Newby with some questions please

[texasjayco]

Hello all. We just picked up our new Jayco last weekend. The dealer has a park on the property and invite all new owners to stay there for the first night, so we did. It is a great RV and we look forward to getting past the holiday season so we can get out in it!!

1) Since we will not get to use it all of Dec, should we drain all tanks and water heater? It does not get that cold here in central Tx for very long, but I want to do the right thing.

2) It came with only one battery, but has a space for a second. How important is it to have two?

I'm sure I will have many more questions as we use it more, so thanks in advance.

[texasjayco]

Hello all. We just picked up our new Jayco last weekend. The dealer has a park on the property and invite all new owners to stay there for the first night, so we did. It is a great RV and we look forward to getting past the holiday season so we can get out in it!!

1) Since we will not get to use it all of Dec, should we drain all tanks and water heater? It does not get that cold here in central Tx for very long, but I want to do the right thing.

2) It came with only one battery, but has a space for a second. How important is it to have two?

I'm sure I will have many more questions as we use it more, so thanks in advance.

[450Donn]

Yes, drain all the fresh water out. Water will go bad in a relatively short period of time, you don't want to get sick. Batteries are important for a variety of reasons. Among them is the trailer break away switch. IF you rarely or never camp without hookups then a single battery is plenty for your needs. If however you routinely camp with no hookups then you will want more power as Tim Taylor used to say.

[Jeff_in_The_Dalles]

First, congrats on the new 5th wheel. I'm sure you will have fun with it.

#1, If I wasn't using it for a month, I'd for sure drain the fresh water tank. If there is no danger of temps below freezing it would probably be fine to leave the hot water in the tank, assuming you don't drink water out of the hot tap.

Periodically you will want to sanatize the tank. Every few months or so I do mine. I use store brand chlorine bleach (doesn't have brighteners or perfume) at about 1/3 cup for 50 gallons.

I fill the tank about half to a third, then take the hose off the spigot and dump the bleach in the hose and fill the rest of the way. That way it runs down the length of the hose. Turn the pump on to run the bleachy water through the pipes. Let it sit for 4-6 hours, drain, and flush. Don't use too much bleach, or put it in first, or it will be difficult to flush out.

#2 Battery wise, one 12v will probably run lights and water pump for several days. If you get into camping in cold weather without power hook up, the furnace will kill that battery quickly.

If you add a 2nd 12v battery in parallel, make sure it is the same type, capacity, and close to the same age.

I prefer 2 6v's in series, but since you have one new 12v already, cost/benefit for buying one more 12v would be better in your case.

[texasjayco]

Great info, thanks guys.

When installing a battery in parallel, I assume that means + to + and - to -, right?

Thanks again

[Jeff_in_The_Dalles]

Correct. Two (or more) 12v's connected + to + and - to - would be a bank of batteries in parallel.

If one battery were to self-discharge faster than the other, it would drag the other one's charge level down, so they should be similar age, size and type.

[Ray,IN]

If you filled your fresh water tank from a city water source you can leave it in the tanks. The residual chlorine in the water will keep it protected for months in moderate weather. For your edification, read Art Knapp's personal website. You'll learn how to sanitize your RV, winterize it, and many other vital things. The EPA states 200ppm chlorine is the optimum mixture for sanitizing.

[texasjayco]

That's great stuff. Thanks again.

Another, how important is it to have the tire covers while parked at the storage lot? I see these a lot and not sure if they are important or just a nice touch.

Thanks

[texasjayco]

Ok, thanks.

I knew I would have tons of ?s.

Here's another...my trailer has 50 amp system (?), and I know most parks have 50 amp service. But what if they only have 30 amp, can I still plug in? Same outlet type? With an adapter, can I plug in to a home outlet?

Thanks

[Workshop]

Here's a link to Caring for your Tires. I alway keep the tires covered when not in use. Helps protects the tires and keeps the weather off the rims also.

[RustyJC]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by texasjayco:
Here's another...my trailer has 50 amp system (?), and I know most parks have 50 amp service. But what if they only have 30 amp, can I still plug in? Same outlet type? With an adapter, can I plug in to a home outlet?

Thanks </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You'll want to pick up a 50-to-30 amp adapter and a 30-to-20 amp adapter to prepare yourself for any given campground contingency. These are inexpensive and can be stacked as needed.

Of course, 50 amp service has 2 each 50 amp legs for a total ampacity of 100 amps. If you plug into 30 amp service, you'll only have 30% of the power (wattage) that's theoretically available with 50 amp service, so you can't use nearly as many devices in the RV.

Rusty