Newbie questions.

We've been in our new RV 4 nights now and are getting on really well.

Three questions though I'd love to get answers for please if any of you could.

1.) what's the blue stuff for the toilet tank called and where does one get it? Ours is not a cartridge but just a tank that we attach a concertina style wide hose onto the underside valve of and then pull the stopper to gravity empty. I'm currently using just domestics into the bowl after every flush and lots of it too.

2.) on the basement compartment where the emptying takes place there's two pipes (two stopper handles) one is called grey waste (toilet waste) the other is holding waste. Is this all waters that are used in the bus but are not dirty or toilet waste? So, sinks, shower etc. and is it also linked to the fresh water tanks - ie if you are laying the bus up a while and you don't want water onboard to stagnate/freeze is this how you empty the fresh (clean) water tanks too. I doubt it but my mate who did the hand over and lessons from the previous owner seems to have been not quite awake that day I'm afraid to say. and the manuals are simply mind boggling in their size and detail so, yes, I'm looking for a lazy way to answer these questions.

3.) the guy who sold me the bus kits out motorhomes for VW in the UK and although fits Satelite systems he told me not to get him to do one pre delivery as his/my bus had a digital Ariel and the correct TV's to accompany the system. Now, I felt that Aeriel supplied tele had been switched off in Ireland last year but he said categorically, NO, this was a digital aerial and it was analogue that was gone. Anyway - I can't get it to work and am starting to think he was wrong and that you just can't get TV through any kind of aerial in this country. Any thoughts or answers folks?

Thank you in advance!

Our RV has two large holding tanks. One for grey water and one for black. Each tank is sealed by a basic 'sluice valve'. Each tank runs into a Y pipe where you connect your emptying hose (affectionately referred to by the yanks as a "stinky slinky" ). Pull the handle on the sluice valve for emptying. I think this is still a fairly standard setup on RV's, including modern ones.

If you're is the same, here's a tip -
Empty the black tank first, then empty the grey. The grey will flush through any stubborn solids that might be lurking in the hose after emptying the black tank.

Our toilet takes it's water directly from the main fresh water tank. There is no means to add blu chem before the water gets to the bowl. The only way to put the blu chem into the black holding tank is by dropping it straight in. We usually half fill the bowl with water first then add 200ml of blu chem to dilute it. If you pour the blu chem neat into a dry bowl, it can stain the side walls of the bowl.

I like the idea of using bio washing tablets. We haven't used them yet but plan to in the future. My Mrs hates the smell of the blu chemicals!


The fresh water tank on ours has a drain valve at the bottom of the tank which is opened by reaching in through an access panel. It allows ALL water to run out of the tank and pipe lines.

To get all water out of the system, switch off the 12v pump, open all taps and then open the valve on the fresh water tank. Gravity will empty the lines. Then for added security, if you have the means, blow some compressed air through the lines to get any remaining water out of the system.

If you don't want to do this, I believe there is an anti freeze available for fresh tanks but maybe the others can advise here, I haven't tried it.

Ref TV

Have a look here: forum/topic.php?t=4244

And: forum/index.php?f=5

Whippy, you can purchase a "combi box" that will allow you to pick up Soarview from your aerial and free to air satellite from a satellite dish. They cost about E80 from most electrical wholesalers or for as little as E30 on some market stalls.

If you cant get compressed air to blow out your water pipes, use a balloon.. Re the TV you would be best to buy a combi box ( saorview--sat ) in case you purchase a sat system in the future which you probably will (the kids )

So am I, it must be a very big balloon :whistle:

By Jaysus I'd hate to get stuck beside that lad at a dinner dance or a wedding seating plan but I've certainly learned how to have a spotless blank tank and associated pluming ancillaries.

Thanks for that Chevy. I was doing much of that but never knew about attaching the hose to the side of the tank to flush the actual tank's innards out with clear water. Brilliant video that.....

His wife musta left him years ago though................ :whistle:

Had a goo at a good few of them there now actually - very informative.

No clues though about why the two new heavy duty batteries in a large RV that did 6 hours driving, then immediately after parking up yesterday had it's connectors taken off both batteries were stone flat when reconnected and will not start the vehicle now!

Ah the joys of it........

Yep. It's a very simple diagnosis alright Ken.

Drove from Camac valley to Middleton to Jasmine villa ( what a woman!!!!!) where although promised we would, we'd never have even got in the front gate although she still wanted the money as she'd opened up her office and turned the lights on for us...... Avoid avoid avoid. then on to a camper friendly pub carpark on the Bandon Road (not ideal but I'd no choice) - so... Just over six hours of driving constantly without turning off the ignition. Engine batteries disconnected within 60 seconds of arrival and reconnected this afternoon to go get LPG ( nothing else turned on) and NOTHING!

So, deduction is a faulty alternator ( it's 3 weeks old ) or crappy batteries. Now they were also a condition of the sale but they aren't a brand I ever saw and I'd say they were cheapo depot. When you're trying to turn over 8.3 litres of American metal only the best will do. It's annoying but if it fixes the problem, sure it won't be too painful! It starts no problem on hook up.

Ah sure...... I'm loaded.

I did warn you about jasmine villa ,

I'd park on the side of the motorway before I go there again,

Hope you get sorted,

Should have said earlier whippy,

I have a 12/24v battery charger come booster and if needed I can bring it to athlone so you will be able to get started next day, possibly disconnect batteries charge them and see do they keep the charge, then it would be easy to find if the problem is alternator or batteries or both

Sorry I cannot be any help to you in cork, (me being in co Galway)

You say no problems starting on hook up.........what if you start the onan and let it put a bit of life into the batteries

If you're in trouble getting it started give me a call Whippy. Can drop down with jump leads and what-not if required.

John , If you fit new Batteries make sure that the Alternator isn't over charging and damage them!
By the way is it 12v or 24v and you are sure the batteries are connected correctly. If the batteries were connected parallel you would only have 12volts and if the rv was charging 24v it would burn out the Batteries.

More than likely it is 24v and if the terminals are on the right poles and it is criss crossed it is wired ok. I have a similar problem with my daughters car, she bought a new battery less than a year ago and moved to Toronto last October, I started it once a week since and last week it would not start so I jump started it and took it for a long drive, came home and tried starting it with no budge. Battery must be blown, they don't like been left idle for periods of time.

So.... I'm delighted to report my battery issues seem to be solved this evening although I'm a little lighter in the wallet department I'm afraid to report considering I just bought the bus.... Anyway, I'm over that.

Having been refered to a light commercial mechanic out in the country on the Bandon Rd. by a heavy recovery firm in Glanmire, I called to him, apologised for knocking on his door on Stephens day. He was fairly blank faced & unimpressed looking until he asked where I was from and I assured him I was a Meath man, not a Dub and a farmers son too. "In that case, c'mon, I'll get me coat!" (I'm not joking )

He tested my batteries in the boot of my MIL's borrowed hair dryer and one had a health suggestion of "replace now" & the other read something south of "absolutely fuc*ed" they were both less than 14% alive. He did a search of his yards and sheds and found too brand new Varta batteries that were of a higher electricity rating but would suit. Happy days. €300 plus €25 for a few beers later I put them in the bus and BOOM started first turn. I let the engine run for 2.5 hours and it stayed at 12v's on the dash board all the time. I turned lights, spot lights, the directional floodlight on the roof, radio, kettle, DVD player, a/c units etc. on and she'd drop to maybe 11 and 3/4 's for a few seconds and the alt. would start charging again and immediately up to 12 v's again almost immediately. So, happy to say she seems sorted. Batts disconnected over there now and we're ready for the road to the glen of Aherlow for a few nights tomorrow in 150 mile winds and a red alert weather warning........ Mad? Us? No, never!

Thanks everybody!

Thank you Jack. Being a lad who's tinkered with classic cars since I was in secondary school you get kinda used to it, if you lose the head you achieve little or nothing. I find if I think through everything methodically and put my energies into solving them along the line one by one, even if it means knocking on doors on Stephens day, I'd rarely be bet. That said.... I'm thicker than the average individual.

Thanks Pat, much more reassured now indeed. I thought there is only one on Irish campsite website - pretty sure it's just called 'Glen of aherlow'

Balinacourty House site closes for the winter and the Glen of Atherlow has excellent level hard standing pitches and should easily handle the RV

The glen as it's known is run by drew and in my book it ranks as 1 of the top few in Ireland for being properly run,

On par with doolin and woodlands Tralee, (just my open ion by the way)

The Phoenix have a few meets there a year so it should be suitable for a meet pat,

I wouldn't like to bring whippy's bus up through lisverinane as the roads are tight enough but not impossible I guess,

Well, well,well what a day!

Did ya ever get the feeling something wasn't meant for ya?!?

I now realise that RV'ing/MH'ing isn't something you can do with out forethought and organisational skills. It's not a hop in, plug and play sport, certainly not in a machine of this size. I arrived up to where she was parked shortly after 11am to await an LPG delivery and it never arrived, so the hunt for gas started on the internet and the phone, it is not something I've ever had to buy before and I would never have believed it was so difficult to locate. Anyway, Autogas on the Tramore Road near Turners cross sold me the fill of my tank so we'd have heat in the radiators and hot water in the taps and shower. Then to find a fill of diesel, obviously much easier commodity to purchase but to find somewhere that is easy to get in and out of in this yoke takes some thinking. Anyway, all tanks full and bus parked on the road outside Dunnes for a food/beer shop. Were leaving cork city now and it's 4pm at this point.

Came up the motorway and decided the least amount of tiny roads was the order of the day (evening!) so took the limerick road off at Cahir and onward to Bansha where we headed south toward the glen. 11kms of pure stress!!! Things wouldn't have been quite so bad if there hadn't been a tractor run coming towards us all the way... Huge tractors and huge machinery on the back. I'm a farmers son but my god what's the fun in driving these things on the road on your day off!

Anyway, finally arrived and met George Drew, a proper gentleman. I have a few mates that bought pubs over the good years. Some were from long lines of publicans and one in particular, who's dad died when he was 10 years old was doing the early house hours on the docks in Drogheda before he went to school for the day from the time of his death. These lads run damn fine pubs and are PROFESSIONAL publicans, although I don't frequent pubs too often these days, these are the places I like to leave my money. Others just liked the thought of the idea of owning a pub, but they're not professional publicans. They don't clear away the glasses quickly enough from vacated tables, they rarely empty ash trays outside, they never sweep up the fag buts, the glasses come out of the glass washer dirtier than they went in and they leave the order from the cash and carry so late that they rarely have the stock you want when you go in there - hopefully you get my drift. Sorry for the ramblings but this place is run by a proper professional on his chosen field. The facilities are newly built proper buildings, the decks are rock hard and muck free, the spaces are plenty big enough for this bus which tells me no one else would be wanting more space here, the security looks good, although dark on arrival the place is fastidiously maintained and it defo looks (much like Camac valley) like an all year round business and the setting looks really beautiful! I'll report in more detail tomorrow but I'm impressed and I'm picky.

Now, my idiotic confession. My 8 year old son talked me into putting out our led lit awning which we've never seen out and as it was dead calm (promise, no storm here) I gave in against my better judgement and wound it out for him. We were both impressed and loved the lights but were very hungry so in we went to put the 'cully & sully' pies (brilliant quality pies and amazing for MH'ing too btw) in the oven. Dinner finished I put the kettle on for a coffee and a bickie when I heard the wind build up a little and remembered the awning was outstretched. I ditched the coffee, put my shoes on and opened the door to go out and wind it in. As I did the whole thing came down on my head, aluminium bars bent and broken and the tarp. from it waving violently in the wind, one half was still. Attached to the side of the bus but it's heavy duty bracket was creaking and bending. I got up on the roof and broke the other bracket off to bring the whole bloody thing crash to the ground. So so so so pissed off as I knew it wasn't the right thing to do, also and most annoyingly, there isn't as much as the lightest breeze out there now and since the moment the last of it came to the ground..... So were now down our lovely awning and our led lights, our pride is dented, our energies are low for RV'ing but I'm with my eldest son watching a movie and supping a can of cider. We'll assess the damage tomorrow at first light and hope that the wall wasn't compromised by the leverage of the very heavy brackets on the side wall of the bus!

Arghhhhhhh..... I thought the batteries would be the end of it. For a while.