Please help me and explain this system to me? This is a 1998 Coachman Catalina class a. I bought it from a daughter of a man who owned it since new. Unfortunately he passed away and his daughter knows even less then me about motorhomes. Eeeek! First issue is filling the fresh water tank. How? I thought there would be an inlet on the side of the rv, approx where the cable inlet is... but there isn't! Seems the only inlet is on the box in the water closet. Where do the handles need to be set to fill it up and what are all these settings on it?
new to me class a water help needed
- Thread starter AER
- Start date
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Isaac-1
Well-known member
It looks like you set the valves per the diagram in the photo, set to use right now, to fill reverse the position of the top two valves.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Valves as shown are in the USE CITY WATER position
To FILL turn BOTH of the top two valves.
Where is your fresh tank. Watch it as it fills
Also just above the fresh tank there may be a squar door.. locked, likely a CH751 Key You may find a Gravity fill port behind it.
To FILL turn BOTH of the top two valves.
Where is your fresh tank. Watch it as it fills
Also just above the fresh tank there may be a squar door.. locked, likely a CH751 Key You may find a Gravity fill port behind it.
Its under the bed. It filled and then started pouring out under the motorhome so I turned off the hose and turned the top valves back to wear they origninally were. What do I do to keep my fresh water supply when I leave, yet use city connection while here?John From Detroit said:
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
If turned on, the pump will run anytime pressure is low (less than about 40 psi), whether city water is present or not.
Note also that if you have a city water hose connected to the inlet, you don't need to have any water in the tank, nor should the pump be turned on. The pump & tank are for use when you do NOT have access to city water via a hose. If your campsite has city water, just connect your hose between the campsite tap and the city inlet and set valves to Operating OPEN and Fill CLOSED.
The tank has an overflow; if you put too much water in, it just runs out, but try to avoid that. Sometimes a tank breaks from excess water. Once the tank has as much water as you want to carry, just shut the fill valve off (Closed) and the Operating valve OPEN.
Note also that if you have a city water hose connected to the inlet, you don't need to have any water in the tank, nor should the pump be turned on. The pump & tank are for use when you do NOT have access to city water via a hose. If your campsite has city water, just connect your hose between the campsite tap and the city inlet and set valves to Operating OPEN and Fill CLOSED.
The tank has an overflow; if you put too much water in, it just runs out, but try to avoid that. Sometimes a tank breaks from excess water. Once the tank has as much water as you want to carry, just shut the fill valve off (Closed) and the Operating valve OPEN.
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Awesome thank you!!! Yes we wanted to fill the fresh tank because we will be leaving but also use the city water while here! This works. And no, shockingly there is absolutely no regular gravity flow type inlet anywhere on the back or side of the rv for the fresh tank! I looked in every single compartment for one, but there is nothing except this big water closet at the back on the drivers side. Sooo strange! I might try to install one later. Tomorrow I am going to attempt to dump both gray and black tanks, hopefully it will be uneventful lol. Thanks so much for all the help here!
Rene T
Site Team
If you plan on using the RV, you should sanitize the water system. You?ll need to figure out how many gallons of water you have in the fresh water tank. The formula is 1/4 cup of bleach for every 15 gallons of water. Then using your pump, pump water to every facet until you smell bleach then let it sit for a few hours. Don?t forget to sanitize the outside shower, toilet and the water heater. The way to get the bleach into the rally tank is to pour it into a empty water hose, then reconnect the hose to the RV and then fill up the tank.
I have yet to see any newer campers that have a gravity fill. Usually its because the tank is buried in a remote location. Instead of kicking yourself after trying to add one, why not just stop by your local Harbor Freight or Northern Tool and pick up a 12v transfer pump? Then, you will be able to fill a 5 gallon bucket with water outside and pump it into the tank inside.AER said:
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
If you are going to leave the city hose connected it is a good idea to get a pressure regulator that goes between the hose and the RV connection.
I bought one at Walmart that has a little pressure gauge on it. City water pressure can be and usually is too high for the low pressure pipes and fittings in an RV.
I bought one at Walmart that has a little pressure gauge on it. City water pressure can be and usually is too high for the low pressure pipes and fittings in an RV.
Dragginourbedaround
Well-known member
X2Rene T said:
X2Ex-Calif said:
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
That's unusual for a 1998 model but quite common in newer motorhomes. Smaller trailers often have gravity fill ports, though.
A 12v pump capable of producing 20+ psi, coupled to a short piece of garden hose, makes transferring water from external buckets or tanks into the RV via the city inlet. Easy to make.
