Water tank fell out - how to get it back in?

[davehueb]

Hey folks,

Well, I pulled a dumb move and filled my water tank with the overflow valve closed. Tank swelled with both water and the trapped air, and dropped to the ground underneath the camper. It doesn't appear that anything is damaged with the hoses, or valves, so I'm curious if anyone has any tips on getting it back inbetween those angle irons that hold it in place? It appears that the welded one may've been bent a little bit in the process though the welds are intact. Can you remove the bolted on one and still get the bolts back in with the tank in place? That's my only thought for getting it back on. Would love to avoid an expensive trip to the repair shop.

Thanks for helping me with my idiot mistake. My only wish is that the very general manual would've mentioned the overflow valve. I was literally standing there with the manual in my hand when the tank hit the ground.

[La Plata View]

Wow, that's a bummer. Didn't know some campers have an overflow valve. On ours there's a overfill port (next to the fill opening) where the water will start pouring out once the tank fills.

As for the damage and repair I'd bite the bullet and take it to a reputable dealer. If nothing else let them inspect the damage to the frame to make sure it's still safe.

Post the make/model/year of your unit as there are probably many different ways the water tank can be mounted. Photos would also help.

Good Luck.

[davehueb]

It's a 2014 Vibe 6504 by Cross Vibe / Forest River
Attached a couple pics.

Considering strapping tank back up with straps to tow it into a legit repair place.

-

[elchilero53]

No cross support braces under the tank? Wow. No wonder it dropped!

Looks like you need some braces added.

[Parrott_head]

I would disconnect, drain and then stow it inside trailer until you get proper repair facility. if it comes loose down the road it could be fun.

[CaptnJohn]

Will it ever stop? One day one will fall on the road, cause an accident, and kill someone. Anyone ever hear of this from Winnie, Keystone, or any other? Sure happens much more often than it should with FR.

[HangDiver]

How you approach the repair depends a little on how handy you are and your willingness to take on the project. I would remove the bolted angle iron, raise the tank into place (using one or two scissor jacks with small blocks of wood between the jack(s) and the tank), then lift and bolt the angle iron back into place. If it gets too crowded to get the bolts back in place you're not much worse off than you already are now.

My FW tank supports on my Micro Lite are a little different than your Vibe, but I did have enough room to work on either side of the tank when modifying my support structure. Regardless of who fixes it, I would add some type of strapping between the two main supports to prevent it from happening again.

Good Luck

[Dennis A. Harp]

I had the same experience on my Vibe 6502 two months ago. Took it to dealer who decided heavy wide nylon straps installed under tank in "X" fashion and bolted to frame was preferred over angle iron to secure tank. No problems on trips taken since fix.

[BGKirkham]

If overfilling a tank will cause it to fall out, then the mount wasn't designed with a proper safety margin. I'll bet a properly filled tank would have fell out in rough road conditions. While it isn't good that you overfilled it, the fault lies with Forest River.

[Dennis A. Harp]

My Vibe was parked when I filled the fresh tank (not to overflowing level) which later fell. I no longer fill the tank full before pulling out . . . maybe 12-15 gallons at most. The extra weight when full is another consideration. Since it was fixed I have filled it full while parked to test the straps but that doesn't take into consideration motion, vibration, and bumps when on the road. I'm confident the added straps will resolve the matter BUT it would appear there could be a tank mounting issue with the 6500 series Vibe. Best advice- do not travel with a full tank of water and add additional support underneath the tank.

[HangDiver]

Someday a fresh water tank is going to fall out on the highway and cause an accident. Its just a matter of time. And if it weren't for the continuing negligence by manufacturer(s), that accident would be completely preventable.

Hopefully no motorcyclist or automobile driver gets killed.

[Ttramp]

Originally Posted by HangDiver

Someday a fresh water tank is going to fall out on the highway and cause an accident. Its just a matter of time. And if it weren't for the continuing negligence by manufacturer(s), that accident would be completely preventable.

Hopefully no motorcyclist or automobile driver gets killed.

This is scary. Now I'll stress when towing with full tank for dry camping.

[Timtation]

Originally Posted by Dennis A. Harp

I had the same experience on my Vibe 6502 two months ago. Took it to dealer who decided heavy wide nylon straps installed under tank in "X" fashion and bolted to frame was preferred over angle iron to secure tank. No problems on trips taken since fix.

Good idea, mine has metal strapping with the holes so it can be looped over a brace and bolted together. I would check on the nylon periodically since it could degrade from exposure.