Filling Fresh Water Tank

[RVFun4Us]

I usually do not use our fresh water tank since we always have full hookups. But I decided to carry at least some fresh water just in case. When I tried to fill the tank, it fills about 1/3 full, then starts pouring out of the inlet. I looked behind the wall to see if there was a kink but the filler hose looks fine as far as I can see. Then I thought maybe it was a venting issue. Opened one of the faucets inside and checked the outside vent hole, no problems there. Looked at my winterizing hose and it was open to the fresh water tank. The water pump works and pumps water without problems. So what am I missing here?

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Bob, on our older Bighorns there were some issues with the vent lines being routed with low spots. Once water pools in those areas the inlet feed isn't enough to push the water through the low spot. I used to blow low pressure air through the vent line from the exit point back into the tank.

 

[bsuds]

I cut a small piece if hose to fit down the filler hole about 18". No problems when I do that.

 

[JohnDar]

Yes, it's not just the vent line, but if the filler line has a droop in it (where you can't see it), it will resist filling and backflow out of the gravity fill port since there isn't enough pressure to force it past. Using a section of clear tubing fed down into the tube will help.

Like you, I don't use the tank, but trying to put water in it once gave me the same problem. I may drop the coroplast to examine it and do an operation similar to the one done on me recently, a colectomy, to remove any excess hose that droops. Another alternative is to replace the gravity port with a city water type fitting, to allow some pressurization. To avoid overfill and/or expanding the tank, an inline water meter will tell you how much you've put in and when to stop.

 

[Hockster]

Ditto to bsuds post below.
Another thing I did was to install a 12 volt pump in the UDC area.
I camp sometimes in Michigan State Parks where there is no water supply at your site and you have to haul water in a 5 gal jug, or move your rig to fill the tank.
Try dumping a 5 gal jug of water into the fresh water fill.
I can pump it from the jug into the tank to refill my fresh water supply.
I went to my local RV dealer and purchased the fittings and hoses I needed and designed my own pumping system.
Heartland sort of missed the boat on that issue.

Hockster

 

[Silverado23]

Hockster, how did you route your hoses and fittings?

Ihave thought about how to use the onboard pump to fill the tank from jugs but so far found I can use jugs and gravity almost as fast. So it

has not been a priority.

 

[Gizzy]

I cut a small piece if hose to fit down the filler hole about 18". No problems when I do that.

X2. Just took a piece of hose with the connector on and cut it to about 16-18 inches and now have no problems filling. Don't ask my why it works, I don't know, but it works for us.

 

[Hockster]

I have a SHURflow pump with the threaded male fittings.
I went to my local RV dealer and purchased the threaded female fittings and about 7 feet of hose to attach to these fittings with hose clamps.
I run the hose from the suction side of the pump to my water container, in my case mine is a Blue cube type jug with the off/on valve, which I remove and replace with a fitting for the hose.
To the discharge end of the pump I attach about a 12/16" piece of hose into the tank.
I installed the pump on the partition wall between the UDC and the basement.
Installed a 12V feed and switch for the pump operation on the back wall in Right top corner above outdoor shower.
Hook the hoses to the pump and the water jug, set the water jug on the ground, turn on the pump, sit back and let her pump the water jug dry.
I carry 2 empty jugs with me, which I believe are 7 gallons, so I can dump 14 gallons in a few minutes.
Once it's installed, its easy to fill the fresh water tank.
The worst part was removing everything from the basement so I could remove the separation wall to get to a 12V supply.
You want to get a heavy enough supply [wire size] because those pumps draw some amps.
The switch and wiring have to be heavy enough to support the load [amps] you are going to be drawing.
Also be sure to fuse your service to the pump motor.

Hockster

 

[Silverado23]

Hockster,

Did you use the preinstalled RV pump or was this a separate pump you added?

 

[mobilcastle]

I dropped the belly raised the hose and every thing works just fine. I attached it to the floor to raise it. It was not hard after I figured out the problem. Good luck.

 

[Duramax1]

X2. Just took a piece of hose with the connector on and cut it to about 16-18 inches and now have no problems filling. Don't ask my why it works, I don't know, but it works for us.

I simply use the hose which is used to winterize the system with antifreeze to suck up water from my 7 gallon container and then connect the external shower hose to the water tank inlet.

 

[Duramax1]

I have a SHURflow pump with the threaded male fittings.
I went to my local RV dealer and purchased the threaded female fittings and about 7 feet of hose to attach to these fittings with hose clamps.
I run the hose from the suction side of the pump to my water container, in my case mine is a Blue cube type jug with the off/on valve, which I remove and replace with a fitting for the hose.
To the discharge end of the pump I attach about a 12/16" piece of hose into the tank.
I installed the pump on the partition wall between the UDC and the basement.
Installed a 12V feed and switch for the pump operation on the back wall in Right top corner above outdoor shower.
Hook the hoses to the pump and the water jug, set the water jug on the ground, turn on the pump, sit back and let her pump the water jug dry.
I carry 2 empty jugs with me, which I believe are 7 gallons, so I can dump 14 gallons in a few minutes.
Once it's installed, its easy to fill the fresh water tank.
The worst part was removing everything from the basement so I could remove the separation wall to get to a 12V supply.
You want to get a heavy enough supply [wire size] because those pumps draw some amps.
The switch and wiring have to be heavy enough to support the load [amps] you are going to be drawing.
Also be sure to fuse your service to the pump motor.

Hockster

I simply connect the hose which you normally use to winterize your unit with antifreeze to my water container and then connect the external shower hose to the water tank inlet.

Turn on the external shower and the water pump fills my water tank.

Works like a charm!

 

[JohnDar]

I simply connect the hose which you normally use to winterize your unit with antifreeze to my water container and then connect the external shower hose to the water tank inlet.

Turn on the external shower and the water pump fills my water tank.

Works like a charm!

Now there's something to try! I don't use that shower, anyways, so maybe reconfiguring it to sure as a pump line might be something to do. I've often perplexed about how I could add anything, like a sanitizing solution, to the tank without trying to hoist it above the level of the gravity port and not dump it all over. I've used the pump/antifreeze line to run fresh water into the plumbing system when dewinterizing in the storage yard, drawing from a 6 gallon jerry can.

 

[Silverado23]

I simply connect the hose which you normally use to winterize your unit with antifreeze to my water container and then connect the external shower hose to the water tank inlet.

Turn on the external shower and the water pump fills my water tank.

Works like a charm!

We used a neighboring camper once to pump water into our NT using their external shower and our city water inlet.

It was nice and quiet for us. We could use the water and the neighbors put up with the pump noise.

 

[Hockster]

I added an additional pump for this.
It seems like Heartland would have addressed this problem of filling a fresh water tank when you have no onsite water supply.
Probably a few ways to solve this problem, this is the route that I took, and works great for me.
I had 3 spare pumps so my only expense, outside of time, was the hose, fittings, and clamps.
Being an electrician, I already had the wire and switch.

Hockster