No tank indicators

[cborden]

We have a 1997 Citation Villa park model, new to us. It does not have a black or grey water tank indicator . How do we know when we need to dump? Before they back up?? Thanks for any help.

[Persistent]

I assume you are dry camping or boondocking. Many owners who have tank indicators don't use them because they don't work or are not accurate. Mine are frequently not accurate so I ignore them.

My fresh tank indicator does work. Some TT's have a visible transparent fresh tank you can see. Start with that.

I have a 40 gallon fresh tank, a 20 gallon grey tank, and a 20 gallon black tank. Most of the fresh water goes into the gray tank. So when the fresh tank is half full, I guess the gray tank is nearly full. Time to empty soon.

The gray water plumbing makes little noises as it nears full. My shower is the lowest point inside. If all else fails, the gray tank is full when water shows in the shower.

The black tank level is visible through the toilet flush valve. It is full when I see the level near the top. It is rarely near full before the gray tank. It gets dumped every time the gray tank is dumped. Sometimes I need a flash light to see down in there.

I wish you good luck and happy trails ahead!

[Cousin Ed]

It's a "Park Model" trailer, right? Do they even have tanks or are the designed for a sewer or sceptic system?

[theroc]

Welcome to the forum.

To expound a bit on what Cousin Ed has said, park models can be either self-contained or not ..."self-contained" means that an RV has holding tanks where plumbing can be used without being connected while moving around or on the side of the road, etc.

Those that are not self-contained do not have holding tanks. They are meant to be hard-plumbed either in a permanent or a semi-permanent manner. In other words, they are intended to be directly connected to the sewer at the site. It's essentially a mini-mobile home ...no fresh water or sewage holding tanks.

The tip-off is --does it have a residential -style toilet? If it has a toilet similar to one you'd normally see in your stick house, then it's the most obvious sign that it won't have holding tanks and your particular park model is designed to be permanently or semi--permanently connected to sewer and water connections at the site (you can connect to water in the normal way an RV does, however).

Here's an example of a park model with a "normal" toilet --a "true" park model trailer typically will not have holding tanks but destination trailers or park trailers can have holding tanks:

1997 Golden Falcon park model -- from ad at RVTrader

--see #14 of 16 on the photo display and it's attached below. Notice the residential -style toilet? Do you have a similar toilet? If so, you in all likelihood will not have holding tanks are will be required to directly connect to the sewer at your site.


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[Tha_Rooster]

Originally Posted by cborden

We have a 1997 Citation Villa park model, new to us. It does not have a black or grey water tank indicator . How do we know when we need to dump? Before they back up?? Thanks for any help.

I’d say if it has a residential toilet it doesn’t have tanks.

[LETMGROW]

Look all around outside, underneath and in every compartment. If you don't find handles that attach to drain valves you don't have holding tanks.
No tanks, follow the advice using the fresh water level as a guide.

[LETMGROW]

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

Look all around outside, underneath and in every compartment. If you don't find handles that attach to drain valves you don't have holding tanks.
No tanks, follow the advice using the fresh water level as a guide.

Edit: IF YOU HAVE TANKS, follow the advice using the fresh water level as a guide.

[garywilson]

Pour five gallons of water into the tub and drain.
Go outside and see where the water runs out.
Probably no tanks.