newbie here and i think i made a mistake

Colliehauler is right. There should be NO water in it when temps are below freezing. It should have empty (blown out with compressed air) lines and tanks, or contain pink rv antifreeze.

Hopefully someone winterized it, otherwise the water system will need replaced.

When I was a teenager, we had a brand new 1976 Taurus TT. It had the water pump switch on the lower cabinet near the sink. It was just a simple toggle switch that was either ON or OFF. I don't think it lit up when on however... No panel either, just the lone switch on the lower cabinet near the sink.

No tank gauges either, but it did have separate black and grey tanks, even back then..

We knew the grey tank was full when it backed up into the shower... We could see straight down to the black tank from the toilet, so that was our gauges back then...

Come to think of it, that's how I basically do it now with my 2003!

Good luck!

Mitch

Do you have the contact# for the person you bought it from? Since it is a 79, I imagine it wasn't from a dealer, right? If the seller did not cover all these questions, hopefully you can call them for answers. Good luck!

jdavis1877 wrote:
thanks guys for the quick response. It has normal handles and a battery on the tongue of the camper, and i believe another set under one of the sides. Its currently -1 where i am so im not trying to pump water more just trying to get familiar with it. I was wondering if it just ran when the water flows but wouldnt that drain the batteries?

An RV water pump is pressure-activated. It pumps until there's a pre-set pressure in the water system and then shuts off. When you open a faucet, the pressure in the lines drops and the pump cycles on. When you close the faucet, the pressure builds up and the pump cycles off. Don't try ANY of this until the temps get above freezing, though!

Rob

thanks guys for the quick response. It has normal handles and a battery on the tongue of the camper, and i believe another set under one of the sides. Its currently -1 where i am so im not trying to pump water more just trying to get familiar with it. I was wondering if it just ran when the water flows but wouldnt that drain the batteries?

Quite often the water pump switch will be lighted, as in it lights up when you turn it on. Check near the kitchen sink and in the bathroom.

I confess I do not know about that particular model or manufacturer, BUT...Long ago (79 as it happens) I had a camper where you pumped the handle next to the faucet to get water to come out.

If you have a regular faucet with hot and cold knobs then you have an electric pump (which may not be working) and somewhere there will be a switch near a sink, shower, or toilet most likely. If you have a battery compartment try starting there. If you do not have a battery compartment then see the next paragraph.

If you have a handle that moves up and down next to the faucet and only have a cold lever then you do not have an electric pump you have a manual pump.

Hopefully someone with some expertise with your particular RV will chime in soon.

BTW I went to Alaska and back in my old RV and did not miss the electric pump. I did miss the flush toilet though ;)

Never seen an RV without 12VDC. Do you have a good battery installed? If yes then you need to start flipping switches making a list of what switch turns on what. As for a water pump switch it is likely near the sink. BTW do you have water in thr tank?

A 1979? Wow. Classic. My 1978 Beaver TC had a full 12 volt system.