Water usage

[cavaughan]

First time RVer, Escape newbie with a 21NE. Have a question about filling the RV. I swear somewhere I saw someone say you should have 2 different hoses for filling each water input. But I don't understand why.
Also, as I understand you have 2 options. If you are going to a site with water, then no need to fill the tank. Is that correct?

It might however be advisable to partially fill the tank prior to leaving in case you end up having to boondock.



Alas, I can't seem to find an Escape-specific video explaining all this. But I did find a video for another RV. There they implied you must first ensure the water heater has water prior to turning on the water heater. Sounds like a sane thing to do, but wonder whether that's really an issue with the Escape.


Thanks in advance for any and all advise!

[Hawkeye Ed]

Take a look at this thread for lots of information about how the water system works:
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post425042

[Bea]

Congrats on making an Escape your first RV!

As for water hoses, you basically only need to have one that states it is an 'RV/marine water hose'. They are commonly white like this https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Manufa...198577386&th=1 or we use one like this https://www.amazon.com/Teknor-Apex-4...a-571811726537 . An RV/marine hose is all you need to fill your fresh water tank and it can also be used for city water hook-ups.

Another important item you should add to your hose (if you are hooking up to city water) is a water pressure regulator like this https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-A01-...2205705&sr=8-7 Sometimes city water pressure is set quite high - too high for RV plumbing systems, so a regulator like this will ensure that the water pressure from your hose will be safe for your RV.

We also add a filter to our water hose like this https://www.amazon.com/Camco-TastePU...s%2C192&sr=8-5

Yes, it is true - you do need to fill your water heater with water before turning it on. Here is a video that explains more about the hot water heater. https://youtu.be/AzIXArtmNRE

As for how much to fill your tank during travel? That all depends on how you camp. First, a reminder that water is a 'heavy' supply to carry. A full tank of fresh water will add hundreds of pounds to your trailer. So our general rule of thumb is to carry some (around 1/3 tank) so we can use some water to flush the toilet, etc while on the road. If we are planning on dry camping, we fill it up all the way, unless we know the campground has a water spigot - then I prefer to travel with less water and fill up when we get there.

Hope this helps. -Bea

[occer]

I carry two hoses , one is for fresh water ( it is clean and rated for potable water )
I’m carful to keep it clean I don’t let the ends lay in the dirt. I drain it before storage and keep the end connected to each other so nothing gets inside / dirt / spyders / etc.

The second hose , is for general use it is a regular garden hose used for ( flushing the sewer drain hose , washing the dog , washing dirt off things , washing the trailer).

You get the idea, that is what they were probably referring to about two hoses.

And yes on the above pressure regulator and filter

[Bea]

Originally Posted by occer

I carry two hoses , one is for fresh water ( it is clean and rated for potable water )
I’m carful to keep it clean I don’t let the ends lay in the dirt. I drain it before storage and keep the end connected to each other so nothing gets inside / dirt / spyders / etc.

The second hose , is for general use it is a regular garden hose used for ( flushing the sewer drain hose , washing the dog , washing dirt off things , washing the trailer).

You get the idea, that is what they were probably referring to about two hoses.

And yes on the above pressure regulator and filter

Good point Occer. Our Escape came with this exterior coiled hose ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084JRCLPK...ding=UTF8&th=1 ). So this (or a regular garden hose) and a drinking potable water hose is probably what the OP was asking about.

[Mike G]

I carry two hoses just in case it's a long reach to the spigot.

[YakRV]

Originally Posted by Mike G

I carry two hoses just in case it's a long reach to the spigot.

Yes. Needed two 50’ hoses at a campground last month. We were glad we had them. The Zero-G (or similar) hose is great for not taking up a lot of storage space.

[brroberts]

I almost always need 1 hose and 1 cord when we have hook ups, but I carry 75’ and it’s been a stretch a few times.