Community Forums

kernst52 · 03-21-2017, 10:22 AM

We took our first trip in our 2007 Fleetwood Terra on a W22. We fixed the suspension issues thanks to the great help from this forum.

New and wonderful problem: The gas pump keeps clicking off as if the tank is full even when it is not. Tried 3 different stations - same problem but to different degrees. Finally got enough gas in to get home at the third station by holding the pump handle upside down.

Any ideas on this?

Thanks.

Ken

Blondiega1 · 03-21-2017, 10:26 AM

Some pumps/stations will only allow you to fill to a certain dollar amount. Then it cuts off and you have to start again. Is this perhaps the issue?

kernst52 · 03-21-2017, 10:30 AM

That is not it. It trips off right from the start of filling. It is something to do with my rig.

Mr_D · 03-21-2017, 10:32 AM

Inlet hose may have a sag in it, the vent is not working correctly or the inlet is too low to drain correctly.

tomwalt · 03-21-2017, 10:38 AM

My Tiffin does the same thing - I've become good at estimating how much gas I need and then when a pump is acting up I try different nozzle angles and pump speeds and don't give up until I know I'm close to full.

Also, my home base fuel station (7/11) does not experience this issue. It is mostly at RV islands at Pilot/FlyingJ, Loves, ect type highway stops. Maybe these have a higher fuel flow?

Dougsee3 · 03-21-2017, 11:05 AM

With 40 gas fills in the last 7 months this has happened to me about 4 times with one station being impossible had to give up after only 8 gallons. the others took differant weird nozzle angles to lessen or relieve the problem. I do not know if it is the pump pressure or maybe the lean of the motorhome at the pump, left or right or maybe from front to back. It has given me problems at the odd gas station in previous years as well. When it happens I usually am to frustrated to analyze why it happens. Like all the other issues with credit card not swiping, shutting of at even $85, to receipts that will not print.

rivraton · 03-21-2017, 11:14 AM

Try filling at a slower rate, the valve shuts off when the fuel seals off the port in the nozzle. there may be a "kink" or obstruction in the hose from the filler neck to the tank, or the tank may not vent fast enough...

kernst52 · 03-21-2017, 11:16 AM

I looked underneath. It must be 4-5 feet or so from the side of the RV to the tank and it is not all downhill. That must be it. The gas is piling up at the uphill part.

Thanks for the tip.

Ken

Scarab0088 · 03-21-2017, 12:38 PM

Two suggestions - short term and long term:

1. Try holding the evap collar of the fuel pump handle - compressed, but slightly away from the filler neck. This releases some of the vapor pressure - an issue when the tank vent is kinked or has a low point that collects liquid.

2. Trace the filler tube and filler vent pipe. Ensure the tube is a gradual slope to the tank with no low spots. Ensure the filler vent is above the filler tube and has no low spots.

#2 is usually cased by extra tubing used in the RV build...easy to remove, cut-down and reinstall with zip ties to keep everything where you want it.

Best luck

Bigd9 · 03-21-2017, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Inlet hose may have a sag in it, the vent is not working correctly or the inlet is too low to drain correctly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kernst52

I looked underneath. It must be 4-5 feet or so from the side of the RV to the tank and it is not all downhill. That must be it. The gas is piling up at the uphill part.

Thanks for the tip.

Ken

As Mr D said, check both the filler tube and the vent tube for sags. The fueling stations gas nozzle, "a hole at the end allows air to flow up a tube into an air sack in the handle. But when the tank becomes full and liquid covers the hole, sucking up denser gas into the tube instead of air, a change in pressure occurs. This collapses the air-filled sack, triggering the shutoff."
Ever Wonder How a Gas Pump Knows When to Click Off? ‘It’s Actually Surprisingly Complicated’ – TheBlaze

vettenuts · 03-21-2017, 02:12 PM

I have run into this as well but also have had stations where I can fill as fast as I can pump the fuel. At least on mine, I attribute this to the station and not the coach and also to some degree the state where the fuel is purchased. Here, there is vapor recovery on the nozzle. Some states don't seem to have this requirement and I find the coach easier to fill in those locations.

workhorsed · 03-21-2017, 05:38 PM

Hey all, the kickoff problem is caused by the safety nannies who don't want us to completely fill our tanks. Their cure is related to the size and location of the vent holes surrounding the fill hole. The physics of how the system knows when to shut down the fuel is quite complicated, but it is really all related to the back pressure in the fill neck below the nozzle hole.

I have found Costco to be the absolute worst, however just about any station with late model pumps will have the same problem. Consequently I only fuel at Costco when I know I can top off without inconveniencing others.

My shortfall to proper fill-up over three vehicles, the RV and two older pickups is almost exactly 1.5 litres or about 3.5 gal US, every time. However because there is no restriction in the filler neck I can overfill my 64 TBird if I'm not careful! No restriction in

Some of our rural filling stations have found that a certain brand of octane booster's bottle with a stepped tapered neck makes an excellent tool to hold the lever at the right flow rate. Unfortunately this does defeat the auto shut off.

UFO Pilot · 03-21-2017, 06:17 PM

I have no trouble at Costco's and they are my first choice for gas.

ahicks · 03-21-2017, 06:37 PM

9 times out of 10 this is an installation issue. A low spot in the vent will collect gasoline and prevent the tank from venting properly, which eventually leads to gas backing up in the fill tube. This is generally a pretty simple repair that generally only requires the low spot be removed - generally by fastening it to the floor.

A low spot in the filler tube generally will fill, but you have to take your darn sweet time. Fuel entering it will be higher that anywhere else, and will push any fuel ahead of it into the tank. Still a pain in the butt - but not like a low spot in the vent line.

Either way, a competent dealer shouldn't have any trouble fixing either or both issues.