New 23' flying cloud owner boondocking in Ontario questions

[Karterlin]

We purchased our first camper trailer after 18 years of marriage and retiring last year in Northwest Ohio. We took our maiden trip to Maumee Bay State Park in Ohio and learned a LOT.

Now we are going to try crossing into Canada and staying at a friend's property near Stayner, Ontario. If we need to fill with water after we get up there and my friend's well is not very good, where can we fill up?

Can you fill with fresh water at gas stations? Rest areas?

Where would we dump if we needed to?

Also, can we fill the fresh water tank with a 5 gallon jug and a funnel? When we have tried this once the water just back spilled and we could not fill it.

Sorry for all of the dumb questions.
Love our new camper!
Karterlin

[1cericks1]

Water...thats pretty easy. Stop at a house and ask someone if you get desperate, but most gas stations would probably help out. A funnel and a 5 gallon should work (look for big funnel and flexible spout). Dump-stations-- most large truck stops will have (most long haul semi's have black water tanks). Most campgrounds have a dump fee that ranges from free to $5 to $20.

[redstart]

you can probably both dump and fill water at the Barrie KOA, but I would call them first to make certain. I think they also fill propane.

Barrie Camping, Barrie Campground in Ontario- KOA in Barrie

[Shacksman]

Here's a short list for Ontario of dump sites. There's lots more. A lot of tourist towns have town dump sites for the tourist buses that come to town.
Ontario | rvdumps.com

[moosetags]

First off, welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

As far as filling your fresh waster tank from bottles, we use a flexible snout funnel that is intended for use with oil. They are available at any Wal-Mart for a few bucks.

Brian

[Karterlin]

Well, I just purchased a 1 qt funnel with flexible snout and extension. We also purchased a twelve inch long clear tube with threaded attachment at one end. We tried putting the tube all the way in and filling the funnel with water from a 1 gallon jug, and it just ran back out on the ground. Are we doing it wrong?
Karla

[Shacksman]

Karterlin, on your way from Bowling Green to Stayner stop in at our place and I'll have a look at your water problem. We are right on the way and have full hookups for Airstreams. Avonton is just north of St. Marys on Perth road 130.

[Karterlin]

I see that you are off the 401 a little way. If we were not on such a schedule to get up there we might do that. We usually take the 401 up to the exit that takes us thru Guelph and then on over to Airport road and up. There must be a way to fill the fresh water tank with a 5 gallon jug and we must be doing something wrong. As soon as the funnel is full, the water starts back flowing out of the tank onto the ground whether we have a short tube or a long tube.

[redstart]

you might think this is a dumb question but are you sure you are filling the fresh water - are you filling the thing behind the little locked door? i am not familiar with the set up is for 2009s but it was just a thought!

i found this funny picture by surferstyler - how to fill your fresh water tank:

[Karterlin]

Could you take me step by step thru using a funnel to fill? Does it matter if I test with a 1 gallon container? I got the flexible tube with hose fitting on the end and I can hook it to the bottom of the funnel. Water still over flows when we try it.
Thanks
Karla

[Karterlin]

All dumb questions are welcome. I figure we are missing some key thing that would make this very simple. I just went out and tried it (opening the little locked door, unscrewing the non pressure water cap) with the clear flexible tube screwed directly into the funnel and got the jug of water up on my hip and poured and the clear flexible tube was barely filled before the water began pouring out around it, back onto the ground.

[redstart]

have you tried opening the drain valve on the bottom to see if the tank is already full?

i read somewhere on here but i can't find it and i could be misremembering...but someone had filled their water tank, but no water came thru the taps because the pressure valve that is located between the water pump and the water tank was stuck closed. sorry for this garbled description. but that valve keeps water from flowing back into the tank when you are hooked up to city water.

i only know this info from reading about it here so maybe someone with more knowledge will step in with better ideas.

[Karterlin]

I think I know the problem. I just got off the phone with Airstream and they also said it should work. He directed me to look inside the trailer under the false floor in the wardrobe and check the hose thru which the water comes in. When I looked after about 8 inches of level hose thru which the fresh water enters the trailer, it rises at an incline of about 30 degrees over another bigger duct so evidently, my clear flexible hose attached to my funnel must be long enough to reach to the top of that rise or the water just flows backward when it is not under the pressure of a garden hose. I am not sure where I will find a tube long enough to do the trick, but I'll start checking.

[bmartinpe]

Go to Airstream in Jackson Center, and complain to the service center. The water fill hose on my 2007 Safari SE 20 was routed around the shower enclosure, and it had a rise in the hose before it reached the tank. I could not fill the tank with a garden hose and extension without keeping the flow low. The service center took out about five feet of hose and rerouted it to make a direct connection. Now I can fill the tank more quickly, and water runs out the vent hole before backing up from the fill line.

[Aage]

Heck, yes. You have a brand new TT with a defect. You should be able to pour water into there with just a bucket with a spout on it. Only makes sense to get the hose re-routed correctly.

[bugsbunny]

Make sure that when you take the fill cap off behind the locked water door that you pull out the little 1/4 inch or so filler that is attached to the lanyard. When you are filling, you should see the hole where you are putting in the water as well as a little hole (just like a gas tank, the burp hole has to be opened) for it to work properly.

[Karterlin]

Well, we did the trip. We stopped at a flying J and all problems solved. We got a long enough spout to get over the problem in the trailer. On the way back into the US, the border patrol had 3 guys enter the trailer and peek around and get into the refridgerator. Canada guys just said to have a great trip and sent us on. Good experience.

We went to Airstream two days later in Jackson Center and had a 5 item list of things that were not right in the trailer and not all of them were warranty things so we got charged $180.00 and learned lessons there too.
Karla

[Aage]

Originally Posted by Karterlin

We went to Airstream two days later in Jackson Center and had a 5 item list of things that were not right in the trailer and not all of them were warranty things so we got charged $180.00 and learned lessons there too.
Karla

Hi, Karla. I hope you enjoyed your trip!

When you went to JC, did you get them to route the fill hose properly?

Just out of curiosity, what defects weren't warranty?