17' Series Can't fill water tank???

[Chocka]

Hi Guys,

Had the Maiden trip last weekend to Merijig at the base of Mt buller. Was a great trip but had water filling issues.

I'm putting the hose in around 4 inches, and it seems to fill lets say 10 litres or so then "bounces back" at me as if it's full - i.e. the water dribbles out at the same rate as it goes in.

I banged on the tank and it sounds empty?

Just wondering if there is a valve, tap or something that I need to turn. Or is it a kink, airbubble ???

I am filling it slowly, so I doubt it is the rate of filling.

Cheers,

Dean.

 

[Matty4]

I seem to remember this issue when I first got mine.
My solution was to shove a good 2-3 feet of hose down the tank filler neck and haven't had an issue since.

Give that a try.

 

[relgate]

Sounds strange. Mine fills no probs. Have you had a look under at the hoses to see if they are all ok? Maybe the breather is blocked?
There is a valve that chooses between the two tanks (if yours has 2). It should be irrelevant but might be worth playing with

 

[Bushman]

somehow test your breathers to make sure they are working/not kinked/blocked, also try sticking the hose in drain plug to ensure the water is getting in

 

[Chocka]

Thanks for your advice guys. I'll try the old shove the hose in trick, might be some silicon in there!

Does anyone know where the "breathers" are located? On the water tank I'd imagine.

I've only got one tank by the way.

 

[relgate]

The breather should be a tube that runs from the tank back to an outlet next to the inlet (sounds like Dr Seuss!)
In other words, it is a small hole with a mesh cover over it just next to the inlet hole

 

[Chocka]

Ha ha - yer I had to read that first line a few times!! Ok - I'll have another look tonight but I couldn't see this mesh feature you talk of.

 

[relgate]

Is your something like this?

 

[Chocka]

Mine is similar to that but different. I haven't noticed the breather but it might be there! I'll have a fiddle tonight - (then I'll have a look at the water issue!!!)

 

[relgate]

Mine is similar to that but different. I haven't noticed the breather but it might be there! I'll have a fiddle tonight - (then I'll have a look at the water issue!!!)

Boom tish!:lol:

 

[17triton]

It does sound like a breather issue, they may have bolted the tank up and crushed the breather or kinked it.

 

[Aussiecris]

Do yo have two tanks?
When I first got ours I tried filling the back tank and water was coming out the filler like it was full
but banging on the tank said its empty
somehow my tank filler lines are crossed and the front filler fills the back tank
and vice versa

 

[Brad]

You should be able to follow the water lines inside and under the van also.
Just to check for a kink.
The filler holes go into the cavity under the seats in my van. So it is easy to check the lines.

 

[mfexpanda]

You know I think mine are hard to fill too.
I fill them slowly until water comes out the filler but never really happy.
We seem to go through a lot of water when free camping and maybe its just my girls using heaps when showering .
I'm going to try filling them and really see if they are rather than just thinking its full when water comes out the filler.

 

[Xpandafan]

Have you tried opening tap on draw bar or cold tap in kitchen (with pump off) when filling to give bit more pressure venting? I admit to filling mine quite slowly through the B.E.S.T. Water Filter. Gets me out of other chores and really does fill the tanks.

 

[brotys]

Sounds like breather issue or kinked hose try filling it slower or push hose in more

 

[millers]

I am sure that it has been discussed on the forum else where so sorry for the repeat. On my list of "to do" is re-tube and replace the clear house. When investigating (and as discussed) the Jayco tanks fill from the bottom not the top. This means that the water has to be forced into the tank via a siphon action. The pressure to do this is generated by the hight of water in the filler tube. Basically stuff all. This is why they have to be filled slowly the flow into the tank is slow and the filler tube can fill quicker then the tank and over flow even when the take is not full.

I do not have the van here, but the tanks (I believe) are up against the floor so it is difficult to install a top filling hole on the tank.

The other way to fill is to fill under pressure. This can be done two ways.

One: use one of these (picture below from another forum) to seal the filler and pressurise the filling hoses. This means that the pressure to fill the tank now comes from the hose pressure. Remember that this will mean that while filling all of the filler hoses and fittings will be pressurised, so check for leaks (inside and out). When the tank is full the water will flow out the breather hole (again check for leaks). Note that the pressure is not the full hose pressure as the breather releases the pressure.

Two: would be to re-plumb the filler with a three way valve that allows normal filling or optionally a second connector with a standard hose fitting on it (possibly under the van). The three way valve is used so that the normal filler can be blocked off to allow the pressure to fill the tank.

I would use option one, note that I do not have one of these yet.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Brad]

When I fill mine the water just flows in until it starts spewing out of the breather valve.

 

[Chocka]

I took the advice from Matty4 about shoving around 1 foot of hose in the hole and using the tap pressure on medium and this seemed to work well. I think this forces the water in, and forces the air out. One problem was that the air breather hose had a fair bit of water in it - really not sure how it got there but suspect rain coming in from breather? Where ever the hose sagged there was water settled there creating a air lock. This would explain why you need to force the water in - as the air could not escape easily. Right or wrong, I drilled a few small holes (a say 3mm diam) in the air breather hose to allow the water to drain in the spots it was settling in. Seems better now.

I would like to know of any simple water level indicators that are available just to make sure that the tank is full.

 

[richie/ karen]

I took the advice from Matty4 about shoving around 1 foot of hose in the hole and using the tap pressure on medium and this seemed to work well. I think this forces the water in, and forces the air out. One problem was that the air breather hose had a fair bit of water in it - really not sure how it got there but suspect rain coming in from breather? Where ever the hose sagged there was water settled there creating a air lock. This would explain why you need to force the water in - as the air could not escape easily. Right or wrong, I drilled a few small holes (a say 3mm diam) in the air breather hose to allow the water to drain in the spots it was settling in. Seems better now.

I would like to know of any simple water level indicators that are available just to make sure that the tank is full.

hi Chocka I have seen on this forum under tank gauges or simila a bloke posted a picture of a very simple and reasonably cheap device that is fitted in tank water line and takes a reading when empty and another when full and then you can tell waterlevels ,on here some whr.