Last Updated on September 10, 2022 by Douglas
A water system is the most important part of a travel trailer. It needs to be able to provide enough water for all the appliances and fixtures in the trailer. There are three types of water systems that can be installed in a travel trailer. These include city water hookup, fresh water tank, and greywater systems.
City water hookups are the easiest way to have access to running water in a travel trailer because it doesn’t require any additional installation or equipment purchase. The downside is that it has limited capacity for hot and cold water usage, so it is not ideal for trailers with high demand for these two types of utilities. Fresh water tanks provide unlimited hot and cold capacity but they require installation on site which can be difficult if you don’t have a lot of experience with plumbing or electrical wiring.
How does water pump and system work in RV?
An RV water pump works off of your 12V battery. When you open a tap or flush the toilet, and are not connected to city water, the pump detects the pressure drop and will turn on to maintain the pressure. You’ll need to switch power to the pump on and have water in your fresh water tank.[1]
Do you leave water pump on in travel trailer?
Leaving your water pump on isn’t usually bad for your RV. But it’s not necessary if you are connected to a water supply at your campground. Plus, with the pump adding pressure to the connected water supply’s pressure, it is possible to overload your system.[2]
Why Is My RV water pump running but not pumping water?
If the pump sounds like it’s working, but water doesn’t flow, check for blockage and leaks. Start from the fresh water tank or the municipal supply line. You need to verify every pipe and fitting between the water supply and your faucet. Unplug fixtures to check if water flows through them.[3]
How does plumbing work in a travel trailer?
Once you turn on the valve on the spigot, water will pressurize your RV’s plumbing system, providing you with water on demand, but this time it will be entering your RV directly from the city water supply. It’s fed by the pressure in the park’s plumbing system, exactly the same as the water in a sticks & bricks house.[4]
Does RV water pump need to be on when connected to city water?
If you’re in a spot with a city water connection, it’s not necessarily bad to leave your water pump on, but doing so might be wasteful. You can hook up to the city water, but if your fresh water pump is left on, it will most likely continue to pump out of your fresh water tank when you use the sink, shower, or toilet.[5]
Are RV water pumps self priming?
It gives you 35 pounds per square inch and a flow of 1.2 gallons per minute. This is a self-priming pump that can be mounted above the tank. It can run dry without getting damaged and also turns on and off automatically, depending on the pressure.[6]
Why is my water not working in my camper?
Check to make sure it isn’t dirty and blocking the water. The check valve, pressure regulator, and valve inlet should also be inspected for any obvious clogs. Sometimes it might break, leaving pieces stuck inside the valve. Visually remove and examine to make sure that everything seems to be in working order.[7]
How do you know when your RV water tank is full?
You can tell when your RV water tank is full by either watching the water-level gauge (if your model has one), listen for water coming from the overflow (if you fill using the city inlet), or if you have a gravity fill, the water will splash back.[8]
What are the two hoses under my camper?
You have a fresh water tank drain. Based on the fact you have two drains there, it is probably the hot and cold water line drains. If you ran the pump after you added Antifreeze to the tank, there will be antifreeze in the water lines as well. The valves are usually plastic ball type valves and sometimes they can drip.[9]
Should you travel with water in your RV?
You absolutely can travel with a full RV fresh water tank. But it depends on how far you’re traveling (you may not want to do that simply because the added weight does impact fuel consumption) and your RV’s weight-carrying capacity.[10]
Should I turn my RV water pump off at night?
If you are more concerned with conserving your RV batteries at the cost of convenience, then you should turn off your water pump if you aren’t using it. Furthermore, if your pump isn’t on-demand, then you should turn it off at night. It’ll waste a lot of water if you leave it on.[11]
Can RV water pumps run dry?
When it comes to a water pump, running dry is running the pump without liquid. This would happen in the case of an RV pump remaining on without water in the freshwater tank, which could result in serious damage to the unit depending on the type of water pump attached to the vehicle.[12]