DEF Tank and filling

The Wanderer2 · 10-18-2019, 03:08 PM

Am I the only one having trouble filling this tank with DEF Fluid. I couldn’t do it at a truck stop, so I use a flexible funnel and buy peak fluid in a box and pour it in with the help of my wife. This is a pain and a slow process. This is a design problem. Has anyone found an easier way to fill this tank? My unit is a 2019 Berkshire 34QS.

Jhut · 10-18-2019, 04:28 PM

I had to fill with a funnel too, unless I went to the flying j and pumped their bulk def at the semi fuel tanks.

gordonsick · 10-18-2019, 09:15 PM

If possible, I go through a Flying J from the “wrong” side to fill bulk DEF.

Otherwise, I use an old windshield washer bottle that I’ve cleaned carefully and rinsed with some DEF that I discarded. I pour the DEF into it and find that I can get it high enough to fill with the DEF filler spout. They have the same threads.

I find that I can dump half a DEF jug into the tank directly, so I only need this trick for the second half of the jug.
—Gordon

erniet · 10-18-2019, 11:58 PM

Depending on my driving route on how soon, but sometime after 2 of my green lights go out on my DEF monitor I start looking for a truck stop that sells DEF. Yes, you have to go through the fuel pump island opposite direction of the trucks but I fill at one of their DEF pumps. Yes, it is a PAIN!
Ernie

FleckDreher · 10-19-2019, 03:42 AM

I use a Camco RV Anti-freeze pump stuck into the Blu Def box opening to pump it into the reservoir.

Works good with no spill, no mess.

Just rinse out the pump with lots of fresh water when your done.

formerFR · 10-19-2019, 08:12 AM

I've always made use of the $7.88 2 1/2 gallon DEF from W*mt, and make use of TWO of the flex fillers to allow me to have an 'easier' time holding the jug, and higher than the filler neck, and right next to the side of the coach.
No matter, it's not necessarily the 'easy' task it should be, but it's not the DEF container manufacturer's fault, but just the design of how these DEF tanks are contained 'within' the coach...without it's own 'filler neck' on the side of the coach, which might be a design the RV manufacturers should look into.

omahagirl · 10-19-2019, 08:15 AM

Ours is a 2011. We saw some other posting I found this “soap” holder on Wally.com. Metal with suction cups so it could be bent. My hubby bought the other parts. Seems to work well. He’d bought the battery operated pump that broke within a year

dave-g · 10-19-2019, 04:16 PM

battery power pump

https://www.harborfreight.com/batter...UaApUGEALw_wcB

OnBarrowedTime · 10-20-2019, 08:45 AM

I have mounted a FIMCO Chemical pump in compartment, and pump right out of the jug. This way I do not even have to hold jug up.
Note I do also rinse pump with clean water each time.

btritschler1437 · 10-20-2019, 12:29 PM

Go to the Ford parts dept and pickup their DEF filler nozzle that screws on to the bottles. This is a longer nozzle than the free one that comes with the 2.5 gal bottle.

helferdm · 10-20-2019, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by omahagirl

Ours is a 2011. We saw some other posting I found this “soap” holder on Wally.com. Metal with suction cups so it could be bent. My hubby bought the other parts. Seems to work well. He’d bought the battery operated pump that broke within a year

This is one of several reasons we didn't replace our 2011 Berkshire with a Forest River product. Two other top reasons: cheap veneer cabinetry and more than a dozen cracked tiles. It seems that the DEF-fill would have been re-engineered by now.

omahagirl · 10-20-2019, 09:11 PM

Ours has just 1 hairline cracked tile she was well cared for and we’ve continued that with our 2 years of owning her. We love our Berkshire!! I’ve heard with the last few years they’ve put the access for DEF on the drivers side

Igave · 10-21-2019, 10:39 AM

Our is on the passenger side also. We do the reverse pull thru at the pump too when it won’t interfere with the truck traffic. Kinda a minor inconvenience but glad we only have to do it once in awhile. We do the battery handheld pump (like ($10 r so) when we have to get it from the box. 24,000 relatively trouble free miles thus far on our Berk and very happy with it.

hordok · 10-21-2019, 07:13 PM

Mines a Charleston but same issue. I cut a three foot section of garden hose. End of the filler tube that comes with the def fits snugly inside the hose.

I insert the hose into the def tank then lift the 2 1/2 gallon container up above the tank. It flows nicely through the hose into the tank and doesn’t leak.

ceedog · 10-21-2019, 07:22 PM

I'm with Dave-G. The battery operated pump works extremely well. I've had one for four years. I carry DEF jugs that I fill at the pump & when I need it, it's right there.

Mmnsc · 10-21-2019, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Igave

Our is on the passenger side also. We do the reverse pull thru at the pump too when it won’t interfere with the truck traffic. Kinda a minor inconvenience but glad we only have to do it once in awhile. We do the battery handheld pump (like ($10 r so) when we have to get it from the box. 24,000 relatively trouble free miles thus far on our Berk and very happy with it.

When I had my 2012 Berk I always got DEF at Flying J WITHOUT pulling in backwards. Every time I needed DEF I would ask the trucker in the lane to my right if I could use his pump for getting the DEF and I would just pull the long hose into my lane and fill up the tank. In the many times I asked, I never had a trucker refuse and most often started a nice conversation.

Fortunately my 2018 Berk has a DEF fill point by the rear wheels on the driver’s side.

**F.R.O.G.** · 10-22-2019, 08:18 PM

Befpre the new larger Berkshires had a DEF fill on both sides, we'd sometimes pull into a truck lane with an empty slot to our right, and simply fill from the DEF pump in the next lane.

Igave · 10-22-2019, 09:13 PM

I’m chuckling at myself. Obviously I haven’t been thinking outside the box (no pun intended) on this one.

DogFather · 11-02-2019, 10:07 PM

I learned very quickly that manually filling was a real pain. Some suggestions here make it easier but I've found that by far the easiest for me is to top off at a pump when down to the 1/4 light. Since the stuff depletes over significant miles, such fills aren't very frequent. And I've found it always to be cheaper at the pump.

Just in case I might run out I carry a 2.5 gal box w/spout in the basement.

MOJO380 · 11-03-2019, 05:09 AM

I'm enjoying this thread. It makes me chuckle. I am a truck driver who has to add DEF every day to my truck with jugs. Every jug you buy should have a flexible filler hose/cap. Yes it is a slow pour but a pocket knife can make it go a little faster. Just poke a hole high on the side of the jug.

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