How to increase mileage- Instantly!

[Max Hubrich]

Fix the fuel leak STUPID-- !!

The coach builder (Newmar, in my case) did it to me- . I have a '02, 37ft, W-22, Mountain Aire. During the build, they used 1", self drilling/taping screws to hold a water bay panel in place. 1/4" would have sufficed!

I have noticed (for quite some time now), during filling up with gas, a puddle of fuel was accumulating on the ground. I thought it was an overflow because I usually "top it off". Wrong-- The gas hose from the fill point to the tank had a leak. Mine is a 1 3/4" I.D. rubber hose.

Here is the culprit-



Here is the hole location. I'm flat on my back looking up at the gas tank fill hose. I had put some tape over the leak in an attempt (a futile one at that) to stop the loss of fuel while I was enroute to Maine. I was afraid I would be banned from all gas stations if the word got out that I was leaking- during fill up . Yes, I removed the culprit screw and replaced it with a 1/4" screw.


Here is the leak in the hose. It was up on the top half of the hose where the protruding screw was placed. Over the years, during road travel, it "cut", or drilled, a hole into my gas fill hose.


Here is the new hose and a 90 degree elbow I bought at Lowes to make the repair job easier.


Finished job- .


Here is the hook up to the gas tank. A second smaller, venting, hose is there also.




So if you haven't got anything else to do on a nice day, crawl under your rig and take a look-- It might save you a big problem .

Good luck,

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Hubrich Fix the fuel leak STUPID-- !!

Max, Thank you for the report and great pictures!

Hope to see you this October at either WCC East Coast Rally or the 10th Anniversary Rally (both)

[dezertcamper]

Have you noticed any filling issues by adding the 90 degree brass fitting in the fuel filler hose? Sometimes a bend like that will cause the fuel backup and cause the gas station nozzle to click off, as it thinks its full. The reason I ask is my family had a 1977 Chevy Blazer that was bought new in 77 and for years you would have to hold the pump handle half way or it would click off. In the late 90"s I was working on it for my grandfather and I noticed the way the fuel filler hose was routed that it reduced the flow and was causing the slow flow issue. I replaced the hose with one I got from Napa and shortened one side making the bend less severe and this solved the problem. My guess is the original hose was installed wrong and maybe even the wrong hose. It only took 20+ years for us to figure out and fix!

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dezertcamper It only took 20+ years for us to figure out and fix!

dzcmpr, Has it happened to you that as soon as you get everything fixed, you wind up trading the thing in !!!!

I have to compliment you on observing the 90° elbow however I know Max must have ruled out the back-flow issue if it has occurred.

[max49]

Sure seems to be a lot of leaky gas lines lately. Hope it's not contageous.
Max let us if that near 90* bend gives you problems filling up. If it does, you might be able to make a 45* work.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49 Sure seems to be a lot of leaky gas lines lately. Hope it's not contagious.

Max49, Back in 2002, the fuel systems were shipped from the factory, incomplete and if was up to the OE to finish the system. This is why there are more configurations for filler hoses that we can count. Of course it sure doesn't help that the guys on the assembly line use a generic rather than a purposefully designed screw.

In 1997 I had a Terry fifth wheel and although a 1/2 sheet metal screw would have been more than adequate to secure the edging around the opening where the umbilical cord came out near the pin box, the workers on the floor used something like a 2 1/2" screw which actually went right into the cord and between a hot leg and ground. You can imagine my fun when I observed sparks raining out from under the overhang on my new trailer!

Now in this same opening Fleetwood expected me to push up my umbilical cord into this opening to store the cord. The opening was surrounded by these sharp sheet metal screws so getting a hand up in there or the cord was hazardous. I wound up cutting off about an inch or so off the end of the screws with a cutting plier.

It not unusual to see assembly workers just have a single screw available for multiple purposes. I expect that some where along the line it saved them a few bucks on materials.

[Max Hubrich]

Hey Guys-

I had a 45 degree fitting in my hands at Lowes as my first thought too. I haven't filled up the rig yet since I just finished the repair today. We won't be moving the MH until mid October. The inside diameter of the elbow is 1 1/2" plus. It also has a good downward slope to it. I don't think it will be a problem but I can easily swap it out for a 45 degree elbow if I have a problem.

The original hose was all one length and it had to make the 90 degree turn to the tank. I put the new one on the tank and had to fight it to bend it- It wanted to "pinch". I had the 90 degree fitting with me so I chose the easy fix. In fact the pressure on the original hose caused it be pushed, outward, close to the protruding screw in the first place.

I looked at a friends '03 Mountain Aire (same model as mine) and it had a smooth curved, 90 degree aluminum tube installed where I placed my 90 degree fitting.

My immediate concern is to have a helper pour in 5 gallons of gas from a Jerry can to test the fittings/clamps etc.

Driver, We won't get back to NC until the third week in October if things go as planned- Sorry, we would have loved to come .

I'll update this thread when I get on the road again about the gas fill up issue.

[dezertcamper]

I just thought I would ask about the 90 fitting as it takes long enough to fill a 80 gal tank without having to hold the gas nozzle the whole time. Also I am in California and we have those really great evaporation boots on the end of the nozzle that make them even more sensitive!

[Ding-a-ling]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer You can imagine my fun when I observed sparks raining out from under the overhang on my new trailer!

Aha!
Your moniker of "Sparky" goes farther back than I thought!

FJF