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Losing fresh water on right turns

C_J1
Explorer
Explorer
After we have filled the fresh water tank, water drains out of the overflow tube every time the motorhome leans to the left. Over the course of a day's drive we lose about a quarter of a tank.

An RV repair shop told us that the water is "siphoning" out of the tank and that it is just a bad design.

Anybody out there had this problem? Better yet--has anybody out there FIXED this problem?
2011 Itasca Sunova 33C
24 REPLIES 24

AstroRig57
Explorer
Explorer
Our previous rig, a Coachmen Freelander 3150SS, had a pair of overflow/vent pipes that were attached to the top-rear of the fresh water tank. We travel to many remote dark sky sites for astronomy and need every drop we can haul to some of the sites.

Several of the sites to which we regularly travel, Mt. Pinos, CA, Camp Oakes near Big Bear, CA, and Grandview Campground, CA (in the Sierras) among others, are at the top of very steep grades. In that rig which had a relatively small fresh water tank to begin with, water would flow out of the overflow when we went up steep grades and I'd often arrive at a site with only 2/3 of our fresh water supply. Water would even slop out when backing out of our long and relatively steep driveway.

My solution...was to install PVC ball valves onto the ends of the overflow/vent pipes. (Slip connectors glued onto the rigid overflow pipes the other end threaded into the valves.) After filling the tank, I'd close the valves and only open them when we arrived at our destination. Labels on the dash and adjacent to the water pump switch(es) reminded me to open the valves when we reached our destination.
2005 Winnebago Sightseer WFD30B "rigged for night" with red LED lighting for night adapted vision.

Do you remember when the sky was dark, and the stars were bright?
The International Dark-Sky Association
American by birth...Scottish by the Grace Of God.

DanNJanice
Explorer
Explorer
msmith1199 wrote:
dalenoel wrote:
We added a valve to the Jayco when filling it was opened and when done it was closed.


And did you ever forget to open it when filling and blow the tank up? That's exactly what I would do if I installed that!


Nope, just put a label on the fill spout that says Open Vent, problem solved. Regarding all the suggestions to "just make a loop above the top of the tank" that only works if you have access to the top of the tank. Lots of RVs/Trailers no longer have that access.
2015 Jayco 27RLS
2015 F250 PSD

msmith1199
Explorer II
Explorer II
dalenoel wrote:
We added a valve to the Jayco when filling it was opened and when done it was closed.


And did you ever forget to open it when filling and blow the tank up? That's exactly what I would do if I installed that!

2021 Nexus Viper 27V. Class B+


2019 Ford Ranger 4x4

DiskDoctr
Explorer
Explorer
Jim@HiTek wrote:
Sometimes RV dot net just doesn't post something. Might be because of an accidental special character was added to the text. That's usually why it 'seems' someones post was moderated.


I appreciate the suggestion, but I did confirm the post was posted and remained after a few additional posts by others.

I'm certain it was deleted, though it was perfectly acceptable according to the site guidelines.

Be that as it may, my follow up post was not deleted, so we'll call that a stalemate 😉

Jim
Explorer
Explorer
DiskDoctr wrote:
WTH! I joked about the water squirting out like a squirt gun and my post gets deleted by a moderator? Come on snowflakes, lighten up!


Sometimes RV dot net just doesn't post something. Might be because of an accidental special character was added to the text. That's usually why it 'seems' someones post was moderated.
Jim@HiTek
Have shop, will travel!
Visit my travel & RV repair blog site. Subscribe for emailed updates.
Winnebago Journey, '02
Cat 330HP Diesel, 36.5', two slides.

outofplace
Explorer
Explorer
My 2016 Thor Outlaw has 2 vent tubes in the top of the tank and water runs out when we are driving so I bought 2 Barb Valves and added them so when were driving I can close them. Nothing like leaving the house with 140 gals of fresh water and when you get there you have 75 left LOL
Paul
2016 Outlaw 38RE

DiskDoctr
Explorer
Explorer
WTH! I joked about the water squirting out like a squirt gun and my post gets deleted by a moderator? Come on snowflakes, lighten up!

AllegroD
Nomad
Nomad
Make 3 lefts instead of 1 right. Kinda like NASCAR.

C_J1
Explorer
Explorer
enblethen wrote:
Sounds like the vent and the drain could be reversed!


As I understand it, the vent and the overflow tube are one and the same. It's just a tube sticking up into the tank nearly to the top (we hope--we can't see the top of the tank without taking bedroom cabinets apart.

We don't do a lot of dry camping, so I'm beginning to think that Jim's advice to fill the tank 2/3rds full and drive off with a smile may make the most sense.
2011 Itasca Sunova 33C

enblethen
Nomad
Nomad
Sounds like the vent and the drain could be reversed!

Bud
USAF Retired
Pace Arrow


2003 Chev Ice Road Tracker

dkreuzen
Explorer
Explorer
C&J wrote:
Ah, I should have said that the overflow hose is located INSIDE the tank, with just an inch or two exposed at the bottom of the tank. The RV shop said we could put a vent on top of the tank--except they can't get at the top without major surgery.


This doesn't make sense for a tank vent. A vent would be from the top of the tank. A proper vent could not siphon as it should be air at the top of the tank. The only time a vent would spill water is if the water level in the tank was above the vent. This is possible if the external tube of the vent is not high enough to deal with the coach leaning to that side. Never plug up a vent, that is asking for a problem.

I had to modify mine as the vent tube was only an inch above the top of the tank and would spill water on every left turn. Added 12" of vertical tubing and haven't had a problem since.
Dennis
2012 Monaco Knight 36PFT
2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland
2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon on 2007 16' Car Trailer

Clay_L
Explorer
Explorer
C&J wrote:
Ah, I should have said that the overflow hose is located INSIDE the tank, with just an inch or two exposed at the bottom of the tank. The RV shop said we could put a vent on top of the tank--except they can't get at the top without major surgery.


That is surprising. All of the many gas Winnebago's I have seen and the ones being built on several factory tours have a fitting spin welded to the top of the tank. The overflow tube connects to that fitting and goes down below the bottom of the compartment so the overflow goes on the ground.
Usually there is a plastic insert with small holes that keeps bugs out of the tube. Nothing protrudes into the tank. On mine when I complained about the water loss on turns, the factory added a loop that went about six inches above the top of the tank. That stopped the loss.
Clay (WA5NMR), Lee (Wife), Katie & Kelli (cats) Salli (dog).

Fixed domicile after 1 year of snowbirding and eleven years Full Timing in a 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N, Workhorse chassis, Honda Accord toad

hostage
Explorer
Explorer
C&J wrote:
Ah, I should have said that the overflow hose is located INSIDE the tank, with just an inch or two exposed at the bottom of the tank. The RV shop said we could put a vent on top of the tank--except they can't get at the top without major surgery.


why not just join to the 2 inches sticking out at bottom and loop up
to a high point where it no longer siphons from the is vent?

Gjac
Explorer III
Explorer III
dalenoel wrote:
We added a valve to the Jayco when filling it was opened and when done it was closed.
. On our trip to Alaska a guy I met on the road did this to prevent water loss. The only problem when we got to the next camp site and filled the tanks he forgot to open the valve and the water pressure expanded the plastic tank and it broke loose from the attach points. It took me and a fellow camper FG and resin and new angle irons 4 hrs to repair it for him. Mine did the same thing I fixed it by just routing the vent line 4ins above the tank over flow outlet.