Water Systems
A large water capacity is only useful if water is available for use when it is needed. Many traditional motor homes must have their tanks drained and be winterized when the thermometer drops below freezing. The LTS plumbing systems are designed to be reliable and robust, and to be functional even in below freezing temperatures. In addition, the easy winterization system quickly and easily winterizes the system without the need for RV antifreeze.
Fresh Water
The large 85 gallon molded fiberglass water tank on the LTS is located on the passenger side of the vehicle and extends through the floor. The bottom half of the tank is insulated and located inside a fiberglass fairing, the top half of the tank extends into the inside the camper. As long as the camper interior is kept heated, some of this heat is transferred to the water tank helping to preventing freezing. A thermostatically controlled heater is located on the bottom of the water tank to further protect against freezing in extremely cold conditions. The water tank is filled by a gravity fill located on the passenger side of the vehicle and the top of the water tank is removable to enable easy cleaning of the inside of the tank. All water from the fresh water tank passes through a “whole house” style sediment filter located under the galley sink immediately after being drawn from the tank by a high capacity marine grade water pump.
Hot Water
Hot water is heated by the truck engine whenever the engine is running, and a diesel fired hydronic heater is used to heat hot water without running the engine. Coolant lines are routed from the engine to the hydronic heater, then to a 6.5 gallon hot-water tank/heat exchanger and finally back to the engine. In typical operation, the engine coolant will heat the hot water in the tank to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit. A thermostatic mixing valve mixes this 200 degree water with cold water to bring the temperature down to approximately 110 degrees which provides about 13 gallons of hot water.
If the hot water is all used or becomes cold from sitting in camp for an extended period of time, the hydronic heater can be used to efficiently heat more water. The hydronic heater can also be used to preheat the truck engine when camping in extremely cold temperatures. In addition, there is a timer option that can be set to run before you take a morning or evening shower, ensuring ample amounts of hot water whenever you may need it.
Gray Water
Water from the kitchen sink, bathroom sink and shower all drain into a heated 26 gallon gray water tank. An electric operated dump valve allows easy dumping from inside so you won’t have to crawl under the camper to dump the gray water. If you find yourself in a campsite, a hose can be attached to the gray water drain and routed into a dump station or sewer hook up. With this system the black and gray water tanks are completely isolated from each other and as long as you are using biodegradable soaps, gray water dumping is safe almost anywhere.
Exterior Shower
A outside accessible shower with hot and cold water is provided and is useful for hosing off at the beach, washing the dog, or taking an outside shower.
