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Old 01-14-2019, 08:20 PM   #1
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Water fill 101

Ok, remember I'm still Manwithnorv. Do I understand this correctly? I connect my white water hose at the campground water source and connect the other end to the RV for "City Water" or where ever it is suppose to connect (I don't have the RV yet). When I turn the water on, it's going to fill my fresh water holding tank, but I assume I need to open a valve at the sink so air can escape as water goes in? Then as I consume water in the RV, is the water being pumped from my tank or is the pressure from the city connection at work? How does this work? At any rate, the supply will just keeps the tank at full? It seems to me there has to be pumps because if I'm boondocking I'm good as long as I have water in the fresh water holding tank.

Please simplify this for me....I've never had an RV.
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Old 01-14-2019, 08:51 PM   #2
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Nope, that is not how it works. You will either have a separate connection or you will have to open a valve to fill the fresh water tank. When you are on "City water" the hose just pressurizes the water system. No water goes into the tank. To use water from the tank you have to turn off the "City Water", fill the tank (if not already filled) and start the pump from the control panel. Clear as mud???
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Old 01-14-2019, 09:09 PM   #3
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Agreed. That's not how it works. When you connect the shore water hose to your RV, you will have a lever that will have labels that say something like:
Fill tank
City Water or ByPass

Depending on whether you want to fill your fresh tank & run water off your pump or you want to run water directly from the shore supply, you would turn that lever the appropriate direction.

Below is a photo of a section of our wet bay water hook up lever so you can see to what I'm referring. Your RV may be labeled differently but you would have the same lever.

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Old 01-14-2019, 09:10 PM   #4
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Yes, thanks. I guess it never occurred to me that they would be separate independent systems, but I like that answer. It's a good answer that even I can understand. Maybe in another month or three, I'll graduate to first grade.

So I've noticed that most (maybe all) have a water filter in the wet bay area. Is all water from the source run through the filter regardless of whether you are filling your tank or using the city pressurize water system?
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Old 01-14-2019, 09:29 PM   #5
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Yes, thanks. I guess it never occurred to me that they would be separate independent systems, but I like that answer. It's a good answer that even I can understand. Maybe in another month or three, I'll graduate to first grade.

So I've noticed that most (maybe all) have a water filter in the wet bay area. Is all water from the source run through the filter regardless of whether you are filling your tank or using the city pressurize water system?

Depends on HOW the water line is plumbed....could be just for when using 'city water'
Could be 'city water' and 'Fill'




Generic RV Water System
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Old 01-15-2019, 05:28 AM   #6
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I also recommend sampling the campsite water before using it. Put it in a glass and if it passes the appearance and smell test give it a taste. The last thing you want is murky sulfur smelling heavy iron water going into your fresh tank. I keep water in my fresh tank and if the campground water doesn't please me I never hook it up.
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Old 01-15-2019, 05:52 AM   #7
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I also recommend sampling the campsite water before using it. Put it in a glass and if it passes the appearance and smell test give it a taste. The last thing you want is murky sulfur smelling heavy iron water going into your fresh tank. I keep water in my fresh tank and if the campground water doesn't please me I never hook it up.
So do you travel with your fresh tank full from home or the last place that had "good" water?
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Old 01-15-2019, 06:16 AM   #8
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So do you travel with your fresh tank full from home or the last place that had "good" water?
Oh gosh, now you've done it!
This is one of those questions that starts a verbal arm wrestling match.
I always travel with a full or nearly full fresh water tank (and empty black and grey). I figure that I'm not really 'self contained' if I don't have fresh water.

And I'd like to adjust your thinking just a wee bit on the water system. You mentioned that you weren't aware that it's two separate systems.
It's not. It's one system with two points of input.
Both the tank water and the city water go through the same water lines in the RV. It's just that the city water bypasses the tank and connects directly into the lines. Note the picture of the valve above. One setting is 'bypass' (the tank), the other is 'fill' (the tank). That valve controls what you do to the tank - either way the water ultimately goes into the same pipes.
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Old 01-15-2019, 06:45 AM   #9
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The tank has one or more breather tubes to let air out, so no, you don’t have to open anything. When the tank is full, water will pour out of the breather tube(s) onto the ground.
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Old 01-15-2019, 07:21 AM   #10
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After connecting to the water supply at a campground, run it a few seconds to get any rust, or crud out before connecting to your rv.
When traveling between campgrounds that will have water, I keep a third of my fresh tank filled for use on the road.
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Old 01-15-2019, 10:51 AM   #11
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WE travel with FULL fresh water tank
We use fresh water tank/pump exclusively and refill as needed

When we go to bed...pump is turned off
When we leave...pump is turned off
IF pump short cycles we KNOW we have an issue...find it fix it
When we arrive at CG we have water..vs not due to broken water line/bad water etc
Pump provides consistent press/flow and no regulator required

City water....
Have to go out to spigot to turn supply off (not a pretty site at bed time when I am naked)
Have to go out to spigot to turn off/back on when we leave
Should we have a minor leak ......not going to know UNTIL water damage
Should we have a MAJOR leak.........BTDT and it cost $6000


Pros/Cons
THAT is why we exclusively use fresh water tank and pump
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Old 01-15-2019, 11:00 AM   #12
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When weather isn't so cold as to potentially freeze our water system like now, we travel with our fresh tank filled according to how long we think we'll be out regardless of whether we expect water where we are camping. (We are currently winterized but still camping with totes of water and not using any indoor plumbing).

We have the added benefit of our trailer being less tongue-heavy when our tanks have water in them.

I like good tasting water so we bring 5 gallon bottles of spring water for drinking but I don't want to run the risk of "polluting" our water system with questionable campsite water so we just don't use the city water side at all - there is a really nice water source where we park the trailer when not in use.
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Old 01-15-2019, 03:33 PM   #13
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Well I have to say, I'm surprised, did not expect that it might be better to use the tank and not the city water, but sooner or later you'll have to refill out there somewhere unless you get back home every 7 days or ever how long the tank lasts.
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Old 01-15-2019, 05:59 PM   #14
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Also, after spraying the shore spigot with bleach solution to sanitize & after hooking up the water hose, I run water through the hose for about 30 seconds before hooking to my RV. Who knows what may've been brewing inside that hose while stored in the RV for weeks on end between uses. Just a precaution I take.

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