Variable speed water pump

I had one..once. Louder than a jet. Don't know about this one. Pulsating lights may be a sign of a weak battery.

I replaced mine with a Shurflo variable speed pump, and it worked great for 13 years (until I sold the camper -- don't know about after that). It was not quieter on full speed, but usually ran quieter at slower speed. Even at low speed, I wouldn't call it quiet, though.

Shurflo has two models of constant flow pumps, one uses a bypass diaphram that keeps the motor at a constant speed but allows water to bypass inside the pump head when pressure is reached, and the other is an electronic speed regulated unit.

The electronics only go as low as 4.5 gpm, and are a bit overpowered for a truck camper, I have the first one, which is whisper quiet and doesn't pressure wash oneself while showering :) .

I don't intend to be a forum faux pas but

If you have dimming lights then you have wiring issues, or battery problems.
If this is your reason then it might be cheaper to fix the needed-to-be fixed issues with the wiring instead.

Surflo pumps have a pressure screw on the end, the bullet shaped plastic end, right in the center where you can adjust the pressure. (I lower mine to help conserve water). A phillips head driver will easily adjust it. I am not sure this is your goal.
Sometime the noise is from the rigid pipes resonating through the camper. You can add in flexible hoses (like ones to a toilet or sink in a house) at both sides intake and output of pump which will greatly reduce the amplification of the motor noise. Homedepot has lots of these.
It might be that your wire is too thin to the pump, the 12v+ feed to the fuse box, a bad ground or something somewhere in the electrical system and that is why the lights dim. You really should not notice the lights dimming so much from a pump. Though, I have two batteries, so one battery, or a small battery, or a weak battery might let lights dim more.
Something to consider…

I’ve had both a variable speed pump and an accumulator tank. Prefer the tank.

what I hate is the pressure rise and fall causes temp changes in the shower.
When low the shower runs cold, when pressure goes up the shower runs hot, cold and hot and cold and hot.

ljr wrote:
I’ve had both a variable speed pump and an accumulator tank. Prefer the tank.

+1 on the accumulator tank.

When the pump runs, it runs until the accumulator tank is full. If I just need a splash of water, the pump doesn't turn on. Nor does it try to run at a slow speed when there is low demand.

-Eric

Eric&Lisa wrote:
When the pump runs, it runs until the accumulator tank is full. If I just need a splash of water, the pump doesn't turn on. Nor does it try to run at a slow speed when there is low demand.

Sorta like running on batteries vs generator.

Thanks for the feedback. It is definitely not a weak battery. The battery could run 100 of these pumps. Maybe the stock led lights are just sensitive.

The wiring to the pump is stock and I have had no problems with the 12v electronics in the camper. I think it's just that harsh switching on and off of the pump.

I wasn't aware that Shurflo had made a variable speed pumps. It looks like they are discontinued.

Anyways the lights are the least of the issue. The hammering noise, and yes I have put pool noodle on every bit of pex tubing I can find.

I have also been pointed to aqua pro pumps from a guy that likes his a a lot. It's a lot cheaper maybe a place to start.

work2much wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. It is definitely not a weak battery. The battery could run 100 of these pumps. Maybe the stock led lights are just sensitive.

The wiring to the pump is stock and I have had no problems with the 12v electronics in the camper. I think it's just that harsh switching on and off of the pump.

I wasn't aware that Shurflo had made a variable speed pumps. It looks like they are discontinued.

Anyways the lights are the least of the issue. The hammering noise, and yes I have put pool noodle on every bit of pex tubing I can find.

I have also been pointed to aqua pro pumps from a guy that likes his a a lot. It's a lot cheaper maybe a place to start.

It looks like they discontinued the electronic multi speed ones in favor of the better Revolution model which is the unit with the bypass diaphram I mentioned. The 4028 is the model I have currently in my kit and will soon be getting moved to the Amerigo.