Community Forums

vettenuts · 04-20-2016, 09:54 AM

Non-well water usually contains some level of chlorine so leaving it in the tank for a while won't hurt. As stated in the prior post, depends on where you filled the tank.

I fill ours prior to leaving home and use on the road and for quick overnight stops so I don't have to connect. Once connected I use the connected water. We typically drink bottled water or that from the tank because some areas don't have as nice a water supply as we have locally. Depends on where we are though.

TommyHarris · 04-20-2016, 10:10 AM

Great point - thanks.

LETMGROW · 04-20-2016, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wryly Blithe

Ok, now THAT's funny

Not really. I'm serious!
Lynn

Ray,IN · 04-20-2016, 09:44 PM

Add 1.256 oz bleach to 100G of water to make it safe for drinking.
http://ndep.nv.gov/bsdw/docs/disinfe...king_water.pdf

I've never drained my fresh water tank unless it's being winterized, which is seldom.
FWIW, many years ago I was on a team dismantling cold war-era bomb shelters on the local college campus.
We unsealed barrels of water, all of them still tested safe for human consumption.

Mr_D · 04-20-2016, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeSR

I live in the country. If I don't want a puddle where the MH sits, I take it for a ride down the road with the tank valve open.

In OR that can get you a VERY expensive ticket since they figure anything coming from an RV is "contaminated" fluid.

Mr_D · 04-20-2016, 09:56 PM

Our water at home is well water but treated by the water district with chlorine. Our tank receives the water directly from the hose but it is filtered coming out of the tank as it goes into the plumbing.
We have a 3M WV-B2 system:
• Reduces 95% of chlorine taste and odor
• Reduces 99.99% of harmful bacteria
• Reduces 99.99% of mold spores, cysts, and algae
• Reduces sand, silt, dirt, rust, and sediment down to 0.2 micron

So I feel pretty safe using the water in the tank.

Dtwallace · 04-20-2016, 10:09 PM

[QUOTE=
We unsealed barrels of water, all of them still tested safe for human consumption.[/QUOTE]

Funny you should mention that, I just found a five gallon military water container in my storage shed when i was home, it had been there for 20 years. The water was as fresh as it was put in there yesterday.

This water was left over from our tent camping days when I was still in the army, and was straight from the home water faucet back then.

The only time I've ever needed to drain our tanks in maybe for winter on our TT, and when we got untreated well water that got funky after it sat for a month.

We fill and use the water from our tank all the time, so it's always cycled and clean.

DTW

Ray,IN · 04-20-2016, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

In OR that can get you a VERY expensive ticket since they figure anything coming from an RV is "contaminated" fluid.

Yep! I was stopped by IN DOT state police once. I was draining my fresh water tank enroute home. I explained, he said close the valve immediately, and sent me down the highway. He was NOT happy with me but I didn't get a ticket.

sbleiweiss · 04-22-2016, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Yep! I was stopped by IN DOT state police once. I was draining my fresh water tank enroute home. I explained, he said close the valve immediately, and sent me down the highway. He was NOT happy with me but I didn't get a ticket.

Possible ticket aside, is this the only way to completely drain the freshwater tank. I have never figured out how to do it. Even opening the outdoor shower (which is labeled low point drain) I am left with about 2 inches of water in the tank. Is driving with the drain open the only way to get that out?

HR2004 · 04-22-2016, 08:18 AM

We winter in tucson and leave home in Missouri with about 75 gallons of fresh soft water onboard.. just in case water is off someplace.. A couple of weeks before coming home I prop a garden hose up on the drain tube under the motorhome and run the hose to a big desert bush nearby and drain the tank. I regenerate our FloPur water softener and refill tank with about 75 gallons of new soft water for the trip home..

mel s · 04-22-2016, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbleiweiss

Possible ticket aside, is this the only way to completely drain the freshwater tank. I have never figured out how to do it. Even opening the outdoor shower (which is labeled low point drain) I am left with about 2 inches of water in the tank. Is driving with the drain open the only way to get that out?

My fresh water tank never does empty completely.
That has never been problematic....(even when the coach was stored in sub zero weather).
Mel
'96 Safari, 148k miles

NMRVer · 04-22-2016, 11:33 AM

I never fill my fresh water tank, why carry the extra weight. On the other hand, it's never empty either. We keep enough water in the tank for 1-2 days worth of water usage (10-20 gallons) for emergency use. Since we drink bottled water I clean the system every couple of month with bleach. Otherwise my toilet doesn't know if the water is pure or a little stale. My .02

LETMGROW · 04-23-2016, 06:49 AM

I have never had a problem completely draining my tank. There is a slight depression where the drain attaches and as long as the MH is level it will fully drain.
My Class C had a flat tank all across the bottom. I would take it out to my back field and park it on a slight grade so the drain was on the low side. I'd leave it there for a while and then drive it with the valve fully open around the field which is quite smooth but not entirely flat and the tank would be dry.
When I winterize I put five gallons of RV antifreeze in the tank to pump out all the lines. If I have some left in the tank I drain it and leave the drain valve slightly opened with a drain pan under the drain. I only get a couple drips throughout the winter months. I have a piece of chicken wire I put over the pan to keep domestic animals out of the pan.
Lynn