gr8white Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 So I am heading out to Lake Erie tomorrow to see the great lakes for the first time ever. Im so excited. Just me and the dogs. I will be staying at a campground there next to the lake. Anyone have advice on a campground? I am not sure how to get my toilet ready for the trip. Does anyone have any links that will tell me what to do? Also, if I direct connect water into the rv does that fill up my tanks? Does it really kill the gas mileage driving with waste and water in the tanks? I ask because I dump for free at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 About 8# per gallon. No the water will not fill your fresh tank but you need to be careful about your waste tanks because there is no metering. Your fresh tank will not out pace the waste tanks but site water can. By your self you should be good for a least a week on your black tank most showers drain into the gray tank but some drain into the black tank some thing to think about if you like long showers. Most camp grounds have dump stations if you pay for a site they usually let you dump for free so just empty out before you head out. I would not say it's noticeable decrease in mileage but every thing counts, the only time I carry water is when I don't know the source and often I just use a jug for my coffee and use camp ground water for every thing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_M Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Pick up a water reducer that you hook to the camp-site water outlet. This regulates the water to between 40-50 psi. Most on-board pumps are 45 PSI. I sprung leaks in my lines from not using one and the camp-site pressure was too high. Carry some water either in the tank or in bottles. You never know when a situation arises when you don't make it to your intended destination and have to boon-dock at Wall Mart or rest stop. Take a couple of boards with you for levelling your Toy. You never know how level the camp-site is. Don't try new things on your Toy that you haven't tried from home first. Dummy me put the awning out for the first time and jammed it hard. I had a hell of a time getting closed back up, no hammers available used big fire log. ;-) Good luck and enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr8white Posted October 6, 2012 Author Share Posted October 6, 2012 Pick up a water reducer that you hook to the camp-site water outlet. This regulates the water to between 40-50 psi. Most on-board pumps are 45 PSI. I sprung leaks in my lines from not using one and the camp-site pressure was too high. Carry some water either in the tank or in bottles. You never know when a situation arises when you don't make it to your intended destination and have to boon-dock at Wall Mart or rest stop. Take a couple of boards with you for levelling your Toy. You never know how level the camp-site is. Don't try new things on your Toy that you haven't tried from home first. Dummy me put the awning out for the first time and jammed it hard. I had a hell of a time getting closed back up, no hammers available used big fire log. ;-) Good luck and enjoy! Where do I get this water reducer? What do I ask for exactly? Just a water reducer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_M Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Places like Wall Mart will have them available in their RV section. Mine is a cheap Camco, plastic one, they have metal ones too and they're a little more. I would ask for a water pressure regulator for an RV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_M Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Oh yeah...If your like most of us, don't forget the most important thing...Coffee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Definitely get a water pressure regulator. I also carry a voltage tester when hooking up anywhere but home. On the other hand, we almost never hook anything up. We pay tent site prices and run on the battery. We have a 12 volt electric compressor refrigerator and when we turn it off overnight and run it while driving. When I installed the 12 volt refrig, I added 2" of insulation on the sides and top. I also have ice blocks in the freezer to help with the overnight temps while not running. For us, the 12 volt works great. It came out of a large sailboat. It can also run while tipped 30 degrees. We don't have to worry about being perfectly level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr8white Posted October 6, 2012 Author Share Posted October 6, 2012 What are you referring to when being tipped 30 degrees. You mean if I am not level I shouldnt run my fridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 You need to be pretty level. The Dometic manual says "level to be comfortable". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_M Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 What are you referring to when being tipped 30 degrees. You mean if I am not level I shouldnt run my fridge? YES! You'll do damage to it in the long run if not level being stationary at a camp-site or at home. My previous post I mentioned taking some pieces of board with you to put under the tires so you can level the Toy. Now you can run the fridge while driving on propane, going up and down hills, this keeps the refrigerant circulating. Get some sleep, you must be excited...east coast time has it close to midnight. You probably won't sleep for your maiden voyage first night, I didn't. Way too exciting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I carry a small electric heater, If on shore power, I use it instead of the furnace. (39 degrees this morning on the western end of Lake Erie). I also now have a WAVE3 I use for propane heat. Toilet use is normal. I don't leave my water pump on, just turn it on for flushing or running faucets, then turn it back off. After I flush, I usually run about 1/2 inch water in the bowl to act as a seal. My toilet has two levers, one open the flapper, the other runs water. They are positioned so that it may seem like there's only one lever. look carefully. If you open the flapper, you can look down with a flashlight and see how full the tank is. If you connect to City water, use a regulator (others have mentioned this). If the RV site has water, sometimes they also have sewer. If you connect sewer, you can leave the gray tank valve open so it drains real time. Do NOT leave the black tank drain open. it will not drain real time. NOTE - Generally, I do not leave either gray or black open if connected to sewer. I always like to drain the black first, then use the gray to flush the lines LEVELING - You should have bubble levels somewhere that you can see them from the drivers seat. I have one on the driver door post and one on the dash. As mentioned, front to rear leveling is most important for the frig (the level on the door post). (side to side isn't critical). In the majority of cases, I can move the truck around in the spot to get it within 1 mark on the level. I also carry the giant "Legos" (pieces of 2x6 will work) to put under the low tires if I can't find a level spot. Full water tanks have negligible effect on MPG. Water weighs about 8 lb per gallon.. Your MPG will be effected mainly by speed and wind direction (tail wind vs head wind) Uphill vs downhill usually cancel each other out. (For you aviation buffs, drag increases by the square of speed) Tire pressure will have more effect than water in tanks, I carry 60lbs in all six tires. John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr8white Posted October 7, 2012 Author Share Posted October 7, 2012 Hay Waiter I am staying at Sara's Camp ground on lake erie right now. I wanted to stay for at least a week but the water connection that hooks up to the back of the toilet leaks bad when I hook up the water. Without water it sucks. Any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 A couple choices: A trip to the hardware store, buy a valve and the appropriate PEX fittings to adapt the valve. Cut the pipe that goes to the toilet and using the push on fitting, put the valve in line. While your there, get a PEX push on elbow fitting and replace the elbow. Do NOT use glue on or crimp on. They will leak after a couple years of freeze/thaw. John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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