A water pump is an important component of any RV or camper… particularly for those who want running water while off the grid. The purpose of an RV water pump is to deliver water from your RV’s fresh water tank to your kitchen and bathroom faucets, your showers (indoor and outdoor), and for flushing the …
Water & Sewer
RV holding tanks are a necessary part of RVing, especially when using your RV for extended periods. You may love the scenic landscapes you’ll experience in your RV, but foul smells coming from your holding tanks can ruin even the most beautiful views. So today we’re talking about the importance of fully functioning air admittance …
Perhaps the greatest mystery to people who are contemplating traveling by RV, or are now guests on someone else’s RV, is how the RV toilet works. How it operates, how it flushes, where “it” goes when you flush it, and what you do with it are questions on the minds of potential RVers everywhere! We’re …
Using an RV fresh water tank is a relatively simple matter. How to fill it, how to hook up to city water, how to monitor how full it is, how to keep it clean – these are all pretty straight-forward processes. But there’s one important piece of information that often gets overlooked, and that is …
If your RV water heater stops working unexpectedly, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise. There’s nothing worse than hopping in the shower and discovering there’s no hot water! ???? There are some common reasons for water heater problems. We’ll tell you how to deal with each of them so you can be an …
Managing the various tanks of an RV water system can be confounding at times, and dumping the black tank is often the most intimidating. Newer RVers in particular are likely to benefit from a short overview of how the water systems in motorhomes and trailers work, including how, when, and where to flush their RV …
Your RV tank sensors are a straightforward way to know when to empty your tanks. However, many people don’t even realize they need to keep these sensors clean. Even if you do, you might not know how to do the job. Fortunately, it’s easier than you might think, and regular maintenance will keep your RV …
Are you avoiding drinking the water you have available in your motorhome or trailer? If purchasing bottled water has become a chore, it may be time to rethink the idea that you can’t drink straight from your rig’s RV water system. It’s safe, as long as you sanitize your RV water system periodically. We’re here today …
RV manufacturers are pretty good at replicating the features of sticks-and-bricks houses in our homes on wheels. Everything from kitchen appliances to air conditioners have been incorporated into today’s RVs. It’s safe to say that the RV water heater has become a necessity. As RVs evolve, the water heater is one appliance that most campers …
Our RV’s on-demand water pump has served us well for over 14 years. But now that it’s finally failed, we’ll show you how we replaced it, as well as the details on why we chose the replacement pump we did. While you might think “More Water = Better!” we talk about the reasons why a lower …
The blade valves on your black and gray tank outlets are the only things standing between you and a tsunami of… well, you get the picture. It’s impressive how well they work… and how long they can last. Our gray valve is the original one that came installed on our RV when we bought it …
Is a dripping RV shower causing a headache? We’ll show you how to replace the cartridge and skip the drip. PLUS – BONUS TIP: How to Caulk Like a Pro! While the details of repairing a leaky shower will be a little different for each make and model of plumbing fixture, we’ll show you the …
Even though we’ve been on the road full-time for nearly 15 years, we never stop learning. Since it’s virtually impossible to know everything about every topic, the most valuable tool we keep on board is an open mind. Last year we added a great new piece of (inexpensive) gear to our DIY utility belt: a …
We demonstrate lots of RV repairs. This time, we’ll show you how we diagnose and repair a problem, saving ourselves a trip to the shop. Special Bonus!! We’ll be answering your questions live on the air on The RV Show USA on November 1st! That’s right… we’ll once again be joining our friend Alan Warren “The RV …
Over the years we’ve shared quite a bit about maintaining an RV water heater. Last year we even performed an internal inspection using a borescope. But this is the first time we’ve had to share a repair project. Actually, “project” seems like too strong a word for what’s involved in replacing the thermostat on the …
Should any of us be surprised that conventional wisdom is so often wrong? We’ve all been taught that a flush wand is all we need to clean our RV’s water heater. Water runs clear = clean. NOT! We use a video borescope to take you inside our heater to show the real story. Step by step, we’ll demonstrate our …
We appreciate the fact that our RV came equipped with a Reelcraft self-retracting water hose reel. It keeps things neat & tidy and expedites both hooking up and disconnecting. But there is one downside: when it comes time to replace the hose, we can’t simply pick up a new one and start using it. Installing …
Okay, we get it… starting a new sewer hose isn’t rocket science. But sometimes it’s the little things that make RVing easier. Here’s a simple little trick that keeps us from struggling to get a new hose connected to the hard plastic fittings on our RV’s sewer system. Recent & Related Videos: How to Thoroughly …
We have a confession to make. We’ve been drinking heavily for over a decade. There. We finally said it out loud. It feels good to come clean about our habit of drinking from our RV’s fresh water tank. Please don’t judge. Bottled water is expensive, tough on the environment (plastic bad), uses up valuable storage …
Leaving your RV’s gray valve open when fully hooked up allows you to take long showers without worrying about dumping or filling up the gray tank. But what about sewer smells that can come up from the campground sewer system? Here’s how to get the best of both worlds! One of the luxuries of staying …
If you’ve seen our previous 2 videos about flushing RV water heaters, you’ll know we’ve talked quite a bit about anode rods. Generally, Suburban brand water heaters require an anode rod to protect the steel tank from corrosion. The rod is made of a metal that sacrifices itself, so that corrosion will attack the rod …
Besides water, an RV gray tank (or “grey” if you trend more British) takes in lots of greasy, sticky substances. These include food particles & residue from preparing meals and washing dishes, soap, shampoo, toothpaste & even body oils. After a while, it can gum up your holding tank sensors, causing a false reading on …
Dumping your RV’s black and gray tanks might seem like a no-brainer, but we can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen people who could use a little help with the basics. Properly dumping your RV’s holding tanks requires a few simple procedures to help keep things odor-free and running smoothly. For everyday tank dumping, …
One downside to moving your house to so many different locations can be the varied and unknown quality of the water available. Many RVs have a rust, scale and sediment filter for all incoming water, plus a charcoal (carbon) filter at the sink and/or ice maker. These all require periodic replacement. Filtering the main incoming …
We returned from a 5-week trip away from the RV to find the drain pipe from the kitchen sinks leaking. Since we’ve already completed the repair, this is just an overview of how the plumbing system is designed to move in and out with the slide-out, not a How-To. Our kitchen is in a slide-out, …
We demonstrate how to thoroughly flush and clean an RV water heater. UPDATE – April 3, 2012: Regarding our use of an after-market anode rod. There are questions about which metal to use – magnesium, aluminum or zinc. As we mentioned in the video, we only chose this particular anode due to the extreme …
We demonstrate how to dump RV waste water holding tanks and thoroughly clean the black tank. Keeping your sewage tank super clean requires following a few simple procedures which will make it stay odor-free. To view our “express” version of this procedure watch: RV Holding Tank Dumping 1-2-3 Lots of RVers think their black tank …
It’s perfectly safe to drink the water from an RV’s fresh water tank (we’ve been doing it for over 8 years) as long as you keep the tank clean. In this video, we show you how to sanitize your fresh water tank, which should be done about once every 6 months. Clean, safe, sanitary drinking …