New To RVing (all inclusive)

[8sPOT]

Originally Posted by Slava

OK, its not an RV (in the grander sense that you guys are talking about trailers for the most part), but has anyone here replaced/repaired tent trailer cables? I'm trying to do this and having a tough time. It's not rocket science but apparently I'm just a little off or something. Hoping someone can give me some pointers...

Did this last year when one of them snapped while checking it for first use in the spring.

I didn't so much repair them as actually replaced the whole cable though. Did all of them for about $160, and that includes a $90 crimping tool.

What is the issue you're having? I do recall it was a little tough feeding the cable through the tracks but not too bad. I had another set of eyes and hands helping though.

[Slava]

I re did all of the cables and either have 3/4 actually working, or some are too tight where others are too loose. Things like that. Its really frustrating! The feeding through has been pretty simple, and I guess the main issue is the trying to get it even?

My last attempt I had one of the cables come right out of the crimp inside the block. I don't know...its just a frustrating exercise though.

[Titan]

Just pulled the trigger on a KZ Spree 240 BHS. Pretty excited.

http://www.kz-rv.com/spree/240BHS.html

Site with pics.

http://www.getawayrv.com/rv-sales/2013-spree-240bhs

[Ace]

^Nice!!!, I saw that trailer when I was looking around and it was one of the first unique floor plans I saw. Very smart use of space!

[return to the red]

so besides the obvious answer, what does the black tank flush do, as in cant you just run some water into it during dumping or filling it with clean water and sloshing around?

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by return to the red

so besides the obvious answer, what does the black tank flush do, as in cant you just run some water into it during dumping or filling it with clean water and sloshing around?

I hear that putting a tiny bit of dish soap in, as well as dumping ice cubes into the tank before driving is a good way to clean the tank walls.

[Ace]

Originally Posted by return to the red

so besides the obvious answer, what does the black tank flush do, as in cant you just run some water into it during dumping or filling it with clean water and sloshing around?

It's basically an installed sprinkler which hooks up right where your sewer line is. Essentially when you are at the dump station you can plug into your black tank flush and "spray" out the remaining junk. (don't have to walk around to the toilet with a manual wand).

The "Flush King" I bought is similar in that you can keep filling the tank with clean water from the sewer pipe to help flush out stuff, but not as good as a sprayer mounted in your tank (yet better than sewer sprayers that only rinse out the sewer pipe (not fill the tank). I think My flush king does as good of a job, but generally needs 3 or 4 fills until the water truly runs clear. A black tank flush could in theory just be run for 'x' number of minutes and things should be clean. The "Flush King" also requires you to make sure you don't overfill the black tank, with a 'black tank flush' you could leave the sewer drain open and just keep letting the water run down...

As for just filling it with clean water and sloshing it around, your always going to leave some junk stuck to the walls as the water drains, the risk is eventually that stuff will get caked on and your sensor won't work. When I used my flush king I was suprised how much stuff was still coming out after the 3rd flush (stuff that would have been left inside).

[Thor]

I really wish NA RV's had better looking interiors, they have such great RVs, awesome interior plans but wow they can be hideous inside.

I've been looking at Hobby (German RVs) for a while now, they are some slick RVs.



http://www.hobby-caravan.de/en/

[return to the red]

Originally Posted by Ace

It's basically an installed sprinkler which hooks up right where your sewer line is. Essentially when you are at the dump station you can plug into your black tank flush and "spray" out the remaining junk. (don't have to walk around to the toilet with a manual wand).

The "Flush King" I bought is similar in that you can keep filling the tank with clean water from the sewer pipe to help flush out stuff, but not as good as a sprayer mounted in your tank (yet better than sewer sprayers that only rinse out the sewer pipe (not fill the tank). I think My flush king does as good of a job, but generally needs 3 or 4 fills until the water truly runs clear. A black tank flush could in theory just be run for 'x' number of minutes and things should be clean. The "Flush King" also requires you to make sure you don't overfill the black tank, with a 'black tank flush' you could leave the sewer drain open and just keep letting the water run down...

As for just filling it with clean water and sloshing it around, your always going to leave some junk stuck to the walls as the water drains, the risk is eventually that stuff will get caked on and your sensor won't work. When I used my flush king I was suprised how much stuff was still coming out after the 3rd flush (stuff that would have been left inside).

So the way I understand it is you attach it to your existing flush valve and fill your tanks backwards then release and repeat? How would this be any different (besides time wise) from filling just flushing the toilet or running the taps...sorry I'm new to trailers so please excuse the simplicity of my questions.

My other question has to do with my hot water tank. If not using water hook up when I opened my bypass valve(s) should the pump not have automatically kicked on to start filling the reservoir?

[Ace]

Originally Posted by return to the red

So the way I understand it is you attach it to your existing flush valve and fill your tanks backwards then release and repeat? How would this be any different (besides time wise) from filling just flushing the toilet or running the taps...sorry I'm new to trailers so please excuse the simplicity of my questions.

My other question has to do with my hot water tank. If not using water hook up when I opened my bypass valve(s) should the pump not have automatically kicked on to start filling the reservoir?

Actually I use the "flush king" because my trailer does not have the option to install a true "black tank flush". It is probably not much different than filling the tank using the methods you describe except that "reverse flushing" can dislodge any blockages that might occur, and you can fill the tank quite a bit faster than using your onboard water pump, this is key for me 'cause to get the tank clean enough (for my standards)i need to flush it about 3-4 times. It's just easier for me to do everything by the sewer valve (admitidly though I often run to the tank meter to see how much i've filled). Another advantage i've found is when the tank is "clean enough", i can easily add a few gallons of clean water in there so i'm ready for the next trip (again you could just do this through the onboard system).

[Slava]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

Did this last year when one of them snapped while checking it for first use in the spring.

I didn't so much repair them as actually replaced the whole cable though. Did all of them for about $160, and that includes a $90 crimping tool.

What is the issue you're having? I do recall it was a little tough feeding the cable through the tracks but not too bad. I had another set of eyes and hands helping though.

Any chance you want to lend out that crimper? That might help me solve at least one issue. I talked to a repair shop and they were talking $350/corner...

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by return to the red

So the way I understand it is you attach it to your existing flush valve and fill your tanks backwards then release and repeat? How would this be any different (besides time wise) from filling just flushing the toilet or running the taps...sorry I'm new to trailers so please excuse the simplicity of my questions.

Last weekend was the first time I have ever camped with full hookups; water, sewer and power. I took that time to fill the black tank a few times and then drain it again. It took at least 20 minutes to fill the black tank with the fill valve on the toilet. (I forgot a regular garden hose and didn't want to bring my fresh water hoses so close to the toilet.)

If you think about it- a 40 gallon black tank filling at 2 gallons per minute would take 20 minutes to fill.

[Tailgator]

Before I got a trailer with a built in back-flush, I used to drain the black tank, then fill up 2 or 3 buckets of water and dump them down the toilet fast to dislodge "stuff". I bought one of those clear elbows to see when the water would run clear, and I noticed that everytime I threw down a bucket, I would always seem to dislodge "chunks". Even now, with the back flush system, I still use buckets. It just seems to take less of them to make it clear.

There are some really bad dump stations out there that are really unlevel (ever been to the Shell north of Cochrane?) so dumping buckets will really help that.

Also, to answer your question, if you are running water out of your won fresh tank and your pump is on, it should keep pumping until your hot water tank is full. There's also a pressure relief valve on your hot water tank, so make sure you keep it ope while filling or air gets trapped at the top and the pump won't fill it all the way. When I go camping, I fill up my fresh water at the potable water tap at the campground's dump station. It goes faster if you hook up to the city water connection on your trailer first and let that fill your hot water tank, then switch the hose over to fill your fresh tank.

[return to the red]

Originally Posted by Tailgator

Before I got a trailer with a built in back-flush, I used to drain the black tank, then fill up 2 or 3 buckets of water and dump them down the toilet fast to dislodge "stuff". I bought one of those clear elbows to see when the water would run clear, and I noticed that everytime I threw down a bucket, I would always seem to dislodge "chunks". Even now, with the back flush system, I still use buckets. It just seems to take less of them to make it clear.

There are some really bad dump stations out there that are really unlevel (ever been to the Shell north of Cochrane?) so dumping buckets will really help that.

Also, to answer your question, if you are running water out of your won fresh tank and your pump is on, it should keep pumping until your hot water tank is full. There's also a pressure relief valve on your hot water tank, so make sure you keep it ope while filling or air gets trapped at the top and the pump won't fill it all the way. When I go camping, I fill up my fresh water at the potable water tap at the campground's dump station. It goes faster if you hook up to the city water connection on your trailer first and let that fill your hot water tank, then switch the hose over to fill your fresh tank.

So any reason why my pump wouldn't have fired up to fill the hot water tank? air lock?

[Tailgator]

If your tank isn't already full, the water pump is on, your batteries aren't dead, and your bypass is turned off, there's no reason at all that your pump shouldn't be running to fill that tank. I'm not sure about your trailer, but in mine, the pump is really, really quiet until all the air is pumped out of the lines. If you haven't tried yet, you could try running it with a hot water faucet open. That way, you'll know if any water at all is going into the tank. If water comes out, but it hasn't filled the tank, a bypass is still on.

Not sure what kind of bypass you have - on mine, it's a single valve that I have to switch, but some have more than one valve that needs to be switched.

Hope that helps - if your pump works for everything else, there's no reason it shouldn't pump into your hot water tank.

[return to the red]

Originally Posted by Tailgator

If your tank isn't already full, the water pump is on, your batteries aren't dead, and your bypass is turned off, there's no reason at all that your pump shouldn't be running to fill that tank. I'm not sure about your trailer, but in mine, the pump is really, really quiet until all the air is pumped out of the lines. If you haven't tried yet, you could try running it with a hot water faucet open. That way, you'll know if any water at all is going into the tank. If water comes out, but it hasn't filled the tank, a bypass is still on.

Not sure what kind of bypass you have - on mine, it's a single valve that I have to switch, but some have more than one valve that needs to be switched.

Hope that helps - if your pump works for everything else, there's no reason it shouldn't pump into your hot water tank.

hmm, the pump seems to work fine. So if you turn on the hot water tap and you have the hot water tank bypassed no water should come out of that tap? Again i'm sorry for being a noob when it comes to trailers and plumbing

[Tailgator]

Don't apologize! There's so many things that can go wrong on trailers that it's never a bad idea to ask a ton of questions. It'll save you headaches and money later.
Whether there's water in the hot water tank, or if it's bypassed, you'll get water either way. If it won't fill up your hot water tank, but you still get water out of the faucet when the hot is turned on, that means you're hot water tank is still bypassed somehow.

[Traditional_Ale]

I changed companies from Battery World to Magnacharge and am still offering CP discounts. 403 287 7228.

[habernac]

I have a tent trailer. The door for this thing normally latches. But, when people get inside the weight shifts and the door flops open. Short of replacing the door, any suggestions?

[Tailgator]

That's great to know Traditional and thanks! I'm sure I'll be hitting you up within the next couple years!

Habernac - that's a tough one. How old is the tent trailer? My wife's family, when she was a kid, had a tent trailer that had the door swing open when they all got in bed - they ended up using a ratchet strap around it to keep it from separating. Of course that make it a little tough to get in. If it's fairly old, or even if it's fairly new, you might have to get someone to look at it. With a little luck, it's just a latch that has gotten too worn.