Simple Question on Water Tank

[syoun10]

This is a simple question, but the answer isn't obvious (to me at least).

Past motorhomes I've had, when filling the water tank, you loosely place a hose into a hole, and when the tank is full, the water overflows out of the hole.

In my (new to me) Everest, you screw to hose securely, so no overflow is possible at that point. So, how do you know when the tank is full? It must overflow from somewhere else, otherwise the water pressure could explode the tank!

[mtofell]

Are you sure you're at the holding tank and not the city water connection? I've never seen a tank with threads for the reasons you mention.

[jeff57]

Our Laredo 274RB had a single threaded hook-up that was used for either filling the fresh water tank or connecting to city water. There was a valve/lever that had to be rotated 1/4 turn. Rotate one direction to fill the tank or rotate the other direction for using the city hook-up. If water would spew from the vent hole when filling the tank, it was full.
Hope this helps.

[Outback 325BH]

Our Laredo 274RB had a single threaded hook-up that was used for either filling the fresh water tank or connecting to city water. There was a valve/lever that had to be rotated 1/4 turn. Rotate one direction to fill the tank or rotate the other direction for using the city hook-up. If water would spew from the vent hole when filling the tank, it was full.

Hope this helps.



My 2016 Outback is the same way. Fresh tank fill and city water connection are one in the same. A 1/4 turn valve would direct the water to whichever.

A couple of inches from the connection was a vent... that overflows when the fresh tank is full.

A couple of more inches from the vent is the black tank flush connection.


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[chuckteri]

My 2014 avalanche has the water closet. You hook up the fresh water to the same place as the city water and just turn the valve for what you want. The vent is right above the fresh water tank. Chuck

[Jgkopp]

Our fresh water vent cover is low at rear of rig. Fairly far from the water closet. I suppose one may hear it begin the vent water once full and see it spilling out the vent.

[Pull Toy]

+1 for our Alpine. Hook to city water hose port and turn fitting 90 degrees to fill water tank.

If it isn't labeled (typical), make your own. There are, in all likelihood, two of these 90 degree jobbers... one for city / tank fill, and one to bypass water pump to the suction fitting to winterize your rig with a short hose to the jug.

I prefer to use a longer (15 foot) hose, under the trailer, to winterize. That way I don't do the "Keystone 500" swapping out jugs on the "far side" of the trailer, and I can see when it's time to switch jugs, before they suck air. I also use a milk crate (shame on me) with 2 or 3 jugs in it to keep from tipping the bottle. The left overs go down the drain to protect the "P traps".

Good Luck!

[syoun10]

Thanks guys (and/or gals).

I found the overflow. Tks for confirming there is one and pointing me to it!

Steve

[sandy43]

+1 for our Alpine. Hook to city water hose port and turn fitting 90 degrees to fill water tank.

If it isn't labeled (typical), make your own. There are, in all likelihood, two of these 90 degree jobbers... one for city / tank fill, and one to bypass water pump to the suction fitting to winterize your rig with a short hose to the jug.

I prefer to use a longer (15 foot) hose, under the trailer, to winterize. That way I don't do the "Keystone 500" swapping out jugs on the "far side" of the trailer, and I can see when it's time to switch jugs, before they suck air. I also use a milk crate (shame on me) with 2 or 3 jugs in it to keep from tipping the bottle. The left overs go down the drain to protect the "P traps".

Good Luck!

Pull Toy, On my 2012 Alpine, I have those 2 valves as you do. The 1 on the left (inside) says "water heater by-pass". On the right (closest to outside) says "winterize". It's confusing. I don't have one that say's city or fill-tank valve. I'm not able to fill my fresh tank, maybe 10 gal., but no more. Do you have 3 valves, the 2 I have + the city/tank valve. All suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks
Sandy

[Alpine]

Pull Toy, On my 2012 Alpine, I have those 2 valves as you do. The 1 on the left (inside) says "water heater by-pass". On the right (closest to outside) says "winterize". It's confusing. I don't have one that say's city or fill-tank valve. I'm not able to fill my fresh tank, maybe 10 gal., but no more. Do you have 3 valves, the 2 I have + the city/tank valve. All suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks
Sandy

Hey Sandy- Welcome to the same fresh water fill problem club! I too have a 2012 Alpine that will only take a small amount of fresh water thru the "gravity fill" intake. When new it would fill just fine. Since I'm most always hooked to city water, it hasn't been a huge issue.

I have a feeling the vent tube has fallen too low into the fresh tank or the vent tube has some debris plugging the release of air flow when filling. When I get around to it I will blow some air down the vent tube itself to see if air will flow freely.

[sandy43]

Hey Sandy- Welcome to the same fresh water fill problem club! I too have a 2012 Alpine that will only take a small amount of fresh water thru the "gravity fill" intake. When new it would fill just fine. Since I'm most always hooked to city water, it hasn't been a huge issue.

I have a feeling the vent tube has fallen too low into the fresh tank or the vent tube has some debris plugging the release of air flow when filling. When I get around to it I will blow some air down the vent tube itself to see if air will flow freely.

One of those 2 valves I have when turned a certain direction it fills the fresh tank. I didn't know this and my fresh tank over filled and filled the RV belly. In the large storage dept. I took the back wall down tried to trace the entire plumbing, what a mess. I found by turning the winterize valve a certain direction it would feed the fresh tank and house plumbing at the same time. I can't remember if it was on or off. Does yours do the same thing? Got to start writing stuff down. Thanks

[bobbecky]

Our rig is a Montana, but I would suspect the plumbing is similar. We had a problem this past June where the city water was filling the fresh tank through a faulty water pump check valve. While I was looking over the mess that is the plumbing behind the convenience center, I decided to make a diagram to help understand what the valves do. Your layout of valve position most likely will be different, but the function will be the same. The blue lines in the drawing of the valves is the normal water flow. Hope this helps.

photo of the plumbing mess
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_219217_0_a5d1cd5597db4bce4df84bc86327623c.jpg

diagram of the plumbing
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_219217_1_894a9745442faa04e2de9736c8e007fa.jpg

[Alpine]

Thanks Bobbecky for your reply and diagram. Here is an image found on the internet of what my freshwater tank fill (gravity only) looks like. The very small circle is the "vent tube" to release air from the tank as it fills with water. On the right is the "city water" connection.

[Alpine]

One of those 2 valves I have when turned a certain direction it fills the fresh tank. I didn't know this and my fresh tank over filled and filled the RV belly. In the large storage dept. I took the back wall down tried to trace the entire plumbing, what a mess. I found by turning the winterize valve a certain direction it would feed the fresh tank and house plumbing at the same time. I can't remember if it was on or off. Does yours do the same thing? Got to start writing stuff down. Thanks

I too was having an issue with the fresh water tank filling when hooked to the "city water" (and yes I have a water pressure regulator). To cure the problem I purchased a "Shark Bite" check valve and inserted it into the water line that draws water from the fresh tank when using the water pump. My pump obviously had weak check valves which would allow water to slowly fill the fresh tank.

After reading that quite a few folks had the same problem with their pumps... it was easier and less expensive to do a one time check valve than to keep replacing water pumps when their check valves became weak!

Check the size of your pex water line before picking one up... I just grabbed this ad from Home Depot to show what a "Shark Bite" looks like!

http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-Brass-Push-to-Connect-Check-Valve-U2008-0000LFA/202721919?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-VF-PLA-D26P-Plumbing%7c&gclid=CM3GvfbN_9ACFQyAfgodCf0NMw&gclsrc=aw.ds

[bobbecky]

The shark bite check valve fix is exactly what I did when we had the problem. In the photo in my previous post, in the lower left of the photo, the check valve is in the blue water line, which is on the water tank side of the water pump.

[sandy43]

Wow, that SharkBite valve is exactly what I need. 2 valves and I can solve lots of problems. I didn't know this thing existed. I owe you two a Brewster. Many thanks to you guy's.
Sandy