Filling Fresh Water Tank with No Gravity Fill

[Steve S]

The only issue I have with the gravity fill is this! Sometimes it fills faster then I think and there's water everywhere!
Sorry but I had too!

[HappyCamperMN]

Looks like you took that on a rainy day. Or was there just that much spray from the overflow.?.?

[Steve S]

Originally Posted by HappyCamperMN

Looks like you took that on a rainy day. Or was there just that much spray from the overflow.?.?

Yeah it was a nice rainy day I wonder if I would get that splash back from a 12 volt pump

[theasphaltrv'er]

Originally Posted by canesfan

Thanks again for the ideas. I've got several to try if it ever stops snowing and gets to above freezing for more than a day. 70 yesterday and 3-6" of snow today. I've had enough.

I'm guessing if nothing I have works I'll go with a cheap flojet. I actually have a 12V outlet in the basement on the opposite side (I guess for a 12V TV) I can wire a pump to a cigarette plug and use that I suppose.

I still think lack of a gravity fill is a major design flaw Keystone.

canesfan;
Howdy. I posted a similar thread in the 5th wheel section a while back. I have a 14 26SAB Cougar with the same retarded set up. I have been hassling both Keystone & my dealer for a solution. keystone told me to just put water into the vent hole and then a second solution was to pull the docking station out & remove the hose and add water that way. I told them ... neither were exceptable solutions. The Keystone people are ID10T's. My dealer didn't have any solutions either & was talking with keystone. Lot of good that will do. I'm also trying to figure out a way to get it winterized cuz I can't get to the pump to hook up my antifreeze line. They put the pump in a little cubbie hole of a cabinet 10"W x 6"H x 10"D right beside the docking station and with 5 or 6 water lines in there going all which directions, it look like a cobweb. I might pull the docking station out and see if I can bypass the valve if I can figure out which blue line is the one to the tank. One line goes straight into the floor, (maybe tank fill line) and other has 2 tee's on it. One to the pump & the other to outside faucet then into the floor ( my guess ... city water). Also thought about borrowing a pump and seeing if it will pump water into the tank as we do allot of dry camping also.
Any questions or thoughts PM me.

Milo

[canesfan]

theasphaltrv'er, My first thought was to put water into the vent. I didn't bother contacting KS, but did talk to the super tech at the dealer. I trust his opinion and I just wanted another opinion just so I didn't screw something up. His opinion was the same as mine, put water in it, the most harm you'll do is get gurgling and backsplash from water going in and air coming out the same tube. It doesn't go anywhere else.

I did look where the vent hose comes through the wall and it's a pretty good size tube for just a vent. I need to get my tape out but guessing I'd say it's ~1" maybe more. It looks tiny on the outside but after the opening it's bigger. It actually looks at first sight the same as the hose on my last one that had a gravity fill. So my first plan, if it ever stops snowing and warms up so I don't have to winterize again, is to try putting water in through the vent. I'll use a smaller diameter tube so air can escape and do it slowly, and I'd not try to fill it all the way in that manner, but to be able to add some if needed without extra pumps and all would be nice.

If that works I may consider getting a door and put it in as JRTJH suggested in post #6 here.

FYI, not sure if you know, and if it's like mine, to remove the vent cover you just pull apart a little at the bottom and lift straight up. It's just rubber. Then you just pop the little screen washer out.

And like I said, if that idea doesn't work I think I'll just resort to getting a pump. Maybe I'll send KS the bill.

[theasphaltrv'er]

Canesfan;
After reading your post, I went out and did some more looking and I did get the screen out without screwing it up and put it back in with no problem. I had a 12" piece of 5/8" O.D. x 1/2" I.D. tubing and it fit in and I could push it down in all the way. Looks like maybe a 3/4 O.D. hose might fit in there. Yes the white vent hose looks to be 1" or maybe 1 1/4 in diameter. Guess I could pour some water in the and let it run out the drain so it doesn't freeze.

Milo

[canesfan]

theasphaltrv'er, Awesome!! I didn't try to stick anything down there, but from what I can see on the inside before it goes into the floor is a nice gentle 90* bend so putting a tube down there shouldn't be too bad.

I have some clear plastic tubing of different sizes, now I'm excited to try. Just remember don't use tubing that will fill up the whole opening, you want to be able to let air back out.

Please post what you discover if you try. And stand to the side of the opening unless you're in need of a shower.

[canesfan]

One other thing I just thought about, if you could get the tube actually into the water tank instead of just part way into the vent tube it might make it easier for air to escape around the tube than fighting the incoming water in the tube itself. Just a thought, not sure if it matters in practice. The question is how do you know when the end of the tube is actually in the tank?

[Crock]

Have the same issue with 2014 Cougar. This morning cut a 1/2 inch white rv water hose about 2 feet long and attached a small funnel to one end. Took the screen out of vent and stuck the hose in the vent line about 18 inches. Poured a gallon of water into the fresh water tank and it seemed to work pretty well. Would get us out of a bind. Not a great design idea from Keystone

[mpgtow]

I have a 2015 Laredo 240 mk. Also no gravity fill... I have tried several methods to add water so we can dry camp in the future however hitting some road blocks.
Purchased a 12v pump so I could fill via the regular city fill docking station but continue to have problems with the pressure valve just behind the screen. It splashes back and leaks like crazy. I was using a quick disconnect hose fitting since it is so difficult to tighten the plastic female connector to the male connector. It's almost impossible to turn to tighten it.
So tried the air vent tube method by removing the screen. It worked great for about 30 sec then no longer noticed it draining from the bottom of tank. Well after 2 gallons pumped in noticed water on other side of trailer! It blew the air vent hose off on the inside spewing 2 gallons of water inside trailer next to bed.
This hose which is corrugated style is really not meant for water flow.

Anybody with new ideas or suggestions?

Photo of 6 gallon jug with 12 volt harbor freight pump and switch set up mounted to a piece of pressure treated wood.
More photos next posts...
Thanks Rob

[mpgtow]

Photo 2 is attached

[mpgtow]

Photo 3 attached
Shows pressure valve inside pipe at regular city/tank fill hook up

[mpgtow]

Photo 4 attached. Docking station fill connection and air vent
Same as 3 but with screen still in place.

[mpgtow]

Photo 5 attached
Shows corrugated air vent tube inside rear of docking station, attached. This is not designed to hold any water and came off very easily spewing water all over interior of trailer.

[Lawdog]

I'm going to bring this back to the top. This thread is about the best in describing the issue that I've found on any forum. I'm getting used to the info here being better than anywhere else.

I experienced this same $%^! problem on my new 28RDB twice through my maiden trip. First, last week, I discovered this design idiocy when I tried to de-winterize. There's no easy way to get bleach into the fresh water tank to sanitize. I ended up pouring it down the vent tube and then rinsing it out with a good deal of fresh water to protect that little plastic corrugated line.

Second, of course, when I ran out of water at the campground, I had no way of putting any back in.

The check valve really is the nemesis here because of the need for pressure. I guess it's a pump for me too.

What about this down the vent tube... might avoid it slipping off. Almost like an intubation.

http://www.amazon.com/Valterra-A01-0.../dp/B000IZSB2Q

[canesfan]

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile, life got in the way of good times.

Following up on this, I've yet to be in the position to need a pump. The only time I've had to fill the water tank through the vent tube is a trip I take twice a year where I camp in someone's yard (at a NASCAR race) who has such low water pressure it won't open the check valve on the city water inlet (yes really), so I have to fill through the vent. After what mpgtow posted about blowing the vent line off when using a pump I'd be very careful with that solution. No, that line is not meant for water, especially under pressure. Will the pump not provide enough pressure to open the check valve in the city water inlet, avoiding the vent? I'm confused there. Now that things are settling down here I'm going to look back into this. There will be times I will not have access to a low pressure water source like noted above and have to find a way to fill the tank from jugs.

@ Lawdog - that is exactly what I use to fill through the vent tube. Just remember to do it s.l.ow.l.y. so you let air out and don't blow the vent tube off.

[Lawdog]

Originally Posted by Lawdog

How to sanitize with bleach: de-winterize. There's no easy way to get bleach into the fresh water tank to sanitize. I ended up pouring it down the vent tube and then rinsing it out with a good deal of fresh water to protect that little plastic corrugated line.

UPDATE: Don't know how I missed this, but this is precisely what the owner's manual says to do for sanitizing. It is the same in the 4/1/2016 update, now available for download at Keystone's website.

Power Fill Models:
1. Drain the tank by opening the low point drains. Close the drains after water has drained.
2. Prepare a chlorine bleach solution of ¼ cup to one gallon of water for every 15 gallons of tank capacity.
Example: Use 2 ¾ gallons of the solution for a 40-gallon tank. If using Ultra bleach concentrations, reduce bleach to 1/8 cup to one gallon of water.
3. Add solution to tank through the tank vent located on the side of the coach. This vent is an arched shape part with the words “tank vent” on the vent cover. The vent cover is removable and held in place by detents on either side of the vent. Remove the bug screen inside the vent. Using a funnel and tube,
add the sanitizing solution. Reinstall the screen and cover when done.
4. Open each faucet/fixture until a distinct chlorine odor is smelled. Close faucets and let stand 4 hours.
5. Drain system and flush with fresh water until chlorine odor and smell is gone. (If a water filter has been added, change it at this time).

Back on topic of fresh water fill, I plan to play around with the tube solution a bit this weekend if time allows and will try to take some pictures if it will work out. I was at RV dealer this weekend and talked to two people. Many of the makers are going to this setup, but the guys there had no better ideas how to deal with it.

[canesfan]

@ Lawdog, what you posted about sanitizing through the vent is also posted in my convenience center. I was reading it recently. Just remember that pouring some bleach solution into it using a funnel is not the same pressure as hooking a hose up to it from a pressurized source, be it city water or a pump. So take it nice and slow. Like I said, it does work. Filling 100 gallons in my case takes a LONG time though. And for those who will ask what I do with 100 gallons of gray water, usually when I am dry camping there are either pump out trucks or other ways to dispose of gray water.

[Lawdog]

Originally Posted by canesfan

@ Lawdog, what you posted about sanitizing through the vent is also posted in my convenience center.

?

What is "my convenience center" you referenced?

[canesfan]

Originally Posted by Lawdog

?

What is "my convenience center" you referenced?

Docking station? Whatever you want to call the compartment where all the connections are. It's not really convenient. It's more of a hassle trying to get your hands in there to tighten and loosen connections.