Fresh Water Tank Vent?

[dbj216]

My fresh water tank "belches and spits up" when I fill it with a garden hose. It invariably gets my pant leg and shoe wet. I don't think it has a vent pipe.

Have others discovered a good way to fill the fresh water tank without the gushers?

David

[Minno]

Try one of these if you don't have one:

Water Tank Filler with Shut-Off Valve - Camco 40003 - Fresh Water Pumps - Camping World

You can also buy them at an RV place, Wall-Mart, Target, etc.

Chris

[airdreamers]

Minno has the idea. Also your water fill should have a little hole for venting next to the fill inlet. My fill cap is attached with a flexible plastic connection (like your gas cap on your car)so you can't lose it. It is attached at the end and has a sideways plastic pin that is inserted into the vent hole. I didn't realize the vent hole till I had the problem as you. Also slow down the volume of water as you fill. I will try to post a picture of what I just explained.

[dznf0g]

I had an old white RV hose that had a bad male end on it. I was just about to throw it out when I thought, I'll keep 12" of the female end to make a fill hose like the Camco, but no shutoff.

[dbj216]

Thank you folks for the suggestions. I'll look for a vent hole in my fill port. I'll try a Camco fill hose with valve. It is interesting to me that this blow back problem I've been experiencing has had a solution for years. I just put up with the problem instead of looking for a solution! Dumb!

David

[airdreamers]

I am attempting to attach a picture of my fresh water fill. Hopefully this works. If it does, notice the vent hole and the plastic plug. The vent hole is just to the right of the fill hole, the black spot.

I just checked and it attached! Whip Pee!

[jcanavera]

The vent is not very large and dependent upon the water flow you can be adding more water faster than the vent can expel the air. I use a fill tube that screws onto the end of of my fill hose. Since the fill tube is smaller than the end of the fill hose, air can also escape through the water inlet tube on the trailer. This prevents the spitting back of water.

Jack

[dbj216]

For goodness sakes. I've had this 86 Limited for nearly 10 years. I did not know there was a vent hole to the right of the fill port. Thanks Airdreamer and others.

It may be the fill hose I use (cut off white fresh water hose) is too big and plugs the air escape. I'll try a Camco next time I'm in the store.

But my main problem was not knowing there was a vent hole. I had my cap tethered to the plug and never pulled it out. Plugging the vent hole insures a wet pant leg and or shoe. I'll try a "vented" fill tomorrow.

David

[airdreamers]

Originally Posted by dbj216

For goodness sakes. I've had this 86 Limited for nearly 10 years. I did not know there was a vent hole to the right of the fill port. Thanks Airdreamer and others.

It may be the fill hose I use (cut off white fresh water hose) is too big and plugs the air escape. I'll try a Camco next time I'm in the store.

But my main problem was not knowing there was a vent hole. I had my cap tethered to the plug and never pulled it out. Plugging the vent hole insures a wet pant leg and or shoe. I'll try a "vented" fill tomorrow.

David

Don't feel too bad my pants got wet a few times before I realized the vent hole myself. I am not sure if it is discussed in the manual, but who reads manuals anyway. Sometimes when things go wrong, only?

[dbj216]

I filled my fresh water tank with the vent hole open. No wet pants! I used full flow of my fill hose which I could not do before. I could feel the cool air coming out the vent hole.

I haven't checked my owner's manual. I wonder if I just missed the instruction to pull this plug out of the vent hole when filling. I'll check it one of these days. It is almost automatic that the vent hole plug is removed the way the cap tether is designed. Kinda like pouring water out of your boot with the instructions on the heel! I always wondered why Airstream put in such a short cap tether. I just never pulled it hard enough to remove the vent plug.

Thanks again everyone.

David

[dbj216]

I checked my owner's manual today. There is no mention of the vent hole plug on the cap tether. But there is a picture of it on page Q-3. I must have glanced at the picture and said "yep, that's the fresh water fill port." The picture shows a hand with a finger touching the plug, which is out of the hole. I suspect Airstream manual writers had the picture, but forgot to add the sentence that says remove the vent hole plug. And then replace it so bugs and dirt don't migrate into your fresh water.

But thanks to you, I know where it is.

David