Am I an idiot! Help needed....

[julie5]

Ok, obviously Im missing something I'm brand new at this and getting ready to go camping today so any help fast would help.

I have a place for city water. I understood that to be where I hook up at while I'm camping when there is pressurized water.

Then below that I have one that says "Water Inlet". Then a third to the left of all of these toward the front of the trailer too covered by a key door.

What the heck are the other two for? I assume one is for filling my tank when I don't have water hookup. What about the other? Do all 3 drain into my camper and then my combination grey/black tank?

Ugh, sorry, thought I was smarter than this...

Jules

[MrUKToad]

Originally Posted by julie5

Ok, obviously Im missing something I'm brand new at this and getting ready to go camping today so any help fast would help.

I have a place for city water. I understood that to be where I hook up at while I'm camping when there is pressurized water.

Then below that I have one that says "Water Inlet". Then a third to the left of all of these toward the front of the trailer too covered by a key door.

What the heck are the other two for? I assume one is for filling my tank when I don't have water hookup. What about the other? Do all 3 drain into my camper and then my combination grey/black tank?

Ugh, sorry, thought I was smarter than this...

Jules

Top photo, left hand fitting (with the big shiny surround) is your pressured City Water connection. The right hand fitting is the inlet for the Black Tank Flush - only to be used when flushing said tank at the dump station. Bottom Photo, inside the locking door, is the fresh water tank fill, for use when you have no City Water available. Hope this helps.

Just realised the pics are not oriented correctly. City water is the TOP of the two together.

[julie5]

Thanks so much. I'm not an idiot then! I thought that. But when I put water in there and opened the valve to flush the tank (just practicing here in the driveway, nothing in grey tank) I thought that water would come back out of the grey tank at the bottom of them camper. It didn't. Is that becasue Im not actually hooked up to a dump?

Originally Posted by MrUKToad

Top photo, left hand fitting (with the big shiny surround) is your pressured City Water connection. The right hand fitting is the inlet for the Black Tank Flush - only to be used when flushing said tank at the dump station. Bottom Photo, inside the locking door, is the fresh water tank fill, for use when you have no City Water available. Hope this helps.

Just realised the pics are not oriented correctly. City water is the TOP of the two together.

[Rrroberts40]

You have it pretty close. The one that says City water is where you put your white clean water hose when you are hooked up at a site with water hookup. The one with the locking door goes to you fresh water tank when you are dry camping and take water with you. The 3rd one with the black screw knob is where you hook up you non white garden type hose to flush out your black water tank when you dump it and want to make sure you get all the goodies out of it. You should usually open the valve before you send water into the tank. If you want to fill the tank a bit then dump do not keep the valve closed more about 20 - 30 seconds...if you fill the tank up with water from the hose it will spray out the vent on the top of your trailer and it isn't pretty...I haven't done it myself but I have seen the aftermath of someone who did...hope this helps.

[julie5]

You are talking about the main valve by the place where the dump comes out correct? It's open. Nothing comes out when I run water in there. I thought it would just come out clear in the driveway (this camper has never been used)

Also, down under the camper there are 2 other little valves hooked to my pipe that carries dump. Should those be open or closed, or what?'

Originally Posted by Rrroberts40

You have it pretty close. The one that says City water is where you put your white clean water hose when you are hooked up at a site with water hookup. The one with the locking door goes to you fresh water tank when you are dry camping and take water with you. The 3rd one with the black screw knob is where you hook up you non white garden type hose to flush out your black water tank when you dump it and want to make sure you get all the goodies out of it. You should usually open the valve before you send water into the tank. If you want to fill the tank a bit then dump do not keep the valve closed more about 20 - 30 seconds...if you fill the tank up with water from the hose it will spray out the vent on the top of your trailer and it isn't pretty...I haven't done it myself but I have seen the aftermath of someone who did...hope this helps.

[FreshAir]

......and do not mix the White potable water hose with the hoses that you flush with. Diarrhea or worse is not fun on the road....or anytime!
Also you are not 'an idiot'. I wish I wasn't a 'smartass' and did not ask 'stupid' questions early on. That's what we are all here on the forums are here for. Looking forward to your solution to other's questions. Welcome to you new great adventure.

Neil

[mojo]

Originally Posted by julie5

You are talking about the main valve by the place where the dump comes out correct? It's open. Nothing comes out when I run water in there. I thought it would just come out clear in the driveway (this camper has never been used)

Also, down under the camper there are 2 other little valves hooked to my pipe that carries dump. Should those be open or closed, or what?'

Perhaps posting what model trailer you have and/or posting additional pictures would help to understand which valves you are referring to.

Also, take the Airstream manual with you on your trip. It makes great reading material.

[Rrroberts40]

Hello Julie 5,
If you hook a hose to the black tank flush inlet (not the one with the locking cover or the one with that says city water) and you pull the black handle at the bottom dump outlet clear water (if it is truely unused) should come out there. But be sure it is unused or it might be messy. PS there is a cap that goes over the outlet that turns counter clockwise a small amount to remove...it will need to be removed before the water or whatever else is in the tank...use caution.

[TG Twinkie]

You should have at least 2 separate dump valves. One for Grey Water and one for Black Water. These valves should be clearly labeled.
The tank flush is for Black Water only.

[Protagonist]

If you hook up a hose to the black tank flush fitting and open the black valve, clean water should come out (if the tank hasn't been used). If no water comes out, it's possible that the back-flow preventer was installed backwards, which would prevent water from flowing into the black tank.

I haven't heard of it happening on a trailer (yet), but it did happen on at least one Airstream Interstate class B, according to posts over in the "Sprinter and B-van" section. So if you're not getting water flowing through the black tank flush fitting when it should be, that's something you may want to have checked out.

[julie5]

Ok. Think I got it. My water was running out the bottom of the camper because there are 2 little valves down there that were open. Closed those and opened the dump valve again and boom! Water flushing through. Thanks for all the advise guys. Wish me luck this weekend! Now if I could only learn to back up.

Jules

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by julie5

Now if I could only learn to back up.

Go to the closest shopping mall, early in the morning before the mall opens, and practice backing to your heart's content. Plenty of painted yellow lines to guide yourself with, and nothing to hit if you mess up a time or two.

[andreasduess]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Go to the closest shopping mall, early in the morning before the mall opens, and practice backing to your heart's content. Plenty of painted yellow lines to guide yourself with, and nothing to hit if you mess up a time or two.

That's exactly what I did. Good advice.

[Bbelk]

Originally Posted by julie5

Now if I could only learn to back up.

Jules

Put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and then turn your wheel with that hand. The back of the trailer will move in the same direction as your hand.

[TG Twinkie]

If you want the trailer to go to the left, then turn the steering wheel in the direction that makes the front of the TV go to your left.
When practicing backing. Learn to do it with the mirrors. Not by turning your head around.

[Will_Brule]

The first time I had backed a trailer of any type was when we brought ours from the dealer I had to cut it into a space with about 18" on each side. I just backed a little, turned a little, got out to look, adjusted where required and repeated until I had it placed. Scary, but no uh-ohs. You can do it.