Fresh water tank issue

stuff

Member
I de-winterized my elkridge E22 fifth wheel last week. I think I figured out all of the valves etc and got all of the lines flushed out. My issue is when I filled the fresh water tank, there are two waterlines (one coming out of each side of the frame with 90 degree fittings on the ends and the water just runs out of these lines. I assumed that they may be overflow lines and the water would just stop when it got back down to the right level but it never stopped. It drained the entire tank.

Any ideas what these are for and how to make the water not drain? (the red plug was not there. I put that I so I didn't lose all water as I was camping with no hook ups.) Once I plugged this one it just started coming out the other side.

 

Oregon_Camper

Well-known member
Are you saying it drains 100% of the tank, while RV is standing still?

I had issues with both of my overflow valves draining water during travel. (about 1/2 a tank...yikes!)

I installed some hose and a valve to stop this issue during travel. You just need to remember to open the valves when filling the tank or pulling water from tank, to allow air to flow in/out. You don't want to create an air tight situation.

I added a reminder message in my UDC area to ensure I remember the valves each time I fill up. :)


Capture.jpg Capture2.jpg
 

Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn

Well-known member
I de-winterized my elkridge E22 fifth wheel last week. I think I figured out all of the valves etc and got all of the lines flushed out. My issue is when I filled the fresh water tank, there are two waterlines (one coming out of each side of the frame with 90 degree fittings on the ends and the water just runs out of these lines. I assumed that they may be overflow lines and the water would just stop when it got back down to the right level but it never stopped. It drained the entire tank.

Any ideas what these are for and how to make the water not drain? (the red plug was not there. I put that I so I didn't lose all water as I was camping with no hook ups.) Once I plugged this one it just started coming out the other side.

Those are your fresh tank vents. They are mounted on the top of both sides of your fresh tank. There is no possible way that thy could be draining​ out your fresh tank.
Mine did leak out a lot of water when traveling with tank full. I installed valves on mine also to keep water in there.
If you have water running out of those vent's while hooked to city water then you have another problem, either your Anderson valve is leaking back to the tank or your check valve inside your water pump is bad and letting water go back to your tank.

Hope this helps
Jerrod

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stuff

Member
I figured that's what they were but I let the trailer sit for about 1.5 hours and the tank level gauge said full at the beginning and 1/3 after 1.5 hours. No outside water hooked up.

installing a valve on each seems like a fix for now. Not sure how it can be air tight as there is a small screen next to the fill that I assume is a vent as well.
 

Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn

Well-known member
Well now if you have the gravity fill then most of what I said is wrong !!!!
Do you gravity fill of have an Anderson valve ?


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Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn

Well-known member
Well now if you have the gravity fill then most of what I said is wrong !!!!
Do you gravity fill of have an Anderson valve ?

They seem to be to high to be low point drains though ..


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Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn

Well-known member
Red and blue lines ?
Hopefully someone with the same unit will help us figure it out.
Give us the year make and model number again please.
I'm sure someone will have the answers


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stuff

Member
Yes red and blue with valves near the back and another blue between the axles with a valve. (I assume fresh tank drain) Both of these lines that are leaking are red.

The unit is an Elkridge Extreme Light Edition E22

 

Oregon_Camper

Well-known member
Yes red and blue with valves near the back and another blue between the axles with a valve. (I assume fresh tank drain) Both of these lines that are leaking are red.

The red and blue lines that are under your RV are probably the low point drains.

Red=Hot Water
Blue= Cold Water

You would open these to winterize, allowing all the water to drain out.

The other image you posted is the overflow line(s) for your fresh water tank.
 

Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn

Well-known member
Jim he has gravity fill not the Anderson valve. I'm pretty sure the vent is in the filler although that looks just like a vent line.

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danemayer

Well-known member
Was the trailer level? The overflow drains are supposed to be at the top rear corners of the fresh tank. If the rear of the trailer was low, or if the tank is not sitting level for some reason, you could lose quite a bit of water. However, the gauges are not terribly accurate.

You might want to run a test.


  1. make sure the trailer is level.
  2. fill the tank until water starts running out the overflows
  3. After the overflow stops, use a bucket or washtub to catch a measured quantity of water coming out the fresh tank drain under the trailer.
  4. Repeat filling the bucket until no more water comes out.
  5. Compare the total to the specification for fresh tank capacity on your trailer.
 

Oregon_Camper

Well-known member
Jim he has gravity fill not the Anderson valve. I'm pretty sure the vent is in the filler although that looks just like a vent line.

In my Bighorn, I have the Anderson valve and a vent next to it (see blue arrow). I also have 2 vents coming out the each side of the RV. I'd venture to guess even with a gravity feed, he will still have 3 vents.

Capture.JPG
 

cos

Member
Those are your fresh tank vents. They are mounted on the top of both sides of your fresh tank. There is no possible way that thy could be draining​ out your fresh tank.
Mine did leak out a lot of water when traveling with tank full. I installed valves on mine also to keep water in there.
If you have water running out of those vent's while hooked to city water then you have another problem, either your Anderson valve is leaking back to the tank or your check valve inside your water pump is bad and letting water go back to your tank.

Hope this helps
Jerrod

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I have a E289 with the same setup. Mine is an overflow, after i fill it drains for a good 5 min or so. I will be interested to see the end result of this


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olcoon

Well-known member
I de-winterized my elkridge E22 fifth wheel last week. I think I figured out all of the valves etc and got all of the lines flushed out. My issue is when I filled the fresh water tank, there are two waterlines (one coming out of each side of the frame with 90 degree fittings on the ends and the water just runs out of these lines. I assumed that they may be overflow lines and the water would just stop when it got back down to the right level but it never stopped. It drained the entire tank.

Any ideas what these are for and how to make the water not drain? (the red plug was not there. I put that I so I didn't lose all water as I was camping with no hook ups.) Once I plugged this one it just started coming out the other side.


I'm by far an expert, but "usually" a red line means hot, is the other one blue? One of the posters said something about a red & blue line. On our 2011 Elk Ridge there are a red & blue lines in the area of the steps that have valves on them & are to drain the system. On the off door side, near the axel there is a white/clear reinforced hose with a valve that is to drain the fresh water tank. I'm wondering if these hoses are to drain the system, but you said when you plugged them the tank would fill. If in fact these are to drain the system, there should be valves somewhere to turn them off. I'm kind of wondering if somewhere, sometime during the dewintering process a valve was left in the wrong position. I know on our rig, there are 2 valves near the FW tank that need to be turned when pumping antifreeze into the system. It definitely is perplexing.
 

stuff

Member
Everything functions as it should both off of the pump and off of the city water hook up so I don't think any valves are wrong. These are both red. There are a set of red/blue for low drains and a blue fresh water drain as well. I let them drain the first time to see if they would stop but they never stopped. The level gauge went from full down to 1/3 so I plugged the one side which was sitting lower and refilled until it came out the other side. It seemed to only drain for a minute or so out that side until I parked at the campground and leveled trailer. Then started draining again.

Im wondering if the vent near the gravity fill tube is kinked or plugged in some way and this may create a siphon effect?
 

Steve3717

Member
I de-winterized my elkridge E22 fifth wheel last week. I think I figured out all of the valves etc and got all of the lines flushed out. My issue is when I filled the fresh water tank, there are two waterlines (one coming out of each side of the frame with 90 degree fittings on the ends and the water just runs out of these lines. I assumed that they may be overflow lines and the water would just stop when it got back down to the right level but it never stopped. It drained the entire tank.

Any ideas what these are for and how to make the water not drain? (the red plug was not there. I put that I so I didn't lose all water as I was camping with no hook ups.) Once I plugged this one it just started coming out the other side.

On my Sundance, the 90 degree elbow on the end of the overflow pipe is pointing up. That might make a difference in whether water could siphon out.

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JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
Our Prowler P292 has the gravity feed fresh water filler and one (I think white) overflow tube pointing down on each side.

I never travel with a full fresh water tank as I don't want to carry the extra weight, but generally only 1/3 of a tank . . . just enough to use the facilities until we arrive at our destination.

A full tank of water can weigh in over 500+ pounds!

The only time I fill the tank completely is when sanitizing it in the spring before our first campout of the season.
 
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