New 5?er water tank capacity

[richclover]

Chaparral 336TSIK, advertising 48 gallons fresh water tank.  We ran out on the 4th day after 3 nights and 1 ?Navy? shower each.  Based on historical average use we should have done better.

So... Got the camper home and leveled, drained the water tank dry and started over.  I measured 6 gallons into the tank and the water pump just started to take prime.  IOW, I?ve got about 40 gallons useable, conservatively speaking.

I don?t see a way to modify the tank pickup so we?ll plan accordingly and carry a few extra water jugs.  I bought a 12v transfer pump and rigged up a couple of short hoses.  Works well emptying the jugs into the city connection for tank fill.  My camper has no gravity fill.

I should have checked actual tank capacity beforehand...

 

[Utclmjmpr]

That's crazy, I have never seen a potable water tank that did not have the pick up at the very bottom of the tank.. There is no reason to have it otherwise..>>>Dan

 

[Lou Schneider]

Was the trailer level when you tested?  If not, the pump outlet may have been on the high side of the tank so you have to add more water before it reaches the pump.

 

[richclover]

Was the trailer level when you tested?  If not, the pump outlet may have been on the high side of the tank so you have to add more water before it reaches the pump.

Yessir.  From my previous post:  ?So... Got the camper home and leveled, drained the water tank dry and started over...?

 

[richclover]

That's crazy, I have never seen a potable water tank that did not have the pick up at the very bottom of the tank.. There is no reason to have it otherwise..>>>Dan

That?s what I was thinking.  OTOH, my last toy hauler, a Thor Vortex, advertised a 50 gallon tank and was good for about 45 useable.

 

[Memtb]

  Darn Rich, Sorry to hear that.....water is a nice thing to have! Something you can’t have too much of.....unless it’s leaking on the floor!    memtb

 

[richclover]

  Darn Rich, Sorry to hear that.....water is a nice thing to have! Something you can?t have too much of.....unless it?s leaking on the floor!    memtb

Right, Todd!  But at least I know what we're working with and there's usually a water source nearby even if it's just extra 6 gl water jugs in the back of the truck.

I'm guessing, depending on tank configuration and how the pickup is installed, that most RV tanks will have 3-5 gallons unuseable.  Consider a big flat tank, no low point and the pickup an inch or two off the bottom.  Maybe 

Hope your summer is going well!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

That's crazy, I have never seen a potable water tank that did not have the pick up at the very bottom of the tank..

You've led a sheltered life, Dan.  Since the bottom of the tank is often at or very near the underside of the RV (maybe even exposed in some of them), it's quite common to tap the fresh intake at the side.  Depending on the shape of the tank, that make actually be a couple inches above the "floor" of the tank.  The tank capacity in the brochure is taken from the tank manufacturer's catalog specs (measured without regard to future holes bore into it, so does not represent usable capacity when actually installed in the RV.