Just curious, when you have your RV sitting for say 2 or 3 months, do you drain the water that's been sitting in the tank during that time or just add to it when you pull up stakes to hit the road again? I try to calculate our water usage that we will need for each trip and fill the tank as needed and on our last leg of that trip I hope to have come close to that calculation, but there is always some water in the tank. And that is of course to keep the seals from drying out and failing. We usually skip going anywhere over July and August but we are heading out again in Sept so my main question here is what is considered best as far as draining that water in the tank and refilling it with fresh? With the drought as bad as it is in CA right now we are doing everything we can to conserve water and I believe we have about 20 gallons in the tank that's been sitting there since June. I know it's fine for doing dishes and taking showers, etc. but I'm not sure I'd want to use it for coffee or cooking? Probably not a big thing but I was interested in what some of you fellow RVers do with your old water from the last trip? Also I haven't started a new thread in a while so thought this might make for some small talk and discussion.... Hope everyone is enjoying a fine summer and putting lots of miles on their RV........Bankshot
We usually just use ours for non-drinking stuff so we just add to the tank. We use bottled water for coffee, cooking, etc. I know what you mean about conserving water! If you feel you ought to drain it, could you use it for something else or drain it to a water butt?
If the RV sits for more that about two months we drain the fresh water and even flush out the tank and lines with bleach (diluted) and then refill with fresh water. Our drained water goes into a flower bed so it isn't completely wasted. We do this because we are in a hot climate where mold and bacteria can grow easily. We would rather go to this trouble instead of getting sick on the road. Also If I thought the water was not good enough to drink, I would not use it to wash dishes either. They could get contaminated. And finally we do not travel with a full fresh water tank. We always have a site with hookups, so we only carry enough water for a night or two in case there is an emergency.
I did notice one time a couple of years ago after we had let the RV sit for about two months, that the water had foul smell to it so I drained off the tank and the hot water tank and then ran a solution of water and some white vinegar thru both tanks. I let it sit overnight, drained them again and refilled both with fresh water. As mentioned it's been sitting since June and we've had some really hot weather this past couple of months so I plan on doing that rinse job again before we leave. I appreciate you folks giving some input on this. I just like to know that the things I do are correct under the circumstance that prevail. And as you know, if I don't do them correct I end up paying the boss in ways I don't even like to think about...............
We drain any left from a previous trip and put in fresh water just before a trip and always add just about a quarter cup of bleach to keep any possible bacteria from growing in this warm climate. You said you hook up to local water at campgrounds, which is good however, how do you know where it is coming from.... There are a few campgrounds, Edisto Beach state park, SC which has salt intrusion water. Even the residents of Edisto do not drink the water. We do not use it at all though we love the state park and camp there often. .
I fully agree about Edisto! Our notes for returning there start with making sure the water tank is full before we leave our previous stop. We love the place, and we'll be there next March enjoying the ocean from our front window and the beach again.
I'm sure water quality is a problem at some (many?) campgrounds. We try to be careful, but you just don't always know. Just out of curiosity did the campground at Edisto warn you about the water before you hooked up?
The check-in worker mentioned it, and the campground website has the following warning, so we did not have to find out "the hard way" the first time we went there: "Please be aware that because of the dynamic location of the park, the water has a high salt content. The water is treated by the Town of Edisto Beach and deemed safe to drink from Department of Health and Safety. The Town of Edisto Beach does have a water filling station, which allows you to fill up to five gallons per day. Bottled water is also available at the local filling stations and grocery stores."
Yes,but the most frequent issue we find is high chlorine concentrations. We have filters for that though. High pressure is another issue that some parks don't warn about, so we always use our regulator, just in case.
We use a pressure regulator at every park and campground. In fact I just leave it connected all the time so as to never have to worry about forgetting it and having pressure problems. We do have a water purification filter system in the coach which we check and replace the filter on a regular basis. I plan on draining and flushing the system tomorrow and I may try using bleach this time instead of vinegar. I thought that bleach may be harmful to the seals and even the pipes and hoses but if Texasrvers uses bleach and says it's okay then I'll just have to give it try. Hey Texasrvers, how many gallons of bleach do you use when you flush your tank?...................... Seriously, would a cup or so for every ten gallons do the trick? When I use vinegar I pour about that amount directly into the filler intake after I've put about ten or so gallons in. I turn on the pump and open each faucet to let some of it come out then shut them off, let it sit overnight, and drain it all out and refill with fresh water. I also flush out the hot water heater tank at the same time...................
I copied this from somewhere a long time ago--probably Motorhome Magazine, but I'm not sure. I have read about other methods that are quicker and less labor intensive, but I feel this procedure does the best job. I have also heard that the bleach will damage the lines and seals, but I think the important step to prevent that is to flush the lines well to get the bleach out. It could happen tomorrow, but so far we have not had a problem. Cleaning the Fresh Water Tank 1. Drain the water tank completely, then refill halfway with clean, fresh water. 2. Mix 1/4 cup of household bleach for every 15 gallons of tank capacity in a container with a gallon or two of clean water. 3. Pour this mixture into the water tank. I usually pour this through the fresh water hose using a funnel so that it gets cleaned also. 4. Top off the water tank with fresh water. Drive the rig around the block to mix the solution. (This is a step I usually don't do.) 5. Pump water through each faucet so that all the lines are filled with the water/bleach. 6. The hot-water tank holds at least 6 gallons of water. Run the hot-water faucets until this much solution has passed to insure that the old water has been purged from the hot-water tank, and it is now filled with the water/bleach solution from the water tank. 7. Let the water stand for several hours. 8. Drain the entire water system, hot-water tank included. 9. To remove the bleach odor, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with a gallon of water and pour into the freshwater tank. 10. Fill the tank completely and pump this solution through the water heater and the rest of the water lines. This solution can sit in the system for a few days. Driving the rig around the block will slosh water around and thoroughly clean the tank. (Again I usually don't do this.) 11. Drain the entire system and refill with fresh, clean water.
Right now I only use my fresh water tank as we travel mainly for flushing toilet and washing hands. Good info especially the part about washing dishes. With my fresh water tank that would be about 70 gallons of water, which seems excessive considering the drought.
We only use our fresh water tank for an unexpected necessity and only fill it in 1/3 to avoid excess weight. I do drain it after each trip and re-fill with fresh water from home before leaving on a new trip. There's a special fresh water tank liquid that you can pour through the fresh water inlet. It is called 'TastePURE Drinking Water Freshener' manufactured by CAMCO. You can buy it through Amazon.com and the item #40206, $4.95 for a 16oz bottle. We also have a faucet Britta water filter which we use for our pet's water as well our coffee and drinking water. It has a small window showing when the filter needs changing; it is a carbon-type filter. Hope this helps.
