How do you empty the fresh water tank?

[GypsyQueen]

Hi there,

I'm new to the rv-ing lifestyle, and live full-time in my 26ft, 2000 Mallard 5th wheel, and want to drain the fresh water holding tank so I can fill it with potable water in case my water hose freezes this winter. It has some pink stuff in from when the last owner winterized it, so not even sure if I can/should even just let it drain onto the ground. My main questions are:

1. Do I need to turn off the city water first?
2. Do I need to turn on the pump? Or is that just to use it?
3. Okay to dump on ground or ???
4. How do you refill it? Using the same hose that is currently attached to my trailer to city water?

Thanks in advance!

Kirsten

[Birdie]

Most are different where the low point drain is located. This is a good time to grab your manual. I am not sure about content of pink stuff since I have never used it, which means don't know if it is considered hazardous, think animals consuming. Bunches of ladies on here will be all over this shortly I am sure. You can always Google on you tube.

[BirdbyBird]

Locate the low water drain. I say this tongue in cheek because it is more difficult to find on some vehicles than others. Hoping that yours is not only not hard to find but also not hard to get to when you do locate it.

Pink marine/RV stuff is not deadly toxic. That said we really don't want to drink it. Most RV campgrounds have prohibitions agains dumping anything on the ground. Depends upon where you are parked if anyone would/will notice fluids coming out of the drain. You are on your own with that ethical decision.

If the previous owner really did put pink stuff in the fresh water tank, you will want to drain it, refill, slosh it around, and dump a couple of times. If you keep the Hot water bypass on, you may just run the water pump and drain the tank that way. I would just think that you might need to refill and pump out an extra time or two to rinse the tank thoroughly. I have a MH and have never put antifreeze in the fresh tank when I winterize. I have just drained the tank. I have put it in the lines, down the traps and some in the black and gray tank. Each time I get to Florida in the winter or it finally warms up enough here in Ohio in the spring. I just fill the fresh water tank or hook up to city water and run water through the lines awhile. Eventually I stop using as many of the jugs of drinking water and trust the lines are clear enough. I use tank or city water for cooking, washing dishes, bathing, etc. I mostly drink from the jugs of water but when I know that I've been using the tanks alot and the water has been used and refilled at regular intervals I have no problem using the tank water for teeth brushing or that quick glass of water to swallow pills with. Everyone has their own level of tolerance. My system does not seem bothered by the changes in where the water is coming from. Luckily my dogs don't have a history of getting gastro issues with the different water sources either. Some do. That said most all of us have stopped in particular campgrounds or areas of the country, checked the taste of the water, and decided not to refill our tanks till we moved on to the next campground.

Hope the this is helpful. I am sure others have their methods and can chime in. Few of us have identical systems or methods. Like Birdie mentioned, the full-timers just smile, watch the weather maps and head south and may not have had to deal with winterization or the reverse for years. We don't let our jealousy get in the way.

[GypsyQueen]

Most are different where the low point drain is located. This is a good time to grab your manual. I am not sure about content of pink stuff since I have never used it, which means don't know if it is considered hazardous, think animals consuming. Bunches of ladies on here will be all over this shortly I am sure. You can always Google on you tube.

Oh, if only there were a manual! I dream of finding a manual. Fleetwood doesn't have them on their website, so need to call them. What I found on google so far hasn't been very helpful so far, but I'll keep looking! The pink stuff is almost soapy...took forever to clear it out of the grey tank and the water pipes. Since I don't know what it is, I think I will err on the side of caution and find a way to send it to my grey tank...thanks for responding!! I just love this group!

[GypsyQueen]

Locate the low water drain. I say this tongue in cheek because it is more difficult to find on some vehicles than others. Hoping that yours is not only not hard to find but also not hard to get to when you do locate it.

Pink marine/RV stuff is not deadly toxic. That said we really don't want to drink it. Most RV campgrounds have prohibitions agains dumping anything on the ground. Depends upon where you are parked if anyone would/will notice fluids coming out of the drain. You are on your own with that ethical decision.

If the previous owner really did put pink stuff in the fresh water tank, you will want to drain it, refill, slosh it around, and dump a couple of times. If you keep the Hot water bypass on, you may just run the water pump and drain the tank that way. I would just think that you might need to refill and pump out an extra time or two to rinse the tank thoroughly. I have a MH and have never put antifreeze in the fresh tank when I winterize. I have just drained the tank. I have put it in the lines, down the traps and some in the black and gray tank. Each time I get to Florida in the winter or it finally warms up enough here in Ohio in the spring. I just fill the fresh water tank or hook up to city water and run water through the lines awhile. Eventually I stop using as many of the jugs of drinking water and trust the lines are clear enough. I use tank or city water for cooking, washing dishes, bathing, etc. I mostly drink from the jugs of water but when I know that I've been using the tanks alot and the water has been used and refilled at regular intervals I have no problem using the tank water for teeth brushing or that quick glass of water to swallow pills with. Everyone has their own level of tolerance. My system does not seem bothered by the changes in where the water is coming from. Luckily my dogs don't have a history of getting gastro issues with the different water sources either. Some do. That said most all of us have stopped in particular campgrounds or areas of the country, checked the taste of the water, and decided not to refill our tanks till we moved on to the next campground.

Hope the this is helpful. I am sure others have their methods and can chime in. Few of us have identical systems or methods. Like Birdie mentioned, the full-timers just smile, watch the weather maps and head south and may not have had to deal with winterization or the reverse for years. We don't let our jealousy get in the way.

Thank you so much for all the advice BirdbyBird!

[JudyJB]

Turning on your water pump with the city water unhooked, and letting a couple of faucets run will do the trick. It will be especially easy if you are hooked to a sewer, but not a problem if you are not. (The first weekend I used my new unit was at a full hookup site where I could flush everything multiple times.) If they used the right stuff, it is not poisonous.

When no more pink stuff comes out, put some fresh water in the tank and keep running the water pump with a faucet on. By this point, you might have to go dump if your grey water tank gets full. When the water looks clear, you can use it for bathing and the toilet, but might want to wait a couple of cycles to drink it. You probably ought to add some bleach to the fresh water tank at this point to kill any bacteria. I put bleach in my fresh water tank every couple of months, and just don't drink it for that one tank full. Bleach eventually dissipates.

I have a whole house filter and do drink my fresh water, except when I am in Florida because most Florida water tastes awful, even after being filtered!! If you don't have a whole house filter, you can buy one of the ones you hook onto your fresh water hose.

[gingerK]

When I de winterize my truck camper, I just let the faucet run. As it has no grey tank, I drain into a portable tank. The right pink stuff is non toxic so it won't hurt you. I refill my fresh water tank then drain it again. I always put about a 1/4 c. of bleach in the tank when I finally fill it for using. I don't drink out of my tank, only use it for dishes and bathing. Fleetwood doesn't have an owners manual on their website? Did you try RV.net? Those guys seem to know where to find everything.

[mitch5252]

..
Just a quick FYI - I have had two trailers...

On one, the low point drain plugs were located on the inside, under a bunk, and the other (current trailer) they are underneath, on the outside.

Do you belong to a Forum that specializes in your brand of RV? If so, maybe you could ask there?

Pink stuff should not have been put in the fresh water holding tank.
Do you think, perhaps, that it's just coming from your water pipes (which is where it belongs)?
Like, if you went to my trailer right now and turned on any faucet, or flushed the toilet, pink stuff would come out.
But the holding tank is completely empty.

And that's all I know on the subject, except by typing this, I realized I did NOT hold down my toilet flush until pink stuff came out.
There's a chore for tomorrow...always something.

[MelissaD]

The lazy mans way is to dump the pink stuff in the fresh water tank and pump it through the system. Normally the water heater is bypassed and a hose is placed into the pink stuff bottle and pumped through the system using the water pump bypassing the FW tank. The pink stuff can also be pumped in to the city water connection if you have a separate pump. That said, if you look around the outside of you trailer you may find some labels. The FW (fresh water) tank should have a separate drain valve for it. Mines under the trailer off the bottom of my FW tank. I also have a hot and cold low point drains at the rear under my trailer. The FW tank will probably be near the fill connection for your trailer. I'd start there and look under the trailer. The fill connection is normally gravity and looks like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/2315476966 ... ps&lpid=82

1. Do I need to turn off the city water first? The FW tank probably has a separate fill connection but I would at least shut the valve at the post until done.
2. Do I need to turn on the pump? Or is that just to use it? Pump will draw water from FW tank and pump it to the faucets. As stated you can pump your tank empty into your sink
3. Okay to dump on ground or ??? If the FW tank drain is clear I'd drain to ground if it has pink I'd use the pump and run it into a sink as much as possible.
4. How do you refill it? Using the same hose that is currently attached to my trailer to city water? Most campers have a fill connection you stick a hose into. More expensive units will have a valve to divert water from the city connection to fill the FW tank.

Basic water system

[GypsyQueen]

Turning on your water pump with the city water unhooked, and letting a couple of faucets run will do the trick. It will be especially easy if you are hooked to a sewer, but not a problem if you are not. (The first weekend I used my new unit was at a full hookup site where I could flush everything multiple times.) If they used the right stuff, it is not poisonous.

When no more pink stuff comes out, put some fresh water in the tank and keep running the water pump with a faucet on. By this point, you might have to go dump if your grey water tank gets full. When the water looks clear, you can use it for bathing and the toilet, but might want to wait a couple of cycles to drink it. You probably ought to add some bleach to the fresh water tank at this point to kill any bacteria. I put bleach in my fresh water tank every couple of months, and just don't drink it for that one tank full. Bleach eventually dissipates.

I have a whole house filter and do drink my fresh water, except when I am in Florida because most Florida water tastes awful, even after being filtered!! If you don't have a whole house filter, you can buy one of the ones you hook onto your fresh water hose.

Thanks Judy!!! I am connected to sewer, so think I will leave the gray tank open so it just drains out. This is probably a dumb question, but when you say "city water unhooked" can I just turn it off at the spigot, or do I have to actually unhook it?

[GypsyQueen]

When I de winterize my truck camper, I just let the faucet run. As it has no grey tank, I drain into a portable tank. The right pink stuff is non toxic so it won't hurt you. I refill my fresh water tank then drain it again. I always put about a 1/4 c. of bleach in the tank when I finally fill it for using. I don't drink out of my tank, only use it for dishes and bathing. Fleetwood doesn't have an owners manual on their website? Did you try RV.net? Those guys seem to know where to find everything.

Thanks for the info!! No, that was the first place I went to, was Fleetwood's site...they don't have anything for the Mallard I've done google searches, asked on RV.net and other forums...the answer is usually the same..."Good Luck on finding one" or "don't bother they are useless" but I really would like to have one, so I'm going to call Fleetwood and ask them.

[GypsyQueen]

The lazy mans way is to dump the pink stuff in the fresh water tank and pump it through the system. Normally the water heater is bypassed and a hose is placed into the pink stuff bottle and pumped through the system using the water pump bypassing the FW tank. The pink stuff can also be pumped in to the city water connection if you have a separate pump. That said, if you look around the outside of you trailer you may find some labels. The FW (fresh water) tank should have a separate drain valve for it. Mines under the trailer off the bottom of my FW tank. I also have a hot and cold low point drains at the rear under my trailer. The FW tank will probably be near the fill connection for your trailer. I'd start there and look under the trailer. The fill connection is normally gravity and looks like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/2315476966 ... ps&lpid=82

1. Do I need to turn off the city water first? The FW tank probably has a separate fill connection but I would at least shut the valve at the post until done.
2. Do I need to turn on the pump? Or is that just to use it? Pump will draw water from FW tank and pump it to the faucets. As stated you can pump your tank empty into your sink
3. Okay to dump on ground or ??? If the FW tank drain is clear I'd drain to ground if it has pink I'd use the pump and run it into a sink as much as possible.
4. How do you refill it? Using the same hose that is currently attached to my trailer to city water? Most campers have a fill connection you stick a hose into. More expensive units will have a valve to divert water from the city connection to fill the FW tank.

Basic water system

Thank you so much for the graphic and the link - and all the information...very, very helpful!!!

[Bethers]

On the rig I owned for 9 years, it was impossible to get to the drain, so once or twice a year (even thought full-time, because I do drink my water I like to make sure the tank is clean and no stagnant water) I would when I had sewer hookups, turn off the water from the city connection and turn on my pump and then turn on a faucet full force, making sure the grey drain is open, and let the tank empty. I do recommend, if you aren't sure what is in that tank, to then fill 3/4's, and, if possible, drive around for awhile to let it slosh around, then repeat draining. If you don't like the water coming out that time, do it again, and again, until you are happy with the water, and then you can fill and use it

On my current rig, the drain is inconvenient, but usable.

Oh, and I have, more than once, let that water dump onto the ground. It should just be water with nothing in it - and shouldn't be a problem. But I've never done that at a park - there I'll take the extra time to do it through the grey tank.

[dpf]

WE had an 87 Mallard TT.....seems to me that the drain for the fresh water was right under the tank. A little spigot that you turned. At home I often just turned on the hose and let it run in the tank with the spigot open to flush out the tank for awhile and then do the bleach routine only I use the same powdered chlorine that is used in swimming pools. (Husband works for the city and a half cup of that stuff will last a long time....it's potent) The pink antifreeze isn't toxic just gives an annoying taste to the water. We usually bring jugs of fresh water for drinking too and use the fresh water tank for the bathroom and kitchen. Since we are always dry camping we use the showers houses. The method Melissa shows is how we winterize.

[JudyJB]

Yes, you can just turn off the faucet at the water source.

After reading all of this, I am really glad I am full-timing. No need to ever winterize or de-winterize. The other big advantage to full-timing, of course, is never having to pack up or unpack. MUCH easier than going through all of this!

I do stick some chlorine into my fresh water tank occasionally; just did it yesterday. I use water for drinking that came through my two filters before I added the chlorine, but then when I add more water in a couple of days, the chlorine is all gone so I can go back to drinking it.

Personally, I am confident that water from my tanks is as clean and pure as the stuff you buy in bottles, and I hated to keep buying all those plastic bottles. I do occasionally buy bottles of water, but keep refilling them over and over.