Quote:
Originally Posted by shill
Since we are currently not RV owners, we are purchasing most of the basic necessities prior to the pickup of our NH in a couple months or so. I am planning to buy a Valterra DO4-0275 Dominator 20' sewer hose and a 10' extension to match, a Renator M11-0660R water pressure regulator valve, Valterra F02-4350 Reverse RV Flush Valve, Valterra T58 Twist‑on Waste Valve, and a Viair 400P-RV. This is not at all a complete list, just some things. Any opinions on any or all these items?
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Shill -
There is a lot of good information here. I can only speak from my own experience.
The NH Majestic has a separate sewer hose compartment, screen open at the bottom, to carry sewer hoses. Great idea! I carry 3 10' Valterra sewer hoses with caps and one 5' hose with a 6" clear straight connection with caps. In this way, I can make the shortest run from outlet to ground connection inlet possible. In 6 years of full-timing, the longest sewer run I have had to make was 35' (thus the hoses) in Thermopolis, WY. I also carry a separate clear container that contains a (cheap) flow restriction water regulator in a Ziplock bag, a connection elbow with attached 6" straight clear connection glued to the elbow, a 45 degree straight elbow with donut, and one 45 degree clear elbow. Add two wheel chocks. That is what is inside the sewer hose compartment. And there is probably room for 3 more sewer hoses!
When I connect the sewer hose, I simply hold the hose end beneath the cap as I remove it to catch any latent drainage in the pipe. Oh, however, I did change out the standard sewer end cap for one that has a hose connection on it. When we are at our daughter's house/acreage, we run a standard 100' garden hose from the connection out into the woods to drain gray water. We have a macerator pump and hose to drain into their septic tank stored in their barn.
Oh, BTW, get a pack of 100 Nitrile gloves from Home Depot or Walmart to ALWAYS use when handling sewer items.
Now, besides the regular black tank treatment, once or twice a month, I add a cup of Sodium Carbonate to the black tank. Sodium Carbonate is a "water softener" that is contained within detergents, Calgon water bath crystals, etc. In the olden days of "washing soap", we would add this to the water in the Maytag wringer washer in western Oklahoma to soften the water to clean clothes. Today, it is on the shelf in the washing detergent aisle in a yellow box labeled "Arm and Hammer Wash Soda". (NOT, the orange box of Baking Soda - that is Bicarbonate! You want Sodium Carbonate.) Sodium Carbonate combines with the calcium and magnesium of hard water to make "water slick". It also helps in combining with the fats in the waste solution to clean the tank and break down toilet tissue.
As far a toilet tissue is concerned, Walmart carries Scott RV toilet tissue in the RV section. Scott RV toilet tissue is magnitudes better than Camco, Thedford, or any other RV toilet tissue we have used - most RV tissues remind you of traveling in Europe. Highly recommend Scott RV toilet tissue.
The black tank and gray tank flush on NH is great. Much better than the flush systems offered on DRV or Keystone (my experience). I see no need for other flush systems. However, I would also recommend during orientation with Harold, before using the black or gray tank system, hook a hose up to the flush system and run it for 4 or 5 minutes. See if those connections leak behind the waterworks wall. Mine did, but they were fixed correctly when we returned for warranty work. Our connections do not leak now. (Also, get Harold to help you sanitize the fresh water system.)
I have the same water regulator. However, I connected it to the elbow then added a 3' fresh water hose. The regulator is inside the waterworks area. As you know, we cold weather camp (fresh powder at Wolf Creek!), so the regulator is in the warmed waterworks area and safe from freezing. The 3' fresh water hose loops around and connects to the fresh water hose or heated hose at the input port at the floor.
There is a whole RV filter system standard on the NH. I didn't care much for the standard filter. I replaced it with a simple 5 micron sediment filter and change that every 3 to 4 months. Of course, we do have a Reverse Osmosis system with a sink faucet and refrigerator connection. I do not like the whole RV system that dumps permeate into the fresh water tank. I prefer the less wasteful point-of-use system.
We do not have a water softener for our RV. We have not found anywhere in the western US to date that compares to the hard water of western Oklahoma in the 1950s! Well water at that time was so hard that in Seiling, OK you could pour a glass of water and drive a 16 penny nail in red oak with it! In our travels, we have yet to find water that is hard enough to cause us to want a softener. But it is a personal preference. Just not ours. I am much more concerned about what is in the water, thus the RO system, than its hardness. As a geologist, I can elaborate on this nightmare but won't.
If nothing else, look at putting an Ultra-Violet finish on the kitchen and refrigerator pipes. It won't help with Chromium-6 or lead, but it will zap organic nasties.
I agree with Dennis45, don't run out and buy a bunch of "crap"
. We have discarded a bunch of it and what we have now works. A lot of what you mention would be necessary if you were purchasing a Keystone! But what you are getting is a New Horizons. Big difference!
Just my two cents,
Ron
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