Maintaining your Water Tanks in your Caravan
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- This one is all about teaching you the tricks I have learnt after living on the road in our caravan for 3 years on how to maintain and protect your water tanks in your own caravan. I show you all the gear I have to make filling up the water tanks all around Australia easier and how to clean your water tank if anything goes wrong with it.
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We are a family of 5 travelling Australia indefinitely in our new Lotus Caravan and our 2021 F350 from Harrison F-Trucks. We will take you to many destinations and let you know what works for us and what doesn’t, so you don’t make the same mistakes.
We are from Perth Western Australia and want to see as many destinations as we can together as a family, we never take the easy road and if we see a track, we always wonder where it will lead us, so we generally take it to see where it leads.
Thanks for watching and reading if you have made it this far down, hope you enjoyed.
Install a bypass valve so the greywater doesn’t enter the tank when at caravan parks but when free camping it can use the greywater tank as normal
Yep go with the grey water bypass idea, but I was also thinking you need a screw type bung on the opposite side of that tank to stick the fire hose in to help flush/push gunk out from the tap side 🍻👍🏼
I'm a plumber. The outlet from your ball valve looks like 40mm then drops down in size to 25ish waste hose. That will cause stuff to slowly block and build up. I'd up the waste hose size, should help to flush some more out. Also don't waste your money on those drain tablets you can buy, they don't work.
+Chalks cheers mate what do you recommend instead of the tablets? Just harder to store a bigger waste hose is all.
To help with any leaking of fittings a small skim of silicone when fitting will work. Let it go off a bit before you fill the tank.
+Jeff Down Under yeah cheers I’ll keep that in mind cheers mate 🤙🏼
Great tip on using the tanks periodically while parked up!
We regularly use the Thetford Duo Clean in our grey water tank - similar to the Walex one you used. The key is to,use it regularly
+Charlotte yes we will be using it a bit more from now on too. Cheers
We use vinegar ( for the sludge build up) down the drains regularly and bi carb soda (helps with the smell) Every three months I do what you did and completely drain the tank and clean it out. To clean it I have a nozzle that sprays 360 degree jet of water that works well to clean inside the tank as it’s attached to a semi rigid piece of poly. I got it years ago at a caravan and camping show. Can’t remember the brand, but I have see other travelers using garden watering nozzle that’s been adapted to fit a regular garden hose all bought from bunnings. Just look for the nozzle that puts out the most volume of water per min😀
+Mark Jones great idea I’ve seen them gives a good clean all around great idea. Cheers.
Wow I can smell that here in Brisbane. Reminds me I need my in grounds tank here at home pumped out. Great vid, thanks :)
+Graeme Healey 🤣🤣🤣 no worries mate 🤙🏼🤙🏼
I just came across this. Change your 25mm hose connection outlet over. Put a 38mm cam lock on, just after you on off valve. I did it to our Lotus Trooper. It was forever showing half full, until it showed full and was blocked. I took that stupid 25mm connector out and it flows freely now. No more issues. If you look at your 25mm connector, it’s almost down to a 20mm outlet. Hope that helps.
It’s not the hair, yes it will make it block a bit, but make your outlet suit the size.
Go to an irrigation supply shop. Bunnings will not stock what you need. RTM should have a 38mm drainage pipe.
Reply if not sure.
Well done big fella
A few people are starting to put diverting taps on grey line so can direct straight to pipe, we use a 25mm cam lock on grey easy setup & breakdown
Good to hear back on the road in a couple , safe travels
+Stewie Run yes I’ve looked into these and love the idea so we will try that on the new van I think b
Hi guys really enjoyed your videos as I used to cruise around with our kids as well, was very enjoyable for us and the kids, as your kids are getting bigger it can be very hard to get on to the road again how’s the kids need to have friends and routine. I just hope you guys are going really well as we just haven’t heard anything from you for awhile.
Just watched your episode, have'nt read all the comments, but I intend to put in a by-pass valve prior to the grey water tank, that way you need not feed directly to grey water tant when the oportunity presents itself to discharge straight to ground or directly into inlet for grey water discharge ie caravan park. thus not conteminating tank, Would love to see you fit this up, so I could follow how you go about it. All the best. Maury
Storing grey water for longer than 12 to 24 hours will turn grey water into black water. Creating a bypass valve for the grey water to discharge is worth the effort. When in a caravan park or similar use the bypass to discharge the grey water directly into the park waste water outlet without going through the grey water tank.
+Sylvia V Cheers mate didn’t think of it like that. We don’t close the valve at all it’s just blocked so now it’s clean I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Thanks for this brilliant video.
I've heard that treating the tank with Napisan (or similar) and travel with it 1/2 full to your next destination, regularly, will aid in stopping this buildup. It's a shame caravan manufacturers don't plumb a bypass for when you don't need to hold your grey water. Probably a $30 fix during production.
Drill out the tek screw holes and insert rivnuts. Add a bit of thread lock and you have a much more secure fitting and no missing screws
Hey mate, I have girls too. I found hair was an issue but started using a hair trap over the drain which helped heaps
Hi I have a JB Dirtroader and was getting the terrible smell from the grey water tank also. This was particularly bad if we stayed in a parking the grey water hose connected. When I was in Broome this old Fella said to install a couple of Duck Bil non return valves in the pipelines going to the grey tank. I did this and they were purchased from a plumbing shop in Broome for around $45. .Best thing I ever did as no more smells at all.
On Ebay they are called :
Waterless Self Sealing Waste Valve Inline Trap Bath Basin Caravan RV
+Mark ovens never heard of this I will look into it cheers mate 🤙🏼🤙🏼
@@lappingtheisland inside the pvc body of the valve is a rubber membrane that is shaped like a ducks bill so it let's the water and waste out then closes and won't let the smell come back up the pipe. Put one on whatever pipe goes into the grey tank. Best thing I ever did. The van used to stink like a septic tank especially when in the vanity sink. Good Luck and I enjoy you vids.
Use “Mr Muscle “ liquid drain cleaner which dissolve hair. It is available in most supermarkets. Also use drain strainer also available in supermarket
I found the best is to add white vinegar , yours is 50 Ltrs , I’d add two litres let soak 30 minutes and flush the acid in the vinegar eats away the bacteria
Ever thought of putting in a bypass before the grey water tank inlet. Use this when your not required to store the grey water. I’d also probably use a caustic based drain cleaner if it’s that bad. Cheers dude.
+Bill McDonald hey mate, yeah have thought about it but never had an issue until now so it will have to go in now. Cheers 🤙🏼
Hey you should try the new rubber hairdressing drain covers for your drains there are a few varieties out there they stick on your shower drain we used them on our salon drains collect hair really good
Our salon got ours from bunnings
Sorry for the add on but they have saved our salon drains
+sharon price thank you these look great just what we need. Thanks again.
Had same problem with hair in our pipes in the house so cut some fine mesh and put it in the showers and baths. You reminded me to go outside and add some fine mesh to our new caravan's shower so thanks.
Make a strainer to go over the shower drain to catch solids.
We asked Lotus to install a bypass valve like some of the other manufactures but they said they don’t do it, we are in the same boat and I think I am going to see how to do the bypass myself
+Lincoln Trager yeah it’s something I’ll be looking into from now on. I think it’s a great idea.
By pass if you can for onsite. Unfortunaly with the hose on it restricts outlet flow rate so you will always get soap scum build up and hair.and of course the sand compounds it too. We get the same with showers and basin wastes on houses. Stinks.
I'd alter the arrangement to have a bypass valve upstream of tank to allow crap straight out to discharge it, and only turn it to use the mank-tank when you need it (eg nat park). I think trip in a van bloke did a vid on this.
When you need to wash tank, if you can find an attachment to fit in end of pressure washer and into hole (90 deg or 180 spray) try hot p pressure wash it. If the tank plastic can handle caustic soak it helps break down fat, work well on bbq also spray soak light scrub and rinse, but dangerous chem, need good ventilation and good ppe, caustic burns are nasty. Alternative, chlorine (bleach) soak or bicarb also. Note most l of these chemicals will corrode metal.
Run a bypass line(if you’ve got the room) around the tank
That’s what I have done.
@@jeffdownunder4116 nice, I like the Lotus vans bloody good quality but they need to revisit their discharge pipe work as running through a tank just creates a choke point by the looks of it
+shane harmer yes plenty of room I’ll look into it and get it done. Cheers 🤙🏼
Bicarbonate soda works great.
LOL
🇭🇲😀👍🍻🍻
+Jimmy Cook yes we tried that too before. 🤙🏼🤙🏼
Hi Lapping the Island i had a bypass pipe put on my tank and valve to shut when i need to use tank. Never had to do this again!
+Darryl Thomson yea it’s something I’ll be looking into for sure I like that idea better than cleaning it like I just did. 🤣🤣
We always flush boiling water down our grey tank after we empty it.
Noticed that the hose coming from your tank is reduced maybe if you run a bigger hose it may help the hair etc to come out.
+Life’s too short live it yeah there are a number of restrictions there I will be looking in to it in the future
Hey maté really enjoying your videos are you still travelling or are you back to normal life
The white stuff is body and cooking fat , got a Bushtracker with a grey water tank , keep on thinking I should never have got it , looking at putting the biggest fitting I can on as the original outlet is only about 30 mm
Grey water bypass so when you don't need the grey water to run through your tank or store it let it go
Man you lucky the Park owners weren't there using a fire hose for a non-emergency is a state offence
Use some stocking over shower drain?
What's that app for your tank levels? And how does it work from the tanks?
I run the redarc RedVision system in the van for my battery management, turning lights on and off and has tank gauges too it connects to my phone and I can control everything with my phone too.
Hope all is well mate....it's been two month!
They were involved in an accident, thier f350 was written off following on instagram.
@@ado6770 But nowhere did I see anything to that effect! I did read about Koby and hope all is well with him!
Put a hair catcher in the showe will
Catch most of the hair before it goes down any drain!!
+Gayle Bentley yeah going to get some this weekend great idea. 🤙🏼🤙🏼
I had to shower just watching you get covered in that water 😆
+Adventures of Luke James 🤣🤣🤣 yeah it wasn’t great 🤣🤣
I see now why they call it a grey water tank...
I would be fishing that crap out of the tank with gloves on
+Richard Walsh looking back probably should of. 🤦🏼♂️
Wear gloves dude
+MrAkabeavis yes probably should of 🤦🏼♂️
Bypass as well as fine mesh on the shower and sink drains to stop hair and chunky bits 😏
Hair is the issue - and I regularly even do our showers at home - women - cannot blame me - I have no hair 👨🦲
+Tony F yeah bypass is the go. Cheers mate 🤙🏼🤙🏼