Fresh Water Tank Gauge

[gbaglo]

It's just there. It's about a quarter inch diameter just to the right of the fill tube ( on mine ). At two o'clock ish.

I stop filling when water is backing up the fill tube and shooting out of the vent. Monitor still says 2/3 full.

[Iowa Dave]

If you did not empty it, the hot water would be full. It fills when you fill the fresh water tank. The vent hole at the water fill, not the screw on fresh water service hookup, is open all the time and should spit water out when filling. If you put your hand near the hole and your hand is wet, the air rushing out can easily be felt. I’ve not heard of a vent being plugged, every one I’ve seen spits water and will run a pretty good stream down the side of your trailer when the tank is full.
Iowa Dave

[John in Santa Cruz]

indeed, as long as the water pump is on, as you run hot water, more should go into the tank. about the only time the tank drains is if you open the hot water tap when the water pump is off and the fresh water tank is low, then it sucks air... when I arrive at a campsite, I fill my tank, turn on the pump, run the hot water faucet til it spits some air and until it stops spitting air and runs a clear stream of water, shut off the faucet, and turn on the water heater. I leave the water pump on pretty much the whole time I'm camping. I rarely hook up the city water, I'm more inclined to just use it to fill my tank.

we pretty much only use the trailer water tank for washing, flushing, showering, and bring bottled water (5 gallon carboys filled at a purified water store, typically under $0.50 per gallon, or $2.50 per 5 gallons). for drinking, cooking, coffee making, 5G of water lasts my wife and I about a week, on a longer trip with extended remote camping, we'll bring 2 5G carboys (we have 4 at home). the 5G sits in the truck, I have a 2G I put in the fridge for cold drinking water.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

If you did not empty it, the hot water would be full. It fills when you fill the fresh water tank.

An empty hot water heater tank only fills if you have the pump on to pressurize the freshwater system. It needs to pull water from the fresh tank to fill. Or alternatively hook up to the city water connection and pressurize the system that way (no pump required). Either way hot water heater valving needs to be in normal position (not bypass) so it can fill. Lifting the pressure relief valve slightly is the best way to know the tank is full. Otherwise if you are absolutely positive the water heater is not bypassed (both valves oriented properly - valve handles inline with pipes to and from tank) and you are getting hot water out of your faucets and no sputtering of air your hot water tank is full.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

It's just there. It's about a quarter inch diameter just to the right of the fill tube ( on mine ). At two o'clock ish.

Same difference but newer trailers water inlet/connection looks something like this with no lockable door. Vent is obvious in the top center.

[steve dunham]

The vent screen for the fresh water tank is removable and can be cleaned
On our Casita the vent screen plugged up and the fresh water tank was slow to fill due to back pressure.

[Bobbie54]

I think it is a good thing that my shakedown trip will include 10 or 11 other Escapes for anything else I can't figure out! My 15A is so much simpler without any water tanks.

[Bobbie54]

So next question- 1/3 full is about 7 gallons (more if I count the hot water tank). How much does a shower (short) or a toilet flush use?

[padlin]

We took 7 gallons for 2 showers and other daily uses, when we didn't take a shower we used 3 gallons. So 2 gallons per shower. When we parked at a no hookups area for more then a few days, this is how much water I brought back and refilled with each day.

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by padlin

We took 7 gallons for 2 showers and other daily uses, when we didn't take a shower we used 3 gallons. So 2 gallons per shower. When we parked at a no hookups area for more then a few days, this is how much water I brought back and refilled with each day.

Thanks. I'll be where I can get water and have a big jug and can probably borrow the right kind of funnel if I need one, if I can't find one tomorrow at the hardware store. I'm still not getting it to show full (and I don't think it is filling) but the overflow comes out but at least that gets me started.

[padlin]

The big blue jug I have has a shutoff on it. I used a clear hose that jut fit over the spigot and stuck the other end in the tank fill. The jug went up on the spare or whatever else I could come up with to get it higher then the tank opening. I only filled the 7 gallon jug about 1/2 way for ease of handling, and added more from a few gallon jugs as needed.

[Bobbie54]

I have that kind of jug- just have to see about what size hose. Thanks!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Some fresh water tanks must be more translucent that others. I've tried and can't see the level.

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

Well, I used a flashlight...

The most effective method with any translucent tank is to put a flashlight right against the tank, below the water level - the idea is to light up the water, not the outside of the tank. Then the level is apparent.

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The most effective method with any translucent tank is to put a flashlight right against the tank, below the water level - the idea is to light up the water, not the outside of the tank. Then the level is apparent.

I"ll try that and see if what I think is the level is accurate.

[Bobbie54]

It's obviously just at the 1/3 mark- right where the sensor is. So I don't know why it keeps backflowing- I wonder if I'm slightly off- level and slanted down to the DS? Unlikely, though, as I'm 100% on the driveway and centered.

[gbaglo]

Just drained mine, so next time.

[John in Santa Cruz]

i can get away with just using a gallon or two 'showering' when dry camping. I start with a sink of hot water, thats about a quart, and use that with a facecloth to sponge myself down, starting with my head and face, and working my way down. a couple handfulls of water will wet my hair, I shampoo, then 30 seconds with the shower head is usually enough to completely rinse. I'll typically only shampoo once a week when camping, and body-wash every other day, so if I'm solo, I can stretch that 28 gallon fresh water tank for a couple weeks.

it helps that I no longer have shoulder to elbow length hair, heh.

[steve dunham]

Well over a year later and everything is the same - None of tank gauges are even close to being accurate. I replaced the resistors on the black tank and ran two doses of probe cleaner through both the gray and black tanks but that accomplished absolutely nothing so I gave up,
Unfortunately my wife thinks the gauges are gospel so after completely draining the tanks the gauges still read 2/3 full and then she panics .
I can’t see sticking a bunch of time .money and effort into a system that is designed to fail

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Well over a year later and everything is the same - None of tank gauges are even close to being accurate. I replaced the resistors on the black tank and ran two doses of probe cleaner through both the gray and black tanks but that accomplished absolutely nothing so I gave up,
Unfortunately my wife thinks the gauges are gospel so after completely draining the tanks the gauges still read 2/3 full and then she panics .
I can’t see sticking a bunch of time .money and effort into a system that is designed to fail

I agree- but in this case the gauge says 1/3 and appears to be pretty close.

[John in Santa Cruz]

my fresh and grey work fine, my black often still reads 2/3rds right after dumping and rinsing with a wonder-wand in the toilet..