Silly question - preferred lengths for campground hookups (hoses, cable, etc.)

[AIRHEDS]

Hi all. I'm preparing to order all the stuff I'll need to take delivery of my new Classic.

I'm looking at the
- 15' RhinoFlex Kit plus a 5' extension for 20' total length
(Or should I do a 20 (10+10) plus 5?
- 25' Camco 22833 Premium Drinking Water Hose (5/8"ID x 25') - Lead Free
(options are 10, 25, 35, 50)
- 30' weBoost White RG6 Low Loss Coax Cable

Are these good lengths? Or should I consider other lengths? What do you prefer?

Thanks,
Rich

[xrvr]

I carry 25 feet of sewer, a twenty foot 30 amp extension cord, and at least twenty feet of water hose. I also carry a 50 foot low amp extension cord, a blue boy, and a five gallon bucket for water if necessary. You never know.

[AWCHIEF]

Rich, I thank your list is a good start. As you use your trailer you will develop an inventory and list of what works for you. There will be times (most) when 10 ft of any hose or cord will be enough. Other times when 30 ft might barely be enough.

[Sphere Guy]

I carry a 20' RhinoFlex, just bought the 10' extension, but switched to my SewerSolution due to the front pad waste dump inlet. It was very high as well. I also have a dealer included 10' sewer. and Lastly a 25' sewer hose as a back-up (don't know the brand but it doesn't collapse like the Rhino)

I have 3 or 4 - 5/8" water safe hoses and a 1 x 1/2".

For black tank flush I have 2 x 1/2" hoses, 10 and 25 fters.

I also carry a 50' - 1/2" hose for anything, but have used it for grey tank drain in appropriate settings.

Don't forget the water filters, 90 degree fittings, "Y" adaptors, anti-siphon valves, pressure regulators, (I have a 45 and 55 PSI Hi Flow), hose washers, thief or Bandit connector(for the bad threaded faucets at some parks)

I carry 2 RG6 cables, black and white 10 - 15 ft is mostly good enough. Also get some push on RG6 connectors, Much easier to put into the AS outlet.

Don't ask about tools, I have them all..... LOL

[AldeanFan]

Measure the distance from your sewer outlet to the middle and back of the trailer, carry this length of sewer hose +5'.

Most campsite sewer hookups are either at the back of the site, or in the middle.
If you're sewer outlet is at the back of the trailer like mine is, you will often need to reach to the center of the trailer. If you're sewer outlet is in the middle of the trailer you may need to reach the back of the trailer on some sites.

Also, most parks with full hookups are near a walmart, so you can always go buy a longer hose or extension if necessary. This happened to us this summer, the sewer hookup was too far to reach with our hose. We stopped at a the local walmart when in town and bought an extension for $15. The campground store wanted $30 for the same hose

Always a good idea to have a way to carry fresh water in case you need to fill the fresh water tank and can't do it with a hose. We carry a collapsible plastic water container for this purpose.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by riffin-rich

- 15' RhinoFlex Kit plus a 5' extension for 20' total length (Or should I do a 20 (10+10) plus 5?

Shorter slinkies are easier to rinse and handle. I'd vote for as many 5' slinkies as you have room for (but no more than 5 of them), with no 10' or longer ones.

- 25' Camco 22833 Premium Drinking Water Hose (5/8"ID x 25')

I have been two state parks and a fairgrounds where 25' of hose wasn't enough. At the fairgrounds in question, I actually needed 70 feet of hose. I'd recommend a 25' 5/8" hose, with a 25' 3/4" hose as a spare and a 10' spare. Always use the least length of hose you can get away with at any campground. Also, the longer the hose, the more diameter you want; flow rates can slow to a trickle when you use a long hose with small diameter. Short hoses can be 1/2", medium length should be 5/8", long should be 3/4", and extra-long should be 1" diameter. If you have to link multiple hoses together to reach, put the largest-diameter hose at the spigot, the smallest-diameter hose at the trailer. This will help ensure that you're not constricting the flow any more than necessary.

[PKI]

Really like the 10ft sewer hose length. A pair of them fit into the under coach tube locker. A fellow said he used a 5ft for dump stations. Had not considered that option. Might be a good idea. Not sure where to store. We use the bumper box for wheel chocks, the flush hose, small propane cylinders, a fire extinguisher, and the sewer connections that do not fit in the tube locker. It's full. We heard this weekend that some folks collapse the sewer hose and store it in the bumper, so it's an option. Constant tune of the storage seems a reality of small space living.

Just a note - it is not easy to get water into the fresh water tank unless your jug has a long spout or you have a funnel with one. We use a hose adapter with a length of smaller tube and a valve. It's a Cameco product. We use a water bottle with the bottom cut out for the funnel part. The threads do not match and it leaks a bit, but the majority makes it into the tank. Plan is to get a collapsible jug and adapter with the right connections. Just shows that you will find problems that require a specific solution and work around approaches are less than perfect. but will function in a pinch.

Besides, every excuse to go to Camping World, Cabelas, Walmart. or the local super hardware store is a gift ... at least until the wallet goes dry.

Safe travels. Pat

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by riffin-rich

Hi all. I'm preparing to order all the stuff I'll need to take delivery of my new Classic.

Congratulations!

- 15' RhinoFlex Kit plus a 5' extension for 20' total length

I had the RhinoFlex kit for a while and didn't like it. The hose can be easily damaged by people stepping on it, can't be repaired, and is expensive to replace (the kit is a good deal but the hose sold individually is not). I would recommend the "Viper" kit instead. It is much more durable. I have the 15'.

Durability is a real problem for sewer hoses at full hookup sites. You're running the hose across gravel or asphalt, probably, and those can wear a hole through the plastic. People walking around will step on the hose and bend or break the reinforcing wire making the hose useless.

Be aware that neither the Viper or RhinoFlex will fit in the storage tube. You can put them in the bumper drawer though.

The Viper and RhinoFlex are full hookup hoses. You will not want to use them at a dump station because the fitting on the end gets in the way. So you'll still want your stock hose in the storage tube for dump stations.

I have found that 15' is plenty for most full hookup campsites. I carry a very inexpensive 20' hose also that I can use either as an extension or as a replacement if something happens to the hose I usually use. I figure those are good for one trip. I think I last used and replaced one 3 years ago. I also carry an end and clamp for my dump station hose so I can improvise with that if I need to.

For you, starting out, I would suggest the Viper. If you plan on staying at full hookup sites often you could also add a 20' cheapie.

- 25' Camco 22833 Premium Drinking Water Hose (5/8"ID x 25') - Lead Free
(options are 10, 25, 35, 50)

There's absolutely no benefit to the 5/8" so get the 1/2". I have had both.

In the majority of cases 10' will be plenty so get one of those. It's much more convenient to have a shorter hose. Then you can also get a 25' for dodgy campsites. I've been to one or two places where the water is at the front of the campsite so if you park with the tow vehicle attached you need quite a bit of length, and I've had to use both the 10 and 25 I carry.

- 30' weBoost White RG6 Low Loss Coax Cable

It is now rare for campsites to offer cable TV service.

Are these good lengths? Or should I consider other lengths? What do you prefer?

You should also think about electric power.

If you have the dual A/C and 50A power option, I would strongly recommend that you get a 30A cord rather than an adapter. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Conntek-15435.../dp/B00IAABXF8

They are much lighter, cheaper, and more manageable than the 50a cord, and will add years to the life of you (expensive) 50a cord.

You also should be prepared for the power pedestal to be at least 50' away in some cases. It should never be that far in a properly designed campsite but there are some campground layouts where there is a twin pedestal every two sites, with the problem sometimes being compounded by the pedestal being near the road. Usually these are older campgrounds with 30a service. I carry, in addition to my 25' 30a cord for the trailer, a 50' 30a extension cord. So, I can reach 75 feet. I've never been anywhere where I needed more than 50' though, so I would recommend a 25' extension instead.

I also carry a 100' 20A extension cord for the odd situation where I'm parking in a friend's driveway or something. I rarely use it, but, as with all this stuff, when I need it, I need it.

[dkottum]

Check out the Sewer Solution system with two 10' hoses, much cleaner operation. If you do a lot of boondocking you may want to bring along a standard slinky for faster operation at the dump station.

Cheryl likes soft water for washing and I like it for less calcium buildup on our fixtures and in our plumbing. So we use a portable water softener between 25' and 4' water hose sections, always been enough.

I would also look into a small water pressure accumulator such as the Shurflo to make your water system operate a little smoother and also take up thermal expansion (which may prevent thermal expansion high pressure leaks). This fits well under the bath sink mounted to the wall and routed to the cold water faucet connection with an additional short braided water line.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Check out the Sewer Solution system with two 10' hoses, much cleaner operation.

I used one for a while and don't know quite what people see in them. They work OK until someone flushes a tampon or something, in which case you will need a head-to-toe hazmat suit to avoid getting anything on you when you clean up the mess.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Jammer

There's absolutely no benefit to the 5/8" so get the 1/2".

Not true. As I said, the longer the hose, the larger the diameter should be, to minimize hydraulic losses that will reduce your flow rate. Especially when the campground doesn't have very high water pressure to begin with.

Here's an example.
*If you have a 25' 1/2" diameter hose, with 40psi of water pressure at the spigot, your maximum flow rate will be about 24 gallons per minute— not counting the additional length of plumbing inside the trailer between the inlet and the faucet or shower head that further reduces the flow rate.
* If the hose is increased to 50 feet long and 5/8" in diameter, the maximum flow would be 22 gpm. But if you use 50' of 1/2" hose the flow rate slows to just 12 gpm.
* If you increase the length to 75 feet and the diameter to 3/4", the maximum flow rate is 27 gpm. But if you use 75' of 1/2" hose, the flow rate drops to 9 gpm.
So for every 25 feet of length, the hose diameter should go up by 1/8" to keep nearly the same rate of flow in the hose for a given water pressure. If you carry a 25' 1/2" hose as your main, then a 25' spare hose should be 5/8" diameter, and you can hook up the larger-diameter hose at the spigot and the smaller diameter hose at the trailer to minimize losses in flow rate.

[EarlM]

the 15 ft rhino will not fit in the tube under the trailer

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by riffin-rich

Hi all. I'm preparing to order all the stuff I'll need to take delivery of my new Classic.

I'm looking at the
- 15' RhinoFlex Kit plus a 5' extension for 20' total length
(Or should I do a 20 (10+10) plus 5?
- 25' Camco 22833 Premium Drinking Water Hose (5/8"ID x 25') - Lead Free
(options are 10, 25, 35, 50)
- 30' weBoost White RG6 Low Loss Coax Cable

Are these good lengths? Or should I consider other lengths? What do you prefer?

Thanks,
Rich

Sounds good to me.
That's the same sewer hose and water hose I have.
I have a 25' piece of RG6 cable and a 100" piece of RG6 cable because you never know where the trees/shade are.

[Grateful2]

Order 2 large and small one for cable,they keep it quick and easy. Order on line Home Depot Good luck

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by EarlM

the 15 ft rhino will not fit in the tube under the trailer

My kit may have been 2 10' sections.
One 10' section is in the storage tube under the trailer.
The other 10' section is in the rear bumper storage compartment.

[Jim Arnold]

Good info for the newbie here!!!

[Gneiss Guy]

I will second Jammer's advice on the 30 amp power cord. You didn't mention if you have dual ACs, but if you do, you will only need to use one much of the time. That big 50 amp is a bugger to handle, especially when it is cold.

Richard

[AIRHEDS]

Holy crap! (pun intended) This is a very informative thread and I really appreciate all of your knowledge transfer contributions! I love this site and need to become a contributor! If anyone else wishes to share thoughts/experiences, please feel free!

Doug, ref. your post to

"... check out the Sewer Solution system with two 10' hoses, much cleaner operation... "

I was unaware of this product--I've added it to my purchase list, along with the slinky stuff. Is it possible to cap the ends after rinsing so there's no leakage during storage/transport?

Protaganist, I'll definitely heed your advice on the 5' increments. I'll stay with the 15' kit, and lop two 5' sections off to use as replacement hose, but also buy another four 5' extensions with the coupling hardware and a bunch of extra caps and rubber gaskets. I've upgraded the 20' Sidewinder to a 30' (unless you suggest staying with the 20' (after all, the 30 can do 20 but the 20 can't do 30). :-)

Along the lines of Doug's post about the Sewer Solution, I saw the Thetford SANI-CON displayed in CampingWorld and couldn't help but wonder if folks were using it and whether or not it was worth the cost over a standard slinky setup.

Also, regarding black hose/slinky cleaning, do you guys soak/bleach your hoses after use?

I saw that caps are available for garden/drinking hoses ... seems like a good idea to keep foreign matter out of the hoses once they're dry (assuming it wouldn't be good to cap/seal wet hoses).

Jammer, I'll be sure to add a HAZMAT suit and Scott SCBA to my list too. :-)

[AIRHEDS]

Originally Posted by Gneiss Guy

I will second Jammer's advice on the 30 amp power cord. You didn't mention if you have dual ACs, but if you do, you will only need to use one much of the time. That big 50 amp is a bugger to handle, especially when it is cold.

Richard

Yes, I do have 50A service with two A/C's in the Classic 30. I've added the cord that Jammer suggested and just checked the plug info ... it appears that the 30A cord he suggested will plug into the Honda EU2000iA Companion generator's 26.6A outlet via the Honda L530P-RV30R Generator RV Adapter too! Awesome. Thanks Jammer and Richard!

[AIRHEDS]

Originally Posted by Jim Arnold

Good info for the newbie here!!!

Absolutely Jim - couldn't agree more! The long-timers don't think about this cuz they've been doing it for so long ... but us newbies on the other hand ...