Community Forums

rickf · 12-21-2013, 01:25 PM

I know there have been a couple threads on this lately but all of them only covered bits and pieces of my problem so I am going to ask again here. I had what appeared to be a massive leak only while running at the tank close to the filler area. There is a metal fitting I can barely see between the tank and the frame. This is a 31 foot Chieftain with the 75 gallon tank. I had assumed I had a bad line and figured I would drop the tank and replace all of the rubber lines. Now the weather has finally broken a bit and I go out to move it and no leak! WTH? I get it moved around and play with the air system a bit because the compressor was acting up and still no leak. I fought the cover off inside the storage compartment that covers the fill lines so I could get to them to disconnect them to remove the tank. I will only be able to get disconnected to the outside of the frame, no way am I going to be able to get any further in. This means the tank will have to come out by dropping the passenger side first far enough down to slide the hoses out from above the frame. This is NOT going to be easy for one person and that is all I got, Me. This brings mee back to the leak/non-leak. I got a mirror up there and the best I can tell it is a valve or regulator possibly. I am thinking it possibly stuck and now has broken loose and is operating again. No matter, I have to replace 24 year old lines. How have those of you that have done this done it? How much play is in the lines above the tank for movement of the tank before disconnect? I really wanted to get this done today, it was 68 degrees here in NJ today!!! Will be 70+ tomorrow but raining, I will do it in the rain if I have to just to get the warm temps.

Rick

cook elandan · 12-21-2013, 05:02 PM

Well I you say you are going to replace the lines or hoses, cut them and remove the tank. I have a 85 elandan that that is what I did. Cut the lines and the you are able to remove the lines and measure and cut new line to install.

rickf · 12-21-2013, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cook elandan

Well I you say you are going to replace the lines or hoses, cut them and remove the tank. I have a 85 elandan that that is what I did. Cut the lines and the you are able to remove the lines and measure and cut new line to install.

That is fine but I can't even see the supply and return lines. No clue at all if there is enough to drop the tank without damaging a hard line. Plus I see no way of getting the tank back up there without having at least the first section of fill hoses on first, there is no acess to the tank top once it is up there. It looks to me like the drivers side has to drop all the way down first. This tank is half full which means going out to buy at least 8 five gallon gas cans if I need to empty it which I would have to do to drop it that way. I really would like to find a way to get at the lines without all that if I can. I also need to find out what that item was that was leaking, it sort of looks like a regulator. I was looking through the manual section and they give a part number for a pump that does not require a regulator. The problem being is that the manual is 20 years old so that number will be garbage. I know there are low pressure pumps that can be mounted externally but I would need to know what is needed for the pick up. I only want to have to do this once and I am to old to be tossing 500 lb. tanks around.

cook elandan · 12-22-2013, 02:10 PM

Rick sorry for the short reply. I was using the wifes Ipad, so me and touch screens dont do well. I have a 85 elandan 34' that I dropped the tank. I had to remove the boot where the gas cap is that allowed me to loosen the hose clamps for the fill and overfill tubes (sound like you have a cover you are able to remove to do the same) I was not able to reach the clamps for the tubes close to the tank, so I had to leave attach pull the tank down pulling the tubes out past the black water tank and frame. When I go to reinstall I am going to drop the black tank to give me room and be able to see more when I install. The fuel lines that go in the center of the middle of the tank there are 4. one for generator, one for vent port, then the return and gas line to the block. They are rubber lines that attach over to the frame. I am going to replace the rubber lines with steel lines that go over to the edge of the tank so if I need to do this again I will have a connection that I can reach, and also I will not have to worry about the rubber hose rot any more.
I also just got a 89 elandan 37' that I beleave is more in line with that same problem. The PO just replaced the fuel pump in the tank and I can hear it run. There is a leak on my passenger frame rail that is the fuel regulator. The RV has sat for years so the gas is bad. I have to do the same with removing the boot at the gas cap to reach the clamps for the tubes. I can see the same with the generator line, vent line and the return and fuel line. I can disconnect the return and fuel line by the regulator and should be able to lower and tilt the tank to see about the generator and vent lines on how to disconnect and am going to run into the same with the black water tank being in the way.
I believe that they use a higher pressure pump in the tank to push the gas to the engine fuel pump using the pressure regulator to lower the pressure for the engine pump.
So hope that your issue is the same for me and the regulator is the issue, I will find out in a few weeks. besides the weather, I just had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands so things are on hold.
Keep posted.
Thanks.