Water Overflow Tube

[madmaxmutt]

Originally Posted by Packerbacker_TX

Marko - The idea of an "overflow" tube is to allow overflow. It's really handy when you're filling your fresh water tanks because you know when to stop. (LOL) When you're towing the rig and bouncing around on the road, you'll slosh around and lose some water but it's just excess water. It's not like half your tank is empty or anything. Some people mentioned valves or stop gap measures... I'd be cautious because if you overfill the tank and a closed valve is keeping things inside the rig, where do you think the water is going to go next?

Here's a couple freebies:
* Fill the fresh water tank just enough to get by (flush toilet/wash hands) and fill up when you get close to where you're going. Remember that a gallon of water is 8#, so a 50 gallon tank is roughly 400# you're towing around.
* Get a couple of gallon jugs and fill them with water. Keep it in the shower and use it for the toilet instead of running around with fresh water tanks.


Good Luck!

I think you are mistaking this issue, with a normal overflow situation. These are a poorly engineered design and really do siphon off well over 1/3 of the tank. That puts it below the 2/3 sensor, so the display shows 1/3.

Places out west (Dead Horse Point to Moab) might be an hour away from water. Even when stationary, if it starts flowing out the overflow, it won't stop for a long time. Several time filling up at a campground dump station it starts flowing and doesn't stop until it says 1/3. I can even make it happen using the pump/winterizing valve and 7 gallon jugs.

Breaking the siphon on mine takes countless 90 degree turns of the tank/city fill valve. Now that it is out of warranty, without resolution; I plan to drop the coroplast and figure out a permanent solution.

[madmaxmutt]

Originally Posted by CAG

It is easy to critique without having all of the facts but generally that leads to a faulty conclusion.

It would also be easy for Jayco (and the other brands with this issue) to address the problem and solve it, but they don't. The vast majority of RV trailers don't have multiple fresh water tanks, so your issue would be extremely rare, and more anecdotal.

[Bandit12]

I bought a couple of these. I keep them separate for use on the black tank flush and for filling the fresh water tank. I know my fresh water system holds 60 gallons, that includes the 6 gallons in the water heater. What I do is fill the fresh tank to 25 gallons. Shut off the water, go inside and run the pump till no more air is coming out of the hot water taps and I have a steady stream of water from the hot tap at the kitchen, and bathroom sinks and from the shower. Then I go back outside and continue filling till my meter reads 60 gallons. Tank is full with no overflow. For the second one, I have a 90 degree elbow, a shutoff valve and the meter. I know my black tank holds 38 gallons. Once I've dumped the tank, I close the dump valve and run the flush until I see 20-25 gallons on the meter, Shut off the water and dump again. Repeat until the water coming form the black tank is clear. Usually takes 2-3 cycles.
https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Measure-...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[GDBurk]

I put plugs (to act like wine bottle corks) in mine.

[Rhody51]

We had the same problem climbing passes out west. I installed a simple plastic ball shut off, it fit my drain tube perfectly. You do have to remember to open when filling but that just becomes part of the process. I think it cost me $6.00.

[Quantum]

Add the breather hose, like in POST #21 and be done with it. Nothing to remember to do or undo. When I get to the campground the less I have to remember, the better the experience is going to be.

[Johnynorthland]

What size ball valve for the pex inside diameter is everyone using?

And why does my tank have 3 overflow vent tubes?

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

What size ball valve for the pex inside diameter is everyone using?

And why does my tank have 3 overflow vent tubes?

I think it just depends on the tank being used. Our 08 SENECA had 3.

[Rock]

If and when I have to cut thru the bottom I might consider adding a breather. With two tanks if they are against the floor or close to it not an easy task. In my last TT I could access the water tank like I can access one Gray and black tank thru my FW basement.

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

I think it just depends on the tank being used. Our 08 SENECA had 3.

Thanks Grumpy,

I know ones the overflow, I’m guessing one is a vent, the 3rd?
Jayco also ran them so close to my generator exhaust the started melting! The dealers fix was to cut them all short!

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

Thanks Grumpy,

I know ones the overflow, I’m guessing one is a vent, the 3rd?
Jayco also ran them so close to my generator exhaust the started melting! The dealers fix was to cut them all short!

Could be a low point drain and the valve is in a cabinet. May not be directly connected to the tank.

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Could be a low point drain and the valve is in a cabinet. May not be directly connected to the tank.

My low point drains are in the opposite side of my rig, with the valves in a compartment. But I’ll keep searching.

Thanks

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by CAG

This is a common issue with water tanks and is annoying if you are boondocking because you end up at your destination with half or less water in your tank. I had three overflows on the toy hauler. I install shut off valves on all three. I opened them when filling, and closed them as each started to leak water. I then opened them upon arrival at camp so that there was air balance for the tank. I left them open until the tank was filled again for the next trip. Put it on your checklist so you do not forget it. Leaving them closed and trying to fill the tanks will blow the tank crossover or expand the tanks to the point of needing replacement.



It is part of camping. Know your unit and follow the checklist. We who fly do not, I repeat, do not, forget to go over the check list.

Yeah, we who fly know that checklist is there for a very good reason!

[dbahn]

We found a simple and inexpensive solution that seems to work well. Buy a handful of rubber stoppers then use a shark bite connector to extend any one of the three vent tubes to the underside of the wall. Put rubber stoppers on all three tubes and just remove the one on the extended tube when filling and remove when using the fresh water tank. (This also makes it a little more obvious when you've filled to capacity.)

When you get to your camp site the fresh tank is still full and when you remove the rubber stopper a few ounces of water drains, but that's it. If you accidentally over-pressurize during a fill the stoppers will blow out and need to be replaced, but they're cheap items.

I've considered adding a pin hole sized vent in the extended tube to reduce the risk of developing a vacuum in the system but haven't done so yet. We just store the stopper in a visible place and only turn on the pump when we see the stopper and know that it's been removed from the tube. My wife has also suggested putting copper mesh in the end of the tube to reduce the chance of bugs entering the system. It may be easier to add some sort of a one way flow valve on the extended tube, but I haven't tried that yet.

I think the use of three vent tubes was employed because of the risk of high pressure fill. Rubber plugs act as a safety valve so only one plug needs to be removed to fill and the other two can be ignored. Shut off valves don't have that safety feature.

[Colorado]

I added a 40 gallon tank to my 5er, when I plumbed everything I added a valve to the overflow. I keep it open when I fill the tank so can see when it’s full because it’ll “overflow”. I open it upon reaching the campsite, I personally put a note by the on off switch of the pump reminding whoever turns it on to open the overflow valve.

The valve with the RED pex line is the overflow valve, The red Pex line helps to identify the proper valve...

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by dbahn

We found a simple and inexpensive solution that seems to work well. Buy a handful of rubber stoppers then use a shark bite connector to extend any one of the three vent tubes to the underside of the wall. Put rubber stoppers on all three tubes and just remove the one on the extended tube when filling and remove when using the fresh water tank. (This also makes it a little more obvious when you've filled to capacity.)

When you get to your camp site the fresh tank is still full and when you remove the rubber stopper a few ounces of water drains, but that's it. If you accidentally over-pressurize during a fill the stoppers will blow out and need to be replaced, but they're cheap items.

I've considered adding a pin hole sized vent in the extended tube to reduce the risk of developing a vacuum in the system but haven't done so yet. We just store the stopper in a visible place and only turn on the pump when we see the stopper and know that it's been removed from the tube. My wife has also suggested putting copper mesh in the end of the tube to reduce the chance of bugs entering the system. It may be easier to add some sort of a one way flow valve on the extended tube, but I haven't tried that yet.

I think the use of three vent tubes was employed because of the risk of high pressure fill. Rubber plugs act as a safety valve so only one plug needs to be removed to fill and the other two can be ignored. Shut off valves don't have that safety feature.

Dbhan, Where do you buy these “stoppers”? Are they rubber wine corks?

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by Colorado

I added a 40 gallon tank to my 5er, when I plumbed everything I added a valve to the overflow. I keep it open when I fill the tank so can see when it’s full because it’ll “overflow”. I open it upon reaching the campsite, I personally put a note by the on off switch of the pump reminding whoever turns it on to open the overflow valve.

The valve with the RED pex line is the overflow valve, The red Pex line helps to identify the proper valve...

Hey Colorado, where’d ya get those fancy shutoffs ?

[dbahn]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

Dbhan, Where do you buy these “stoppers”? Are they rubber wine corks?

Any hardware should have them, usually where they have nuts and bolts, etc. but sometimes on a separate rack system near there.

They are similar to wine corks but have a different taper, which makes the easy to insert in the tube. Cork versions are available in the same sizes, I think.

Now that I'm home I'll try to measure the pressure needed to blow the stopper out, but I can't believe it will be near the pressure that would cause damage to the tank or other components of the plumbing.

I've also ordered a check valve to add to the system to protect against inadvertent collapse from negative pressure in the tank if the stopper is accidentally left in with the pump operational. If that works the way I think it will the system should be foolproof.

[Johnynorthland]

Thanks dbhan, check valve on one tube seems like a good idea. Come to think of it, why wouldn’t you put them on all 3? You could direct the check out on one in on the other or vise versa. I wonder at what point of pressure they would work?

[dbahn]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

Thanks dbhan, check valve on one tube seems like a good idea. Come to think of it, why wouldn’t you put them on all 3? You could direct the check out on one in on the other or vise versa. I wonder at what point of pressure they would work?

Since the check valve's only purpose is to allow air IN if water is pumped out then one check valve should be sufficient, and the check valve might be the most expensive component of the system (around $15). If I put the check valve upstream of the rubber plug it would let air in during negative pressure in the tank (from the pump) but prevent water from exiting the tube during positive pressure in the tank. One of the valves I looked at had a release pressure of under 1 psi, which is quite low.

I think if you added one "in" and one "out" then one of them would defeat the purpose of not allowing water to exit the tank during MH movement, the so called "siphoning" effect created with movement.

A pin hole somewhere in the system would allow equlibration of air pressure from temperature or altitude changes (which occur slowly) even if it let water out a few drops at time. (Ironically, if you're nearly out of water and your plugs are put in when it's cold, with an increase in temperature or altitude the air expansion could blow one plug out, which doesn't happen when the tank is full.)