Fresh Water Tank won't empty via pump

Mine, too.

I went to winterize it the first winter we had it and had to add 10 gallons of antifreeze before the pump would pick up anything. Got smart the next winter.

Just a guess - but sounds like your pump draw tube is mounted on the side of the tank too high and when you get to the 1/3 point it is drawing in air. If it is using a straight line into the top of the tank, sounds like it doesn't reach far enough down into the tank.

To determine what you are really looking at, park level, then get your sucking sounds... after that try a front to back shift..see if one or the other works better.

Put whatever you get out back in again, then try a right and left shift and again see what works and what doesn't.

This will determine what your suck tube might be contacting for water level, and certainly give you insight into what to do next.

If your TT is like our '04 Pioneer was, the pickup is on the side of the tank but not totally at the bottom. They need some room for the fitting to spin in, leaving the opening slightly above the bottom of the tank. Also, if it is on the side, the side to side leveling comes into play!! Your drain plug or fitting is maybe on the bottom of tank, and if like our old trailer, on the same side as the pickup fitting.

What I and others on here have done, was to use the drain as the pickup point, teeing into it for both functions and plugging the side fitting. Still had to keep the trailer level side to side or slightly down on the fitting side. With that mod and leveling adjustments, we could get almost every drop of fresh water out of our 50 gal tank.

Great pics of your trip, we'll be doing almost the same route back to Minnysoda in Aug, but staying up on the northern route!! Eh!!!

My tank has the suction on the side, and I can't use the whole thing. I am moving mine to the drain. Even after sucking air and water for a few minutes, I still had 6+ gallons left in the tank in a 30 gallon tank.

TUCQUALA wrote:
What I and others on here have done, was to use the drain as the pickup point, teeing into it for both functions and plugging the side fitting.

Anyone have photos or more information about this mod? Is this something I should just have my local RV shop handle?

With regards to winterizing your trailer and adding antifreeze to your fresh water tank that this is not a recommended practice. The best way to winterize is to get a hose from the dealer and connect directly to the pumep to push the antifreeze into the lines and then just drain the tank. Alot of trailers have an isolation valve by the pump to connect the hose to and you can pump right from the jug of antifreeze.

LeBout wrote:

TUCQUALA wrote:
What I and others on here have done, was to use the drain as the pickup point, teeing into it for both functions and plugging the side fitting.

Anyone have photos or more information about this mod? Is this something I should just have my local RV shop handle?

Here ya' go:



Plug the hole in the side and connect hose to bottom.

Here's how we did it....
We dry camp 95% of the time and need all the water we can get....
Moved the pump intake from where the white pvc plug is, to the bottom drain location.

4Jeeperz wrote:
Here's how we did it....
We dry camp 95% of the time and need all the water we can get....
Moved the pump intake from where the white pvc plug is, to the bottom drain location.

That ALMOST looks like what I did to my ROO today. Gained 6-8 gallons of water.