New trailer - Sanitize ??

[2014screw]

Hi Everyone

My brand new trailer should be arriving very soon. I am wondering if one needs to sanitize the fresh water tank and lines prior to using it or just flush them out well?

Thanks for any input you provide.

[2014screw]

Thanks everyone for your responses

Now one more question. When I sanitize the fresh water system, do I remove the water filter or leave it in?

Thanks

[eichacsj]

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:
🙂 Hi, I would not be too concerned about it, but we don't drink the water in our trailer. Wash dishes, shower, and flush. We carry bottled water with us.

X2

[camperforlife]

Yes sanitize. I've ridden the bike trail that goes behind many of the RV plants in Elkhart and Goshen and they store many of the tanks outdoors. It takes little effort and could prevent a water borne illness.

[Redterpos3]

Traveler, enjoyed the pics and the story about the fix! Thanks! Good to hear the process people go through to do a fix by themselves!! I'm not too handy, but these stories help me to think I can do more than I realize, and gives me confidence to at least try. I also realize that in owning a trailer much of the work needs to happen by the owner. Fortunately everything I do for my trailer, and for camping I am enjoying so I think this is my hobby!! Gardening is not!

[Traveler7]

Today was explore the water system on my 77 Dodge conversion. The plan was to add a small amount of bleach and fill my 15 Gallon tank, let it sit for 4 hours and flush. Filling the tank went smoothly

I pulled the bed/couch apart to view the tank and check for leaks


I turned on my Shurflo pump and it ran but no water got to the sink....
so I thought maybe the pump needed primed and pulled the faucet to try to pour down it to the pump

I heard water coming out somewhere and looked into the cabinet below the sink and found the priming water pouring out sadly....
Yeah that is not good....so I found a hose clamp and used my solar lantern for illumination and got my hands wedged in there to work

Voila, repaired.....

After fixing this I tried priming but water wouldn't go down to the pump so I added more water at the hose to try to put a mild amount of pressure to move the water forcibly to the pump and that worked! Good flow! Flushed the bleach out and put about 11 gallons or so in and all good.

[dadmomh]

With our HTT and then TT we never thought about it...used the CG water and lived through it, so guess it was fine. We did (I say "did" since we're trailerless) always sanitize in the spring and any time we felt like it needed it. Sometimes mid summer, but that was about all. Our trailers had the system filters and we added a Pur faucet mount. Strong feelings about bottled products and the environment, so rarely bought any. If we did, it was either a 1 gallon bottle or one of the larger containers with a spigot....very rare occasions.

[Jetta03]

For us we sanitize and fill the water tanks before each trip as we tend to prefer our home tap water over campground or bottled water for drinking.

Sanitizing with a little bleach is really easy to do and is probably a good idea if you plan to drink the water. Its easy/free insurance against any nasties growing in there.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

🙂 Hi, I would not be too concerned about it, but we don't drink the water in our trailer. Wash dishes, shower, and flush. We carry bottled water with us.

[Old-Biscuit]

Do you buy a new drinking glass from the store and use it before washing it :H

And no dealer doesn't do it unless Specifically asked and then PAID to

I sanitize when NEW, when purchasing USED and when/if I have an issue with bad water.

[coolmom42]

Flush and sanitize. For sure. Anything else is just..... gross.

[Iraqvet05]

I have yet to sanitize our fresh water tank after two years but the only time I filled it was to make sure the pump worked before the warranty ran out. If you are just using the city water connection, I'd skip the sanitization but would flush out the system so make sure there is no construction debris in the lines. We bought our TT in the dead of winter and it came winterized but I doubt any dealer would take the time to sanitize a TT unless you paid them for the service specifically.

[eichacsj]

Opps, we have bought 2 trailers. We filled and went. in several decades of owning a TT never have sanitized. We still survive.

[Oasisbob]

I may be ignorant but is this not something the dealer would do prior to delivery?

[Old-Biscuit]

Now is the time to do it.........clean out the plumbing system of mfg./construction debris etc.

1/4 cup bleach per 15 gallon water