Filling the fresh water tank.

RI

RipVan

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2013
Posts
283
Location
WI
I’ve had issues in the past when filling the fresh water tank where the water backs up while filling making for a fairly slow process to put 25 gallons in the reservoir. Read a suggestion (prolly on this forum) to use an extended filler hose that goes deeper into the OEM fill hose. The one I made is about 18” long but the path of the OEM hose only allows me to advance it ~12”. Seems to catch on the corrugations. Perhaps I need a smaller diameter, longer hose that goes all of the way to the tank? I’m wondering if my vent tube (I’m assuming that’s what the small screened aperture above the fill opening is) is plugged? Has anyone else had an issue with the vent tube?
 
When my fresh water tank is filling, sometimes can hear guggling in the vent .. and when full water squirts out of it.
 
There may be a simple fix --- I had the same problem. I took a hard look at the inlet tube, and it was tilted upward, slightly. So I looped a cable tie around the tube and pulled it down a little, fastening the end of the cable tie to part of the cabinet frame. Problem solved -- the law of gravity has now been obeyed.

Hope this helps!!
 
Eagle said:
When my fresh water tank is filling, sometimes can hear guggling in the vent .. and when full water squirts out of it.
Click to expand...

That’s how I would expect it to work. I’ve never had that happen tho which leads me to believe something is plugging the vent tube.

I’ll also check to see if Profdant’s solution might be the problem!
 
Well, after exploring both of the suggested remedies, I discovered that the vent tube had a major kink about 8” in from the vent screen. I tried free up the kinked area to let the tube be open to air passage but found no joy with that maneuver. I ended up (hopefully) improving the situation by forcing a hard plastic piece of tubing past the kinked area. Same concept as a coronary artery stent. I did have to splice in a short extension at the tank end. Again, I’m hoping that this provides a solution to the problem. If not, I may have to remove the outer filling port plate to see if adjustments can be done there.
 
profdant139 said:
Great idea on the stent! Would it be possible to reduce the length of the tube in order to straighten out the kink? (Like a coronary bypass, perhaps? ;) )
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I’m not so sure that shortening the tube will do anything. The path of the tube is the issue. Coming off the back side of the external filler fixture, both the fill and vent tubes make a near 90 degree turn down into where they pass across the “ceiling” of the pass thru storage area at the front of the camper before entering the compartment containing the water tank, pump and accumulator. I need to explore the possibility of enlarging the area where the tubes pass into the storage area in order to reduce the angle of the bend.
RE: the “coronary bypass” idea, I may be doing that anyway due to the ugly buildup of “stuff” within the OEM vent tube! Technically, the only thing passing thru that tube should be air being forced out of the reservoir as it fills BUT if I overfill, I’m sure some of that “stuff” gets “back washed” toward the tank and ends up in the water. We do filter any water for drinking or cooking thru a Brita filter so we have some level of protection.
 
profdant139 said:
Coincidentally, today I was shopping for a new garden hose and saw this product -- it is an anti kink device for hoses -- I wonder if there is a way to use it on your vent tube?
Click to expand...

I may be able to something similar DIY with an appropriately sized spring.
Our x210 has the “walk around” Queen-size bed with cabinets under the “night stand” shelves. I looked inside the cabinet on the side where the filler fixture is and found a box built around where the fill and vent tubes pass into the storage compartment. I’m going to remove the box ( looks like two screws) and see if I can change the path of the vent tube to relieve the kink. Otherwise, I’ll see if the anti-kink fix might work. Another option would be a 1/2” x 1/2” 90 degree connector.
 
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Eagle said:
Depending on the side of the kink in the line - possibly sliding a copper tubing bender over the kinked area will suffice to eliminate the kink.... provided there is room.

These are made to slide over soft copper tubing so it can be bent without kinking.
Click to expand...

I do think that one of those would work but would have to be left in place. I’m going to look for a “weak” extension spring with an ID close to the OD of the vent tube. Prolly way cheaper than the copper tube bending set :rolleyes:. Nevertheless, thanks for the suggestion. I’m also considering running a much shorter section of tubing from the vent tube fitting at the top edge off the water tank directly out through the floor near where the low point drain runs out. I would want to put some sort of screen over the end of the tube to keep “stuff” from coming back up the tube.
I’m a little concerned with the potential for whatever is “growing” in the vent tube from backwashing into the freshwater tank if water “spitting” from the vent tube is used to tell when the tank is full:confused:
 
Rip, you could stop filling when the tank indicator hits full. But we always fill it till it spits -- we get an extra few gallons by doing that.

Pro tip -- stand to the side when over-filling the tank. Don't ask how I learned this.
 
profdant139 said:
Rip, you could stop filling when the tank indicator hits full. But we always fill it till it spits -- we get an extra few gallons by doing that.

Pro tip -- stand to the side when over-filling the tank. Don't ask how I learned this.
Click to expand...
The “water tank indicator” method turns the process into a two person job (one outside and one inside) AND usually involves some shouting plus I’m unsure of the precision and accuracy of the indicator.
On my most recent fill, I lifted the foot of the queen bed up and was able to actually see the level of water in the tank as it filled. When the indicator showed the tank as full, there was still room for a few gallons (like you said). It was a slow process though as the fill rate had to be kept low to allow “burping” of air back up through the fill tube. I also learned the “hard way” that there is definitely a wrong place to stand when filling:rolleyes::rolleyes:.
 
RipVan said:
I do think that one of those would work but would have to be left in place. I’m going to look for a “weak” extension spring with an ID close to the OD of the vent tube. Prolly way cheaper than the copper tube bending set :rolleyes:. Nevertheless, thanks for the suggestion. I’m also considering running a much shorter section of tubing from the vent tube fitting at the top edge off the water tank directly out through the floor near where the low point drain runs out. I would want to put some sort of screen over the end of the tube to keep “stuff” from coming back up the tube.
I’m a little concerned with the potential for whatever is “growing” in the vent tube from backwashing into the freshwater tank if water “spitting” from the vent tube is used to tell when the tank is full:confused:
Click to expand...

Just a side note but I picked up a set of soft copper tubing benders at a garage sale for a buck - and have never needed to use them in some 20 years. :eek:
 
profdant139 said:
Rip, you could stop filling when the tank indicator hits full. But we always fill it till it spits -- we get an extra few gallons by doing that.

Pro tip -- stand to the side when over-filling the tank. Don't ask how I learned this.
Click to expand...

I know how you learned to stand aside ... most likely same way I learned to stand aside.
;)
 
Took our fresh water tank out. Added a external door and use that area for storage space. Where the fresh water fill was I added a cover made for a power cord. Extended the suction/inlet hose on the house pump about a foot and a half to be able to stick it out the new opening. Now I use the house pump for antifreeze/winterizing. Also with a six gallon jug on a table outside I can still use it for water if needed.
We never used the tank anyway, really needed the space and I can always put it back.
 
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APD said:
Took our fresh water tank out. Added a external door and use that area for storage space. Where the fresh water fill was I added a cover made for a power cord. Extended the suction/inlet hose on the house pump about a foot and a half to be able to stick it out the new opening. Now I use the house pump for antifreeze/winterizing. Also with a six gallon jug on a table outside I can still use it for water if needed.
We never used the tank anyway, really needed the space and I can always put it back.
Click to expand...
So, you must almost never camp at a campground that doesn’t have “city water” hookups :confused:.
 
RipVan said:
So, you must almost never camp at a campground that doesn’t have “city water” hookups :confused:.
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Yes Rip that's true. We don't. We like our hookups.
But it's not as bad as it may sound to young folks. We did quite a bit of primitive camping when we were younger. Like our hookups now-a-days. State parks with W/E and the little "mom-n-pop" CG's we find out on the back roads are sometimes the best. :D
I guess we've just gotten soft in our old age.
 
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