newbie here and i think i made a mistake

here i a Link to 1979 Manual

No way to know what has been changed or modified in the 28 - 29 years that trailer has been around. You will need to put on your sleuth hat and figure out what you've got.

Do you guys normally put a 12 volt gauge somewhere to monitor the battery? In-line perhaps?

Yes, i use a plug in type , just to give me a general idea of "how's by battery doing" . I don't leave it plugged in all the time, i use it when i need to .
Google 'plug in,12v volt meter'
I would also use a hand held 'multi-meter' to test volts as well.
Check one against the other for accuracy. Good RV tool to have .


If you don't have a 12v receptacle just add one and run heavy enough gauge wire for the distance you need to run it.

Do yourself a favor and check the battery you plan to use. If it's been sitting discharged too low for a period of time, it might not be very good anymore.
A fully charged battery is 12.6/12.7 volts and I would not let it go below 12v (while voltage is being measured while resting).

If you allow a wet cell hybrid deep cycle battery to drop too low (below 50% or so) you run the risk of doing damage to the battery.
They need to be kept on a 'smart trickle charger' either indoors or out.

The below link has very useful info on the 12v system and batteries.
12 volt side of life

Not every RV (of any age) has monitors. My 84 Shasta TT didn't. My 75 clipper MH does.

Both have a water pump. The Shasta's switch was by the sink (below the counter between stove and sink); the clipper's is on the monitoring panel.

I'm not sure when the switch happened, but my parents 1963 Phoenix Travel Trailer had a galvanized water tank with copper plumbing. On the outside of the tank was a valve stem (like on a tire) and we'd use a bicycle tire pump to pump up the pressure in the tank, and that's what made the water flow.

I'm not sure when the designed changed and the "pressure tank" system was changed to a "water pump" system, but it's possible yours is old enough it requires air pressure to pump the water.

If you can find the water tank, is it metal or plastic? If metal, then it's dependent upon air pressure. If plastic, then there's a water pump somewhere.

I wouldn't get too excited by the lack of a monitor panel. The battery monitor sensor that come with most rigs are essentially useless - few experienced RV'er ever look at them. The back/gray water sensors are so prone to error that many don't bother to use those either. I use the propane and FW sensors but those are convenience items and I could live without.
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If it were me I would focus the basics - find out which switch controls what. How to fill water, how to drain water, and how the propane system works etc. I would bring the rig into a tire outlet and have them test your batteries (it's free). I would also bring the rig into a Commercial propane dealer - have them fill the tank and ask them to perform a safety check of the system (inexpensive).

First thank again to everyone for the quick responses, let me clarify, there is no water in the RV, and im not trying to run water through it i was trying to get a lay of the land. Ive only used a camper/5th wheel a few times in my life and this is my first one that ive owned. Ive always gone to the monitoring panel in the ones ive been in and i just assumed that all of them had one in them. I went and poked around last night and there is def no monitoring panel in there. The only switch i can find is a black one on the side of the stove by the door which im assuming turns on some outside lights. I def plan on waiting until spring to test water etc i was just taken back when there was no gauges of any kind. Do you guys normally put a 12 volt gauge somewhere to monitor the battery? In-line perhaps?

In my old 76 the water pump switch was also on lower cabinet near sink and the fuse block was under dinette seats along with the converter.. The water pump was in the rear next to a storage area.

If there is a panel with tamk gauges, it should be there. If no panel, then it should be near the sink.

In my '71, there was a 12V fuse block inside the dinette seats. IIRC, there was no water pump switch but I have air-pressure based water delivery so once the little compressor reaches the set pressure, the tank is pressurized and the compressor quits.