Hey all. I have moved into a 2015 chapparal 360ibl fifth wheel from a 2005 open road TT. To fill the water tank on my open road I popped off the cap on the trailer stuck the garden hose in and filled til my heart was content. On the fifth wheel I have to attach the hose directly onto the trailer(screw it onto the trailer connector) then fill up. Works fine. But if we are out boondocking and I have to refill the trailer from jugs or a stream how can I do this. Where you hook the hose onto the trailer from the outside I screw the hose on then there are 2 valves where you set to either fill the tank. Operate the system or winterize. There is also a cap there and I have a connector and small hose to suck up antifreeze for when I winterize. I assume this setup is fairly common on new trailers. Just don't know what to do with it. Any advice is much appreciated.

Thats a first for me. Never seen a setup like you describe before

The connection and hose you have to suck antifreeze through your water system bypasses the water tank when you are putting antifreeze into your water lines. You can experiment and you will find that with a different valve setting that hose will direct its flow to your tank instead. I have a Water Works Utility Panel in my Sportscoach and I can do that procedure with it. I recently bought a 30 gallon water bladder from Amazon that I can put in the back of my Samurai and get water from a campground community water spigot. Saves having to move the RV after it is setup. Jim

When the pressure valve on our freshwater pump froze open, I replaced it. I now use it, with a faucet connection and hose I rigged to be portable, and a jump pac, to pump water from a bladder into my fill connector. Good luck.

sau4u wrote:Hey all. I have moved into a 2015 chapparal 360ibl fifth wheel from a 2005 open road TT. To fill the water tank on my open road I popped off the cap on the trailer stuck the garden hose in and filled til my heart was content. On the fifth wheel I have to attach the hose directly onto the trailer(screw it onto the trailer connector) then fill up. Works fine. But if we are out boondocking and I have to refill the trailer from jugs or a stream how can I do this. Where you hook the hose onto the trailer from the outside I screw the hose on then there are 2 valves where you set to either fill the tank. Operate the system or winterize. There is also a cap there and I have a connector and small hose to suck up antifreeze for when I winterize. I assume this setup is fairly common on new trailers. Just don't know what to do with it. Any advice is much appreciated.You're likely going to have to get a 12v pump to pump from whatever container you're hauling water in.Lyle

jauguston wrote:The connection and hose you have to suck antifreeze through your water system bypasses the water tank when you are putting antifreeze into your water lines. You can experiment and you will find that with a different valve setting that hose will direct its flow to your tank instead. I have a Water Works Utility Panel in my Sportscoach and I can do that procedure with it. I recently bought a 30 gallon water bladder from Amazon that I can put in the back of my Samurai and get water from a campground community water spigot. Saves having to move the RV after it is setup. JimThat's what I was thinking, sucking up through the winterize hose. I wasn't sure but suspected it would by pass the water tank when winterizing. I will try sucking up through the hose when the valves are set to fill the system, see what happens I guess. Thanks Jim.

Filling water tank without pressurized hook up | Good Sam Community

46 Replies

laknox
Nomad
Aug 18, 2014
jlarocca95 wrote:
Why did they have to do away with the gravity fill. My 2013 Mountaineer has a vent out the rear that I was thinking about replacing with a gravity fill/vent combo. It was a lot easier to sanitize the tank with the gravity fill.

I totally agree. The "convenience station" isn't so convenient, IMO. I still don't understand why the mfrs simply won't recognize that a significant number of people like to boondock or camp where there may not be hookups. Can you imagine if a single manufacturer offered models in the 25-30' range as a "Boondocker Special", with beefed up suspension, higher clearance, mid-profile, factory-installed solar, =serious= battery capacity and things like gravity-fill water? They couldn't make enough of them!

Lyle
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
jauguston wrote:
Why would it be any harder to fill the tank than to empty it?

and it runs twice as long as when you are only emptying the tank.
bumpy
sau4u
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
GoPackGo wrote:
I believe the point is that the pump will run constantly for some time when filling the tank as opposed to running occasionally when using it normally.

Correct. Exactly what I meant. The pump usually only runs for very short periods. Filling this way the pump will run however long to fill. I could just be pro active and fill in short bursts. But curious if anyone has had issues. Thanks
GoPackGo
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
I believe the point is that the pump will run constantly for some time when filling the tank as opposed to running occasionally when using it normally.
jauguston
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
Why would it be any harder to fill the tank than to empty it?
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
sau4u wrote:

This is exactly how I did mine and worked great. One question though. How hard on the pump do you think this is to be continually run long enough to fill up the trailer. .

anything mechanical has a life expectancy usually based on useage. with that thought in mind, I'll burn up my $13 bilge pump rather than my $$$$$ water pump.
bumpy
sau4u
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
Dpopps wrote:
I have the same brand 5er. It's not that hard, you don't need any extra pumps.

In side the water panel is a hook up to winterize your camper. Your unit should have come with a 5ft hose that has a conector on it. Screw that hose into the winterize spot on the panel. Make sure the pump is on,stick the hose in your water jug, turn the vavles till you hear water flowing in your tank. The pump will suck 5 gallons of water pretty quick.

If you need a longer hose Get a splice connector or make a longer one from scratch. I have filled my fresh tank this way a few times and it works great.

I don't rember what valves need to be turned but you can hear when the water is flowing, plus you water jug will empty quickly.

This is exactly how I did mine and worked great. One question though. How hard on the pump do you think this is to be continually run long enough to fill up the trailer. As long as its sucking water and not run dry I don't think it should hurt the pump. But do these water pumps in the trailer have a tendancy to over heat or something with continuous use. Thanks guys.
jauguston
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
Dpopps has it right. You don't need anything more than what you already have.The winterizing hose stuck in your bucket of water and the right valve settings will put the water from the bucket into your water tank.
Dpopps
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
I have the same brand 5er. It's not that hard, you don't need any extra pumps.

In side the water panel is a hook up to winterize your camper. Your unit should have come with a 5ft hose that has a conector on it. Screw that hose into the winterize spot on the panel. Make sure the pump is on,stick the hose in your water jug, turn the vavles till you hear water flowing in your tank. The pump will suck 5 gallons of water pretty quick.

If you need a longer hose Get a splice connector or make a longer one from scratch. I have filled my fresh tank this way a few times and it works great.

I don't rember what valves need to be turned but you can hear when the water is flowing, plus you water jug will empty quickly.
sau4u
Explorer
Aug 18, 2014
Well here is what I did and how mine is set up. Where I attach the hose for city water (also fills up the tank). I have 2 valves where I can set for filling, operating the system and running on city water/winterizing. Beside these valves I have a connection with a cap that you attach your winterize hose. If I leave the valves set up to fill, attach my winterize hose, place same hose in a pail. It sucks up the water. I kept filling the pail until the camper was full. The trailer water pump kept up pretty close to what the garden hose was putting out. So mine works. That's for the help and the suggestions.

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Filling water tank without pressurized hook up

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