HOW TO: Fresh Tank Drain Line Extension

[John E Davies]

Update, Fix a slow drain or airlock, by back flushing.  Scroll down to the Nov 6 2020 post.

I sometimes like to drain my fresh tank inside the RV bay, this tool saves a big wet mess all over the floor and I don't have to hook up the Land Cruiser to pull the trailer outside. I used a scrap length of 1/2" PEX pipe, a piece of 1/2" automotive heater hose, a 90 degree elbow water hose, and a female 1/2" garden hose adapter. I had all the parts in my scrap bins, so it took all of three minutes to build it.

You can reach the tank drain line without even crawling under the trailer, and the elbow will stay in place without any clamp.

I timed the drain process with a nearly full fresh tank and it did not take any longer to empty with this adapter and a 25 foot 5/8" garden hose run out the back door, with only 2 feet of drop at the far end - it took about 22 minutes, with the coupler raised six inches..

I like this tool, it is simple and does not leak, quick to use, yet elegant in function.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited November 6, 2020 by John E Davies

[gilj]

John, waiting on an Elite II in May but read most posts on the forum like a ransom note. I always appreciate your creativity and ingenuity, as well as insight on other posts. In the photos in this post, I noticed what appears to be a mud flap behind your rear wheel and I believe I've seen on other posts that you also have them mounted in front of the leading axle, as well. I haven't been able to find a specific post where you explain installation and materials. Am I just not looking in the correct place? Many Thanks! 

[John E Davies]

Thanks for the very kind words. I do greatly appreciate them. Almost all of the mods that I have posted here at Ollie World can be found by clicking the link below my signature, which appears in every post. Specifically:

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2513-how-to-rear-mud-flaps-for-the-ollie/

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2505-how-to-subframe-gravel-guard/

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2504-how-to-stone-stomper-gravel-guard/

if you do only one of these, I strongly suggest the rear Ollie mudflaps. That combined with truck flaps such as a Rock Tamer, will really help to control debris damage.
 

I try very hard to make the thread title fully descriptive since the forum Search engine is not always effective, tho it is much improved from when I joined five years ago.

And welcome to the forum, I hope you will actively participate. If you click your user name it will open your home page, and then again click your name at the top right of that page. The drop down menu lets you select Profile, to add your personal info, and also Account Settings. On that page you can go to Signature to add any stuff that you want to appear after each of your posts. Many members like to post their tow vehicle and Ollie description, and perhaps a link or travel map.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

Edited July 16, 2020 by John E Davies

[gilj]

Done! However, we are switching our Forum login and name to a joint account with my wife. No inequalities, here! Future posts will be under "Jarv" and I did complete the signature, such as it is.

[theOrca]

Your idea works great John. Thank you!

BTW, when my unit was delivered to me here in Washington, one of the 4 black wing nuts securing the solar panels was within two threads of falling off. One of the remaining three was merely touching the lock washer. I did as you recommended and drilled one end of each wing nut for the use of zip ties to keep the wing nuts from backing off.

Zip ties are sure easier to apply and remove than the "safety wire" I had to use when I was a USN Aviation Electronics Tech!

 

Bill Simons

Oak Harbor, WA

[John E Davies]

Update, Fix a slow drain or airlock, by back flushing. 

I like to drain the fresh tank at the very last when winterizing using air only, because it is impossible to avoid adding some more water into it from some of the lines. Unfortunately, the drain line gets air locked, because it shares a circuit with the water pump suction line and it does not want to drain. I had modified my fresh suction line so it goes in at the top of the tank, similar in function to  current production trailers. I don’t know if they all share this issue, maybe mine is special 😀 Maybe this is why Oliver now says to not use air to winterize....? An easy fix:

Connect the male end of a garden hose to a hose bibb/ outside faucet.

Attach a garden hose shutoff ball valve at the female end (that attaches to this drain tool).

Turn on the faucet fully. Bleed all the air out of your hose. Turn the faucet nearly off, so there is only a small flow. Turn off the ball valve. Please DON’T hook a high pressure hose to your trailer with the faucet wide open! A quarter turn is fine.

Make sure the two inside service valves that connect the trailer water system to the tank are CLOSED. (Or you will just refill all the lines with water again.)

Hook up the drain rubber elbow to the belly drain line, then turn on the water flow at the ball valve to force (back flush) water into the fresh tank. Let it run for a minute. Note - do NOT install a hose clamp where it attaches to the trailer, if there is a total blockage inside, or maybe you forgot to open the drain valve, it will just blow off instead of over pressurizing the drain line!

This clears the air blockage, and  if you have any manufacturing debris clogging your drain line, it will hopefully force it back to the tank.

Turn off the little ball valve.

Turn off the outside faucet, disconnect the hose and place that end in a low spot in the yard.

Open the small ball valve and the tank will start emptying fast because the syphon effect works properly now, plus you have all that trapped water in the hose helping as it rushes out.

Raise the tongue 8 inches so as much water will drain as possible. If your plumbing isn’t blocked, it should flow like this with a two foot difference in discharge height. This is a rate of about 1 gallon per minute.

Once the tank is dry, level the trailer, close the drain valve and set the other valves to their “normal” positions. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited November 6, 2020 by John E Davies