2-yr-old used RV; sanitize fresh tank? gray is full!

It looks like the tanks in our RV weren't dumped by the dealer even though they said they would be; in our excitement to pick up our new rig this weekend we didn't re-check the tank levels until we got all the way home (2 hours away).

The gray tank shows full, the fresh water tank shows 1/2 full.

We are going camping this coming weekend and will have access to a site with full hookups.

Here's my question: should I sanitize the fresh tank now since I don't know I can trust its status? And can I really do that with a full gray tank? Every cleaning/sanitizing procedure I've read calls for running stuff through the lines which will obviously contribute more to the gray. I don't know how full "full" is but the tank level shows all 4 out of 4 lights on.

Here's my shady newbie question: can I drain enough of the gray tank somewhere on my property or out into the road beyond my driveway to be able to sanitize the fresh tank, and then finish draining the gray when we go camping this weekend? Is that an awful idea? I do NOT want to do anything unsafe or inappropriate. I'd like to avoid delaying the whole sanitizing process until we arrive at the campground; even the 2-part sanitizer procedure I've read about seems like it'll at least take a few hours to run through.

Thanks in advance!

You should be able to find an RV dump in your area.

http://www.rvdumps.com/

Hi Jeffz

You can sanitize your fresh water tank anytime, when you have a drain option. On my RV I can open the fresh water tank to dump the content without it going into the grey tank. In case you do not have this option I would first dump your black and grey tank (In that order) at a dump station! You do not want to dump the content of your grey tank anywhere else then a dump station it is not sanitary and can stink up the whole neighborhood.

The fact that your tanks showing full might be a sensor problem. It is then time to flush the tanks and rinse them to get the sensors clean. There are several ways to do this, depending on your RV The most primitive method is a hose via the window on your toilet. (Have a separate hose for that, do not use your fresh water hose!) A swivel stick might help rinsing the tank. There are plenty of chemicals to use in cleaning the black and grey tank including the sensors however I personally prefer a more environmental friendly method.

Look in the library for ways how to sanitize. I found a very neat article the other day that does not involve gallons of bleach, I tried it and it works like a charm. Sanitizing without bleach (Scroll down to "The way I Sanitize My RV's Fresh Water Tank."  You might have to clean the tanks serveral times depending of the current status.

In the mean time buy some gallons of water to drink and cook, if you smell rotten eggs when using water it's not clean and full of bacteria. Also consider using a filter when you fill the fresh water tank or hook up on a campsite.

Don't dump that grey tank on your property or in the street.  You don't know what is in there.  Check the website above or sanidumps.com to find an approved dump site.

You should sanitize the fresh tank before your trip.  Since the RV is new to you, again, you don't know what is in there!  There should be a separate drain valve for the fresh tank which you could dump on your property or in the street.  Refill with fresh water and some bleach, 1/4 cup of bleach for each 10 gallons.  Run some water through each faucet hot and cold, shower(outdoor), toilet and let it sit overnight.  It shouldn't take much water to flush the lines but if you are worried about overfilling the grey tank run the water into a bowl or pan and dump it outside.

I would open the low point drains and every faucet. This will get rid of probably 90% of the water in your lines. Then drain the water heater by removing the drain plug. Reinstall the plug after draining. Then I would fill your fresh tank with water with the correct amount bleach.  1/4 cup for every 15 gallons of water in your tank. After shutting the low point drains and faucets, start your water pump and run water through all your faucets until you get a slight smell of the bleach. Don't forget the inside shower, the outside shower, the toilet, the washing machine plumbing and the ice maker. It will take some time because you need to fill the water heater tank which could be either 6 gallons or 10 gallons. Then I would add another 1/4 cup of bleach to the fresh water tank and fill it up to full. Let it sit for several hours.  Then you can drain the entire system right on the ground, including the fresh water tank,  like you did originally when you first started. Then hook up a water hose and pressurize the entire system and you're done.
Don't go by the tank level indicators. They are notorious for reading false. Sanitizing the system like I said will add very little water to your tanks. And if one did overfill, you'd see  it in the shower/bathtub or the kitchen sink. You can dump some of the water on you property providing you do live out in the country like I do. No one will know the difference but make sure it's not near a well.  Only do the gray tanks and maybe only dump 5 gallons or so. If you live in a fancy neighborhood, you'll have to wait till you get to the campground.

Your grey water tank may, or may not be full, as the tank level indicates. The sensors in the black and grey tanks are notorious for getting gunked up (that's a technical term) and giving false indications. Fresh water tanks not so much.

Can you dump the contents of your grey water tank on your property somewhere, or at the end of your driveway...? Most counties have ordinances prohibiting that, and here in California, they'd probably release Charles Manson from prison to make room for you if you did, so you should probably look for a dump station.

Everytime we bought a new RV I dumped the freshwater tank and sanitized it. Not knowing how the previous owners of your RV treated yours, I'd recommend the same. Dump the fresh water (that's only a misdemeanor here) refill it, and then sanitize it. I believe you can read about how to do it in the Library (above.) It's easy - just takes a little time.

Kev

You can empty the gray water into a 5 gallon bucket and dump it down the toilet in the house. It might take a dozen trips, but at least it will be empty.

Definitely sanitize the fresh water system and flush it with clean water before your trip.

The tank levels are all exactly the same as they were at the dealer when I noticed they were not empty and asked the dealer to empty them, so I don't think it's a case of the sensors being clouded, but it could be (and they've been gunked up with stuff the whole time). I think they just didn't do it. I'll find out soon enough. The rig has a black tank flush so I can jet some water in there to flush it out when I'm at the campground with a hookup.

HappyWanderer, thanks for the idea on just draining the gray in smaller increments. Didn't think of that! Probably one 5-gal bucket trip would be enough to give me piece of mind that I won't overflow it while running sanitizer through the faucets, and is easier than running each faucet individually into a bucket.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I'll definitely start sanitizing the fresh tank tonight, probably with bleach since I don't think I have a local enough source for the other sanitizers I've read about.

Jeff

They were probably empty at the dealer lot too. Clogged sensors of that type are a very, ver,. common problem.

Re the bleach. Make sure you get plain old fashioned bleach and not the kind with all the additives and fragrances.  We use plain Clorox.

ArdraF

One more question on this. I've sanitized the tank and am currently filling up for my 2nd flush-out.

After this point, is it better to keep the tank full, empty, or somewhere in between? For camping this weekend we'll have city water available, so no need to keep the tank full. And we probably won't get a chance to camp again for 3 weeks after that. So during that interim period what is best way to avoid the need to re-sanitize? I'd hope to make that as infrequent an event as possible.

jeffz said:

One more question on this. I've sanitized the tank and am currently filling up for my 2nd flush-out.

After this point, is it better to keep the tank full, empty, or somewhere in between? For camping this weekend we'll have city water available, so no need to keep the tank full. And we probably won't get a chance to camp again for 3 weeks after that. So during that interim period what is best way to avoid the need to re-sanitize? I'd hope to make that as infrequent an event as possible.

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You say you sanitized your tank. Did you also do the piping to all the faucets. No need to fill the tank and dump all that precious water. The bleach smell would have gone away on it's own. It's a big waste.

You can leave the tank empty until you're ready to use it. If you're traveling a long distance, you may want to put a little bit of water in it in case you want to use the toilet.  I leave my tank empty until this November when we h4ad south for the winter.

Rene T said:

You say you sanitized your tank. Did you also do the piping to all the faucets. No need to fill the tank and dump all that precious water. The bleach smell would have gone away on it's own. It's a big waste.

You can leave the tank empty until you're ready to use it. If you're traveling a long distance, you may want to put a little bit of water in it in case you want to use the toilet.  I leave my tank empty until this November when we h4ad south for the winter.

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Yes, I took care of piping everywhere, running each faucet one at a time. I actually did all that twice. And I guess I wasted a bunch of water -- oops. Really didn't want to have bleach smell/taste in the water as we start drinking/cooking from out of that plumbing on Friday night.

Jeff

Conversely, many of us prefer a full tank most any time (until we winterize, of course), and many prefer a partial tank. So there are options, basically your preference. But the chlorinated city water should keep the system clean enough, if the whole system has been sanitized. I'd at least keep  enough in the fresh water tank to have some drinking/cooking/flushing capability until you get to hookups.

Sounds like a wise plan -- thanks!

Rene T said:

You say you sanitized your tank. Did you also do the piping to all the faucets. No need to fill the tank and dump all that precious water. The bleach smell would have gone away on it's own. It's a big waste.

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Yuck!

Since it looks like you grey water tank is full, who knows what is in the black water tank.
Could be a dry pile of you know what.

I think I would run a bunch of water in to your black tank so it can sit for a few days, then slosh around on your way to the campground. That may loosen up whatever's in there. Then wait to dump it when it gets close to being full.