Hit a newly installed speed bump. Water tank replacement??

Glad you got it fixed, and all ended well. I'm pretty sure it must have been the Russians that installed that speed bump.

Those dang aliens are at it again HadEnough! LOL

Did you break their tractor beam with a Main Bus B Undervolt?

jimh425 wrote:
Congrats on getting it done!

Thanks!

SidecarFlip wrote:

languiduck wrote:
Something isn't adding up. Speed bumps aren't placed in locations where vehicles travel at speeds that would allow them to become airborne and break a torqlift tie down.
Anyway, I don't know where your water tank is, so I can't say how to remove it. All the ones I've seen can be accessed from inside and would be easy to replace and service.
As for the tie downs, if they are torqlift, they will most likely send you a new set to install...I would go that route since you paid so much for them.
I'd recommend speaking with the campground owner about your repair; you will probably have better luck communication with him first so that he doesn't freak out when he sees you rebuilding a camper.

I have to agree with your synopsis. Don't pass the smell test with me or there is more to the story that we are not hearing about.

Definitely. Nothing I posted made any sense at all. LMAO

Definitely it was aliens who abducted me and then dropped the TC from their tractor beam a little hard crushing my wheel well and breaking the support of the basement. Without a doubt. You caught me. ha ha ha

Congrats on getting it done!

Just a little write up to follow up this project and add to the knowledge.

Discoveries:

The flimsy panel that seemed like cardboard on the bottom of the Arctic Fox is actually door skin plywood. Decent, except the non-washered screws had pulled through it in several places. I used big fender washers on the reinstall and it's now great.

The damage I did was pretty severe. Glad the water tank started leaking to alert me to the problem!

Upon crushing part of my passenger side (USA) wheel well, the right wall of the basement of the TC was pulled WAY out of line. It severed the majority of screws that hold the transverse aluminum beams to the wooden runners that go down the length of the TC in the basement. I had almost nothing left holding the basement together! It's a lucky thing the tank leaked because I don't think what was left would have held a full tank of water from falling out of the TC once I took it off the bed of the truck.

The tank was moved around from being loose. From all the transverse aluminum beams being loose. It put pressure on the fresh water pickup and caused it to leak.

The fixes:

Squeezed the sides of the TC basement in so they were again parallel. Screwed the aluminum cross beams to the side runners that run the long way on the TC.

Repositioned tanks and chocks that hold the tanks so there were no pinch points or anything funny going on and so that the tanks were no longer able to move around.

Re-fitted the fresh water tank pickup and used plenty of thread sealant. No leaks. Tank wasn't burst. Tank was leaking because there was pressure on the pickup.

Used large fender washers to keep the doorskin plywood bottom in place better than factory did it.

Results:

Everything is good! Back to normal.

Now I just have to find a place to get the Torklift tie downs on the truck frame fixed. They are pulled up a bit, top bolt that goes into the bed of the truck is sheared and gone. They are bent, but no big deal. Easy to bend back and attach again with help. Just don't have the tools to remove them from the truck. Traveling by truck camper. lol.

If anyone ever needs to know anything about what's inside the basement of an Arctic Fox TC, hit me up. I can guide you through whatever.

Overall, there is nothing scary to worry about and getting the doorskin panel back in place is a pice of cake... 1) Put it in place on the ground with insulation. 2) Get under it on one side of it and start screwing it into place. 3) Use your knees to hold it at a reasonable curve as you screw in the rows of screws, working your way to the other end you didn't start from. Zero hassle.

PS: Microwave was giving off burning wire smells after years of use and bouncing around. Replaced it with a fresh, stylish LG model while I'm here. Ready for years of travel now!!

There probably was a warning. I was driving out of habit. Just doing my usual driving pattern for the area. Slow to less than walking speed for the speed bump ares, round the corner and get back to the 30mph zone. Now in that 30mph zone, a new speed bump exists.

Taking the fitting out of the tank now. The fitting is what's leaking at the threads. Oddly... It already has wet caulking on it. Now *that* doesn't pass the smell test!! Ha ha ha

Edit:. It was just thread sealant.

Well, it's a good excuse to replace that cheap bottom covering with something more substantial.
Too bad about the damage. Sounds like that thing did a number on the truck and camper!
Don't worry about the ninnies that try to CSI everything on here. They're just bored.
Was there an advanced warning for the speed bump? If not I'd be p!ssed at the city for putting in a road hazard!

Damage is on the passenger/starboard side of the rv. It crushed my wheel well, but that impact also pulled the support wall out of line on the tc on the same side. The support wall came free from 3 aluminum cross beans and this caused the tank pickup at the lowest portion of the tank to hit one of the aluminum cross beans. Structural damage to the basement, but sooo easy to fix. Just chasing down the exact tank leak now.

I'm not seeing how to upload my pics.

wcjeep wrote:
Found an old thread with pics. Might help you. AF tank replacement pics

Thanks!

That's a godsend.

The pickup under the tank looks very vulnerable and is my most likely trouble spot. Hoping the hose slipped off or something.