I’ve been getting my motorhome ready for boondocking, also known as dry camping. I’m fortunate to be close to so many BLM dispersed camping sites. One essential task: sanitizing the freshwater tank. To do this, I poured a bleach-water solution into the RV hose and pushed it into the freshwater tank. For every 15 gallons of water, you add about 1/4 cup of bleach, then fill the tank to the brim. Let the solution do its magic—maybe slosh it around a bit—and run it through the pipes. After that, let it sit for 12 hours to work its purifying wizardry. Finally, drain the tank, give it a couple of good rinses, and refill with fresh water.
Easy-peasy, right? Well, not so much. As soon as I filled the freshwater tank to the brim, I noticed water leaking from a suspicious spot on the RV. Nothing says “problem” like an unexpected trickle! I took the cover off the tank and saw water dripping out from underneath while the RV was parked on a slope. Could the tank be cracked? I searched around but couldn’t see any leaks from the sides, so I decided to pull the tank and investigate further.
As soon as I did, the culprit revealed itself like a whodunit villain in a murder mystery. Water was seeping from one of the sensors screwed into the side of the tank. It used a self-tightening rubber grommet, and I couldn’t see the leak from the top. Thankfully, I pulled it out because I was about to drop $460 (plus shipping) on a new tank from Icon Direct.
Since I was already elbows-deep in motorhome maintenance, I filled the voids around the tank with thermal insulation and added ball valves to the overflow lines. These ball valves allow you to close off the overflow lines once the tank is full. Why? When you’re driving, the water sloshes around like a liquid party, and you could lose up to 15-20 gallons before you even reach your destination. Not great if you’re boondocking!
I used SharkBite adapters from Lowe’s with fresh PEX pipes. After researching, I found that other RVers swear by these connectors. They’re not plumbers’ favorites (something about a loss of business, perhaps), but I’m a fan. The PEX clamp tool and clamps alone will set you back a hundred bucks, and the SharkBite adapters aren’t much cheaper, but the ease of installation makes it worth it.
With that fixed, it’s on to the next project: installing steel support plates underneath the slides where they rest on the rollers. I’d rather address this before it becomes a full-blown headache down the road. Stay tuned for the next installment of “Adventures in Boondocking!”
W5KV
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