I searched forever for the answer but with no luck. I just want to make sure I put my hookups on the right side of my rig. When you pull in, the sewer and shore power/water hookups are mostly on the passenger side in the US... right?
Thanks
Wrong they are on the drivers side.
On the left side at the rear third of the coach. This is per the NEC for the electrical connection and I'm quite sure that the NFPA1192 has a similar requirement for the other utilities.
Alright then... glad I asked! Drivers side they go! :)
Some people pipe the black and grey discharge to both sides of the bus!! Overkill in my opinion, but the people that do it don't care about my opinion :D Jim
I have sewer drains on both sides. Really comes in handy sometimes. I wish I had a fresh water drain at the lowest part of the fresh water tank. Would sure save on the pump when I want to clean it out.
Bill
I whole heartedly endorse the idea of a sewer dump on both sides of the bus. I have had opportunity to use it on the passenger side several times. I got this idea from Craig Shepard. Have you checked out his website at all? If not, go here: http://www.gumpydog.com/bus/ Be prepared to spend a few hours checking it out!
Like Bill Said
Put a drain in the fresh water tank
I have used mine more than once
Especially useful when you need to winterize and don't wanna wait
Melbo
I put my waste tank drain on both sides.
When I got the bus it was on the right (Pass) side only and was a real pain since most RV parks are on the left side as are most rest stop drains.
However, sometimes it turned out to be the correct side.
Some rest stop dumps are on the right side and some older RV parks and state parks have sewer drains in some really strange places.
Having the option of either side really saves a lot of mess and long hoses sometimes.
One of the smartest things I've done on the bus.
Having a dump on the curb side makes "emergency" roadside dumping much easier too. You won't have to pull off on the opposing lane. ;)
Often, real 'bus' dump stations are on the RH side. That's where OTR holding tanks are located.
As has already been stated, campgrounds almost always have all utilities at the LH rear of the RV.
Oregon, any time you question where something related to the camping, or RV accessories should be located, look at the nearest factory built camper or RV. While most factory RVs are cheaply built, they are often quite thoughtful in design. Lots of good ideas.
JR
Generally, you want your connections on the driver's side. But you need to be prepared for non-conforming sites.
I have the ability to dump my tanks to either side, which is a nice benefit. Not all campgrounds adhere to hook-up placement policies. For tank dumping I'd guess that I use the driver's side 80% of the time and the other side 20%.
Fresh water connections and electrical power are easier to deal with. If you carry an extra length of water hose and power cord, you can "fix" whatever abnormality exists with you campsite. Much easier to deal with than extending the sewer hose.
I both a 3' dump on the drivers side and a Macerator to pump into the neighbors lawn if I choose. I am surprised so few use them. Anyway, make sure you do it correct the first time, even the second time is not bad. I started with Aluminum tanks (mistake) then went to Plywood (big mistake) than stainless (not bad) and now I have custom made 1/2" thick military grade poly tanks - no more poop issues for me! Oh, I also found plumbing lines that can freeze solid and shrink back perfectly when thawed out.
Good luck
We put drains on both sides of our bus. Although we use the left drain most of the time, there have been places where using the right side drain saved a lot of maneuvering and backing around for a left side access. Jack
Dumps on both sides.
Convenience of not turning around in some places,fuel island dictates a certain approach...
happy coaching!
buswarrior
I can see the wisdom and convenience of having hookups on both sides, but the standard is on the driver's side. In every site that I've ever found with hookups on the passenger's side I've been told the same thing---"It was put in by a guy that doesn't own an RV!"
Quote from: Kwajdiver on February 10, 2009, 04:21:36 PM
I have sewer drains on both sides. Really comes in handy sometimes. I wish I had a fresh water drain at the lowest part of the fresh water tank. Would sure save on the pump when I want to clean it out.
Bill
Bill, can you put a 'T' in before the pump and plumb it outside? The pump has to be drawing from the lowest point in the tank. Just my thought, FWIW
Good luck, Will
The Outside.
Oh Poop! I've only got one on the drivers side. Another thing to add to my never ending list! Sheesh!
Paul
I can't put a drain outlet on the right side of my 5A because the bottom of my tank is sloped to drain to the left.
Quote from: Ed Hackenbruch on February 12, 2009, 08:14:29 PM
I can't put a drain outlet on the right side of my 5A because the bottom of my tank is sloped to drain to the left.
What you CAN do is run a big pipe across from left to right, put a fitting on each end to take a dump hose. Make an adapter with a short length of dump hose to hook to the dump valve. Cap both ends when not in use.
If you REALLY want to do this right, tilt the right end down an inch or two, and use a pipe big enough that you can store your dump hose inside when you travel. After dumping on the right side, rinse the pipe out before storing the dump hose.
Quote from: BG6 on February 13, 2009, 09:38:23 AM
Quote from: Ed Hackenbruch on February 12, 2009, 08:14:29 PM
I can't put a drain outlet on the right side of my 5A because the bottom of my tank is sloped to drain to the left.
What you CAN do is run a big pipe across from left to right, put a fitting on each end to take a dump hose. Make an adapter with a short length of dump hose to hook to the dump valve. Cap both ends when not in use.
If you REALLY want to do this right, tilt the right end down an inch or two, and use a pipe big enough that you can store your dump hose inside when you travel. After dumping on the right side, rinse the pipe out before storing the dump hose.
I need all the ground clearance that I can get and would likely have pipes dragging behind the bus in no time. The contents of said tank need to stay on the inside of the hose, no soap this side of ---- can wash away that fishy smell. - buy a macerator or build a new plywood tank - just kidding!
Ed,
I didn't change my tank outlet at all.
My tank is on the right side so I installed a T where the original elbow was and then ran straight pipes to each side.
My waste pipes are all 3" PVC.
There is no need to drain a tank completely dry or rinse it out, I never do. I like to leave a few of the little microbes in the tank to munch on the new waste.
I don't want to have a drain on the right side. No room to do it and not worth the hassle of trying to move other stuff out of my way. In 5 years of fulltiming i have never had a problem dumping from the left so why waste my time building something that i would probably never use anyway? :) The PO fulltimed in the bus for at least 8 years and used it for 20 years total and it was fine for him.....keep it simple. ;D
You dont really seem to understand busnut's Ed ;D Jim
Will,
My pump is pretty close to the tank. Will look for a place for a "T". Also, my drain to the pump is about 2inches from the bottom of the tank. Would love to have one in the bottom, under the bus. You know, on the edge something that would be easy to reach.
Bill
I'm kinda curious about the water lines that can freeze solid and then shrink back perfectly.
Jim, i understand em perfectly :) i have lots of little changes that i have made to my bus and a lot more, (never ending, :) ) to do. It's just that some, like a second drain, are impractical and unnecessary for me.....so i would rather spend my time and money on projects that others would probably find impractical and unnecessary. ;D ;D
Ed,
There was nothing complicated about adding a T to my setup, all depends on your layout. Since mine was on the right side I had to change it to avoid all those messy times running a drain hose under the bus, this is not a fun thing! So, it was easy for me to place drains on both sides since I was doing all that work anyway.
Since my left side drain requires a long run of 3" pipe I used a rubber connector to ease any strain and prevent vibration problems with rigid PVC. I also used rubber connectors from my tank to the T and from the T to the right side drain valve to prevent vibration problems.
I've read a few posts by people who have drains under the bus saying they are the pits. This requires large holes in the bottom of the bus plus, as I remember, they keep getting knocked off. I remember my brother had a small Itasca with a bottom drain and he knocked it off numerous times.
My drains are in the comp with the waste tank and run right to the edge of it. I have plastic U (square corners) shaped troughs under the drains to catch any drips. To clear the edge of the comp floor I also use a clear plastic 45* elbow with a flushing port that I got at Camping World. This thing is great, I can clearly tell when the draining is completed, shut off the drain valve and then flush the elbow with clean water. Very nice. Any mess stays outside the comp.
Quote from: Kwajdiver on February 14, 2009, 04:50:51 AM
Will,
My pump is pretty close to the tank. Will look for a place for a "T". Also, my drain to the pump is about 2inches from the bottom of the tank. Would love to have one in the bottom, under the bus. You know, on the edge something that would be easy to reach.
Bill
Hi Bill,
Does that mean there's always 2 inches of water left in your tank, even when the pump doesn't draw any more? I have 2 seperate fresh tanks totaling 90 gals and the drains are located in the plumbing compartment. It's a pain in the b--t, and usually makes a mess in the compartment, but I can drain them. Time permitting, this is on my list of things to modify ;D It's a good thing I like working on my bus!