2011 189FBS freshwater tank questions

RO

rondi-FUN

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Posts
23
Location
North Idaho
Hi, Our new trailer has the freshwater tank hung from the rails under the floor. It has an upside down dome, the bottom of which is 3" below the water pump hose fitting, and also the tank drain valve. This prevents me from pumping the last 5 gallons or so of water, AND completely draining the tank for winterizing---I live about 40 miles south of Canada. I have only 15 gal of freshwater tank storage.

1. Is this a "normal" tank for 2011, or even 2010?

2. If it isn't, have others had the same tank installed and then replaced by their dealer? Or did the dealer move the pump & drain fittings lower?

3. If it is normal, how do you completely drain the tank?

4. If you need a pix, i'll take on an post it--let me know.

tia, Ron
 
I have the same Fun Finder-----( 2009 )189 FBS

Our Fun Finder is a 2009 189.FBS the water tank is under the bed on top of the floor so is the pump and drain.
 
Draining the fresh water tank

I have a 2009 FF-189FDS with the flat fresh water tank that Rondi mentions. The problem I'm having is that the tank cannot be completely drained between trips, so I'm left with about 5 gal of stale water that contaminates the new tankful. does anyone have a solution to this tank problem. I've thought of standing the trailer on end, but that seems a little extreme. Any other ideas??
 
I went to my dealer last week to have a slide topper installed, and i showed them the tank which was really sagging. A service guy took pix and was going to send them to FF--i haven't heard anything yet. I think it was the service manager who suggested bolting a few angle pieces on the bottom of the trailer frame to support the tank--and i agree this is the way to go.

When i got home--i took a 2 x 6 x 7' and using a floor jack, i jacked up the 2 x 6 until the top of the 2x6 reached the frame on both sides. it drained the tank almost completely.

If i were to do it myself, i would buy 3 7' long (I'd trim it to length) 1.5 x 1.5 x 3/16" aluminum and drill a hole in each end & thru the frame. and using a 1/4" bolt--bolt it to the frame. You can buy the 3 pieces of aluminum angle online for about $24 + shipping.
Aluminum isn't as strong as iron, but angle iron is heavy compared to aluminum.

I also looked at a FF 21' trailer to see how FF supported it's 36 gal tank. It is mounted over the axles, but it has supports under it.

hth, Ron
 
fresh water tank

Thanks for the suggestion of using a board to jack up the tank. That sounds helpful since mine sags terribly. I have also managed to get more water out by removing the drain valve, inserting a 1/4" clear plastic hose from Lowe's hardware into the drain hole, and setting up a siphon. This method removes the water down to the level of the hose.

Please keep me posted on any answer from FunFinder about our sagging tank. Meanwhile, I like your idea of an additional support. My tank just looks like it's going to fall at any minute.
 
Re: fresh water tank

dlhilliard said:
Thanks for the suggestion of using a board to jack up the tank. That sounds helpful since mine sags terribly. I have also managed to get more water out by removing the drain valve, inserting a 1/4" clear plastic hose from Lowe's hardware into the drain hole, and setting up a siphon. This method removes the water down to the level of the hose.

Please keep me posted on any answer from FunFinder about our sagging tank. Meanwhile, I like your idea of an additional support. My tank just looks like it's going to fall at any minute.
Click to expand...

I concur with your siphon method. I have a 2010 shadow cruiser 18fbs. I connected a hose to the drain valve with a clamp, then I ran the hose to the lowest point in the tank. I drilled two small holes in the bottom of the tank (the width of the hose) then zip tied it to the bottom so it does not float up. I patched the holes with marine grade putty. When it dries it becomes rock hard and impossible to remove......No leaks yet, and I'm able to fully drain my tank. With this method I nevr have to remove the drain valve again.
 
I had forgotten about this thread. I'm glad I'm still subscribed to it.

We got our FF back from the dealer just after my last post above, with the fresh water tank supported by 2 side to side 1.5 x 1.5 angle iron, screwed into the main front to rear frame. The braces were laid on the top of the bottom edge of the C channel frame. This pushes the bottom of the tank up a bit more than i like. I would have mounted them under the C channel--but i'm not gonna change it. Probably the only difference is a quart of water--but when boondocking--a quart might be the difference in a pot of coffee or not :)

I works very well in both draining the tank, and pump it almost dry.

Sorry for such a late post about the fix,
Ron
 
Take it back to the dealer and complain. I had the same problem. The factory approved the replacement of the tank with a different style one which has a drain valve on the bottom. A steel cross support bar was also installed to help support the tank in the middle so it will not sag.

Gordon
_________________

________________
2010 X189FDS
2007 GMC 1/2 Ton
Tekonsha Prodigy P3
Equal-i-zer Hitch
Honda EU2000ia
Days Camped/2011/6
 
Tank draining

I like the idea of complaining. I don't have much hope that the dealer will help me, but a direct call to the factory might help.
 
I've been trying to decide how much of it's actually sag, and how much it's designed like that.

I was wondering if there was any way to run a line into the tank from the outlet that would allow you to pick up that extra few gallons.
 
guybmoto said:
I've been trying to decide how much of it's actually sag, and how much it's designed like that.

I was wondering if there was any way to run a line into the tank from the outlet that would allow you to pick up that extra few gallons.
Click to expand...

I answered that in the post above but here it is again; I have a 2010 shadow cruiser 18fbs. I connected a hose to the drain valve with a clamp, then I ran the hose to the lowest point in the tank. I drilled two small holes in the bottom of the tank (the width of the hose) then zip tied it to the bottom so it does not float up. I patched the holes with marine grade putty. When it dries it becomes rock hard and impossible to remove......No leaks yet, and I'm able to fully drain my tank. With this method I nevr have to remove the drain valve again.
 
18 fbs fresh water tank

I had the dealer install a metal bar across the middle, bottom of the fresh water tank. This raised the bottom allowing more water to drain. I also used a small pump jack and a piece of plywod to push up the bottom of the tank to improve drainage. In both cases I parked on an incline with the drain facing down the incline.
 
Thanks

Thanks for the tips Dave. My trailer is going in on Wensday with a list of 13 things I want fixed. Hope they fix everything. was going to fix the small stuff myself but the list just kept growing on and on.
 
I'm the OP. I will try to remember to take some pix when my wife returns with the trailer. But in the meantime--crawl under your trailer and notice the where the bottom of the tank and the bottom of the frame is on either side. get a 2x4 long enough to span from the left side frame to right side frame. Use a jack, or blocks of wood or ?? to push the 2x4 up tight to the frame.

How does that look?? is the bottom of the tank pretty level? If it is, I suggest you get 3 pieces of 1 1/2x 1 1/2x 3/16 angle iron, or if you want to save some weight get aluminum angle. I would use 5/16" bolts--so you need to drill clearance holes in the angle and the frame.
Here is one site: http://www.alcobrametals.com/display.php?id=2189
If you want the bottom to be a bit lower, you could put some shims between the angle and the frame to give you the max amount of water.

IMHO my dealer did not do it right. They mounted the angle ON TOP of the lip of the frame. I would mount it under the frame, which would make the bottom flatter. Mine was made with 2 angles (vs the 3 I would've used) but because it is mounted on top of the 1/4 or 5/16" thick frame--it causes ripples in the bottom--like 3 separate tubs. So when the trailer is level and you run out of water, there is still a bit of water in the other tubs. And IMHO, the water outlet should be on the bottom, NOT the side. My dealer said, at my cost, they could "spin" on a different fitting into the bottom which would include the outlet and the drain. So far--with a gallon jug to put a few gallons in the tank--my wife can make it 4 nights. We do dump the dish water into the black tank to preserve space in the gray tank for showers and ??
Ron
 
Cargo straps

Thinking fo getting some hooks welded to the frame on both sides of the fresh water tank ( front to back) then using cargo straps to chinch it up on boih sides of the drain. And maybe using 1 cargo at the back for the other 2 tanks. 189 FDS
 
fresh Water

Hello Saltynuts, I have same model. Is your drain valve for the fresh water under the middle of the trailer towards the front? Only way to get there is wigggle under with little clearence? I want to sanitize but lot of work getting under there to empty bleach solution.
 
Side Drain fix

I have added braces to the fresh water tank as well as found a very cheap way to get all the water out of the tank.

After adding some pallet strapping with some angle iron across the bottom of the tank, it remains quite flat, even with a full load of water. The fact that the hose that draws the water out of the tank is a full inch from the bottom of the tank was another thing. Here's a simple solution:

-remove the hose from the water outlet fitting(it's just a hose clamp).
-unscrew the angle fitting from the tank threads.
-take the fitting to home depot or the like and look through their selection of hoses for one that has an outside diameter the same as the inside diameter of the fitting that goes inside towards the tank.
-buy 12-24" of that hose(i think it was a 3/8th OD with a 1/4 ID)
-Cut the hose to a length that will allow it to hang down, from the fitting, into the lowest part of the tank(mine was about 12" long). The hose will naturally have a bend to it from being coiled. you want the end downward to the bottom of the tank.
-press fit the hose into the fitting and trim the other end to have a rough cut so that it cant suck itself to the bottom of the tank when the pump is drawing.
-re-install the fitting, with the hose sticking into the tank and making sure the bend in the hose has the intake end curved downward to the bottom of the tank when you are done tightening it.
-reinstall the pump's hose onto the barbed end of the fitting and re-tighten the hose clamp.

The small section of hose will now have its end sticking right into the lowest part of the tank and will draw the tank pretty much dry. Cost me $8 because I had to buy 20 ft of hose. Cleans all the water from the tank now.
 
Hi sbb. My drain valve is toward the back of the trailer in the center. The only way I can complety drain the tank is by crawing under and holding up the tank with both hands and making the water flow towards the drain. So stupid. I am going to brace my tanks this weekend and we will see how it turns out. Salty :)
 
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