Water Meter used to fill the tanks

[Brittany Dogs]

This project deals with filling your 20 gallon water tank and 6 gallon water heater while the trailer is closed down. I like to pull into the park, fill up with 26 gallons or so and then proceed to my camp site. Up until now, I would have to forego prefilling and then set up the TrailManor unit on site, then leave to go get either multiple water jugs filled up or fill my 40 gallon water bladder that sits on top of my truck. This method works but usually when I pull in on a Friday evening, set up, I’m not much for being in the mood to get the water and fill up the tanks when time is better served to get dinner going and make a martini.

This is a new twist to the task of filling up your water tank and your 6 gallon water heater. Previous ideas on this forum work and work well I’m sure but usually deal with taking the overflow tube from the top of the 20 gallon water tank, putting a longer tygon tube from the top of the tank and drilling a hole on the floor to run the overflow tube to the outside.

I said to myself “self, if you can measure the amount of gallons as you fill the 20 gallon tank (or 40 gallon if your unit has that size of tank) you won’t have to worry about overfilling nor drill a hole in the deck of the trailer.” So I looked for a cheap water meter on the web and found a few of them. Once I had a meter, all I would have to do is put female ends on the water drains and proceed to backfill the tanks that way. The 6 gallon water tank does not need to be measured since you are required to open the bathroom outside valve anyhow to allow the air to escape from the water heater as it fills. Otherwise the air pressure will either damage the tank or the pipes. When the water heater fills up the water just spurts out the hot water bathroom drain valve.

So I purchased two water clamps, a short length of tygon tubing which I think was 1/2 inch in size and then two brass female hose ends. I then put the tygon on the hose ends, used a vise to carefully collapse the crimps, put the hose clamps on the other end and then installed them on the water tank drain and the water heater drain.

The water meter is the “AbsolutelyNew” Water Saver Usage Meter purchased from Amazon for $17. There are a few types of these meters out there and that might be good news. Because, the one I got from “AbsolutelyNew” is total, total junk. It is highly, highly inaccurate. BUT (caps intended) it is consistent in the measurement. The error factor is a horrible 2.1 to 1 ratio. Therefore to fill my empty 20 gallon tank with 18 or so gallons, just to make sure I don’t overfill and get my curtains wet, I measure 38-39 gallons on this meter. Again, the measurement is way off but it is consistent. So to me, this works as long as I know the measurement error.

In researching this cheap water meter problem, tons of web comments show others have the exact problem as I do with the inaccuracy of this meter. If you buy any of these types of flow meters, just fill up your 5 or 6 gallon water jug to see what the meter reads when the jug is full. Then do the math to see what the error is.

Now when I set up camp, I can immediately turn on my water heater to get going and I have plenty of water to fill the Thetford and to do dishes on Friday night. Notice how I said “I” do the dishes?

[Redtail Cruiser]

Good job, B. Dogs. I think I just found my next mod project.
Thanks for posting.

[Brittany Dogs]

I forgot to mention a very important part of this system. You need to make sure all the faucets are CLOSED when you collapse the TrailManor unit. In the past, I would leave them open to drain the lines between camp outs.

Now I drain the lines before I close the unit up.

[ShrimpBurrito]

One thing that comes to mind: are the parts you used rated for potable water? It looks like the fittings you used are brass, and brass usually contains lead, especially the brass used in less expensive applications like garden hose fittings. And presumably there's no way of telling what's inside the water meter......

Dave

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

One thing that comes to mind: are the parts you used rated for potable water? It looks like the fittings you used are brass, and brass usually contains lead, especially the brass used in less expensive applications like garden hose fittings. And presumably there's no way of telling what's inside the water meter......

Dave

Interesting thought....hose bibs,(faucets)at the CG and the hose we all use are brass fittings also.

[Brittany Dogs]

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

One thing that comes to mind: are the parts you used rated for potable water? It looks like the fittings you used are brass, and brass usually contains lead, especially the brass used in less expensive applications like garden hose fittings. And presumably there's no way of telling what's inside the water meter......

Dave

While the concern is valid, the length of brass in this setup is all but 3/4" long or so and the only time the water molecules are in contact with that small amount of brass is in milliseconds as water passes from my RV hose into the water tank.

I am concerned about the park water quality much more than what this brass fitting is introducing to my holding tanks.

But if I gain weight when I go camping, I can always blame the lead in the water. I say that only to have people chuckle and in no way making fun of your concern, which frankly, I never gave it a thought when I used these fittings.

Plastic fittings, even for the 1/2" hoses, are a bit "fatter" than the brass fittings and that is why I chose the brass fittings.

[ThePair]

Innovative solution!

Just for the record, I didn't drill a new hole for the outflow tube; there was already a pass-thru with grommet for some other things, may even have been the drain for the tank, or something else (can't recall right now). All I needed to do was clear out some of the spray foam insulation using a fat hex wrench, and then easily pushed the end of the outflow tube through.

Still, for someone that doesn't want to get under the sink to make plumbing mods, this is an easier way to accomplish the same goal. Nicely done.

So if I am understanding this correctly, if you overfill-for whatever reason- water sprays from the vent hole in the tank into the inside, getting a few things wet?
What about the hot water heater side of things?
I like this approach and feel like I might try it, just guessing at it or not trying to fill the tank up all of the way. I just want to know if I miscalculate-which I might- what the worst case scenario is...

[Bailey'sMom]

The 6 gallon water tank does not need to be measured since you are required to open the bathroom outside valve anyhow to allow the air to escape from the water heater as it fills

Mine was open so I guess I did it right, but not because I knew it was supposed to be. So does this mean when filling the water heater you open just the bathroom hot water low point drain outside and then what? Just watch til water starts coming out and you know it is full?

[Bill]

How about putting a 90-degree elbow in those drain hoses, between the drain valve and the female hose fitting? It would make hooking up the hoses easier, especially if you are in a muddy spot. And maybe a Quick Disconnect permanently mounted in the hose fitting, to make it even easier?

Bill