Filling Fresh Water Tank - Montana Owners Club

mlhenehan · 01-26-2019, 04:35 PM

Hello,

Brand new member here. Just purchased a 2018 Montana High Country 305RL. We have owned a number of trailers over the years, but this is the newest model we've had. It has a lot of great features. I tried the auto leveling today...very cool.

My question is, I am not sure how to fill the fresh water tank. We are going winter camping and the water isn't turned on at the campground we are going to. So am planning on filling it before we leave the house.

On all of our other trailers there was an aperture on the side of the trailer. Some locked, some not. But, you just put the freshwater hose in, turned on the water and waited until it was full. There is no outside access. So, I am assuming it is in the inside of the storage door where the city water connection is. There is a valve that appears to be for the freshwater tank, but just not sure.

Anyone familiar with this?

I have to run out for a bit, so I may not respond for a couple hours.

Thanks in advance,

Matt

rmthelen · 01-26-2019, 04:42 PM

The fresh water tank is filled by connecting the hose to the city water connection and turning the lever in the convenience center to "fill". WELCOME TO MOC.

**DQDick** · 01-26-2019, 04:51 PM

Welcome to the forum! Besides the method above, some folks have taken the cover off the vent for the fresh water tank (u shaped plastic thing on the side of the rig near or in the back) taken the screen out and slowly added water that way.

CarWin · 01-26-2019, 06:39 PM

I always use the city water connection, and turn the switch to "fill" position. When water comes out the overflow/vent ,I know I'm plum full of water. Make sure to turn the switch back to "normal" position, if not the pump will cycle every couple of minutes or so, even when not running water.

Welcome to the forum!!!

beeje · 02-18-2019, 06:28 PM

For some reason (probably $$) the brilliant RV engineers have done away with the gravity fill ports. So now you have to have a water spigot and hose to fill the tank. Although ours is the same way, we still have the fill port to add some from a water jug if needed. Why they decided to reinvent the wheel is beyond me.

rohrmann · 02-18-2019, 08:58 PM

We also still have the external fill port, but while at Quartzsite, I used our HF pump to fill fresh tanks from our water bladder, and used it to fill a newer rig through the city fill port with the valve turned to the fill position, and it worked quite well. The last time I filled our rig, I filled through our filter and water softener, and that worked well also using the HF pump.

jeffba · 02-19-2019, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beeje

For some reason (probably $$) the brilliant RV engineers have done away with the gravity fill ports. So now you have to have a water spigot and hose to fill the tank. Although ours is the same way, we still have the fill port to add some from a water jug if needed. Why they decided to reinvent the wheel is beyond me.

the cap to your vent slides up and off revealing a place to gravity fill your tank

cghsatx · 02-23-2019, 06:03 PM

I have a 2019 3731 and also just discovered there is no gravity fill. My location has no water and I brought several 5 gallon containers. I tried filling through the vent but that is extremely slow and wasteful. I cant get the water container high enough to fill through the winterizer connection and I guess am not smart enough to figure out how pump it in like some have suggested.

After being ticked off all summer with Keystone (my new 3731 was in the shop for most of the summer) I thought I was over it, until learning another idiotic or cheap thing Keystone does.

**AZ Traveler** · 02-23-2019, 06:28 PM

I have had a small electric pump for a few years. It makes it easy to refill your tank from a water pillow or water cans. A must if you plan to do any boondocking. I used it before with our previous SOB that did have a gravity fill port. The gravity fill is fairly useless without a pump unless you are just adding a few gallons.

cghsatx · 02-23-2019, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ Traveler

I have had a small electric pump for a few years. It makes it easy to refill your tank from a water pillow or water cans. A must if you plan to do any boondocking. I used it before with our previous SOB that did have a gravity fill port. The gravity fill is fairly useless without a pump unless you are just adding a few gallons.

Yep, I plan to buy one tomorrow and transfer about 20 gallons in mine to test a few things, although I am still not sure which of the 3 inlets to use. I have a Winterizer, then below that is City Water and below that has no label.

McIver · 02-23-2019, 06:47 PM

A caution when filling from the port: When nearing full you may experience symphon effect trying to pull the water back out. I pot my finger over the overflow vent and get the cap back on in a hurry.

CarWin · 02-23-2019, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cghsatx

Yep, I plan to buy one tomorrow and transfer about 20 gallons in mine to test a few things, although I am still not sure which of the 3 inlets to use. I have a Winterizer, then below that is City Water and below that has no label.

Use the "CITY" connection, to fill holding tank turn your level to "fill"...when done return it to "Normal" position, or the pump will cycle on and off every 20 seconds or so. I learned this the hard way.

The connection below the "city" connection, is for "power tank flush" for your black tank. DONT be surprised if your "vacuum breaker"/ back flow valve leaks on 1st use. They are plastic and are total junk!! Either eliminate it altogether or install a brass one in its place.

speedster100 · 02-24-2019, 07:29 AM

You can use the on board water pump to fill your tank from a 5 gallon jug or other large storage unit, have to manipulate the valving using the winterizing feature etc but it can be done... Many have bought a spare pump and have quick connects to fill from an external storage source that doesn't have pressure... I've filled ours using method above........

team bradfield · 02-24-2019, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ Traveler

I have had a small electric pump for a few years. It makes it easy to refill your tank from a water pillow or water cans. A must if you plan to do any boondocking. I used it before with our previous SOB that did have a gravity fill port. The gravity fill is fairly useless without a pump unless you are just adding a few gallons.

Over the years I've switched water pumps to higher capacity as the women in our house all have long thick hair and the need more pressure! as a result I have a couple pumps in the garage, when i bought this rig, I had the same problem, our local campground is electric only so I need to bring a couple 6 gallon cans along to refill. I searched the MOC boards and led me to the filling with a spare pump with quick connects! I can refill the 12 gallons in less than 1 beer.

jpwhite · 03-19-2019, 08:09 PM

I have a 2019 3120. I too lament the lack of a gravity fill. For long term, I plan to pick up an auxiliary 12 v pump as described elsewhere on this forum for those trips to parks w/o on site water hookups.

However, I was able to load 12 gallons (2 6 gallon jugs) through the vent as described. My water jug has a small flexible spout that fits perfectly into the vent area. It loaded about as fast as my old trailer's gravity feed. Seems like they just replaced the gravity feed with a plastic cover and called it a vent.

PNW Fireguy · 03-19-2019, 08:26 PM

Found a use for my noisey flowjet water pump once I replaced it with a quieter sureflow.

suny07 · 03-20-2019, 05:28 AM

Hi

the water tank set-up is actually very bad.
First its hard to fill and then its hard to keep it in there during driving.

If possible do not drive too long with the full water tank.
In every curve water will shoot out though the syphon.
My best result was to arrive with 2/3 still in the tank.

Mike

Woodworker · 03-20-2019, 07:43 AM

We learned the hard way when camping too early in the spring and the water wasn't turned on yet. I ended up buying a 40 gal stock tank and placed it in front of the 5th Wheel. I use a small pump to move the water from the tank to the RV. Bought both items from Tractor Supply for about $120 total. Works great for winter camping, boondocking, etc.

Kid1956 · 03-20-2019, 09:45 AM

Bob, was looking outside awhile ago at my pond.. made me realize, the pump I have in there for filtering, could be extremely useful for your water bag setup (or just jugs/pails).. the pump will come out of the strainer thing its in,, it has push-on connectors that could be adapted to a piece of garden hose.. its AC, but since you have a genset.... This one I've put brlow, will do 600gal/hr, so wouldnt take long, and is made to run all the time.. about $80..

I have a way larger one for the pond, and have replaced it once in 7yrs.. just a thought..

https://webbsonline.com/Item/28232-O...SABEgKN2_D_BwE

here's for larger ones..
http://usa.hagen.com/Water-Gardening...g?brand=Laguna

teamBradfield wouldnt even have time for 1 beer..... lol

rohrmann · 03-20-2019, 07:23 PM

This is similar to the pump I have, and it works well for pumping potable water into the rig, and don't have to have a generator running. Typically, the 40 gallon bladder is laying on the bed and tailgate of the truck, and being able to connect to the trailer receptacle makes things very easy.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-vol...ump-63324.html

You may also like: