How do I add water to the FW tank with a 5 gallon water can

DC8Captain · 05-29-2016, 02:58 PM

I went to work to sanitize my water system but ran into a problem with my new TT. I premixed the bleach solution in a five gallon water can as directed by the owners manual. When I went to pour the contents into the FW tanks it came back out the opening. Upon further trouble shooting I found that the tanks fill fine when full pressure from a hose is used but not from a gravity feed can. There must be a flapper valve in the feed line which is why there are separate overflow lines. So how do I add water with the water can? Besides the sanitizing the water system scenario we boondock a lot and would like to have the option to add water to the system with a can. Any idea how long a hose I might need to hook to the water can to get by the flapper valve, if that indeed is the problem?

Any ideas on why they would design the system that way. Seems odd to me?

Dale

Ela1948 · 05-29-2016, 03:07 PM

What year 5th wheel do you have?? Some units have gravity fill systems and others have a pressurized system in which you would use the trailers water pump to suck the water in. Need more info to give assistance.

dewey02 · 05-29-2016, 03:13 PM

I doubt there is any sort of "flapper valve" on your FW tank fill port.
However, it isn't unheard of that Jayco installed the hose with a dip or kink in it as it goes to the FW tank. With a pressurized hose it is able to force its way into the tank.

I suggest that you get one of these: Fresh Water Tank filler. It may fix your problem. http://www.amazon.com/Camco-40003-Wa...per+water+fill

DC8Captain · 05-29-2016, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ela1948

What year 5th wheel do you have?? Some units have gravity fill systems and others have a pressurized system in which you would use the trailers water pump to suck the water in. Need more info to give assistance.

I have a 2016 Jay Flight 27BHS Travel Trailer. It has the gravity feed opening but only works with a hose with the faucet at least half open. The higher the pressure the better it works. Again it acts like a flapper valve with a spring holding it shut. Thus it opens with higher water pressure. That's how it acts not necessarily how it is built. Maybe it is a pressurized system and I don't know what I'm looking at. If that were the case why would using the hose work?

DC8Captain · 05-29-2016, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewey02

I doubt there is any sort of "flapper valve" on your FW tank fill port.
However, it isn't unheard of that Jayco installed the hose with a dip or kink in it as it goes to the FW tank. With a pressurized hose it is able to force its way into the tank.

I suggest that you get one of these: Fresh Water Tank filler. It may fix your problem. http://www.amazon.com/Camco-40003-Wa...per+water+fill

That's what I use with the hose and it works great. When I use it with the can it doesn't work.

Edd505 · 05-29-2016, 09:21 PM

Check the fill line for a kink like mentioned. There are multi treads where the kink has been the issue with the gravity feed.

rtiedeken · 05-30-2016, 07:02 PM

http://www.amazon.com/Kero-World-601...ilpage_o00_s00

I used one of these this weekend at the Indy 500. I put my 7 gallon tank on the ground, with this pump in, and in about 10 minutes the jug was empty and 7 gallons in my fresh water tank. I pumped 4 7 gallon jugs into my TT this weekend with hard effort. I also have a 2nd pump I use to refill the gas in my Honda generators in minutes. The pumps use 2 D cell batteries.

This was a little piece of magic in my tool chest.

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