Gravity Water Inlet Repair

[roblombardo]

For whatever reason this seems typical for a lot of coaches. Reducing the air gap will certainly increase splash back while underway and cornering somewhat. If you fill regularly from a non pressurized source, this won't be for you. What I chose to do instead was two things (both are very inexpensive):


1) I purchased a long (4') rubber washing machine fill hose, cut it to about 3' and put a brass hose shut of valve on the remaining coupler end. Now, I simply feed this hose in through the fill port past the air gap and fill without issue. The shut off valve allows me to control or stop the water flow right at the coach rather than back at the hose bib.
2) I found and installed a very thin rubber washer inside the fill cap. Now this seals the fill port completely while underway. Some water can still be seen escaping the tank during cornering through the vent port, but far less than with no air gap and an unsealed fill port.

[dougc905]

Somewhere in these forums is a thread regarding installing a bypass around the fresh water pump in order to facilitate filling the fresh water tank from the city water feed. Apparently the water pump has a one way valve to prevent flow into the fresh tank.

Haven’t heard of anyone who has done this though…

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by dougc905

Somewhere in these forums is a thread regarding installing a bypass around the fresh water pump in order to facilitate filling the fresh water tank from the city water feed. Apparently the water pump has a one way valve to prevent flow into the fresh tank.

Haven’t heard of anyone who has done this though…

Kind of off-topic for this thread, but if you happen to have a Shower Miser water saver valve in your shower, you can do exactly that.

• Water pump is off
• City water is on
• Turn Shower Miser to the setting that runs water back to fresh water tank
• Turn off when tank is full

[MrScott1]

Originally Posted by dougc905

Somewhere in these forums is a thread regarding installing a bypass around the fresh water pump in order to facilitate filling the fresh water tank from the city water feed. Apparently the water pump has a one way valve to prevent flow into the fresh tank.

Haven’t heard of anyone who has done this though…

The one-way valve would be so the pressurized side of the fresh water pump doesn't lose pressure the moment the pump cuts out. Also so the city water doesn't all run into the fresh water tank, then out the fill and vent ports once that becomes full.

A bypass valve past the pump's one-way valve (or more directly from city water to the fresh water tank) would allow filling the fresh water tank.

[MGD1961]

When we got our pandemic built Gray Wolf 20 RDSE I discovered that out of the advertised 42gl tank about 20gl was usable

First time I filled it when the vent under the trailer (not at the fill) started running out I figured tank is full so off we go to my fist 2 day boondocking shakedown

Flushed the toilet a couple times. Did the dishes. Took a navy shower. All good.

Next morning ran out of water after washing up and flushing toilet looked at water gauge and it read 1/3 tank. That seemed low but shouldn’t have run dry. Went out and pulled the tank drain and with a 5 gl bucket measured about 15 gallons was in the tank. Broke camp and went home.

Removed the Coroplast to discover the draw tube was installed about 1/3 of the way up the side of the tank and the vent was about 2 inches above that. So I had about 2 inches of useable water. These tanks to the best of my knowledge come to the builder with no fittings. Fitting are installed during the build process

The fix was
1st. Installed a pex valve on the vent hose sticking out the bottom of the trailer When I fill I turn off the valve when it starts dribbling and continue filling slowly allowing the remaining air to vent back out the fill. So now we have a full tank!

2nd. Using a 2 foot piece of 1/2 inch clear FDA hose I indexed the draw tube fitting and removed it from the side of the tank. I then glued the clear tube into the inside of the fitting taking advantage of the natural curve to the hose when reinstalled would extend to the bottom of the tank.

After measuring the results I was able to get this down to “or up to” 41 usable gallons

[brucemc]

pWhile you are inspecting the fill & vent hose routing, check the connections at the tank and fill/vent port. I water dribbles inside below the fill port near the water heater on our new 2016 Sunseeker not long after taking possession. Investigating, I found the hoses were improperly mounted to the fill/vent port nipples, and the band clamps were barely tightened.

While I was at it, I re-routed those hoses to the proper grade as well.

It seems the installers have little understanding of flow, nor to they really care. All they want to do is get it assembled and move on to the next, because it's gonna be beer-o-thirty/maryJane-o-thirty shortly!

[Larry-NC]

Riddle: Why is a new RV like an IKEA product?
Answer: You have to put it together right by yourself?

Riddle:Why is it NOT like an IKEA product?
Answer:They don't include the tools you need with it.

[MGD1961]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Riddle: Why is a new RV like an IKEA product?
Answer: You have to put it together right by yourself?

Riddle:Why is it NOT like an IKEA product?
Answer:They don't include the tools you need with it.

I thought you were going to say at least IKEA gives you instructions. Lol

[NMWildcat]

OP. Great job and good write-up and pictures. Thanks for documenting this common problem.

[billwww3]

mhbraun, thanks for this!! now i realize why trying to fill slowly does not work at all. i have to really force the water in at high pressure or i get the big cold shower! the filler i bought with 12" hose and spigot control works okay if i go full bore. i don't know how energetic i feel about actually fixing it...
Happy Trails!!


PS. keep the square drive AND the phillips handy, they switch up depending on whatever/?? moon? stars? lunchtime? leap year? and cable ties!! stock up before you look underneath

[5picker]

Another thread resurrected from 2 years ago!

[MGD1961]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Another thread resurrected from 2 years ago!

If it’s really a problem shouldn’t someone in power cull the older posts ……..?

[5picker]

Originally Posted by MGD1961

If it’s really a problem shouldn’t someone in power cull the older posts ……..?

There's already a procedure in place warning if one is about to post to an older thread, but that's just for the 1st poster to do such. Seems many don't pay attention to that anyway.

Once it's revived, it becomes a current thread, so unless one has a good memory and remembers it's made it's rounds or unless one looks at the thread and deciphers they are posting to an old thread, folks just jump in and it goes on.

[billwww3]

Originally Posted by billwww3

mhbraun, thanks for this!! now i realize why trying to fill slowly does not work at all. i have to really force the water in at high pressure or i get the big cold shower! the filler i bought with 12" hose and spigot control works okay if i go full bore. i don't know how energetic i feel about actually fixing it...

Feeling quite a bit more energetic about fixing this after having to spoon feed my springtime bleach water into the very resistant tank. ARGHHH!!


So sorry about the resurrected thread but as newcomers to RVs find the site, the same problems will likely be encountered by them.