Storage Tanks

[Bob & Lee]

We have been full time in our 3685FL sence 2 Jan 03 and really love it here in Colorado Springs,the only problems we have had are minor, the roller on the front glide came off and I had to just bolt it down again, and in the winter it was getting down to 16 Deg and the sink in the bath room was on the north side with the wind the sink water would freeze about 16 Deg not bad it would thaw at about 20 Deg, so by next winter I was going to put on a heat tape, then I was trying to get the rear stablizer to tight and bent the braces but that was my foult so i got some screw up stabelizers and put them in front and behing the wheels on both sides. So my question today is the starage tanks in the book show Fresh water 62 Gal, Gray water 76 Gal Black water 38 Gal so the sencer on the wall says Galley, Gray , Black now is the galley just the kitchen sink or the kitchen and bath sink ? and is the gray only the shower or the bath sink and shower?

[Montana_621]

When I asked this question I was told the galley was the kitchen only and the gray was bathroom. So... with as big of idiots as our dealer is, we'll see what others say.

I thought what the dealer said made sense, but what do I know?

[Montana_907]

Bob & Lee,

I can check on mine this weekend. It is connected to sewer where I have it and I have a clear 10" extension on the hook-up so I can tell when the black tank is dumping clean water after I dump it. I leave the gray and galley valves open. I will close the galley tank, run the shower and then the bathroom sink and check if water is running through the clear extension. This will tell me if they both feed the gray tank. If you have one of these extensions, you can also check the next time you dump. Make sure you leave some water in your fresh tank though, so you can run the water. I am quite sure that the bathroom sink and shower feed the gray tank, while the kitchen sink feeds the galley tank.

[Montana_657]

Kitchen sink to galley, washer prep, shower and bath sink to grey. I think we all know where the black comes from. (LOL)

[DrivesBGM]

I don't think that all Montanas are plumbed the same.

[s]My bathroom and galley sinks had water standing in them but my shower had no water standing in it. That's how I know that my bathroom and galley sinks feed the Galley Holding Tank.[/s]

CORRECTION - Ths July 4th weekend I went camping and disproved my earier statement (Now crossed out!). My bathroom sink and shower both feed the Gray Tank. Only the kitchen sink is on the Galley Tank. I really don't know what had occurred before that led me to believe otherwise.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

Craig[s][/s]

[Montana_621]

quote:Originally posted by DrivesBGM

I don't think that all Montanas are plumbed the same.

My bathroom and galley sinks had water standing in them but my shower had no water standing in it. That's how I know that my bathroom and galley sinks feed the Galley Holding Tank.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

Craig

Funny you should mention that. A couple weeks ago we had our gray tank fill up and it let the garden tub about 1/2 full because the water wouldn't drain any more due to the full tank. But we didn't get any water backing up in the sink for the bathroom so maybe they aren't all the same.

[DrivesBGM]

Another thought. (Boy now I'm really getting in deep!

The galley sink is higher than the shower/tub basin. So if they both fed the same gray tank and the tank filled up, then the sink could continue draining causing the shower basin to overflow. If this were the case, hopefully you'd see the overflow before it cause any real damage.

In retrosect, guess I'm glad both my sinks feed my galley's holding tank.

Craig

[vickster]

The sensor on our wall has five lights indicating: fresh water, kitchen galley grey water, bath sink/shower grey water, black tank, and battery. It does sound like all Monty's are not plumbed the same.

[ronstan]

with our 3295 I'm pretty sure that just the kitchen sink drains into one tank. We have a handle clear at the back. The trailers are probably not all built alike. Maybe depends on where the sinks are located.

[CountryGuy]

I think this would be a GREAT question to ask in September when we get the plant tour!

My understanding, is the black, is, well, black. DUH

The gray is two holding tanks, one is the galley aka, kitchen sink. The second is the gray aka bathroom sink and shower.

Craig, I think you are right, the bathroom sink is higher and therefore the tub fills up first if that gray water tank is full.

I have had the galley full and NO water came up in the gray/bathroom in sink or tub.

I understand (could be wrong, nothing new there, psstt, DON'T TELL AL!), that the gray water/bathroom and the galley water/kitchen are NOT connected in any way. Unless you count where they come together to go out to the sewer.

When we are on full hookup site, we rarely leave the gray OR galley water tanks open, reason, we don't want sludge building up. Soap scum and/or greese will form a nasty film, almost concrete like if the tanks are left open. For years, so the habit is deeply formed, we have closed all the tanks, lived for a day, two, week, whatever, when the tanks are full, we dump.

I don't think it makes any difference what model Montana you have, if your little lights on that non-functioning or malfunctioning sensor thingy says you have a galley and a gray and a black, then you have three holding tanks, independent of each other. Like I said, could be wrong, and again, DON'T TELL AL that I said I might be wrong.

Carol, aka Mrs. Countryguy

[sreigle]

Water in a tank/pipes will seek the same level, so if the sink is higher than the shower drain, the explanation Craig and others gave is correct.

The "grey" tank of 76 gallons is really two tanks. One for the kitchen/galley and one for the bath (on ours anyhow). We were told by Keystone during our tour that all have the same tanks. 38 gallons each for the gray tanks. I don't know if any models have the bath sink drain to the galley tank or not.

[Joyce H]

Bob & Lee,
Sounds like you are enjoying your new wheel estate. Colorado Springs is a beautiful area of the country. Have flown in there several times to drive up to visit friends who have a place in Buena Vista. Our daughter also graduated from Univeristy od Denver and lived in CO for several years. Welcome to the MOC.

[Montana_907]

I checked my 3685FL this weekend. The galley tank is only fed from the kitchen sink. The bathroom sink and shower feed into the gray tank.

Hope this helps.

[Bob & Lee]

Thanks now I know which tank is filling from where..

[Bowie]

Our galley (kitchen sink) tank must be pretty small as it fills quickly even though we are careful about water use. Like Carol we are leery of grease and soap scum buildup. If we are hooked up w/ full services, after a dump of the galley tank we close the tank add some hot water and then redump in hopes of keeping the grease and soap goop down.

We did see some things this weekend that made our blood boil. Nearby camper emptied his sewer hose down on-site sewer and then stuck the fresh water faucet DOWN THE HOSE to wash it off inside and outside!! DISGUSTING! That's why we carry a bleach/H20 combo jug to wash the freshwater hookups before we use them. Compromised immune systems cannot deal with the possibilities that unsanitary hookups could provide. These were the same people who groomed their three adorable doggies on the picnic table and then failed to even hose it off. You would be correct if you guessed that they ate inside the whole weekend!

[sreigle]

My understanding is/was that all Montanas have the same size tanks. If that's still true for the 2004 models then both the galley grey tank and the bath gray tanks are 38 gallons (each). We never fully fill our galley tank before the bath tank is full so I'm wondering what the story is on yours. We leave the gray valves open when hooked up to sewer though but when not on sewer the bath tank always is full long before the kitchen tank.

Did your back up into the sink?

[Montana_1683]

The galley tank is for only the kitchen sink.
The grey water tank is for the shower & bathroom sink. Plus a washer if so equiped.
The black water tank is for the bathroom commode. Hope this will help.

Gary

[Montana_1235]

quote:Originally posted by gimmy2001

The galley tank is for only the kitchen sink.
The grey water tank is for the shower & bathroom sink. Plus a washer if so equiped.
The black water tank is for the bathroom commode. Hope this will help.

Gary

On my 3685FL there is shower/bath (gray tank), kitchen (galley tank), black (raw sewage tank) and the washer goes directly to the drain. So if you are equipped with a washer you either have to open the drain so the water will go down the sewer drain or open the gray tank valve so the water will go into the tank. I know this because my friend from Camping World where my washer/dryer was installed told me to open the drain or gray tank before using the washer or it would back up and pour all over the floor. The washer drain does not go strait to any tank on its own.

I've filled each gray tank seperately, kitchen/galley, shower/bathroom sink, just to see which ones go to which tanks because of reading about the differences that everyone has talked about in past posts. It gives me a little piece of mind knowing which tank goes to what fixture.

Bill

[NJ Hillbilly]

I was told that the washer goes into the grey tank not the black or the galley. I think the reason they say to be on hookups and have the drain valve open is because the volume of water the washer uese can easily fill and overflow the grey tank.

John

[sreigle]

I'm pretty sure the washer drain goes into the bath gray tank on ours. A couple of times when I forgot to open the gray tank dump valve we've backed washer water into the shower. Once we even overflowed the shower. But this is on an '03 3295 and maybe that's different for the 3685FL. If the washer is not real close to the gray tank or its plumbing it would make sense to pipe it direct to the outlet. We've found the gray tank will hold the first washer load, maybe two. But that's it.