How to know when the water tank is full?

[John Canfield]

We might be boondocking for part of next week due to our failure to plan ahead for the 4th of July holiday up here. We wanted to camp at the city-owned waterfront park in Seward but after talking to the people it will apparently be crowded and way packed. So plan B is to boondock right on Cook Inlet at a little state campground about two miles from our current park (our current park is full also for the 4th which doesn't include us!) No hookups on the beach but what a view!

Finally on to the question - we want to top off our fresh water completely. Knowing what I know about the LED tank gauge inaccuracy, how can I tell that we are full - open the gravity fill door and stop when water runs out there?

 

[John Canfield]

We might be boondocking for part of next week due to our failure to plan ahead for the 4th of July holiday up here. We wanted to camp at the city-owned waterfront park in Seward but after talking to the people it will apparently be crowded and way packed. So plan B is to boondock right on Cook Inlet at a little state campground about two miles from our current park (our current park is full also for the 4th which doesn't include us!) No hookups on the beach but what a view!

Finally on to the question - we want to top off our fresh water completely. Knowing what I know about the LED tank gauge inaccuracy, how can I tell that we are full - open the gravity fill door and stop when water runs out there?

 

[KirbyRVA]

Fill that baby until you hear and see water running out the overflow under the coach...that's what I do. Of course, I now have the See Level gizmo and it appears to be spot on.

 

[John Canfield]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by smlranger:
Of course, I now have the See Level gizmo and it appears to be spot on. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Thanks Gary!

I can't believe that you are a gadget ahead of me

 

[MrTransistor]

Hi John,
By all means, if you are toping off the fresh water tank, open the gravity fill port on the side. If you don't, and you are a bit delayed in turning off the water, water flow in exceeds water flow out the overflow pipe and you will have a nice puddle inside the compartments under the fill port. Poor design in my opinion, water squirts out and into the lock bar slot and winds up between the coach floor and basement ceiling running out any opening that's close. On ours, it's the compartment light fixtures.

 

[John Canfield]

Thanks Mark - it seems my plan was a good one...

 

[ichn2go]

John, that is exactly what I do everytime I fill the fresh water tank. Open door, insert hose( with or without water running) then wait till water runs out.

Much the same as we did with gasoline until the price got so hi...Have fun,

 

[Fstop]

John, you might try the new campground on the Spit at Homer. I just left Homer on Tuesday, and there were plenty of empty spots. I'm told that it is a bit pricey.

 

[John Canfield]

We fully filled our water tank for the first time today

The water overflow discharged about three feet behind the passenger front tire under the coach and I did notice a little discharge from the gravity fill. Tomorrow we start our first extended boondocking adventure.

Charlie - we drove the toad to Homer a couple of days ago and checked out the nice but small Ocean View RV Park (filled up for the 4th) and the VERY expensive Heritage RV park on the Homer spit (not filled up.) The rates are $75 a night for a gravel site, but includes telephone, cable, 50 amp. I'm not against paying 75 bucks a night for a space, but by golly it better be something spectacular with a nice restaurant, exercise room, etc. Heritage didn't meet the cut

We noticed that of the 100 sites or so that they have, only about 25% were occupied.

 

[rebelsbeach]

$75 bucks a night and in ALASKA???

Seems they'd need a mask and a six shooter at the desk to charge those rates...

 

[AdrianLee]

WOW -$75 a night

We didn't pay that at the Outdoor Motorcoach Resort in Indio, CA and it was REALLY nice. You need to find out what those people are drinking. It must be good.

 

[ichn2go]

They must think "Thars gold in them thar pockets".
Unless I get the 6 numbers I'll stay in the lower 48..Don't blame you for not paying it John.

 

[John Canfield]

but it is my thread, so I digress even more:

My experience so far up here means you are going pay $25 to $40 a night for the better campgrounds and better means:

-gravel or small rocks instead of dirt
-maybe grass and/or spruce trees between sites
-one campground had mostly paved access roads (only one with paving so far was in Anchorage)
-a picnic table
-always 30 amp but maybe 50 amp
-cable TV of usually six to eight channels
-maybe an instant-on phone (but that's rare)
-TL rating of better than 5/5/5

About prices - here on the Kenai Peninsula diesel is about $3.17 a gallon, 180 miles to the north is Anchorage and diesel prices were running $2.89 to $3.00 a gallon. Food and other sundries are roughly 20% higher here.

 

[AdrianLee]

And on top of that it is probably not exactly shorts and T-shirt weather.

 

[John Canfield]

If the sun is out (happens about 40% of the time) the temp is not too bad - highs of low to mid 60s. No sun means temps of 50s. On the water is colder and near a glacier the temps will be in the 30s.

We always need a few shots of the furnace every night to keep the old bones comfortable.

 

[CHIPPYSGT]

John,

The "book" says to always open the gravity fill door when filling the tank. Pressure can cause the tank to rupture.

I always get the overflow from underneath before it runs out the door.

Enjoy Alaska!~!~!