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7:44 am
June 1, 2011
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pfidahospud
| | Post Falls, Idaho | |
| Member | posts 107 |
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Just finished up my first major trip with the 14RB, making a loop around Lewis & Clark Caverns MT, Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP, Craters of the Moon Nat'l Monument, and up through Ketchum/Stanley/Challis ID. Things went great — had no major issues with the trailer. The fridge worked very well, and with gas it stayed on 95% of the time going down the road. I did find the weight-distributing hitch helpful when I had the fresh water and hot water tanks filled which added the extra tongue weight. I had no bottoming out issues with either the hitch or the back of the trailer which I'm especially grateful for.
I do have one question for the group, however. If I'm evaluating the water system correctly, there's no way to use the last 6 gallons of water from the water heater. Allow me to clarify – once the fresh water tank is empty (10 gallons? Feel free to correct me on my numbers), the water pump cannot force out the water that's in the water heater (6 gallons?). Bugs me that it seems I'm carrying around 48 pounds of water that I can't use, and out of the 16 gallons of capacity only 10 gallons are usable. Is my understanding correct?
Thanks!
Stephen
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Tow-er: 2010 RAV4 3.5L 269 hp V6 with Tow Pkg ~ Tow-ee: 2011 Sportsmen Classic 14RB ~ Director: The wife
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8:01 am
June 1, 2011
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kayaknut
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Post edited 2:02 am – January 14, 2012 by kayaknut
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4:23 pm
June 1, 2011
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pfidahospud
| | Post Falls, Idaho | |
| Member | posts 107 |
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kayaknut said:
I'm not sure if it is a "full" 6 gallons that end up left "unmoved" in the hot water heater once the fresh water holding tank is sucked dry, but regardless, if you don't want the remaining water left in there for your trip home, just back out the hot water heater anode and drain it.
An idea — would opening up the red drain line under the trailer do the same thing, with maybe a little less effort, or does that do something different?
Thanks.
Stephen
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Tow-er: 2010 RAV4 3.5L 269 hp V6 with Tow Pkg ~ Tow-ee: 2011 Sportsmen Classic 14RB ~ Director: The wife
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4:51 pm
June 1, 2011
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kayaknut
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Post edited 2:02 am – January 14, 2012 by kayaknut
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8:01 pm
June 1, 2011
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wrenchist
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I hadn't considered the extra weight in the hot water heater, I try and stay as light as I can.The inlet line to the heater is at the bottom, I can't think of a reason why a drain valve couldn't be installed there. The hot water side of a faucet would probably need to be opened to vent. Anodes with drain valves are available as well.
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9:28 am
June 2, 2011
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pfidahospud
| | Post Falls, Idaho | |
| Member | posts 107 |
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wrenchist said:I hadn't considered the extra weight in the hot water heater, I try and stay as light as I can.The inlet line to the heater is at the bottom, I can't think of a reason why a drain valve couldn't be installed there. The hot water side of a faucet would probably need to be opened to vent. Anodes with drain valves are available as well.
My trailer has two drain lines underneath: one blue (I'm assuming for cold water) and one red (I'm assuming for hot water) right next to each other. I'll try to grab a pic for tomorrow and post it. Seems like that would be an easier way to drain the hot water tank than the anode rod, but obviously both would be effective ways to drain off the excess weight that can't be used on the way back from camping-land… 
Stephen
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Tow-er: 2010 RAV4 3.5L 269 hp V6 with Tow Pkg ~ Tow-ee: 2011 Sportsmen Classic 14RB ~ Director: The wife
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12:35 pm
June 2, 2011
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wrenchist
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I don't have any plumbing under my 16bh (as far as I can see) except for waste. I have one drain valve and it is under the dinette seat with a drain tube going through the floor. Looking at the plumbing under the seat it does appear that blue is for cold and red for hot. The valve on your TT with the red tubing could drain the hot water tank but if your tank is plumbed like mine the red tube (oulet) is on the top of the tank and would not drain. Can you follow the tubing on your TT after it enters the inside?
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3:28 pm
June 2, 2011
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kayaknut
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Post edited 2:03 am – January 14, 2012 by kayaknut
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4:39 pm
June 2, 2011
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wrenchist
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Post edited 11:40 pm – June 2, 2011 by wrenchist
kayaknut said:
It would be NICE to have it like you describe on your RB 
I have a mod I dreamed up that, if it works, will make draining the fresh water tank much easier for those with the valve under the dinette seat. I'll post when I'm done (if it works  ).
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4:42 pm
June 2, 2011
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mitch36
| | Oak Lawn, Ill. | |
| Member | posts 40 |
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Our 16BH has the drain on the tank itself and a red and blue drain just about under the sink on the underside of the trailer. these drains WILL NOT drain the hot water tank. You must remove the anode to do this, which can become a pain in the rump. I saw in an RV catalog that someone, I cant remember who, makes an anode with an intrigal drain valve. It seemed a little pricey but it could be worth it just for the ease of operation. I will look and see if I can find the manufacturer and post it up. We have found that the taste of the water in our tank is somewhat lousey even after sanitizing the system. I work for a major water utility so I know about treating water and it still always tastes like plastic. Using the hose for city / campground hook-up isnt much better. We ususlly bring water from home in bottles for drinking and cooking and use the tank water for washing and brushing teeth etc only. Anyone else experience this taste issue? I wqs going to install a Stainless tank to help resolve the issue. Mike.
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7:41 am
June 3, 2011
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pfidahospud
| | Post Falls, Idaho | |
| Member | posts 107 |
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Mike-
Specific to your response, we haven't experienced any major bad water taste unless the water was bad to begin with. I've heard that if antifreeze has gotten into the water heater in the past (if no bipass has been installed) it makes the water taste bad. I don't know if that might apply to you or not? I've also read that putting vinegar through the system, then rinsing, can help the taste, but I haven't tried that myself.
So last night I looked at my system again. Here's the drain lines under the trailer, located on the street (port) side halfway between the front of the trailer and the axle. This is in addition to the fresh water drain accessed from inside.
 
Since the red (hot) line comes from the top of the water heater, and the blue (cold) line comes from the bottom, I'd think that if both valves were opened, it would drain the hot water tank and the lines?? I need to test that theory to see if it's true. The fresh water tank would have still have to be drained with its own drain under the street-side dinette seat (I hate how hard it is to get to that thing!).
Apparently not all of the trailers are plumbed this way, however.
Stephen
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Tow-er: 2010 RAV4 3.5L 269 hp V6 with Tow Pkg ~ Tow-ee: 2011 Sportsmen Classic 14RB ~ Director: The wife
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8:47 am
June 3, 2011
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kayaknut
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Post edited 2:03 am – January 14, 2012 by kayaknut
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