Fresh Water Tank

BobH · 10-02-2015, 07:27 AM

This is 1st time I filled our fresh water tank,on our 2014 Redwood 36 RL ,as we dry camped a few weekends this year. What I noticed while filling Water tank when it got near full with full pressure going in that water started coming out of the blue pipe at belly of trailer about 2-3 ft. away from main water tank drain. It did not stop draining until it sucked out about a 1/3 of the tank. So I only ended up with 2/3 of a tank of fresh water. I thought the overflow for the fresh water tank was the white pipe between the Two low point drain valves for hot & cold water lines. Is the white pipe a air intake as it seems to come off the top of the tank beside the main tank fill pipe. I originally thought the blue pipe was the drain from the washer pan?
Anyone got any answers for me?

atom ant · 10-02-2015, 08:53 AM

yep, put a valve on on the blue one and fill until water starts coming out then close it. At that point you can keep going until water comes out the white, but you might get splash back through the fill in our cabinet as you travel. I just let it fill a little more then stop, without necessarily getting any out the white.

Ford truck guy · 10-02-2015, 01:21 PM

Basically you are creating a siphon , and until it breaks the siphon , it will continue to drain..I just did the same fix. I believe it was a $6.00 Home Depot fix..... Now we can camp with FULL Water tank when dry camping

mhs4771 · 10-02-2015, 03:29 PM

That's another one of those little problems that has been with RW since "Day One". They came up with a fix, but seems that fix has been lost like many of the other nagging little problems.

Ford truck guy · 10-02-2015, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhs4771

That's another one of those little problems that has been with RW since "Day One". They came up with a fix, but seems that fix has been lost like many of the other nagging little problems.

I hate to disagree , ,
This is been a problem with MOST RV manufacturers , not just RW.. At least RW places the exit hose where you can get to it..
On my last SOB , I had to crawl under the trailer and reach up and around the axle to open it.. I finally took off that shut off valve , put an elbow on and ran the hose out near the edge of the trailer.. BUT it would hold water in the winter...

mhs4771 · 10-02-2015, 03:40 PM

Well we never had that problem with either of our two TT or our Montana, but none of them had this second overflow line, just the normal white line connected to the side of the filler port.

Ford truck guy · 10-02-2015, 03:43 PM

I actually found my fix by reading over at RV.net a few years back. . . . There are a ton of folks with all kinds of brands with the same issue.. Once Siphon starts , its hard to stop..

**Dave&Ginny** · 10-02-2015, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhs4771

Well we never had that problem with either of our two TT or our Montana, but none of them had this second overflow line, just the normal white line connected to the side of the filler port.

I agree..... unless this is a new disease that all the newer RVs are catching. I've never had the siphon issue before the Redwood and I don't have it now.

I did over fill my water tank though...........and was relieved to see that the water stopped.

Note to self, don't turn on the water and then start a long conversation with a fellow RVer. Streams somehow start developing and wife gets very worried very quickly.

Ford truck guy · 10-02-2015, 07:51 PM

Well , If you have never had this issue till the RW , I would consider yourself lucky?? Or maybe I and many others just have bad luck??? Either way , it was an easy fix on my RW!

atom ant · 10-02-2015, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

I agree..... unless this is a new disease that all the newer RVs are catching. I've never had the siphon issue before the Redwood and I don't have it now.

I did over fill my water tank though...........and was relieved to see that the water stopped.

Note to self, don't turn on the water and then start a long conversation with a fellow RVer. Streams somehow start developing and wife gets very worried very quickly.

And double note to self - especially don't do that with the blank tank flush on and drain valve closed

I don't have first hand experience, but I'm sure it would turn a pretty white roof another color!

Shane Wood · 10-03-2015, 12:46 AM

Nope it backs up in the toilet and then spills out where ever it goes the age old problem of being interrupted when we are in the middle of something. Thank god it was on the 3rd dump so basically all water

Shane Wood · 10-03-2015, 12:49 AM

I did have the same thing happen on a different trailer and as I was talking to the neighbor that distracted me there was blue water pouring off the top of the trailer. Coming up the roof vent

BobH · 10-03-2015, 01:41 AM

Thanks everyone for your comments ,I just could not see why 2- overflows. On my last trailer Infinity by Dutchmen I never had this issue. But a couple weeks ago I filled it and I filled it slower not with valve full open. About 1/2,and that seemed to work.

Another thing I notice while winterizing our trailer (Redwood 36RL) is with it parked level and draining fresh water tank. Does not seem to drain all the water. I usually hook up shop Vac to outside drains including water heater and suck out what I can which works well . As the water heater still holds about an 1" of water in it below the drain plug unless you Vac it out. This time I also thought I would just hook it onto the bottom of the fresh water tank drain valve and low and behold I vacuumed out another 12 + liters of water, even after leaving the valve open for 2- days prior. That's scary to know that there was that much water left in tank.. Unless you need to drop front jacks to drain it fully? Just a FYI. Out there for the ones that need to winterize

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