Help with draining the fresh water tank

[LJS1211]

We’ve only had our 2013 Airstream International Serenity 30rb for about 6 months and recently got got in the Texas winter storm without wintering so I decided this weekend to fill the fresh water tank and run the water pump to see if we have any leaks. Good news is we don’t but bad news is I don’t know how to empty the fresh tank now. I found a plastic valve behind the tire and turned it (very hard to turn in either direction) and unfortunately I just get a drip out of the valve. Not sure if that’s truly the fresh water drain or if there is something else I need to do to get this drained. Read the book but it wasn’t much help so reaching out to you guys to see if you have any advice. Thanks in advance and always enjoy learning from you guys.

[OTRA15]

Looks like the right tank drain IMO. Is that where the water tank is? That valve needs to be turned 180 degrees to drain right usually. Yes it is difficult to turn.

What does your owners manual say about the drain location?

The drain has a small diameter opening so it might take 30 minutes or more to drain IMO. Take the water tank fill port cap off so there is plenty of air available.

Good luck.

[OTRA15]

PS -- rotated:

[DaveP]

Note to self. Put a larger diameter drain valve on after this trip. The white valve is puny in the best of circumstances.

If you want to know how, PM me when you get back.

[SpinWhite]

Clean the small drain hole with a paper clip to make sure some critter hasn’t plugged it with a nest.

[s1000pre]

Both my 2020 & 2021 is just a trickle. I usually just open it and walk away. My guess is it take 3 or 4 hours to drain.

[Doc Foster]

As said before, stick a paper clip up there to check for obstruction. Are you sure you turned the valve all the way, I have to run mine almost 180 degrees to fully open. It takes me over 2 hours to drain my 54 gallon tank using only that small petcock. If you want to drain faster, turn on and leave on outside shower faucet. These small plastic valves are quite pathetic.

[wave man]

I concur, hours for my 2018 FC, I just turn it to open and walk away to do other things. Mine is only a brisk trickle, not exactly a high volume drain spigot..

[DaveP]

Here is what I did. Take off the 5x5 sheet metal cover underneath your water tank by the spigot. Remove the white spigot and the adapter screwed into the water tank. Screw in the pictured pipe through the hole where the spigot was. Attached a brass 1/4 turn valve.

I can empty a full tank in about 10 minutes. YMMV

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by DaveP

Note to self. Put a larger diameter drain valve on after this trip. The white valve is puny in the best of circumstances.

If you want to know how, PM me when you get back.

Note, why a PM?...Why not let everyone know?

..I MacGyver'd a 1/4" ball valve with an aluminum adaptor from here...POI a DAV site.

If you choose, you can eliminate the valve and just use a plug with teflon tape on the threads.

Bob
🇺🇸

[lemley]

If your gray tank is empty or you can empty it...

I use the pump to drain most of the fresh tank into the gray tank. Just open a faucet or two and let it run. You will have to empty the gray a couple of times.

Or out here in the country I start with an empty gray tank and leave the gray dump valve open while draining the fresh tank through it. Almost the same as dumping the fresh straight out.

[zapper]

On a side note but related. On my 25' Safari when the GY Marathon tire blew, it took out that piece of plastic excrement. Didn't notice when I changed the tire, fortunately we stopped to eat about 1/2 hour later and I noticed water running behind the AS and had to plug hole with a wood screw otherwise would lose all water in tank. Later replaced with brass. One of those things that happens you'd never think about.

[oldenavy]

Originally Posted by DaveP

Here is what I did. Take off the 5x5 sheet metal cover underneath your water tank by the spigot. Remove the white spigot and the adapter screwed into the water tank. Screw in the pictured pipe through the hole where the spigot was. Attached a brass 1/4 turn valve.

I can empty a full tank in about 10 minutes. YMMV

I did the same thing -- that was the first mod I made to the trailer. Drains the whole tank in about 10-15 minutes. A must for sanitizing the tank. I used a 1/4 turn boiler drain valve so I can attach a garden hose to it and drain sanitizer water where I want to avoid killing grass.

[DaveP]

Originally Posted by oldenavy

I did the same thing -- that was the first mod I made to the trailer. Drains the whole tank in about 10-15 minutes. A must for sanitizing the tank. I used a 1/4 turn boiler drain valve so I can attach a garden hose to it and drain sanitizer water where I want to avoid killing grass.

Exactly what I did. I empty my tank after each trip and water the trees along the driveway.