Darwin Award

[kfalls]

Last night we pulled into an RV park and while going through the usual setup routine, I decided to put some water in the fresh water tank since we had emptied it. On our coach you simply move a lever from the "City Water" position to the "Fill Tank" position. After finishing the other chore my wife pulled up to take me to dinner. During dinner my cell phone rang. It was the RV park calling to tell me there was a vast amount of water pouring out of the rear of my motor home and that they had turned if the water to my coach for me. You guessed it, I knew immediately that I had forgot to switch the water valve back to the "City Water" position and that it was still filling the fresh water tank. I had a sick feeling as I rushed back to the park. I opened the door expecting to have water pour out the door.

Anyway a quick inspection revealed no damage that I can see and everything seems to be ok. I guess there must be an overflow valve. Does anyone know exactly what saved my bacon on a 2004 Safari Simba? I am going to try to inspect the tank tomorrow. Is there a cap or anything that I could have blown off?

Right now I am considering my self lucky the coach inside and all compartments seem fine and everything works. I can only hope I've learned my lesson not to get distracted and do that again!

If anyone knows how the system "vented" the extra water and if there is any damage I should look for, I would appreciate your responses.

[kalynzoo]

Welcome to the world of ooops. Since filling the water tank would require the displacement of air, I am sure your MH, like mine, has an overflow relief line. In my current MH and in the previous ones, the overfill tube looped from near the top of the tank to a spot on the outside undercarriage where it terminated with a filter cap. I presume the cap keeps bugs from climbing aboard.
Glad the error was a non-event. I guess I can share my recent ooops, when pulling into a site, eying the the magnificent MH on the left I kissed the tree on the right. A new awning and a fresh paint job and we are as good as new.
Thanks for sharing, and Happy Trails.

[pipedream2]

Yes there is an vent/overflow.. when the fresh water tank is full it will run on the ground under the coach...there is nothing involved there to get any water inside the coach....but not saying you couldnt blow the the tank if mud daubers blocked the vent...not something I would like to repeat

[bullheaded]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pipedream2 Yes there is an vent/overflow.. when the fresh water tank is full it will run on the ground under the coach...there is nothing involved there to get any water inside the coach....but not saying you couldnt blow the the tank if mud daubers blocked the vent...not something I would like to repeat

One more reason to have a GOOD water pressure regulator.

[Route 66]

Filling/dumping/rinsing tanks is never a good time for multitasking.

[Belgian]

I did the same thing almost..with the black tank. I was flushing the black tank and got distracted until water was coming off the roof. My first thought was 'why is water coming off the roof"? Then it dawned on me. Two things saved me, 1. the vent pipe was sealed at the roof so I didn't fill my ceiling with water and 2. the toilet seal on the flapper worked right. It could have been a real mess. There are other stupid things I've done but we'll save those for another post.

[lblampman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belgian I did the same thing almost..with the black tank. I was flushing the black tank and got distracted until water was coming off the roof. My first thought was 'why is water coming off the roof"? Then it dawned on me. Two things saved me, 1. the vent pipe was sealed at the roof so I didn't fill my ceiling with water and 2. the toilet seal on the flapper worked right. It could have been a real mess. There are other stupid things I've done but we'll save those for another post.

Well that brought on thoughts of Robin Williams in RV.

[wa8yxm]

Your fresh water tank has an air vent (needed or else your on-board water pump could not "suck" water out of the tank) and when you over fill that air vent quickly becomes an overflow.

[Gutter Man]

When going on a trip I usually fill my tank until water start coming out of the overflow, the one you have experienced. It is a rather large pipe coming out of the top of the fresh water tank.

[PaulO]

I've got a good one. Just did this. I like to let my grey and black water tanks get pretty full before I dump them even when docked because I believe they drain better with a little more gravity. Anyway, I leave in the morning with the grey tank nearing full and stay out for a long day. When I get back, I have a huge, stinky flood coming up and out of my shower. I realize right away that the grey tank has overflowed and the shower is the lowest point of escape for the water. What I can't figure out is how it overflowed when it was not full that morning. Then I discover the dripping bathroom faucet I had not turned off all the way!!! What a mess and a lesson.
Paul

[Mike Canter]

While fueling the center fuselage tank in a large Navy four engine aircraft (P-3 Orion) the guy got distracted and went off and did something else. This center fuselage tank is a rubber bladder tank. Well the tank got full and the overflow/vent valve did not work and the guy was not there so it kept on filling and expanding. When they went up into the aircraft they had to walk up a steep hill because it had pushed the floor way up on the way to the cockpit. A lot of damage $$$$$.

[Arch Hoagland]

Due to some water "incidents" we always turn off the water at the campground hose bib when we leave the park.

[moisheh]

Arch: We also turn off the hose bib when leaving for any length of time. Paranoia I guess. But I remember years ago at a Club campout one of the members had a very cheaply made mini MH. We were all sitting around the evening campfire and one of the youing kids went back to this unit to get some treats. He came running back screaming " Dad there is water running out the door!" A line had burst. What a mess.

[wa8yxm]

Could be worse, could have flooded INSIDE the motor home.. Mine does.