Waste Water System; Or Drains; Winter Traveling - Airstream Basecamp 2020 Owner's Manual

General Information

Waste Water System

The main parts of the waste water system are the
toilet, combination Black/Gray tank, and tank dump
valve (See Section 8 - Maintenance for dump valve
information). The system is designed to provide
complete self-contained toilet facilities, while on the
road or parked, without being connected to a sewage
line� It may also be used in the stationary position while
connected to a sewage hose�
Keep the dump valve closed with either method and
empty the tank only when it is nearly full� The idea is
to send a large volume of water through the tank and
hose at the same time to float solids away.
After the sewage tank has been emptied, close the
dump valve and put approximately five gallons of water
in the sewage holding tank� This will help prevent
solids from building up in the sewage holding tank� The
addition of a deodorizing agent like Aqua-Kem® will
help prevent odors�
Should you ever have a buildup of solids, close the
valve, fill the tank about 3/4 full with fresh water, drive a
distance to agitate the solids, and drain the tank�
Things Not To Put Into Toilet Or Drains
• Facial tissues (they do not dissolve like toilet paper).
• Automotive antifreeze, ammonia, alcohols, or
acetone�
• Table scraps or other solids that may clog the drains�
1� Toilet Drain
2� Roof Vent
3� Galley Drain
4� Shower Drain
3-10

Winter Traveling

Traveling in sub-freezing temperatures will require
certain precautions to protect the plumbing system
and your personal belongings from being damaged by
freezing�
Whenever possible, the heat should be kept set to a
constant temperature� It is easier for the furnace to
keep a constant room temperature than allow the trailer
temperature to drop to 50°F, then attempt to raise it to
room temperature�
The furnace has been ducted to provide heat to the
below floor water tanks and plumbing to help prevent
freezing� 12-volt heat pads are also installed with the
fresh and black/gray water tanks� These pads are
individually switched, located at the bottom of the
roadside cabinet beside the refrigerator, which allows
the saving of battery power in freezing temperatures�
RV antifreeze may be used to protect the black/gray
tank� When the outside temperature is near freezing,
simply switch "ON" the holding tank heaters� Built-in
sensors will activate the heat pads when the contents
of the tank drops to 44°F� Once the liquid is heated
and rises to 64°F the heat pads will automatically
deactivate� Switch the power "OFF" when the ambient
outside temperature remains above freezing or when
the tanks have been emptied�
Some states do not allow LPG to be turned on while
moving� While traveling in these states, simply use
your common sense� How cold is it? How long will
it be before you can turn the heat back on? Is the
temperature dropping or rising? Remember, when
towing at 50 MPH, the wind chill factor will cause the
interior of the trailer to cool much faster than a parked
trailer�
When parked in sub-freezing temperatures, make sure
to keep a full supply of LPG and plug into a 120-volt
power source whenever possible�
NOTE
Drain and winterize the trailer if the water systems
are not being used during winter traveling.
Refer to Section 8 - Maintenance for winterizing
instructions.
2020 Basecamp