Filling water tank without pressurized hook up

[sau4u]

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.

[jauguston]

Why would it be any harder to fill the tank than to empty it?

[Bumpyroad]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[shepstone]

Is this possible? How about making up a hose connection and then hooking the outside shower up to the water inlet on the fill tank then use the winterizing siphon to pull water into the trailer thru the trailers pump out to the outside shower connection ??

[Bumpyroad]

azjeffh wrote:

I have never had to release pressure in the trailer to fill the tank. The fresh water tank shouldn't have much pressure in it when near empty.

my bad, I slipped a cog and was thinking about winterizing thru the inlet port, not filling the tank.
bumpy

[pbitschura]

pigpen1003 wrote:
I bought a sureflow water pump wired a plug on the end of the wire, and plug it into a cigerate 12v in my truck. Then I bought white hoses and cut them the right length hooked them to the pump with one end in the water can and one screwed on the water inlet on my 5th wheel. Works great!! Just need a lot of whater cans or big 25 or 50 gal water cans. I strap them to the bed of my truck and go get water. pump it into the trailer

you, sir, have it figured out. I see a lot of rigs, at big events, with plastic drums in the back of their trucks rigged as you describe.

[pigpen1003]

I bought a sureflow water pump wired a plug on the end of the wire, and plug it into a cigerate 12v in my truck. Then I bought white hoses and cut them the right length hooked them to the pump with one end in the water can and one screwed on the water inlet on my 5th wheel. Works great!! Just need a lot of whater cans or big 25 or 50 gal water cans. I strap them to the bed of my truck and go get water. pump it into the trailer

[azjeffh]

Bumpyroad wrote:


that was the first way I tried on my TT, used a bilge pump sitting in a bucket. couldn't get it to push in so put a winterizing T on the upstream side of the pump and that worked fine. I think I figured out why it didn't work at the city water fill, I did not let off the water pressure in the system and the TT water was at a higher pressure than my bilge pump would push. next time I'll try to open a faucet and let off all of the pressure.
bumpy

Since my pump is not self priming, I have to lay the jug on it's side until it starts flowing (maybe 10 seconds or so) then stand it upright to complete the process.

I have never had to release pressure in the trailer to fill the tank. The fresh water tank shouldn't have much pressure in it when near empty.

[Bumpyroad]

azjeffh wrote:
This is my solution...aerator livewell pump.

that was the first way I tried on my TT, used a bilge pump sitting in a bucket. couldn't get it to push in so put a winterizing T on the upstream side of the pump and that worked fine. I think I figured out why it didn't work at the city water fill, I did not let off the water pressure in the system and the TT water was at a higher pressure than my bilge pump would push. next time I'll try to open a faucet and let off all of the pressure.
bumpy

[GoPackGo]

The OP and I (2014 Bighorn) have the same situation. There is only a thread-on hose connection to get water into the on-board tank. I too have wondered what I would do if I have to add water to my tank, but cannot use a hose.

This situation appears to be getting more common.

Tim

[rthibodaux]

On my Jayco, I filled the water tank from the 12v pump, you just have to rearrange the valves.

[azjeffh]

Bumpyroad wrote:


oh, that thingy is the switch, the two wires sneak off to the lower right to the male cigarette lighter plug???
bumpy

Yes, I have a cig plug dangling out of the battery box to connect to.