water from the jug into the lines, pressurizes and feeds the shower hose that fills the fresh tank.

BRILLIANT! I love u guys!

[colourful64]

Can you explain what the benefits are of doing this thanks in advanced

[Technorick]

Colour
As described above by Kansas and Rock, This is a method is used to get non pressurized water, sanitizer, or antifreeze in the fresh water holding tank. Unlike a travel trailer with a fresh water gravity feed that can easily accept a funnel, the fresh intake on the FR3 is a screw on hose bib horizontally mounted and requires pressure to move the water in about three feet to the tank.

Therefore. Purposes of these mods are:

1. If you want to sanitize your fresh water tank; it's harder to get bleach in the tank without either Kansas's or Rocks suggested fix. Sure you can fill a garden hose with fluid, connect it to the fresh water inlet then carry the other end of the hose up the ladder and let gravity move the contents of the hose to the tank! (As one frustrated member described.)

2. This method also allows you to distribute RV antifreeze though the entire system. However I would bypass the water heater first.

3. In my case, I'm dry camping in a farm field for 4 nights and can bring 2 extra 5 gallon water jugs to supplement my fresh water tank.

Under non re routed conditions (without pointing the outside shower back into the holding tank ) I could suck the 5 gallon water jugs up directly into the system. And get water But that does not allow me to store the water.

Using the methods pointed out by Kansas and Rock We can suck up X gallon jugs and store the water in the fresh water tank! Sending a friend back to the fresh water spigot later in the day, I can keep refilling the fresh rank 10 gallons at a time and always use the shower toilet and faucets including the propane fired hot water heater!

If you never dry camp, or never use antifreeze to winterize you will not find value in this mod. I hope this explain it more clearly.

Technorick.