Fill Gages on the outside

RWizinsky

Member
I own a 2014 30SLE, and started using the tanks for the first time. It was a bit of a pain to have to open the slide, and have someone in the bathroom when I fill the fresh tank. According to the owners manual this is the way you are supposed to do it Seems cumbersome.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
RWizinski . . . welcome to the Heartland and Trail Runner forums!

We are originally from Michigan . . . about 70 miles west on I-94 (Jackson)!

I'm still trying to work out a funnel that will allow one person to dump water into the fresh water tank.

I have two big water jugs on wheels that I take when staying at those state parks that don't allow hoses to be hooked up to the water pumps, and need someone to hold a funnel or I get more water on me than in the trailer!
 

RWizinsky

Member
That is a pretty nifty item, just think that for a design idea improvement, gages that the guy filling the rig could see while he was filling it would be a nifty idea. I setup my rig alone sometimes before the wife and kids get to the camping area.
 

ILH

Well-known member
But it does beg the question, why can't there be a secondary gauge adjacent to the fill tube / inlet on the 5th wheels (and other RVs)?
 

Lynn1130

Well-known member
Yep, handy little tool. I know that once the tank, water heater and lines are filled I am 114 gals.

As to filling with a funnel. I us a 32 gal tote tank for extra capacity when dry camping, which is most of what we do. I have an old Flomax 12V water pump wired with a switch and enough electrical line to reach the batteries. The pump has 1/2 in clear line that will reach the fill port. When I need more water in the trailer tank I set up the pump and pump from the tote. It can pump from water cans too if necessary. It saves the back from lifting water cans and me from getting a bath trying to dump into a funnel.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
I kinda think that the over flow hole is there for a reason . . . to let us know when the tank is full!

Just sayin' . . .
 

whp4262

Well-known member
I kinda think that the over flow hole is there for a reason . . . to let us know when the tank is full!

Just sayin' . . .

I think you are reasoning correctly but most of the time I don't want my tank full and the monitor system is useless on my rig. So this seems like a cheap handy solution.


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Lynn1130

Well-known member
I have three overflows that dump below my trailer. I want my tanks full because I dry camp/hunt and need every drop I can get in without expanding the tanks. I put the flow meter on and as the overflows begin to drain, in the order of fill, I shut them off (they have valves on them). When the last begins to flow (this is my overflow indication) I shut the water off and then close the last valve. During the fill time I have turned on the hot water and filled the hot water tank. At the time the water is turned off my tanks are full, the hot water tank is full and the water lines are full. 114 gals of water and it was done at a rate that will not over extend tanks or lines.

The original overflow in the UDC is disconnect because it was too small and useless at keeping the tanks from overextending as water was put into the tanks. The three that are now on the tanks give plenty of relief for the tanks as they fill.
 

RWizinsky

Member
Exactly what I was thinking, if not a full set of gages, how about just a green "Full" light? It would make things easier for about $10. worth of parts.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
Exactly what I was thinking, if not a full set of gages, how about just a green "Full" light? It would make things easier for about $10. worth of parts.

Your Trail Runner most likely has the same setup as mine . . .

At the fresh tank filler, there is an overflow opening next to the water inlet.

When your tank is getting close to full, you'll here it make a gurgle sound . . . and when it is full, it will overflow!

Some people choose to stop when they hear the gurgle sound . . . others fill until the water starts coming out of the overflow.

That is what the overflow is there for.

That meter above is cool . . . but really is not necessary.


As for the water heater . . . I generally prime the water heater and the water lines at home before I leave on a trip so that I don't have to waste water in the fresh water tank to do that.

However, I always try to travel with only enough water in the fresh tank to use the facilities while on the road.

Why carry all of that extra weight if you don't have to?

I have two 100-foot hoses (and a water thief for those state park camp grounds that have those water pumps without the hose threads) . . . plus I carry two water jugs with wheels that hold 13 gallons for when I need to fill up the tanks from the pumps when I can't hook up the hoses.
 

RWizinsky

Member
Ok that makes more sense then. I didn't see anything in the books about filling the tanks other than DON'T OVERFILL the tanks in big bold letters every where. I had assumed (wrongly) that if the water got that full it would go places you didn't want it too. That will save a lot of time not pulling, opening the slide and having someone inside watching the water level. It didn't seem right to me.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
When using a hose to fill the gravity fill tube, you want it to be a loose fit. That way if the tank is full and for some reason water doesn't overflow through the vent hose, it can back up and come out the gravity fill tube opening.
 
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