Why the Nautilus system?

[4x4dually]

TTo the dude that didn't think he couldn't understand how to winterize his system by blowing out the lines. Well bud, figure it out, it isn't that hard.

Agreed. Hook to pressured air. Keep moving valves until everything blows dry air. Pretty simple really. LOL

[minnow101]

As a former Kantleak victim which was the precursor to the Nautilus maze of pipes, fittings and improper clamps, the old “a solution in search of a problem” phrase is so aptly applicable.

[goducks14]

I'll take old school KISS technology. Fresh water fill port on the side of the trailer. A simple blow out of the lines for winterizing. Why make it so complicated?

[OshawaDave]

No way. I have had the old fashioned, non manifold systems on 2 RV's. Messing around with disconnecting this and connecting that and adding this was a pain in the arse. The Nautilus system is FAR superior to anything I had in the past.

Agree......100%

[puffdaddy]

We have a 2021 Reflection 303RLS, previously had an Imagine. While both had the Nautilus system, the Imagine had the ability to fill the fresh water tank from a conventional fill port, where the newer Reflection does not, so you have to fill via a bucket and the sanitize pump which is painfully slow, especially if you are pulling into a campground on a Friday evening with 5 trailers behind you waiting to fill. Many of our Provincial Parks in Ontario do not provide the ability to connect water to your trailer via garden hose fittings so this is the only option. I tried inverting the screen to open the check valve as suggested on this forum but still took way too long so I modified my system to allow filling through the fresh water tank drain valve and it works great and fills the tank very quickly.

For my water fill modification I simply added a pipe extension and 90 deg elbow to the drain valve to the side of the trailer and terminate there with one half of a union that I put a cap on to keep it clean.
When I want to fill the tank, I attach the stand pipe with the other half the union on it to complete the "U" loop. With the drain valve open I fill the fresh water tank, close the drain valve, disconnect the union and store the stand pipe in the trailer for the next fill up. With the stand pipe disconnected, the drain valve functions as normal.

As for the Nautilus system, I have no other complaints besides the slow fill rate. I did add a small expansion tank to the water system to prevent the pump from turning on every time you took a drop of water. This also seems to work well and I was able to successfully winterize the system with compressed air and my expansion tank survived just fine.

[OshawaDave]

We have a 2021 Reflection 303RLS, previously had an Imagine. While both had the Nautilus system, the Imagine had the ability to fill the fresh water tank from a conventional fill port, where the newer Reflection does not, so you have to fill via a bucket and the sanitize pump which is painfully slow, especially if you are pulling into a campground on a Friday evening with 5 trailers behind you waiting to fill. Many of our Provincial Parks in Ontario do not provide the ability to connect water to your trailer via garden hose fittings so this is the only option. I tried inverting the screen to open the check valve as suggested on this forum but still took way too long so I modified my system to allow filling through the fresh water tank drain valve and it works great and fills the tank very quickly.

For my water fill modification I simply added a pipe extension and 90 deg elbow to the drain valve to the side of the trailer and terminate there with one half of a union that I put a cap on to keep it clean.
When I want to fill the tank, I attach the stand pipe with the other half the union on it to complete the "U" loop. With the drain valve open I fill the fresh water tank, close the drain valve, disconnect the union and store the stand pipe in the trailer for the next fill up. With the stand pipe disconnected, the drain valve functions as normal.

As for the Nautilus system, I have no other complaints besides the slow fill rate. I did add a small expansion tank to the water system to prevent the pump from turning on every time you took a drop of water. This also seems to work well and I was able to successfully winterize the system with compressed air and my expansion tank survived just fine.

That's interesting, we camp almost exclusively at Ontario Provincial Parks and I've never been to a park that doesn't have a threaded end on the potable water hook up at the trailer water fill station (the black tank rinse hose [Red one] at the dump station is not always threaded). My 2022 Reflection has a setting on the Nautilis caled "Powerfill" for filling from a presssurized threaded water hose - no need to use your water pump. I then fill 5 gallon jugs as I need them and use the "sanitize' setting as you mentioned.

[IBEW Sparky]

@puffdaddy


That seems like a lot of extra work. If the water supply pipe you're using to fill your RV doesn't have a threaded end for a garden hose then just get one of these Water Bandits and slip it onto the pipe. Use the power fill valve setting on your nautilus system and the tank is filled up in a few minutes.

Camco Lead-Free Water Bandit, 3.25 Inches, Blue (22484) https://a.co/d/1ZABMtw

[puffdaddy]

Dave: Not all the Provincial parks have them but I have been to 3 in the past 2 years that have installed them (latest just last weekend at Ferris and last year at Rideau River in Kemptville). Not sure of their rationale but you will likely run into them at some point. I had the powerfill option on my Imagine as well but just be aware, that will not work with this type of fill station, should you run into one.

Sparky, thanks for the reco, but I have a water bandit but it doesnt always work for me. In the case of the specific fill connections I showed in the picture, there is also a vent in the handle that will not allow for any backpressure so adapting it to allow for a hose connection wont work. It looks like someone put a piece of hose on the fill handle to do just what you suggested and then discovered the vent (like I did), so they put duct tape on the vent to try to force water into their system.

[OshawaDave]

Puffdaddy- are you sure that’s the potable water fill? That looks like the black tank and sewer hose rinse!!!
You ever want to use that one to fill up your fresh water tank.

[puffdaddy]

Yep, positive. You will likely run into them yourself someday if you frequent provincial parks. If not, count yourself lucky as they are a real PIA.