Forum Discussion

david_gower's avatar
david_gower
Explorer
May 09, 2016

King_of_the_Road Fresh Water Tank suction (none)

My wife and I bought a 2003 33ck KotR last fall. We use it for attending dog shows. It is a great trailer, lots of room. Well built. I have has some issues. I found that the control valves for winterizing and normal flow for water were wrong so this was on the first time out so I has a full tank and thought the pump was bad. Figured it out just before we left for home. That was just before I winterized it. Then the first time I used it in the spring got it ready to go, drove the 350 miles with full tank. Tested everything and the next morning the 12 year old water pump failed. So I replaced it. Now the next time I took it out which was two weeks later, we go out and drive another 350 miles to fill up at the site. I fill up the tank. The pump works but then acts like it is sucking air. I only partially filled the tank as we were only there for the weekend. So I fill the tank full, the same thing happened. I am thinking that there is one fill and suction line to the tank and there is s suction tube which goes down in to the tank that may have shaken loose. We did drive across some rough roads on the way up. They reason the water would work then not is it would pull the water out of the line back to the tank (about a gallon). I cannot find any manuals or diagrams on this. Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

Sorry about writing a novel but I wanted to try to explain in as much detail as possible.

Thanks
  • Toddupton's avatar
    Toddupton
    Explorer
    May 09, 2016
    You have to find the tank and at the bottom of the tank will be a fitting that goes to the water pump. They don't normally have a pickup tube at the top. Make sure the water tank drain is not open and pull the fitting off the water pump and see if you have water.
  • bpounds's avatar
    bpounds
    Nomad
    May 09, 2016
    Sounds like the pump is having problems priming itself. One thing, is to make sure you open a faucet when it is trying to prime. Some won't pull water unless it has a place downstream to displace the air.
  • david_gower's avatar
    david_gower
    Explorer
    May 09, 2016
    The tank is a 86 or so gallon tank and when it was full the water was coming out of the vent tubes back by the axles. I don't have a tank drain. To drain the tank I have to pump the water out and switch a valve from "normal flow" to "drain tank" which dumps it out right below the water control panel which is up front behind the hitch. The tank is in the back of the trailer.
  • david_gower's avatar
    david_gower
    Explorer
    May 09, 2016
    As far as priming, this just started to happen. It worked fine after I changed the pump. It worked fine after I got home from the week long of dry camping with only using the tank. I tested it before I left for this last trip and it worked fine. It will work for about 5 seconds after I fill then suck air.
  • itsabouttime's avatar
    itsabouttime
    Explorer
    May 10, 2016
    On two occasions when I replaced a water pump, I had to clean the inlet filter mounted next to the pump. It acted just like you described before I cleaned the filter. Soaking the screen in some hot vinegar for a few minutes and then brushing it out seemed to do the trick. I just replaced it the last time it happened.
    Russ
  • LIKE2BUILD's avatar
    LIKE2BUILD
    Explorer
    May 10, 2016
    itsabouttime wrote:
    On two occasions when I replaced a water pump, I had to clean the inlet filter mounted next to the pump. It acted just like you described before I cleaned the filter. Soaking the screen in some hot vinegar for a few minutes and then brushing it out seemed to do the trick. I just replaced it the last time it happened.
    Russ

    Ditto. You might also need to see if there is a filter screen where the pump intake hose pulls from the tank. Several years ago our Jayco developed a similar problem. I replaced the pump just like you did but there was still very little flow. Finally I pulled the intake hose and found a bunch of slimy mold plugging the intake screen. It turns there is a low point drain on the tank right by the pump intake and another drain on a far corner. Jayco had plumbed my drain spigot to the corner because it was closer to the edge, but it was not the lowest point on the tank. So, in the fall when I had drained the tank there was still a little water in there and the mold grew on that. Even though I bleach treated the tank it didn't break down the growth which clogged the screen.

    TO sum up a long story, check the screen to make sure it's not gummed up.

    KJ
  • Tundra2084's avatar
    Tundra2084
    Explorer
    May 10, 2016
    Just a thought......did you turn the valves all the way from the winterizing position????

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