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mactavco · 07-08-2009, 03:29 PM

I seek to buy a airstream and hook it
up to sewer or tank on lot. Can this be done?

What do I need to Know and getting eletricity
would be of interest as well. Thx, Larry

85MH325 · 07-08-2009, 04:37 PM

Welcome to the Forums, Larry. You'll find a wealth of information about all things Airstream here.

Yes, with a proper sewer connection opening, it's as simple as running a standard RV sewer hose from the bottom of the tanks to the sewer system inlet. Most folks who set up a semi-permanent system allow their black water tank to fill up, and then go out and dump the tank... that tends to eliminate the solids buildup that you'd find if you just left the sewage gate valve open.

Electricity can be as simple as a 30 amp RV box set on a pole that the trailer's cord plugs into.

The bigger issue for you will be zoning.

I hope that helps!

Roger

CanoeStream · 07-09-2009, 08:01 PM

Hello Larry. Welcome to the Forums! A travel trailer is different from seasonal pre-manufactured framed 'mobile homes' I see permanently sitting in some campgrounds. You don't want to have the black tank draining constantly to a sewer. Liquids will drain off leaving only solids behind. Yet the drain line can remain constantly attached to the sewer. You'll just want to keep the valve closed except when you dump the tank. There are more details to this process but I'll let you ask the questions.

mactavco · 07-10-2009, 01:19 AM

Thank You for writing.
I have not purchased a airstream yet.
Not sure I want to but the appeal is strong.

kevinkatz · 07-15-2009, 02:26 PM

i am thinking of doing the same thing. is it a better idea to remove the black and grey tanks if you never intend going on the road? is that a big job?
kevin

FreshAir · 07-15-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinkatz

i am thinking of doing the same thing. is it a better idea to remove the black and grey tanks if you never intend going on the road? is that a big job?
kevin

Some day you may want to go on the road or even sell your coach. The tanks pose no problem if left alone. However the black tank will need to be utilized....close the valve until it's full then empty it. If you just leave it open you will create the dreaded "brown mountain".

Neil.

Mikethefixit · 07-15-2009, 03:10 PM

I personally think that Airstreams are meant to be on the road and not tied up in some park or lot somewhere. Id go buy me an old SOB that can be purchase for almost nuffin and set that there. KEEP THE AIRSTREAMS FOR THE ROAD.

mactavco · 07-15-2009, 10:16 PM

Ill stick with real estate for now!

kevinkatz · 07-16-2009, 06:32 AM

mikethefixit. i understand your opinion and agree with it. however i want to appreciate the design of an AS because i love them.
i will admit that i have built a couple of rat rod hotrods----a 33 american austin and a 52 plymouth suburban. rat rods are as blasphemous as tying up an airstream so i suppose my track record isnt very good. still intend enjoying my 65 caravel. replacing skin today. kevin

mactavco · 07-16-2009, 10:50 PM

Thank You for writing.
I do not understand the blackwater, gray water
and fresh and the flush ritual. But the liberation attracts me.
Where are you?

Mexray · 07-17-2009, 12:37 AM

Maybe it's best you go visit an RV dealer in your area so you can see what you're getting into, and you can have a salesman show you all about the holding tanks...

Briefly, most modern travel trailers have THREE tanks...

1. for FRESH water supply to your faucets and for flushing the toilet.
2. a waste tank for the toilet, called the BLACK water tank - it holds all the materials flushed down the toilet.
3. a waste tank for the sinks, called the GREY water tank - it usually holds all the waste water from the sinks and the shower.

The BLACK and GREY water tanks have separate valves on their outlets so you can 'dump' (drain) them into an RV dump station or suitable sewer connection.

Due to the 'solids' flushed down the toilet, you shouldn't dump the BLACK water tank till it's rather full, then the extended, rapid flow will help flush the solids from the tank - if you left the dump valve open all the time, the solids wouldn't be flushed away, and just accumulate to clog up the tank, making for a nice, smelly project to correct!

The GREY water tank flush valve can be left open all the time if you're hooked up to a sewer line, as all the sinks and shower have 'traps' in their drains to keep any vapors isolated - plus the GREY tank doesn't have any solids, usually just soapy water, which will continue to flow out of the tank and not clog anything...

When on the road, you would always dump the BLACK tank first, then the GREY tank, which would help to flush any residue from the BLACK tank piping thats left over...

I would think it's best to do your 'homework' before jumping into such a purchase...

kevinkatz · 07-17-2009, 06:23 AM

i have bought this 65 caravel that i am working on. there only appears to be one drain under it. i dont know what has been modified. the drain is about under the toilet. there is another cover that is about under the shower and when i took it off there is a P trap there. i wonder if someone has combined the black and grey water tanks. any ideas?
also where is the dump valve? i wish this forum had a section of 101's for newbies like me so that we didnt have to hassle yall with stupid questions. the search engine is not very good and very time consuming.

65CV · 07-17-2009, 08:18 AM

Kevin -

Don't worry about asking. There are a lot of us who were helped tremendously by others and are willing to give back.

The '65 Caravel didn't have a grey tank. The p-trap under the shower will connect to a tee below the black tank valve. They used to dig "gopher holes" and let the shower water flow right to the ground.

You'll find the black tank under the toilet, above the floor. You should be able to see the vent pipe coming out from the tank in the closet next to the toilet.

If you want to see one disassembled, click on the photos tab above and then the photo search. Click on advanced and look for the user name CJohnson. Chris did a great job documenting his disassembly of a '65 Caravel.

Good luck!

John

purman · 07-17-2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinkatz

i have bought this 65 caravel that i am working on. there only appears to be one drain under it. i dont know what has been modified. the drain is about under the toilet. there is another cover that is about under the shower and when i took it off there is a P trap there. i wonder if someone has combined the black and grey water tanks. any ideas?
also where is the dump valve? i wish this forum had a section of 101's for newbies like me so that we didnt have to hassle yall with stupid questions. the search engine is not very good and very time consuming.

Be careful here, I let the black tank get full and it backed up into the shower on my 68'. That is a mess you don't want to deal with. We bought a tote for the grey water to drain into last summer. Now I have put in a 30 gal grey tank behind the rear axles, and plumbed the shower and sinks into it. The black tank is just for the black stuff. we also put in a new 40 gal fresh tank.

It's a little work but putting in the grey tank it worth it...

kevinkatz · 07-17-2009, 10:20 PM

so more questions. how do you know when the black tank is nearly full? where is the lever to dump? so do i understand you to say that the shower is draining into the black tank.
kevin

65CV · 07-18-2009, 06:27 AM

Kevin-

Peek through the hole in the bottom of the toilet to see the black tank. You should have a remote handle for the black tank valve in the rear bumper locker. The shower drains into the tee below the black tank, not in it.

John

kevinkatz · 07-19-2009, 10:28 AM

where does the water from the shower go then? is it held till i dump it ? does it just constantly drain? where?

FreshAir · 07-24-2009, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinkatz

where does the water from the shower go then? is it held till i dump it ? does it just constantly drain? where?

You will need a 'blue boy' tote for your gray water wherever you are not allowed to run the grey onto the ground. I camp a lot in forest camp grounds where that isn't a problem. A nearby gopher hole can be very convenient.

Neil.

**azflycaster** · 07-24-2009, 03:29 PM

The black tank should not back up into the shower if the valve on the tank is closed and not leaking.

stanwilder · 07-24-2009, 07:59 PM

I lived in my Airstream many weekends over a three year term while building a farm house.
The electrician split the power panel so it could also fuse a 220V window unit with 24000 BTU (much cheaper to run than the old 120v Armstrong). Worked great, removed the front glass and filled in with plywood around the A/C.
I made a “Motivator” to keep the black water tank clean. It simply consist of a plastic peanut butter bottle screw off cap with a tight fitting hole with a piece of ¼” pipe stuck through it and a 90 degree brass fitting on the end, other end has a female garden hose connector. When hooked to a garden hose on city water pressure it can be inserted down the RV toilet and rotated. It isn’t messy and since it worked for three years I’d say it worked very well. I still used black water treatment chemicals and still tried to have the tank about ½ full before I emptied it into the septic tank that was already there.
In addition I jacked the trailer up and kept the weight off the axles and tires.
If your tires are good you should buy trailer tire covers to keep the UV off them during your extended stay.
Since LP fuel got very expensive I installed a 12 gallon 120V electric water heater in the original water heater location. It heats in about 30 minutes and recovers quite quickly. It sure was nice having Long showers after hard days of construction duties.
Stan Wilder
Dallas Tx