Fresh Water Tank

Wanderoo

Does anyone know how to drain the last 2 inches of water from the fresh water tank so that it's absolutely empty?  The instruction manual states not to use the water pump if there is less than 2 inches of water in the tank.  Does blowing out the lines get rid of that last 2 inches, or is there another knob or drain somewhere I'm not finding?

The tank is secured in place by a 1-inch steel strap that is screwed to the floor, so it doesn't look as though it's made to be removed easily.

Thanks!

jkjenn

Yes! There is a drain on the driver side at the front, near where the sewer tanks empty.

 

Wanderoo

THANKS, JENN!  =D>

jkjenn

It feels great to finally be able to answer a question, lol!

DurangoTaB

Yes, but...having had the same issue and then some (it wouldn't drain at all after my dealer replaced the water pump), I call Ed K who helped me get it unplugged (blow compressed air up that petcock, withe the pressure relieved by the overflow. However, if you look under the sink to the left/back, youll see the feed line and the drain are bothe about 2in off the bottom...which means 1) you can't get all the water out, and 2) that 6gal tank is more like 5gals. I I hope someone has an idea...this is most frustrating for an engineer!

Wanderoo

I left the inline freshwater drain (which Jenn described) open when I drove home today from my camping trip -- up over hills and back down again -- and now the water level in the fresh water tank is down to 1/2 inch.  So, can that last 1/2 inch be blown out when it's time to winterize?????  Hm-m-m-m.  Or does this mean that I need to use RV anti-freeze, which isn't a bad thing, but I'm just trying to think everything through.     

Michigan_Mike

Wanted to post this "cheap means" of filling water tanks for the future should someone need it.   Cut off an old hose and you now have a means of filling the water tank quickly.

radren

Hi Mike,

Please excuse this really stupid question, I can't tell which end of the hose you have cut off here. Is this the end you would have screwed to the faucet or the other end?  Or does it even matter?  I dont' have my T@B yet (mid august the T@B assembly line guys willing) or my water hose yet so it isn't a obvious issue for me at this point. I have been slowly buying necessary things one must have for a trailer and water hoses is next on my list. 

Thanks

Can't wait to be T@Bing

ren

scuba

It would be the female end. Think of it as though you were needing two hoses to reach your T@b. Just cut all but about ten inches off.

radren

Thanks, That helps alot.

Mstadtlander

Just purchased a 2017 CS-S model doesn't seems to have a fresh water fill hole. Only the city water connection. I ran the hose through this connection and got water to run in order to flush the anti-freeze out. Now I've got a shower pan with an inch of standing water and antifreeze in it that won't drain. Can someone explain to me how this all works? The manual online doesn't help.

RollingBnB

Can't help with the fill hole( should have one) but if you have standing water in the shower it means the gray tank is full.

jkjenn

Mstadtlander said:

Just purchased a 2017 CS-S model doesn't seems to have a fresh water fill hole. Only the city water connection. I ran the hose through this connection and got water to run in order to flush the anti-freeze out. Now I've got a shower pan with an inch of standing water and antifreeze in it that won't drain. Can someone explain to me how this all works? The manual online doesn't help.

Can you post a photo of the driver side of your T@b?

jkjenn

Do you not have this?

wizard1880

Yep, there's always an inch or 2 of water on the bottom of my tank.  There is no other means to drain it that I know of.

If it freezes it is no problem as it just expands upward into the rest of the tank.  You just need to make sure it's not up to the bottom inlet where the water drains.  I just leave the tank drain valve open all winter in case it splashes up or something.  3 winters so far and no problems.  I blow the system dry each winter with an air compressor.

marknjudy

  "Wanted to post this "cheap means" of filling water tanks for the future should someone need it.   Cut off an old hose and you now have a means of filling the water tank quickly.

"

@Michigan_mike, this is a great idea! I think I'll add a cheap valve so that it can be turned off quickly and easily. Saves wet feet and water getting everywhere. Although I can always manage to get water EVERYWHERE!

db_cooper

marknjudy said:

  "Wanted to post this "cheap means" of filling water tanks for the future should someone need it.   Cut off an old hose and you now have a means of filling the water tank quickly.

"

@Michigan_mike, this is a great idea! I think I'll add a cheap valve so that it can be turned off quickly and easily. Saves wet feet and water getting everywhere. Although I can always manage to get water EVERYWHERE!

Or just get one of these:

Valterra A01-0031VP Quick Fill with Shut-Off https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IZSB2Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_u5r9ybWES6537

marknjudy

That works too!

ericnliz

@marknjudy, That's what I did too. I did get the filler that @db_cooper gave you a link to, and believe me, it DOES work better than the garden hose as it seems to let the water flow more smoothly into the tank, and a LOT less air build-up. This is from one that's tried both ways.

drpprmt

Exactly what I use with the addition of a cheap plastic turn-off valve.  When the tank starts to burp I can turn off the water, let it settle, then turn it on again.  Gets the tank full without running all the way back to the other side of the house to turn off the hose.  Ya get creatively lazy when ya get old.

ericnliz

@drpprmt, I prefer "well seasoned" to "old", and it's not lazy, it's "inventively creative". Believe me, my spigot is on the "other" side of the house as well, hence a valve with a shut-off too! 

marknjudy

 I am all about being "inventively creative" as I become more and more "well seasoned"

Smullis7

jkjenn said:

Yes! There is a drain on the driver side at the front, near where the sewer tanks empty.

 

I'm going to have to look when I get home, but I don't recall seeing this valve on mine.

jkjenn

Smullis7 said:

jkjenn said:

Yes! There is a drain on the driver side at the front, near where the sewer tanks empty.

 

I'm going to have to look when I get home, but I don't recall seeing this valve on mine.

The newer models have this in a different SPOT. If I recall, correctly, it's somewhere near the door and step.

ScottG

Yup, my freshwater tank drain is located on a short line that sticks out horizontally just behind the door step and ahead of the wheel. It tees off the supply line to the pump just after it exists the tank.

What's interesting is that (like jkjenn) I also have a 2015 S. If I recall correctly, mine was built in December of 2014, so it's an early model. I must have gotten one of the first with the relocated drains. 

MonicaNOCO

wizard1880 said:

Yep, there's always an inch or 2 of water on the bottom of my tank.  There is no other means to drain it that I know of.

If it freezes it is no problem as it just expands upward into the rest of the tank.  You just need to make sure it's not up to the bottom inlet where the water drains.  I just leave the tank drain valve open all winter in case it splashes up or something.  3 winters so far and no problems.  I blow the system dry each winter with an air compressor.

So this is what I've been thinking - that it won't matter if that last 1/2" of water freezes in the fresh water tank.  Does anyone else have anything to contradict that?

We blew out my lines, but they never quit emitting 'moist' air, and when I was blowing the cold water faucet in the kitchen, I could hear gurgling.  I was wondering if that was because of the left over water in the fresh tank?

Sharon_is_SAM

The pump is between the city water inlet and the fresh water tank, so I don’t think air gets into the fresh water tank from blowing out the lines.  You can have trapped water in your toilet valve, so make sure to thoroughly blow out the toilet valve.  

MonicaNOCO

Interesting, I did rotate through all 6 valves three times.   May try again - after lifting the passenger side on blocks to try and drain more out of the fresh water tank.  Thanks Sharon!

YanniLazarus

wizard1880 said:

Yep, there's always an inch or 2 of water on the bottom of my tank.  There is no other means to drain it that I know of.

If it freezes it is no problem as it just expands upward into the rest of the tank.  You just need to make sure it's not up to the bottom inlet where the water drains.  I just leave the tank drain valve open all winter in case it splashes up or something.  3 winters so far and no problems.  I blow the system dry each winter with an air compressor.

Interesting. 2020 320S here. Last winter I used gallons of antifreeze to fill the fresh water tank high enough to use the on board pump to force out/ replace the water. That meant that I could let antifreeze reach all the way to the fresh water tank drain and confirm no water was in that hose. Since then I've installed the Camco permanent pump converter.  I plan to just gravity drain my fresh water tank and leave the valve open. Should I be worried about residual water in the drain line?

Sharon_is_SAM

@YanniLazarus - the drain comes out the bottom of the tank.  You can leave the fresh tank drain valve open and the pump and tank should drain without problem.  Since the outlet comes out of the front bottom of the tank, go tongue down for more complete emptying.

The above original post was regarding an earlier model TaB that had the 6 gallon fresh tank with the drain coming off the front driver side (see picture way above).  @MonicaNOCO has a 2014 with the drain at that location.

The picture below is from ScottG’s 2015 TaB.  This is the same arrangement through the 2020 model 320s.  

Just an FYI:  the Nautilus models have the drain coming off the bottom rear of the tank.