How to fill water tank with TM folded

[cwallen19803]

Ever pull into a campground where the water supply is shared? It happens a lot at state campgrounds. If there is a faucet nearby, it's a simple matter to fill the TM after you've opened it up. What if you don't have access to a faucet nearby? Until now, all you could do was pull over, pop up the TM, fill the tank, lower the TM and drive on. What a pain.

Now, thanks to a length of hose, a couple of clamps, and a 3/4 male garden hose end, you can fill that tank with the TM folded down.

1) Clamp the 3/4 male garden hose end on the hose
2) Clamp the other end of the hose on the end of the drain nipple that drains the fresh water holding tank. On my TM, it is in front of the tire, the second one back. Tie wrap the hose so it doesn't drag on the ground.

To fill your fresh water tank, open the fresh water tank drain valve. Connect the water supply to the 3/4 male hose end. Turn on the water supply. When the water starts to spill over the side of the trailer (it is spilling out of the air vent in the fresh water port), the tank is full. Turn off the water supply, then (VERY IMPORTANT) close the fresh water drain valve.

Could it be any easier?

Charlie

[cwallen19803]

no photo. no digital camera.

it's really simple. extend the fresh water drain that pokes out from under the trailer with a piece of tubing that terminates with at 3/4 inch male hose fitting. tie wrap it to something so it doesn't drag on the ground. go look at your box, see if you can't imagine it

on my TM, all of the drains have valves on them, they all exit from the bottom of the trailer on the same side as the sink / fresh water / gray water tanks. they all have a 3/8" (i think) nipple end.

[Speckul8r]

Doesn't the upper shells seal prevent all the water from draining when it squirts out the overflow? Would seem to me that the inside wall would be wet and, when you open the TM, you would get water on the inside?

[cwallen19803]

Good point. As you may have imagined, I haven't tested it yet folded. I'll do that tomorrow and post the results. I don't doubt, now that you mention it, that the inside wall of the upper shell will be wet. I don't expect the inside of the camper to get wet. The theory is that I will be standing there, monitoring the situation. It's easy enough to turn off the drain valve when the water starts coming out of the overflow.

Give me a few days to check it out. Worst case, I'm out a foot of 3/8 inch tubing and a garden hose connector. I needed to fix that wort chiller anyway.

Cool idea, I do not see why it would not work.unless a curtain is near the water inlet where the vent is. I do not see a problem with a little water. The walls of the TM are not wood or something else that would be damaged by water. The seal at the bottom is not totaly tight, hence the reason some dust get in, so the water should leak out. If not you could just stick your fingers between the side of the trailer and the seal to let it drain out before putting it up. I look forward to seeing how your test run goes.

[cwallen19803]

So now I've actually tested the idea (what a concept).

I folded the trailer and connected my supply hose to the new fresh water tank inlet that I attached to the fresh water drain nipple and opened the valve. When the overflow began, I closed off the fresh water drain nipple, turned off the fresh water supply, and opened the fresh water drain valve to equalized the pressure. I closed the fresh water drain valve.

After I opened the trailer, I found a quarter of a paper towel's worth of water on the inside wall. I also found minor water on the curtain of the bathroom window. Of course, your results may vary. I have a 2720SD, so your window placement may differ. Your trail may fold down with the inlet in the middle of a window, or not near a window at all.

Worst Case: put a small piece of tubing in the overflow and run it down the side of the trailer.

I'm calling it a success.


One thing I forgot to mention: A 3/8 inch poly hose won't normally fit on a 5/8 inch garden hose fitting. Place the hose in boiling water until it gets soft enough to force over the fitting.

I will say it again, GREAT IDEA! It is so simple, I am surprised nobody thought of trying it before. Way to go Charlie!

Great idea. I just found out if you cut an old or new washing machine hose to the size you need works also. The cut end fits over the fresh H2O nipple - may not even need a clamp and the other end screws onto the hose. Thanks for the great idea.

John

Great idea! I have yet to need that requirement but as a new owner of only 5 outings who am I to be say I never will.... I have copied and printed this so I can gather product to retro-fit WHEN that need arises!

Great idea and good work Charlie. Ya gotta love this forum!

[Speckul8r]

OK I'm gonna have to try this myself. I could have used it at least twice this last trip.