Firs time in the RV with hookups

Walaby wrote:
Oh, and as a safety measure, I turn the water off when I am out and about for the day. That way, I don't have to worry if I spring a leak while Im gone.

Just one less thing I have to worry about.

Mike

Very important! Turn it off at the spigot if you are gone for a while.

Oh, and as a safety measure, I turn the water off when I am out and about for the day. That way, I don't have to worry if I spring a leak while Im gone.

Just one less thing I have to worry about.

Mike

DrewE wrote:
1. The city water connection attaches to the pressure side of the water system, like the output of the pump. Generally you just have to hook it up and you have water; no additional valves to open or close, no need to turn on the pump or fill the tank.

Not all rigs are created equal, on mine I have a manual valve within a few inches of my pump that I have to close when on city water.

Definitely get yourself a water pressure regulator. Many parks water pressure if unregulated, is too much for our plumbing.

As far as the Black and Gray tanks are concerned, follow what's been posted above. If you are at a full hook up site, you can hook your hose up, but just let your tanks get full before you dump. If you leave your gray open, it could lead to sewer flies making a home in your gray tank. I usually don't hook up my stinky slinky until the day I leave, even at a Full Hookup site.

Use plenty of water when you flush. You'll develop a system, and after a trip or two, you'll know how much real world use you get out of a tank before you have to dump.

Disposable inline filter is a good idea. Although wife and I pretty much use bottled water for consumption and city water connection for shower/toilets/washing dishes/teeth brushing etc.. Just what we choose to do.

Mike

rdmike wrote:
On number 1, get a simple pressure regulature for the water pressure.

And a disposable inline filter, if you aren't positive of the quality of the CG water lines....

On number 1, get a simple pressure regulature for the water pressure.

DrewE has it covered. Regarding #2 (in your list, not the other thing) - don't forget to keep an eye on the tanks. If you're new to the whole thing you don't know how quickly you'll fill them up. You don't want an overflow situation. I find my gray fills pretty quick. I keep it full-ish so I can get a good flush after a black tank dump.

Regarding #3: My rig is super old so I don't employ any sort of surge protection. I haven't had any trouble though. We have some newer electronics (cell phones, tablets, LCD TV, DirecTV receiver, etc.) that haven't been bothered by campground power (yet?).

1. The city water connection attaches to the pressure side of the water system, like the output of the pump. Generally you just have to hook it up and you have water; no additional valves to open or close, no need to turn on the pump or fill the tank.

2. Definitely leave the black tank valve shut until the tank is full or full-ish and its time to dump it. If you leave it open, the solids will accumulate but the liquids will drain off and you'll be left with a messy problem. Different people handle the gray tank drain valve differently. If you do decide to generally leave it open, it would probably be advantageous to close it for a spell before you dump your black tank so you have some water in it to help rinse out the hose.

If you won't be staying at the campground for an extended time, there's a school of thought that suggests it's best to leave the hose disconnected until you are ready to dump the tanks and leave.

3. People use all sorts of different things for power protection, ranging from nothing to rather elaborate setups.

At the bottom of the heap (well, aside from "nothing") are relatively inexpensive surge protectors that are basically just some MOVs in a box. These don't provide a lot of useful protection, in my opinion, and are somewhat of a waste of money. Some do have little neon lights to indicate some forms of outlet miswiring (which can equally well be checked with a multimeter or AC test light).

Next in line are various simple EMS units, the most common ones being Progressive Industries and Surge Guard models. (These two also sell devices in the first category, by the way.) These units will monitor the line voltage with a microprocessor and shut off power to the RV if it's too high or too low or if they detect that the outlet is miswired. The low voltage protection, in particular, is helpful; some campgrounds have inadequate or barely adequate electrical systems, and during high demand times the voltage can sag. Low voltage is troublesome for some appliances, in particular air conditioners.

There are some fancier EMS devices available, generally built into an RV, that can switch on or off various circuits as needed. For example, one might be configured to turn off an electric water heater when the air conditioner is running and the RV is on a 30A circuit, or cycle between two air conditioners under the same circumstances, but allow everything to run at once when connected to a 50A circuit. It would be quite an undertaking to install one of these as a DIY project.

Some people also use various autotransformers, manual and automatically controlled ones, that can adjust the incoming voltage as needed (within limits).

I have and recommend a Progressive Industries EMS unit. They're well made, have quite good factory support, and work effectively.