Please help me Airstream friends

[doonanner]

I am getting ready to move into my 1994 Airstream Excella 1000. I will admit that I have never lived in or stayed in any type of RV. I need help understanding the fresh, black and grey water operations. Do you have to have water running to the Airstream constantly? Is there a fresh water storage tank , how many gallons does it hold , is there a water pump? Please help me out if you can.

[moosetags]

There is a learning curve, but it's not that hard. The black water tank holds the water from the toilet. The gray water tank holds the water from the sinks and shower. The fresh water tank holds clean water for drinking, washing, bathing, and flushing. It does have a pump to make the water run. If you are hooked to city water at a campground, you do not need to use the fresh water tank or the pump. The black and gray water tanks need to be dumped into a sewer outlet when full. Keep them closed at all times except when dumping.

The capacity of the holding tanks varies from trailer to trailer. Someone else here will know those numbers.

I hope that this helps. Please ask plenty of questions.

Brian

[doonanner]

Originally Posted by moosetags

There is a learning curve, but it's not that hard. The black water tank holds the water from the toilet. The gray water tank holds the water from the sinks and shower. The fresh water tank holds clean water for drinking, washing, bathing, and flushing. It does have a pump to make the water run. If you are hooked to city water at a campground, you do not need to use the fresh water tank or the pump. The black and gray water tanks need to be dumped into a sewer outlet when full. Keep them closed at all times except when dumping.

The capacity of the holding tanks varies from trailer to trailer. Someone else here will know those numbers.

I hope that this helps. Please ask plenty of questions.

Brian

Thank you Brian, I have installed a septic system on the land and will be using a water spigot for the fresh water. I am unsure if the water should be connected constantly or just to fill the tank? If I have septic do I keep it connected but closed, and then empty? I really really appreciate your help!

[moosetags]

Leave the spigot water connected full time. If you are connected to a septic tank, leave your black and gray tanks closed except while dumping.

Brian

[TG Twinkie]

The grey water dump valve can remain open.
The black water tank dump valve should be kept closed until the black water tank is 2/3's to 3/4 full.
Since you are not traveling where you would stir the contents of the BW tank. Be conservative with toilet paper and generous with the water used. Especially when flushing solids out of the toilet.
There are chemicals available to help break down the solids. Check to see if they are septic tank safe.

[doonanner]

Originally Posted by TG Twinkie

The grey water dump valve can remain open.
The black water tank dump valve should be kept closed until the black water tank is 2/3's to 3/4 full.
Since you are not traveling where you would stir the contents of the BW tank. Be conservative with toilet paper and generous with the water used. Especially when flushing solids out of the toilet.
There are chemicals available to help break down the solids. Check to see if they are septic tank safe.

Thank you TG

[dcasr]

Originally Posted by moosetags

Leave the spigot water connected full time. If you are connected to a septic tank, leave your black and gray tanks closed except while dumping. Brian

__________

I agree on keeping the fresh water line connected with a caveat, make sure there is a pressure regulator with a gauge at the land line water faucet, and beware that on a very hot day in the sun the water in the hose will heat and expand to the point of rupturing some hoses. (it was an unintended experiment) If you're in the shade all day don't worry, but if the sun gets on the hose it could burst. Solution then is to turn the faucet outside off if you leave the coach, and depressurize the hose while you're gone .

There is no reason to keep the grey water dump closed, it just sits there, fills up and stinks or uses up unnecessary no-stink chemicals. The grey water dump should stay open and put a block of wood or a brick on the honey hose just before it goes into the hole. That creates a P trap to keep smells from the sewer line from coming back up the hose into the coach. Every time you run water in the coach it will flush the exterior P trap that you have made, so it doesn't stink either.

Learned this some while back from Airstream rallies when I asked why people had a brick or block of wood under their hose. Live and learn.

[kendrick.l.j]

There may be a WBCCI group near you. (That’s the Airstream club). Maybe contact someone and see if they can come and help you get started then go to rallies, keep reading here on the forum. Before you drag it to your land make sure you know what you are doing or get someone to move it for you. Hopefully you have towed before. There are some things that you want to avoid doing. Wish I was closer I would come over to help. All of this is doable and we all started from the same place. Google lots of stuff. The search box above is pretty darn good at finding information. Maybe the previous owner can at least get you started but if not then keep asking and you will get lots of replies. How’s your power situation?

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by TG Twinkie

The grey water dump valve can remain open.
The black water tank dump valve should be kept closed until the black water tank is 2/3's to 3/4 full.
Since you are not traveling where you would stir the contents of the BW tank. Be conservative with toilet paper and generous with the water used. Especially when flushing solids out of the toilet.
There are chemicals available to help break down the solids. Check to see if they are septic tank safe.

I would take issue with this advice only to say that you should make sure the gray tank valve is closed when dumping the black tank, to prevent any contamination of your gray water. Typically when camping or on the road, the recommended procedure is:
1) dump the black tank first.
2) close the valve on the black tank; then dump the gray tank. The idea is the gray water when emptying, will help wash out the drain pipe as it empties, up to the black valve area.
3) close the gray water valve and hose off your area.

Of course, this is how we do it...your mileage may vary!

[switz]

If the temperatures drops towards freezing, disconnect the fresh water hose at both ends. On some models, all the black drain valves and plumbing is exposed to view as well as freezing temperatures.

I went to Walmart after a late arrival with freezing temperatures coming and acquired a cheap sleeping bag, duct tape, cheap trouble light and the lowest wattage incandescent light bulb available (5 Watts is ideal) and wrapped the exposed valves with bag with light inside. Kept plumbing from freezing. Next day I put on a heat rape with proper insulation and that kept the pipes from freezing until the weather warmed up.

Yes, the solids in the black pipes and hose can freeze.

The propane furnace usually has a run of hot air hose to below floor level to heat the tanks under the floor. So while an electric space heater will keep living space warm, the tanks could freeze.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by switz

If the temperatures drops towards freezing, disconnect the fresh water hose at both ends. On some models, all the black drain valves and plumbing is exposed to view as well as freezing temperatures.

I went to Walmart after a late arrival with freezing temperatures coming and acquired a cheap sleeping bag, duct tape, cheap trouble light and the lowest wattage incandescent light bulb available (5 Watts is ideal) and wrapped the exposed valves with bag with light inside. Kept plumbing from freezing. Next day I put on a heat rape with proper insulation and that kept the pipes from freezing until the weather warmed up.

Yes, the solids in the black pipes and hose can freeze.

The propane furnace usually has a run of hot air hose to below floor level to heat the tanks under the floor. So while an electric space heater will keep living space warm, the tanks could freeze.

Gospel! Found that out myself on my last 25' AS....electric heater going all night, but froze toilet valve and shower water valve...even with doors open, an electric heater does not do adequate heating in very cold weather. Now I leave the thermostat at 42D and let the propane heating system do it's job. Keeps the pipes below from freezing. Propane is cheaper than time/labor of fixing pipes! Also, I try to empty tanks before big freeze.