is this crazy to use "city" water only

[DanaHubbard]

I have a 1970 Sovereign that I'm restoring into an office/studio live/work space with no plans to travel with it or move it around much. Is it feasible and/or wise to set it up to use city water ONLY? I plan to be semi-permanently parked. I have no plans to be boon-docking.

My reason for asking is that most of the plumbing was removed when I bought it, there is no water pump, my grey/black water tank has a large crack in it and I have no idea of the fresh water tank condition.

None of these things do I need for my immediate intended use. So could I just bypass the "internal" water system and re-plumb it simply to use the "city water?

Any help, experience, or warnings welcome. Thanks a bunch!

[DKB_SATX]

I'm not sure what the code-compliant way to plumb into sewer with a gravity toilet is, but given the fact that you have no water pump and bad waste tanks AND don't plan to travel with this trailer, it may make financial and convenience sense for you to just do city water and direct sewer connection. It will make it a slightly harder sell in the future since it won't be set up for self-contained camping but if you think it's going to be your office space for a long time that may not matter.

[DanaHubbard]

Thanks for your reply, David. Yes, it could make harder to re-sell. But as long as I leave it alone as much a possible, someone else could complete the re-plumbing for travel if they wanted it for that.

I'm hoping if someone has done this and run into a problem I haven't thought of, they might see this thread. Otherwise, it seems to me it should work fine.
Of course, that could fit into the "famous-last-words" category too!

Thanks for your input!

[bweybright]

You may have an issue with the black tank. The toilet flows through the tank. And if you keep it open all the time problems will become evident fairly quickly (search for white mountain of death) on this forum. Now if you plan on bypassing the black tank then all may work out a be a smooth flow downhill for you.

[waninae39]

it should be simple to add PEX to the ouside water connections

add a good high flow filter

the issue you have is, how to collect and dispose of the grey water from the sink

and

black water if you use the toilet

[TheGreatleys]

The fresh water side is easy. These rigs are built with city water hookups anyway. Just replump in pex as usual with a city water inlet and you're good.

The waste plumbing will take some modification. If you're planning on eliminating the waste tank entirely (probably a reasonable idea if the existing one is cracked and you want to use city hookups), you might find yourself switching to a residential style flush toilet. That would help eliminate the poop tower problem. Or, you could go with a composting toilet, and just have to drain the gray water, which would probably be an easier construction project.

[DanaHubbard]

Originally Posted by bweybright

You may have an issue with the black tank. The toilet flows through the tank. And if you keep it open all the time problems will become evident fairly quickly (search for white mountain of death) on this forum. Now if you plan on bypassing the black tank then all may work out a be a smooth flow downhill for you.

Thanks for your response. I should have mentioned that I plan to install a composting toilet and nix the black tank problems all together. Your point is correct, however. Interestingly fact though, in 1970, they only had a black tank, which the grey water could flow into if you wanted it to and you opened the valve. Otherwise you simply let the grey water flow out into the weeds. The manual even instructs you to! Not too many RV parks where you would get away with that today!

[DanaHubbard]

Originally Posted by waninae39

it should be simple to add PEX to the ouside water connections add a good high flow filter the issue you have is, how to collect and dispose of the grey water from the sink and black water if you use the toilet

good point about the high flow filter. i intend to have a high quality pressure filter of some sort to protect the interior plumbing from being over-pressurized.

[DanaHubbard]

Originally Posted by TheGreatleys

The fresh water side is easy. These rigs are built with city water hookups anyway. Just replump in pex as usual with a city water inlet and you're good.

The waste plumbing will take some modification. If you're planning on eliminating the waste tank entirely (probably a reasonable idea if the existing one is cracked and you want to use city hookups), you might find yourself switching to a residential style flush toilet. That would help eliminate the poop tower problem. Or, you could go with a composting toilet, and just have to drain the gray water, which would probably be an easier construction project.

completely agree and happy to hear someone else thinking the same way. if i install a composting toilet (which has always been the plan), then there's only the grey water to deal with. as I was telling one of the earlier responses, this only had a black water tank, no grey water tank. you could let the grey water flow into the black water tank, or just let it flow out into the sewer hook-up, or out into the weeds like the manual suggests... seriously!

[waninae39]

this is my inside pressure regulator, that is adjustable

and

dual high flow filter

first is a woven filter
followed by carbon filter

we have a separate triple filter just for kitchen drinking water from its own tap

[DanaHubbard]

wow! very nice, waninae39! i assume the first photo is the one that protects your system from over-pressurized city water system. is that correct? and the second two photos are of filtration systems to make sure the water in clean and purified?

[waninae39]

yes. i do not trust the cheap as supplied pressure regulator . get a Gates model. that is their business

here are pics of my system installed in an AS 22Fb sport

you can see the winter /summer valves and i can also bypass the filter and still use the AS if i need to service the filters

[DanaHubbard]

very, very nice! thanks for the brand name. I meant to ask.