Horrible Walk Through

I just purchased a 97' TM 3023.  This is my first trailer ever so I am a newbie.  I went to pick it up tonight and the walk through was a disaster.  The guys who went over the TM with me, new less about them than I.  Here is what they said can someone please clarify.  My 3023 has 2 fresh water tanks with 2 seperate valves to fill them from the outside.  The salesman said they were 2 20 gallon tanks.  The guy who went through it with me said it was 2 10 gallon tanks.  Does anyone know?  They also have never heard of a recirculating toilet.  This toilet has a t-handle at the base, a little black button on the left side, and a gauge on the right side that had an E on the left, F on the right, and it said charge on it.  I think this is a recirculating toilet, how do you know when it is charged, and how do you charge it?  Does it draw water from the fresh water tanks when you flush?  They say yes, I think no.  Lastly they said the only way to power the fridge while in transit is to use the LP.  Is this correct?  I thought the fridge was a 3 way with DC, AC, and LP.  He said it was just AC and LP.  If it has DC, is it just running off your battery packs on the trailer or is it running from the tow vehicle?  

Please help, I am very angry at the experience.  I left the trailer there until they can clarify for me.  They said they would answer all questions and deliver the trailer to my house.  I was hoping someone in this forum would answer me so I had the information before I talk to them tomorrow.

Thanks in advance.

i agree with everything that texas camper said.  first i would guess that you have one 20 gallon fresh water tank.  look under the couch for a container.   if there are two clear containers then you have two tanks.  the reason for two water hook-ups on the outside of the trailer is the top one is for filling via a water container when you do not have a water connection for a hose at your campsite.  the bottom hook-up is for the city water connection.  neither have anything to do with the stool.  

personally, i start filling the stool and continue to check to see if it will flush by pushing the black button.  once the stool flushes, is as far as i fill it.  i do not fill with the 3 gallons that they advise.  i also use the chemicals, very very important!  there would be no other water for your stool other than what you put in during the charging.  

hope this gives you enough information to get you through tomorrow.  stay up tonight and read this site and you will be an expert by morning!

good luck

dennisu

WOW! Where did you buy this unit??? Yikes!
I have a 2619 like Texas. First, you have ONE (1) 20 gallon freshwater tank. It is located under the dinette in my model. The fill tube is located outside, just above the CITY WATER Connection port. (This is the one with the garden hose connection on it...)

Next, the refrig is 3-way. When travelling, turn the small control knob (on mine, it's at the very top of the fridge...) to DC, and don't forget to turn on the refridge fan. This switch is located above the kitchen cabinets next to the fridge. It helps circulate air when in DC mode to promote more efficient cooling.

As to the recirc toilet. YES it is a recirculating toilet. I think that most of us fill it, (prime it) using the shower nozzle. Fill it to the first line on the left - Yellow I believe - Charge line. That will put approximately 3 gallons of water in the toilet.

Remember to hold the black flush switch down approximately 5 seconds. This ensures a good flush and keeps the fuse from blowing on the switch. Good practice anyway.

The white lever on the bottom of the toilet is the internal dump valve. Personally, I keep mine closed until I'm ready to dump. When I dump, I open this valve and then go outside and open the black dump gate valve located toward the innermost part of the trailer directly ahead of you. Once that is dumped, to clean the hose, I then close the black gate valve and open the Grey water gate valve which is located just to the right side of you directly in front. This rinses out the hose from your black water dump. Once you've dumped, you can go in and close the inside bathroom dump valve (White valve at base of toilet) and can clean and re-charge the unit.

My family of three can go 3 days using this potty full time.

You also have a hot water heater switch which is run on LP - don't forget to turn on the LP tank up front. To turn it on, locate the left hand most switch below the sink, just above the cabinet doors and turn it on. It should automatically start for you.

Hey! Good luck. Any more questions, don't hesitate to ask any of us!!

Enjoy!

Gregg in Portland

Thanks for all the help.  I understand where the city water hookup is and above that is the valve to fill water tanks with a garden hose connection.  I have 2 garden hose connections above the city hookup.  Under the couch I have 2 water tanks.  So based on your comments, it sounds like it has 2 20 gallon tanks for a total of 40 gallons of fresh water.  Does anyone have that setup?

[dcrdark]

Don't feel too badly.  I had purchased my 2002 3023 used at a dealer.  Mine was the second one that they ever had. The walk through guys had some clue about the TM's but not much.  Because of all the information I had gained on this board, I was showing them a thing or two.
   Dave  

[Bill]

During the construction process, the factory will make almost any mod to your TM that you can think of.  Someone on this board (Wade?) requested and got a 40-gallon water mod on his new TM recently, so yours is not unheard of.  It is a great mod if you are going to do much dry-camping.  However, I wouldn't tow the TM with 40 gallons of water aboard - it is pretty heavy.

Just out of curiousity, I assume there is only one water pump.  Are the tanks cross-connected?  How do you get water out of the second tank and into the plumbing system?

No, the recirc toilet has no connection to the fresh-water plumbing.

It is possible you have a two-way refrig - they were made.  The easy way to tell is to look at the control knob on the front panel and see if it has positions for all three sources.  Assuming it will run on DC, then while you are on the road, the tow vehicle supplies power to run it, as well as to recharge the trailer battery.

Bill

Yes, there is only 1 water pump and they are cross connected.  I asked if it drains both at the same time or will I have to change over after one is empty and he did not know.  

If in fact I have a 2 way fridge, how do you cool it while in transit?  I read on this board that towing with the gas on is a no no.

Beyond legal -- its downright dangerous to tow a camper with the gas on and powering the frig on gas.  Friend of mine had a Fleetwood TT many years ago.  Was going from VA to AL.  Stocked the frig before leaving and only had a two way.  He was driving down Interstate 95 in SC when (for whatever reason) gas built up in the TT and eventually a spark from somewhere must have set it off.  The only part of the Fleetwood he had left was the frame.  The rest of it was scattered over 2 lanes and the median strip of I-95.  Needless to say, the camping trip was not very enjoyable.

My advice -- NEVER tow with the frig operating from gas.

Chvka & anyone else.  If you will send me a business size SASE, I will send you a brochure that my dealer (The Car Show in Colorado Springs)  gives to each of his costumers.

Hal Swanson
709 S. York St.
Denver, CO  80209

I recently purchased a 2619 ordered new with a 40 gallon freshwater tank from the factory. I got the idea from a post I had seen where the dealer added an extra 20 gallon tank. The extra 20 gallons adds about 160 lbs and due to the tank loacation this should evenly distribute between the tongue and trailer axle. My trailer tows better with the freshwater full and the grey tank empty than coming home with the grey tank full and the freshwater empty. Either way it tows excellent.

My toilet is just like the one you described and is a recirculating toilet. As described earlier in this post you charge it with water before use. It does not use fresh water for each flush unless it is modified somehow.

My fridge is 3 way and works on 12 volts as described in earlier posts.

Good luck with the dealer. Even with a Trailmanor dealer they sometimes don't know the trailer as they probably should.