Bourton water filler(s)

We have just changed our 2013 Worcester and bought a 2017 Bourton which is delightful. The whale water filler on the Worcester took a bit of getting used to but once I did it was quite good although I missed just having a hole in the wall filler.

Now, the Bourton has both! However, the handbook is singularly useless in advising how to use this two tank/filler system and only describes how I would fill a caravan from a rolling water barrel. I'm not new to motor homing by any means and could eventually work it out for myself but I'm sure there are many Bourton owners out there with the experience to tell me how I fill either/both tanks.

I take it the small tank under the offside sofa (which has a hole in the wall filler) is a 20 or 25 litre tank designed for travelling with limited water and can be filled by a standard hose or can. The underslung tank is filled by the whale filler which needs the special whale hose and connector that I had on my Worcester. On the Worcester I simply connected the hose turned on the water supply and then turned on the internal control panel - the onboard pump would run until the tank was full and automatically cut off. 

So I am not sure if both tanks are connected in some way and both can be filled via the hole in the wall or each is filled separately. Is the quoted tank capacity of 62 litres just the underslung tank or bith together.

One other question that popped up as I was ferreting about is the boxed in EC500 and charging unit is under the offside sofa. There is a rocker switch on top of this boxed in section - what does this control?

Many thank for any help
Regards David

Hello from a fellow Bourton owner. Ours is a 2017 so I imagine it will be the same as yours. We always fill with water using the hole in the wall and it does fill both tanks, although the diameter of the pipe from the small tank under the o/s sofa to the underslung tank is quite small so it takes a few minutes to filter down. You have to be patient when filling this way, as the top tank at 25 litres, fills quicker than the water can travel into the underslung tank. I fill the top tank with a hose pipe then wait 2 or 3 minutes and fill it again, not ideal when you have a queue of other vans behind you at the tap. When we are away touring we try to fill every day so we are only filling the top one mostly. It is not the best system, and the total capacity is too small but we really like our van nonetheless.

To answer your other points:-

The total water capacity of both tanks is 62 litres. 

The rocker switch you refer to is for the tank heaters.

Stevet wrote:Hello from a fellow Bourton owner. Ours is a 2017 so I imagine it will be the same as yours. We always fill with water using the hole in the wall and it does fill both tanks, although the diameter of the pipe from the small tank under the o/s sofa to the underslung tank is quite small so it takes a few minutes to filter down. You have to be patient when filling this way, as the top tank at 25 litres, fills quicker than the water can travel into the underslung tank. I fill the top tank with a hose pipe then wait 2 or 3 minutes and fill it again, not ideal when you have a queue of other vans behind you at the tap. When we are away touring we try to fill every day so we are only filling the top one mostly. It is not the best system, and the total capacity is too small but we really like our van nonetheless.

To answer your other points:-

The total water capacity of both tanks is 62 litres. 

The rocker switch you refer to is for the tank heaters.

Thanks for the information stevet most helpful. Just one other thing. After using the whale filler on the Worcester I don't mind it now and it may be quicker than using the small tank filler but is it the same - fit the special plug, turn on the tap, turn on the control panel and it will stop when the underslung tank is full? I guess even doing that I would then need to fill the small tank separately? 

Thanks, David

Sorry David I have never used the Whale system so I can’t answer your query. We have always had vans with the traditional filling hole and rightly or wrongly I just stuck with it when we bought the Bourton, our first Autosleeper. Maybe I could learn something too.
Regards
Steve

Don't bother Steve.

The learning curve for a watering can is non existent, and more importantly there's nothing to go wrong.

The Whale filler is great for caravans which don't have onboard water tanks, but what's the point of first filling a water carrier, then having to rig up a pump to get the water into the van. 

Just use a water carrier with a spout and pour it in.

In my opinion of course, before I get flamed by the die-hard pump firtlers! 

When we bought out Bourton the whale pump was missing, I use a watering can and find it convenient enough. with ref to the rocker switch for tank heaters is there any indication when it is switched on, I can't see a light near to it.
Regards
Lucy C

Lucy, on ours the rocker switch has a small circular neon which lights when the tank heaters are on.

Gromit wrote:Don't bother Steve.

The learning curve for a watering can is non existent, and more importantly there's nothing to go wrong.

The Whale filler is great for caravans which don't have onboard water tanks, but what's the point of first filling a water carrier, then having to rig up a pump to get the water into the van. 

Just use a water carrier with a spout and pour it in.

In my opinion of course, before I get flamed by the die-hard pump firtlers! 

Come on Gromit    They are great, why drive and waste fuel or take 200 trips to the tap with a watering can to fill up when we can use our caravan roly to fill up at any time. Love it. But then I’m a firtler 

No extra trips to the water tap if you are crafty enough - and can con the gaffer into helping! 

One shower and one pee each is all it takes, so long as we remember to take the watering can with us. 

Stevet wrote:Lucy, on ours the rocker switch has a small circular neon which lights when the tank heaters are on.

Stevet- do the tank heaters have to be on at the control panel before the rocker switch neon lights up?

David

Gromit wrote:No extra trips to the water tap if you are crafty enough - and can con the gaffer into helping! 

One shower and one pee each is all it takes, so long as we remember to take the watering can with us. 

OMG - surely that doesn't go into the fresh tank?

Only from the shower trip Ron.

We do have some standards you know!!!  

rventhusiast - David, yes the tank heaters have to be turned on at the control panel first, the neon then lights on the rocker switch.
Steve

Stevet wrote:rventhusiast - David, yes the tank heaters have to be turned on at the control panel first, the neon then lights on the rocker switch.
Steve

Thanks Steve - yes tried that and works.

David