Community Forums

davydee · 04-19-2010, 09:45 AM

This came up on a thread in the Excel owners area, and I thought I'd ask. Many of us are noticing (or have) units without an outside freshwater tank filling door. I'm wondering how you manually fill the freshwater tank? Sanitize??? David

Spikester · 04-19-2010, 10:56 AM

One way to to it is as follows:
If you have a hose, or a connection with a hose, for winterizing your fresh water system, and/or tank you can use your built in fresh water pump to fill your fresh water tank. The value line-up may vary between manufacturers but basically you isolate your fresh water tank from the pump suction, line the pump suction up as if you were going to winterize. Align your quick throw valve to the fill your tanks from city water position. Place your winterizing hose (pump suction) in a container with fresh water in it vice anti-freeze, turn on the pump. Your pump will then pump the water from the container of fresh water into your fresh water tank at whatever the rated output of the pump is, usually around 3 GPM.
Some people use a home-made pump with hoses, they just connect into the city water connection, align the quick-through valve to fill the tanks from city water, turn on the pump and fill away. If you us an AC pump and have a large water supply tank this can be quite a bit faster due to the higher volume from the pump.

Spike

davydee · 04-20-2010, 06:23 AM

Thanks!!!

wa8yxm · 04-20-2010, 11:45 AM

And another thing... At least one RV owner, in going over his rig, found that under the "Hood" (Behind the door you use to access things like the engine radiator) was a small door with a key lock... Behind it.. The gravity fill for the fresh tank.

Moral.. Sometimes they hide the sucker.

davydee · 04-21-2010, 09:07 AM

They do make it interesting!

bldrbob · 04-21-2010, 05:56 PM

I posted on Excel how I do it. I got fittings to connect the outside shower to the tank fill. I then connect a short hose to the winterizing inlet.By opening the shower faucet and setting the valve to winterizing I can pump water into the tank.
BOB

Bruce H · 04-22-2010, 02:50 PM

I added a pump so I can pump water from any source, water container, lake, creek etc. See my modifications. Click on PHOTOS and then Member Galleries, scroll to search and type in Bruce H click on picture and see my modifications. I also use quick disconnects for easy hook ups. You can read my comments for a description. I do a lot of boon docking and these mods allow me to extend my stay.

Gary RVRoamer · 05-23-2010, 09:05 AM

I use a 12v bilge or wash pump with a 3/4" hose fitting on one end and a suction line on the other. It will suck from a bucket or external water tank or even a pond, and with the aid of a "hose thief" it can usually be hooked up to a hand-pumped well. There is enough output pressure to open the city inlet check valve and pump water in. The speed depends on what size pump you use. If you have a spare RV water pump, use that for great flow, but you need good sized wire for the 12v.

Renipladlo · 09-01-2010, 02:09 AM

We have an alpine apex, it does not have a city water fill system. Everything goes into the tank and you use the pump. There is a way to use the city water, but I don't like stressing the system that way.

To winterize I take a external water filter setup with the filter out. I then mix my sanitation water/chlorine bleach in a gallon jug, and pour this into the filter bottom. Put it together and hook up the city water to it, and then the hose to the RV. It takes about two minutes to get this into the tank, then just take it apart and add more until all my mixture is in the tank. Then I fill the tank, and let it sit for 4-5 hours, then using the water pump, I empty the system, and then refill let that sit for a while and then drain that out and then take 1/2 cup baking soda to a gallon of water and do a repeat on the water filter arrangement. The soda sweetens the tank and takes the chlorine taste out.

This takes a tad bit longer than the old method available to us when we had the 5th wheel, but it’s not to bad.