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Old 06-30-2003, 01:04 PM   #1
bulin3023
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Default First trip out a great sucess 2 questions please

Hi,

Traveled about 50 miles from home first trip.  We wanted to be safe and close if something went wrong.

My wife Melissa and I (Doug) were so worried that we would not enjoy the camper enough to offset the rather large expense of getting the camper.  Boy were we wrong!!!! We had a great time.  We towed our 3023 with our GM Silhouette minivan with the towing package.  The vehicle and camper performed great!!  We had no power problems, and best of all we traveled with another friend that had a trail lite 22ft camper and they got 11 miles per gallon (Bravada) we got 23mpg.  Thanks to those who put all the good advise about the toilet,  our dealer had the toilet charged to the full mark.  Thanks to those who had the correct advise we were able to set proper and use the toilet for three days and still have room to spare.

Sorry to ramble on, we are just so happy!  As for our questions, first the grey water tank.  The brochure states that there is a 30 gallon capacity.  Is this correct?  Day one my wife and I did dishes she washed her hair, minor water useage and from 12:00pm to 7:00 pm the holding tank gauge read full.
I emptied and it did not take very long,  after one small bath for our 2yr old son and one meals dishes it read 2/3 full and washing evening dishes it read full again, could my gauge be broken?  We did not dump again, but continued to use for 2 showers, dishes and one more bath, never backed up.  Help please, what should I check?

Question #2:  We have the back up electric water heater, If you turn that on do you turn the inside water heater switch off the book is unclear,  I thought I still heard the gas heater lighting during the night and running???

Thanks for any help anyone can provide!!

Doug and Melissa
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Old 06-30-2003, 02:31 PM   #2
Windbreaker
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Default Re: First trip out a great sucess 2 questions plea

Question 1: Don't know for sure, but when we do dishes it fills the tank fast. There is a little extra room after it reads full. Could be that nothing is wrong however the sensors can get gunked up fast. You might try running bakeing soda through it, most often that will clean it.

Question 2: When using the electric shore power turn the inside swiches to off and the outside one to on. Don't forget to turn it off before you disconnect the water!

Sounds like you're in for many years of good times. ;D
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Old 07-01-2003, 02:58 AM   #3
arknoah
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Default Re: First trip out a great sucess 2 questions plea

Yeah, 50 miles isn't too short at all, in fact, it's kind of courageous!  

We have had the same problem with our sensor for the gray water tank.  It's important to make sure you are level side to side, as that might cause false full readings of the gray water tank.  Using the baking soda (something I haven't done yet) sounds really smart.  As long as you're using water sparingly, you could easily have your gray water tank last as long as the black water tank, which in our case is about two days (lots of folks in here are tougher and better at this conservation thing than we are).  Things like putting hot water on a sponge with dish soap to wash dishes saves water, and when I take a shower, I probably turn the water off and on three or more times, since I soap up with the water off -- same thing for shaving.  I've found that when Ellen washed her hair, the tank really fills up, but then again, she at least has hair to wash, unlike her receding hairline husband.

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Old 07-01-2003, 04:15 AM   #4
quacks
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Default Re: First trip out a great sucess 2 questions plea

Hi all -

I don't have a TM yet, and the rig I do have is an old (1987) motorhome, so maybe things have gotten better since then!  

In my current rig, the gauges are HORRIBLE!  I have reset them quite a few times, but they just keep on being inaccurate, in spite of using all the right "gauge cleaning" additives.  What I've learned after 3 years is to estimate how much water we've used, & dump accordingly.  2 "Navy" showers & a couple loads of dishes will fill my grey water (tiny little tank) so I dump then.  Sometimes I don't estimate so well, and the grey water starts to back up into the tub.  No big deal, unless you're in the shower at the time!  

Doug, you might want to take the rig back to the dealer and ask them to reset the tank gauge.  It's pretty easy - I  just fill the tank until it just barely backs up, then twist the adjustment screw a little beyond where it began to show "full."  (in my rig, you have to remove the panel cover to do this - the adjustment screws are inside).

Congratulations on your new rig & all the fun you've had so far!
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Old 07-01-2003, 04:24 AM   #5
Chris_Bauer
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Default Re: First trip out a great sucess 2 questions plea

So far, I've never heard of anyone having a bad Trailmanor experience.  That's what you get when you buy one, great gas mileage, easy towing, all the comforts of home and most of all a great time.

Wish I could afford to open a Trailmanor dealership.  Imagine the sign on top, "It really is the greatest thing on wheels".   ;D ;D
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Old 07-01-2003, 04:53 AM   #6
bulin3023
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Default Re: First trip out a great sucess 2 questions plea

Doug here again,

Thanks for the time spent to answer my questions,  but unfortunately I have to be a pest and ask more.  Hope someone can help?

First is the tank really 30 gallons?  I thought about starting from
empty with a gallon jug and filling until tank backs up.  Will it back up into the bathroom?

Second, the notice about the calibration of the gauge sounded very interesting, does anyone have more information about this procedure?

Thanks Again,

Doug
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Old 07-01-2003, 03:29 PM   #7
Bill
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Default Re: First trip out a great sucess 2 questions plea

You didn't say whether your TM is new, but the current specs for all models is for 30 gallons of gray water capacity, and I have no reason to doubt it.

Unlike the float-level gauge in some motor homes, the gauge in the TM is not adjustable. But your idea of using the gallon jug is a good one. How many gallons can you put in before the FULL light comes on - and when the FULL light comes on, how many more gallons can you put in?

When the tank is over-full, it backs up into the bathtub first. Guess how I know this ???

The water heater has both a gas heating element and an electric heating element. The inside switch controls the gas heating element - the outside switch controls the electric element (though I understand that the 2003 models have a separate inside switch for the electric???) You may use either, or both at the same time. Using both, of course, will yield faster recovery as you use hot water - I often turn both of them on as I get into the shower. Normally, of course, if I am in a campground where I have paid for electricity, I use the electric element only and save the propane. But as Windbreaker noted, be sure the water heater tank is full before turning on either element! And be sure to turn both elements off before draining the tank. Same as in your house water heater - you don't want to try to heat an empty tank!

Hope this helps.

Bill
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Old 07-02-2003, 12:38 AM   #8
arknoah
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Default Re: First trip out a great sucess 2 questions plea

Bill,

I probably know about the grey water backing into the tub for the same reason you do....!
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Old 07-02-2003, 05:14 AM   #9
ColoradoCop
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Default Re: First trip out a great sucess 2 questions plea

???If you put "Scrubbing Bubbles" in the holding tank, Does it give you a foot massage? ;D

ColoradoCop
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Old 07-02-2003, 06:07 AM   #10
Bill
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Default Re: First trip out a great sucess 2 questions plea

Nyuck nyuck!  I detect a touch  of the Three Stooges here!  Well, not a touch, actually - more like a triple dope-slap!

Bill
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