Don't let this happen to you!

[Vintage465]

Took off for a wonderful trip up the California Coast. We braved the rainy weather and flooding to arrive at our campsite only to find the inside of our trailer as flooded as the countryside we just crossed! The new kitchen faucet I installed actually turns on by pulling the lever down....and I have not real good at making sure the water pump is off when traveling(however, that won't be the case now!). What happened was a combination of three things:
1. I installed a new single lever faucet that when I hit a number of bumps(on detours from the flooding)the handle jiggled down(on).
2. The water pump was left on while traveling.......this won't happen again!
3. Because I had just installed the sink and faucet I had the stoppers in the sink/s to check for leaks. At least a third of that water would have gone to the gray water tank had the stopper not been inserted.................

When we got to the campsite we found all 66 gallons of fresh water inside the trailer! Took every towel and roll of paper towels in the trailer to get it sopped up. Had to find a laundry to wash and try the towels we used. And had to fill up the fresh water! That was Thursday night. We salvaged the week end at the beach and had a great time. It will take some time to let the trailer dry properly and refill it with provisions.

[rbpru]

I am with the group that shuts of everything when we travel or are not at home except the propane needed by the frig. The pump, heater, lights etc.

That does not mean we do not forget from time to time. 🙂

Sorry to hear about your mess.

[colliehauler]

JohnG4706 wrote:
Our brick and stick homes are built in the elements, exposed to rain and snow, etc. They generally use an exterior grade of plywood or chipboard. I imagine cost might be a consideration, but with all of the stories that result in soft or rotted floors, why doesn't the rv mfgrs use exterior grade flooring and maybe treated lumber for the walls and roof trusses?

The other is cheaper, they would build them out of cardboard if they could.

[JohnG4706]

Our brick and stick homes are built in the elements, exposed to rain and snow, etc. They generally use an exterior grade of plywood or chipboard. I imagine cost might be a consideration, but with all of the stories that result in soft or rotted floors, why doesn't the rv mfgrs use exterior grade flooring and maybe treated lumber for the walls and roof trusses?

[MitchF150]

Dutchman, those are very nice faucets indeed, and thank you for providing pics to show how they are positioned.

I would never have thought to put them that way..

Mitch

[toedtoes]

I think this was a matter of a perfect storm.

First, the faucet lever pushes down to open - so gravity can turn it on.

Second, the water pump was on.

Third, the sink drain was stoppered.

If any of the three had been different, the flooding wouldn't have occurred.

[westend]

I'm in a potentially bad situation since I have the older air-pressure system,i.e. the supply tank is pressurised so that even if I turn off the compressor, there is still pressure in the tank and lines. Fortunately, even a valve left on, the water will all drain to a tank and lastly, to the shower/tub.
If a supply line or fitting breaks, there will be a mess.

The solution for me is to turn off the little compressor and bleed the air pressure off the tank. That can be done at the shrader valve on the fill cap. I will probably be rolling the dice on that since it will be a chore either forgotten or deemed unnecessary for short absences. One factor that mitigates removing the pressure is that I installed all new supply lines and they have been tested to 80 psi. I trust my plumbing.

[llowllms]

Since we never dry camp the only time our pump is on is when I winterize. One thing to watch for is soft places in the floor. May take a season or two to show up. I hope this never happens to you but it's something to be aware of. Do like the faucet though but since I'm cheap I don't make changes to factory installed unless it can not be repaired.

[beemerphile1]

If that water got into insulation under the floor you need to open the belly and dry it out. The water will sit in the insulation against the underneath of the floor and rot the wood.

I have thought of installing a timer into the water pump circuit so it shuts off automatically after an hour. It would be a nuisance at times but would insure not leaving the pump energized.

[DutchmenSport]

MitchF150 wrote:
I don't know of any lever type faucet that turn ON buy pushing the lever DOWN??

All the ones I've put in my house all need to be pushed UP to turn ON...

Here ya go Mitch. The first photo is from my Kitchen, the second is from my Laundry Room in my hosue.

[chiefward]

"water pump off" is one of the items on my departure checklist.

[Community Alumni]

We learned a similar lesson a few years ago. We had a pipe fitting fail while away for dinner and it flooded the storage bay of the trailer we had then.

Two things we do all the time now; turn the water pump off while traveling or away from the trailer and also turn the fresh water off at the spigot when away.

[_DJ_1]

My last TT, '14 Nash 23D had the same problem from the factory. Stuff would fall out of the chintzy bathroom cabinet and turn on the bathroom sink faucets. Luckily I always most never forget to turn off the pump. But it can happen. Went to Home Depot and replaced the cabinet. But that was just one of a myriad of problems. Never so happy to see a TT go down the road!!!

[Camper_G]

Sorry to hear about that. That's very unfortunate. Hope all is well with the trailer and you got it dried out real good. I like the others always double check the water pump switch before leavjng the cg, but i don't run with water in the tanks anyway. Thanks for sharing and for the reminder for all of us

[path1]

Run a wire from water pump to a little led light that is visible in your tow vehicle.

Saves the talk of "did we shut off water pump"