2017 320 Owners Manual versus Actual - water fill/empty

Red_Rover

I have been reviewing pages 26 and 27 in the owners manual (OM) as it relates to the water pump.

On page 26 the OM says there is a hatch door and the hatch door provides access to the rear of the kitchen area.  I assume the hatch door is on the exterior of the camper.  My camper has no hatch door.

On page 27 the OM says to close water tank drain petcock located at the rear or rear side of the camper.  My camper has no water drain petcock.

The OM suggests draining the freshwater tank before leaving the campsite in order to reduce weight.  But without a drain petcock…….

 How do other 2017 owners deal with draining the freshwater tank?

VictoriaP

The drain on my 2019 is just behind the step for the entry door, and I believe that’s where it is for most of the older S models…it’s hidden unless you know where to look, down beneath the frame, to the left of the pull out step and back just a little should be a valve. It drains fairly slowly.

pthomas745

On my 2017, the water drain is right where Virginia said.

Looks something like this in the thread.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/12174/location-of-water-tank-drain-valve

The "hatch door" for the pump is above the toilet in my 2017.

I'm not dumping 11 gallons of water in any situation, period.  Especially in a campsite.  80 pounds of water (about) is less than 4 percent of your trailer weight. 

Sharon_is_SAM

@Red_Rover - it sounds like they were referring to the CS model galley hatch.  The 2017 model fresh tank drain is located just in front of the passenger side tire.  

dragonsdofly

@Red_Rover our 2017 is a standard 320, not a clamshell. Either way the 2017 fresh tank drain is between the entry step and passenger side tire just at or below the bottom of the body as has already been stated.The suggestion to empty the fresh water tank is not a suggestion to reduce trailer/cargo weight. A partial water tank can cause sway or "slog" while towing as the water sloshes forward and rearward on acceleration and deceleration. Side to side "sway" movement can happen while on all but the straightest roads as the water load shifts. This is more critical while towing with smaller vehicles closer to their towing limits. With a full size pickup truck or full frame vehicle this sway or slog is completely manageable and is imperceptible.

We drain our tank at the beginning of our final leg of our journey home. Leaving the petcock open assists getting more water out, jiggling the trailer and tank with every bump and crack in the road. Less water in the tank and plumbing system also leads to less possibility of stale and or nasty water developing in a pocket of stagnated water left in that system.

Good luck with this and there is no wrong decison as long as the fresh tank and alde are drained if the trailer is to sit between trips for more than a few days.

Red_Rover

Thank you to everyone.  The petcock was right where you said it would be.  I never would have found it.