Maiden Voyage for the New (to us) T@B

gymcoachdon

So, we are in preparation mode for a 2 night stay at the local State Park.  We will be spending Saturday and Sunday night, and trying to learn as much as we can before heading further from home.  Electric hook-up only, so we will be testing the fresh water supply limits.  Can someone point me to a link that might show how others refill the fresh water while not connected to city water?

Edit to add:
I did search, but I have not been real happy with the search function on this forum.  Seems to be pretty picky, and I get results that don't match the string entered.

Sharon_is_SAM

State Parks typically have spigots at intervals.  Sometimes they have a central water source that you can use to fill up on your way to your site.  You may want to start with a full tank from home since you are local.  To refill, we have a 6 gallon and a couple 2.5 gallon jugs that we load into the van (or walk over to the spigot if close enough).  You should get a short piece of potable water hose to fill your jugs and use a filter on the spigot.  Also may consider spraying the spigot with half strength bleach solution just in case.  We lay our Walmart folding table on our front tub, place the jug on the table and use a siphon to move the water.  Works great.  Others use a 12v pump to move water from a jug to the tank and others just pour it in.  Be careful as the fresh tank outlet cover sticks and pops out if you put too much pressure on it.  We cracked ours last month and need it to be replaced.

search on Amazon:  The Original Safety Siphon

jgram2

We carry 2 potable water jugs (6 gal) and use this battery powered siphon pump suggested by others. It’s too hard to hold up the containers to pour water in. Others also use collapsible back packing style water carriers.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Automatic-Battery-Operated-Air-Fuel-Sucker-Liquid-Transfer-Syphon-Pump/970282735?

Verna

After doing a search for jug, as in water jug, here’s How some of us use water jugs to fill our fresh water tanks:

http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/comment/69394#Comment_69394

(The search works best with one word, but if you search for “Google”, it will show how others use a Google search on the forum.)

ChrisandAlexis

@gymcoachdon , also be aware that the diameter for the hole that you use to fill water in the fresh water tank of the T@B is smaller than a regular water hose. We use an adapter such as this one http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=18889596&KPID=15046341&cid=CAPLA:G:Shopping_-_Catch_All_-_New&pla=pla_15046341&k_clickid=0d01ec37-55d8-4bc1-b6db-d90f29b3a9cf&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk4yYyvrp2gIVjeNkCh1nkwn-EAQYAiABEgK9KvD_BwE

Marceline

http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/6500/filling-a-cs-water-tank

pthomas745

I have a small 2.5 gallon container and use a section of clear tubing that goes into the opening and use the gravity feed method like in Marceline's thread.  On my first trip, I dropped enough water on my shoes (no funnel, etc) that I resorted to filling up my small bike bottle and pouring it in!  Slow, but it worked.  Another thread:

http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/237/water-tank-filling

pthomas745

And here is a thread that shows how to use one of the Google magic search functions in a web browser that returns results just from this forum.  It now also includes images associated with the threads.

http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/5920/cool-search-tip

rkj__

Good luck on your first trip!  You will learn things that will make every trip after even better.

The majority of our trips are weekends only.  We always travel with a full water tank, and that's usually enough water for us.  But, we don't use trailer water for drinking.

To re-fill when needed (longer trips, multiple showers, etc.), I partly fill a 7 gallon Reliance Aqua*Tainer from a park spigot.  I connect a hose to the cap, by threading in a barbed plastic nipple.  A 3/4" NPT threads in tightly, and I was still able to force a 5/8" reinforced rubber garden hose onto the barb, by dipping the hose in hot water.  I then just hold the jug on my shoulder to fill the tank.  The 5/8" garden hose is a tight fit in the fill port, but it does fit, as long as there is no metal fitting on the end of the hose.  I used an old piece of hose offcut from when I accidentally ran over the hose with the lawn mower.  Oops.  Sure, it's a little heavy and awkward, but I have not had to do it enough yet to make me want to change the approach.  I don't fill the jug all the way, to make it a little easier. 

Previously, I tried using a hose clamp to hold a hose onto the end of the Aqua*Tainer's spigot, but it would come off, as there was not enough length to clamp to.  Also, the clear tubing I was using was too stiff.

gymcoachdon

I have the camco flexible filler with the shut off valve.  It seems if I set it to a trickle, it works ok, but any force, and the water backs up...maybe it isn't venting well.  Thanks for the links and suggestions, I have a 6 gallon container we used while tent camping that i will be taking along.  I will have to come up with a system similar to Verna's.

Homebodyatheart

@gymcoachdon you've learned the wet feet trick! The first time I filled the tank with a hose I kept running in and out of the trailer to check the fresh water level. Keeping the flow slower than it can go seems to be the trick to avoiding an airlock. Enjoy your new Tab!

rkj__

gymcoachdon said:

I have the camco flexible filler with the shut off valve.  It seems if I set it to a trickle, it works ok, but any force, and the water backs up...maybe it isn't venting well.  Thanks for the links and suggestions, I have a 6 gallon container we used while tent camping that i will be taking along.  I will have to come up with a system similar to Verna's.

It's good that you are thinking about these things before your trip.

For my first trip with the T@b, for some reason I assumed I would have a water hook up at my destination, when it was in fact electrical only.  So, I had no water in the tank, and no way to fill it, without towing the trailer back to the water fill station, which I did not want to do, since we were already set up.  I had to run to the local hardware store to get the container and tube. 

ericnliz

@Twojgrams, Ha, same one I use...works great! Note: pack extra batteries just in case!

jgram2

@ericnliz yep, probably learned of it from you or @Verna!

Photomom

Homebodyatheart said:

@gymcoachdon you've learned the wet feet trick! The first time I filled the tank with a hose I kept running in and out of the trailer to check the fresh water level. Keeping the flow slower than it can go seems to be the trick to avoiding an airlock. Enjoy your new Tab!

Little known trick: if you press a button twice (like a double-click) on the Seelevel display the reading will stay on until you press the button again. Then you can monitor a level without going inside the trailer.

gymcoachdon

Well, we made it.  Set up at Mounds State Park, local to us, in case we need to run home for anything.

Sharon_is_SAM

Looking good!  Did you need to level on that pad?  Do you have a portable gray tank?  Those 6 gallon tanks fill quickly.

gymcoachdon

I probably shouldn't have leveled, one Lego took it from slightly off one way to slightly off the other.  I'll know next time.  No portable tank, but only spending 2 nights, so should be ok.

manny

@guycoachdon,   Is that Mounds s.p.  on Brookville Lake  Ind.   nice  park  we were there easter weekend last year..  full hook up  site..  we live about 40 mins away in butler cty.  Ohio..    hope you have a good weekend...   Manny

gymcoachdon

Mounds State Park is located in Anderson, IN.  Just 30 minutes or so north of Indianapolis.