Storrage compartment configuration

[richard5933]

...I have a 6 stage reverse osmosis system with a uv light , after the 2 stage system...

How much water does the filtration system consume during the process? We have a reverse osmosis system that was used to make water for an aquarium, and it seemed to waste more water than we got out of it. RO systems can do a good job of scrubbing water, but they use water in the process and the end result is missing the minerals which are beneficial to us.

Maybe I am missing something, but I don't stress over our fresh water tank so much. We sanitize the system at the beginning of the season, and I either fill from our house before leaving or from known safe water sources while on the road. We use a particulate filter when filling, and I have another particulate filter in the system between the tank and the water pump. A carbon drinking water filter supplies drinking water at the sink. That is the extent of our fresh water filtration system. We don't buy bottled water either at home or on the road.

Before you ask how I know a water source is 'known good' or not... I ask. Most campgrounds will be required to have their systems tested and will post the certificate. Only once was there a problem, and checking with the office let me know that there was a boil warning due to a potential problem. We did not fill our tank there. We never fill from unknown sources, and if no signs or certificate is posted we ask others in the campground about the water before filling. You can get a lot of information (some helpful, some not so much) by asking a few long-term campground residents.

We all drink water straight from the tap more than we know. Most restaurants are using it to make soft drinks, mixed cocktails, etc. They use it for cooking. Processed foods are made with tap water. Etc. Etc. Fortunately, in the US you generally don't have to stress over water quality, with obvious exceptions.

[sledhead]

as far as I know the rate for RO is 2 to 1 or to make 1 gal of RO water 2 gal go down the drain . I have my RO set to drain back to the fresh water tank . yes I know this is not ideal but we do not waist any water and because of the volume of water we carry and the amount that we drink as the RO is a separate small tap at the kitchen sink ( drinking water only )

the other way we save water is we have a solenoid on a timer ( most times it is set to 15 sec. ) that we turn on so hot water is sent back to the water fresh tank not to waist it . this way when you turn on the hot water tap the hot water is already there when you need it

dave

[Jim Blackwood]

There are online calculators that will quickly convert cubic inches to gallons if you have trouble remembering the conversion factor. (I do)

Dave, that's a clever dodge with the hot water. Dad once installed a loop in the hot water line at his house that was intended to keep the water hot in the bathroom. It didn't work very well and the valves were shut off pretty soon. Sounds like yours will be much more effective. I plan to put the water heater in the cabinet below the kitchen sink, with the shower right on the other side of the bulkhead (hmm... may want to relocate the fridge to the other side). They will be pretty instant but the bathroom will be a longer run. Probably use a small line for that though, say 3/8 or maybe 5/16" and run the line as direct as is practical. Not going to worry too much about filters for awhile, and if I do put in a drinking water tank that should pretty much eliminate the need. Just have to avoid sulphur water. I installed a filter and drinking water tap in our S&S and it worked pretty good. I'd say it was fine for all but the worst of water sources. I doubt the quality of water has changed much in the last 15 years.

Jim

[chessie4905]

Reminds me of an old western movie about a wagon train. Cook told individual to rap the drinking barrel tied to wagon with the water dipper. When person inquired why, cook said it caused the polly wogs to swim to the bottom so you didn't get them in the dipper.😵

[richard5933]

Yeah - but I bet the polly wogs kept the mosquitoe larvae at bay...

[chessie4905]

Maybe that's where the expression " got a frog in my throat" came from.....

[Sebulba]

the other way we save water is we have a solenoid on a timer ( most times it is set to 15 sec. ) that we turn on so hot water is sent back to the water fresh tank not to waist it . this way when you turn on the hot water tap the hot water is already there when you need it

dave

That is brilliant.  I would be interested in more on that.

I have lived in homes that had a hot water circulating pump, so that water at even the furthest tap from the water heater was hot imediately, but this seems to be a new twist and more suited to a bus.

Seb

[sledhead]

kind of simple
t in the hot water line near the farthest tap to a solenoid controlled by the timer that sends the water back to the fresh water tank

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06XD753ZQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.ca/Baomain-Brass-Electric-Solenoid-Valve/dp/B01GL478RG/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_60_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QC5ZAEF37GN8TNGVWN8C

should be a lot less $$$ on amazon .com

my fresh tank 23" w x 21" h x 53" long,ish  man my memory sucks
153 gal 

dave

[petarm1]

Thanks for the conversion chart for sizing the tanks. I also have to consider that my coach will have a washer/dryer combo and a dishwasher but those will only be used when hooked to land probably not run through my holding tanks, i beleave i am going to go with the seperate grey and black. Curently in my 89 mci where i live i can dump my grey on the lawn but i have to haul my black in totes to a rv dump site.
My black is currently 30 gallons and i think i might want to go a bit biger on that.
My thoughts are my thoughts are 100g fresh, 50g grey and 50g black.
Does that work with some of your folks math for a good ballance?
And again i love hearing all your design thoughts.

[richard5933]

Thanks for the conversion chart for sizing the tanks. I also have to consider that my coach will have a washer/dryer combo and a dishwasher but those will only be used when hooked to land probably not run through my holding tanks, i beleave i am going to go with the seperate grey and black. Curently in my 89 mci where i live i can dump my grey on the lawn but i have to haul my black in totes to a rv dump site.
My black is currently 30 gallons and i think i might want to go a bit biger on that.
My thoughts are my thoughts are 100g fresh, 50g grey and 50g black.
Does that work with some of your folks math for a good ballance?
And again i love hearing all your design thoughts.

If the reason for both black and gray tanks is so you can drain the gray to earth, you can still eliminate the gray tank with a bit of extra plumbing. Run your gray water drains to your waste tank through a single inlet, and install a diverter valve at a point before the waste tank. When you want to drain to earth just switch the diverter valve to send the gray water to a discharge hose. Since gray water can flow easily, the gray water discharge hose can just be a garden hose.

[chessie4905]

If you have a septic system, you can use the garbage disposal setup and pump the black water tank into your septic, or sewer by a garden hose that is ONLY for that use.

[Jim Blackwood]

Chessie, you might want to elaborate on that, I'm sure I'm not the only one who found it puzzling but intriguing.

Tank size is something that gets a lot of discussion and is very much a personal choice type of thing. So now while in theory it might sound sensible to make combined black/gray capacity equal fresh, in practice it is almost never necessary. Only if you are practicing some pretty extreme conservation/environmental methods is it ever going to balance out and if that is the case the combined tank probably makes more sense, but likely doesn't have to be as large as the fresh. What will usually happen is that your grey tank fills first, then you run out of fresh, then last the black tank gets full. The first two problems can often (usually) be dealt with without moving the rig but the last is a much larger inconvenience.

So my advice is to size the black tank to allow the longest extended stay you can forsee, make the fresh as large as you can to cover as much of that stay as possible, and use what space is left for the grey, assuming that at some point you may visit a site that doesn't allow draining the grey into the yard. And if that is likely to happen more often, shift the whole thing towards the grey.

Your 100/50/50 will certainly work. But if you have the room both the fresh and grey could certainly be larger.

Jim

[sledhead]

I 2nd what Jim said . if your tanks are bigger it does not mean you need to fill them every time but the volume is there if you need it
that is how my tanks are w=153g b = 53 g g= 73g

as for dumping the grey and black I installed a under laundry sink pump and use a fire hose style 1 1/2 " roll up hose  ( 2 x 50 ' )to dump black and grey .
this way I can pump it out FAST and I can go up hill if needed to .
I carry a 1 1/2 " sump pump hose ( 25') if I want to dump in a camp ground tank as the fire hose only works if it is laid out with no kinks in the line

dave     

[chessie4905]

One of our members uses a garbage disposal with a garden hose size outlet. The inlet is convenently 3" which can easily be adapted to tank outlet. It is portable. He even has a nice support for it. He'll probably chime in.

[richard5933]

I've got the Flojet version of the garbage disposal pump. Let's me empty the waste tank uphill into the septic tank through a garden hose.