Forum Discussion

docsouce's avatar
docsouce
Explorer II
Mar 13, 2021

Fresh water tank clearance issue

We had a couple of warm days this last week, so I decided to grab the creeper and give the underside of my 2020 Jayco 26XD Class C a look see for any further items that need attention before the season starts. What I found was the 2 plastic elbows on the drivers side rear, underside of the freshwater tank, the drain and fill connectors, that screw into the bottom of the tank are pushing down right against the top of the chassis frame. The water tank is empty and I can move it around. I can pull the tank about 1/2 to 3/4" toward the outside (drivers side)and that gives the elbows room by clearing the side of the trucks frame. Now one way I could hold the tank in this position would be to slide a piece of 1"x6" wood along the length of the tank on the opposite (psgr) side. I tried this and it works but does this seem like a good fix? I know the tank probably won't move when its full and I could just move the tank before filling and hope it doesn't move back but these elbows need some room. I don't need to be worried about the elbows breaking off when bouncing on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. So it seems like my three options are the two I just mentioned and the third is to lift the tank 1/4 to 3/8''by sliding some type of flat spacer ,probably wood, under the tank ,all the way around. I bought the RV new last year and put 7200 miles on it and usually carry about 3/4 a tank of water. I don't know how these elbows survived. Any advise is appreciated.
__________________
  • I think you have a good understanding what needs done but I would most likely use a plastic material for blocking. Wood may rot or hold moisture causing rust, maybe a piece of PVC decking would be best.
  • Great thought. The wood certainly will hold moisture. A soft plastic.. I'll have to check this idea out...
  • I’d probably use a piece of Trex decking type material. It can be cut and planed for a perfect fit.

    Rich
  • If it was me I would run a couple 1/4 +/- strips under the tank from frame rail to frame rail not only to hold it up but to support it so it don’t sag.
  • jdc1's avatar
    jdc1
    Explorer II
    I wonder what might happen when that tank rubs against whatever is being installed? I would lean towards a dense foam or rubber. It works on engine mounts. I've never tried a wooden engine mount.
  • Good catch. And by way of you discovering it and proposing possible solutions, whatever you do will be much better than the current condition.
  • good thing your on top of this, you could have had a major oops, down the road.I,d use no wood. plastics don,t rot.
  • Don't know about yours in the new C, but

    The FW tank in the 2003 5er we had was made of a white plastic (for potable water), which was flexible and the tank bulged down when full. (Grey and Black were dark plastic and stiff)

    So you might find the way to fix yours looks different with the tank full.

    It doesn't seem right that the tank would be "loose" like that in a new rig. Warranty item?

About Technical Issues

Having RV issues? Connect with others who have been in your shoes.24,188 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 17, 2025