Filling gas tank

[ntar827]

I have a new Four Winds Class C on a Chevy chassis.

I cannot get gas into the tank.

I can only get 0.01 to 0.02 gallons to flow before the pump shuts off.

Has anyone had this problem?

I am on the road and can't keep going this way.

Any advise?

Thanks

Nick

[ntar827]

Before I have anyone work on the problem I want to better understand it.

Have not been able to get underneath the motorhome but will the first chance I get.

If I can't get the problem to go away, a Chevy garage is probably my first stop.

Nick

[PSW]

My Roadtrek 210P on a Chevy chassis had the same problem. I found that it was variable pump to pump and (as others have suggested) the slower the gas was pumped the better the results and that adjusting the angle the pump was inserted had a big effect as well. Many times over the years I just barely squeezed the pump trigger and took quite a while to fill the tank. I never put the pump on trigger lock (even at the lowest setting in the handle) and just gently squeezed the gas into the tank.

I suspect that with different emission control laws and subsequent filling nozzles in various parts of the country, you may well find this is less a problem in some places than others. With Roadtrek, it was a known problem and had to do with the modification (Class C) from the original Chevy design of the the fill pipe to the tank.

Paul

[LI-Camper]

NTAR827,
Why don't you try going to a Chevy dealer or a Chevy truck dealer? Maybe they have dealt with this problem before and will fix it under warranty.

[4x4van]

Sounds like a good plan. I had the same issue, turned out that my vent line support had come loose, letting the vent hose hang lower than the filler hose.

[ntar827]

The motorhome is new (750 miles when the problem showed up). I have only once filled without a problem. This was at a gas station with old pumps. Probably slow flowing and less sensitive.

Yesterday I was able to get under the motorhome.

The filler tube is metal and a smaller metal tube for venting runs down the side of the larger tube. It is then attached to a rubber tube that bends up and to the top of the tank.

I disconnected the rubber tube and gas ran out.

It is obvious that when the gas builds up in the fill tube it overflows into the vent line and accumulates at the bend in the vent line.

I am on the road and not able to make modifications but I would think that if I cut off the metal vent line and attach the vent to a rubber line that goes up and then down to the tank that gas cannot get into the vent line.

I am going to try disconnecting the vent line and then fill up the tank. If I am correct, the problem is strictly with venting. The problem is that I can't leave the vent disconnected until I get home.

If the experiment works, then I will probably have to pay to have the vent modified.

It looks like Four Winds (Thor) has never designed a motorhome fill/vent system in the past.

[toedtoes]

You don't indicate if this problem is suddenly happening or has been happening since you started trying to fill the tank.

If it is a sudden change, then check the filler hose for a broken support/tie. Also, look at the pumps from which you're filling. Are they a different style than your pumps at home? If so, it may be the pump causing the issue - in this case, try changing the angle of the pump while filling, slow down the fuel speed while filling (hand hold the pump at a slow speed instead of using the pump lock), etc.

If it has been going on since you got the RV, then check for a kinked or deep bend in the filler hose (many RVs have a deep bend in the filler hose to maneuver around tanks, etc.; these bends can cause fuel to "spit back" when filling too fast).

[Campincarters]

I had the same issue. It was the gas filler line was drooping causing the gas to back up. I took it to a truck repair guy who was able to get it up in the air on a lift and he was able to make sure the hose was at the correct level and now no problems.

[moe321gi]

Sounds like it was your EVAP Canister Vent Control Valve. . My 2007 roadtrek gave me problems. Never top off your fuel tank. fuel goes into your evap and it will back up your canister. Replace canister, you don't want to get stuck on the road because your canister is old and dirty. Change out is easy to do. Ill say it again," do not top off your tank". this is what causes you problem.

[Golden_HVAC]

TucsonJim wrote:
Typically, it is caused by one of two things:

1. The hose between the filler neck and the evap canister is plugged. You can pull the hose off of the evap canister and blow air through it. It should cause any debris to clear.

2. The evap canister is plugged. You can check it by blowing air into the evap canister from the discharge side. If no air flows out the inlet side, you need to replace the canister. One other method to try is to pull off the inlet hose on the evap canister and see if you can pump gas. If so, it is one of the two problems identified above. Do not leave it like this permanently or risk the wrath of tampering with your emission control devices.

There are other issues such as a misrouted filler neck hose or a blockage between the tank and the filler neck, but those are as frequent a problem as the evap system issues.

Trouble shooting video

Jim

Before model year 2005, Ford had things like a evap canister, but because of tightened emissions controls, in 2005, they are only allowed to 'leak' something like 20 grams of fuel every 24 hours, and the fuel system is 'tight' and no canisters are on modern cars.

THis is a new or nearly new motorhome, so probably the problem started at the RV factory.

My buddy's 1987 Ford motorhome had a similar problem, and I fixed it when on a trip from California to Bowling Green KY. We where able to get 15 - 20 gallons of gas into the 33 gallon tank before some fuel gets into the vent line, and plugs it with only about 2 ounces of fuel. By the time we drove 150 miles, the fuel escaped from the air vent line, and we where able to add another 15 gallons, or perhaps get the tank to 3/4 full sometimes.

I found that the fuel filler tube is 2" diameter and the vent line going from the tank to the filler tube near the sidewall of the RV was wrapped around filler line, making SURE that there would be a low point in the hose at some point. I crawled under the RV, pulled off the vent line, ran it straight from the tank to the sidewall connection (into the fuel filler neck) and cut off about 6" of length.

On the way home, we where able to get 25+ gallons of gas in each tank full, and when pulling into Kingman AZ, we where running on empty for miles, and put 33 gallons into the tank! Gas stations east of Kingman are much more expensive than Kingman, and we had an extra 5 gallons in a tank on the RV storage rack.

Anyway the RV owner wanted more fuel. So I installed a 16 gallon front tank that had been taken off another E-250 van. The brackets fit into the factory holes in the E-350 dually frame, and it bolted right up. We got a fuel filler from a E-350 bus in a junkyard, and that worked out well too.

Now he can run the factory tank dry, then run off the front tank, and put 37 gallons into the main tank. so he found out that we still had about 4 gallons when we pulled into Kingman.

Anyway I think you can crawl under the RV and look for the problem. Because it is 'new' I would call the manufacure, and arrange a place that you are visiting, and pull into the RV dealership along the way. Call ahead for an appointment in advance, as they sometimes are really busy, and do not take factory warranty work right away.

This is actually one of those situations where going back to the manufacture, and taking 3 days out of your travel plans might be more of a pain than just having the next garage fix it and you pay the $50 - $100 cost, then can fill your tank full each time, Priceless!

Fred.

Good luck,

Fred.

[Snowman9000]

I have a 2014 Chevy 4500 Sunseeker. Last year I had that same problem. Then I didn't use the RV for several months. Next time out, no problem. I had been topping off the tank. I think it caused liquid gasoline to get into the evap canister, as Jim mentioned.

[JoeRT04]

I agree with IAMICHABOD
Before spending a lot of $$$...
I had the same issue with a 2004 Roadtrek camper van. If I turned the gas pump handle at 45 degrees or so angle, it would pump the gas with no problem. Try experimenting different angles to get the best result. I found some gas stations didn't need the angle adjustment. It depends how fast the fuel was pumping. Sometimes a sharp bend in the filler hose prevents proper air ventilation and turning the pump handle can alleviate the issue.

My new rig does not have this issue I'm happy to say. Best of luck.

[naturist]

Friend of mine had a similar problem. Turned out somebody stuffed a rag into the filler neck.

[Terryallan]

Had that problem once. the vent line was blocked. The tank could not breath. Air has to go somewhere when you pour gas in. If not. There can be no flow.

[IAMICHABOD]

There was a thread a while back Here.

I have that problem on my Chevy Based Class C every so often,I have found that if I hold the nozzle at an angle maybe, 45 Degrees it seems to work better,I think that it gets a better seal and flows better.