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08-17-2022, 10:39 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 712
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How to fill fresh water tank
How do people fill the fresh tank? I have always filled until water starts coming out the fill vent. Do others watch the gauge and stop when it reads full?
The reason I ask is that the fresh tank in my Arctic Fox is supposed to hold 72 gallons. I just put 95 gallons of water in it, as measured with a hose end meter. Am I doing something wrong by filling it as full as it will go?
Ive never had an issue in 30 years of trailers, but that does not mean Im not taking some sort of risk.
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2018 F350 Limited, 2021 Arctic Fox 27-5L
300 Ah Battleborn LiFePo4, 3kw Victron Multiplus, 600W Solar, SeeLevel
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08-18-2022, 06:11 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Eastern outskirts of Dallas, TX
Posts: 4,469
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“Supposed to hold”, and what it held without water spilling over to someplace else, are two different things.
An extra 23 gallons of water should be dripping out of somewhere if it’s not in the FW tank.
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91 Ultrastar Champion02 Georgie Boy Landau 8.1l Workhorse
03 Jeep Wrangler TJ 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK toad
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08-18-2022, 06:53 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Solo Rvers Club Coastal Campers
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 1,761
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Always fill mine until it starts running out the overflow. Also fill it from the hose instead of the opening on the tank as more can get in and the water passes through a filter.
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2009 Monaco Camelot 42PDQ
2011 JK
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08-18-2022, 11:00 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Eastern outskirts of Dallas, TX
Posts: 4,469
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FWIW - at 8.33#/gal - We try not to travel with a lot of water in the FW tank unless we know we’ll need it - and then only fill up at the last chance to fill.
That weight impacts both fuel mileage, coach handling, and ride - as does whatever might be in the black and gray tanks.
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91 Ultrastar Champion02 Georgie Boy Landau 8.1l Workhorse
03 Jeep Wrangler TJ 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK toad
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08-21-2022, 06:54 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 712
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I wrote to Northwood. The response was a bit confusing. Rob Miller, of Northwood, sent me a page from their user manual that said fill with a hose until water escapes from the vent and from around the hose. In the text of his message, though, he said that is dangerous and the best way is to watch the level indicators and stop filling when the indicators say it is full.
If one does not provide a way for air to escape the tank can swell and take more than the nominal capacity. My hose allows room for air and water to escape, so I still dont know how I overfilled the tank. 🤨
We do fill at the last possible location, but that can be 100 miles of mountain road before our destination.
__________________
2018 F350 Limited, 2021 Arctic Fox 27-5L
300 Ah Battleborn LiFePo4, 3kw Victron Multiplus, 600W Solar, SeeLevel
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08-21-2022, 07:00 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Eastern outskirts of Dallas, TX
Posts: 4,469
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Hopefully you have some sort of overflow that doesn’t pressurize the tank to available water pressure.
Regardless of how far you have to travel after you fill the tank - water still weighs 8.33#’s/gallon. And for every # of anything that you travel with, costs energy (and $).
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91 Ultrastar Champion02 Georgie Boy Landau 8.1l Workhorse
03 Jeep Wrangler TJ 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK toad
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08-24-2022, 02:03 PM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 174
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Every fresh water tank will have a vent. Once the tank is filled it also becomes an overflow. Problem is the vent is usually a thin tube. People can add water faster than the tube can release. Ends up ballooning the tank.
I suspect the water meter is just not reading correctly. Or your spec of a 72gal fresh tank is wrong. Maybe its really the common 100gal size? If me i would line up some empty water bottles and see how accurate the meter is.
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08-24-2022, 05:51 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Eastern outskirts of Dallas, TX
Posts: 4,469
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wopachop
Every fresh water tank will have a vent. Once the tank is filled it also becomes an overflow. Problem is the vent is usually a thin tube. People can add water faster than the tube can release. Ends up ballooning the tank.
I suspect the water meter is just not reading correctly. Or your spec of a 72gal fresh tank is wrong. Maybe its really the common 100gal size? If me i would line up some empty water bottles and see how accurate the meter is.
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How about getting g the coach weighed (CATScale) with FW rank empty - then fill and weigh again.
100 gallons of water weighs 833 pounds.
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91 Ultrastar Champion02 Georgie Boy Landau 8.1l Workhorse
03 Jeep Wrangler TJ 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK toad
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08-24-2022, 06:41 PM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 174
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The OP has been doing trailers for 30 years and just now asking how to fill the fresh. I dont think its good advice to tell that same person they should hit a scale.....twice? Too much work for very little reward.
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08-24-2022, 07:22 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,655
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JHiinman, that's how I always filled the water tank in our 5ers, full to overflowing. I do our MH the same way now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMark52
FWIW - at 8.33#/gal - We try not to travel with a lot of water in the FW tank unless we know we’ll need it - and then only fill up at the last chance to fill.
That weight impacts both fuel mileage, coach handling, and ride - as does whatever might be in the black and gray tanks.
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If I follow your line of thinking you also never travel with a full fuel tank to keep weight down???
FWIW my MH handles much better with full fuel and fresh water tanks than when they are nearly empty. Fuel mileage is the same either way. What makes the biggest difference is when towing a car.
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2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA. " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
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08-24-2022, 07:41 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,032
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Fill a 5 gallon bucket with water and the meter. If it reads exactly 5 gallon, then your tank is bigger than you thought.
One of the following must be true...
- Your water meter is inaccurate, or
- Your water tank is much larger than you thought
-Chris
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08-24-2022, 09:55 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 712
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I checked the meter with a 5-gallon bucket, twice. The second time I compared volume and weight of the water. If the meter is off, it is reading low by a small amount, maybe 4%. Not really scientific, but the meter does not explain the difference.
Ill soon be poking around under the Coroplast (I suppose over the Coroplast is more accurate) to finish a SeeLevel install. Ill measure the tank and observe it as I fill it. I already know the height of the box is 5.5, as the Northwood guy says it should be.
If the box sags as I fill it Ill be concerned. If I can load it with the specified volume without visible distortion I will start looking for ways I might have inadvertently pressurized the tank.
I appreciate people for chiming in with ideas and suggestions!
__________________
2018 F350 Limited, 2021 Arctic Fox 27-5L
300 Ah Battleborn LiFePo4, 3kw Victron Multiplus, 600W Solar, SeeLevel
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08-24-2022, 10:58 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,032
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Water tanks are made out of hard plastic.....they don't inflate. If there is too much pressure, you will eventually burst one of the pipes or connectors and then water would have gushed out all over the place.
-Chris
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08-25-2022, 09:35 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 712
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I finished my SeeLevel today, and checked the fresh tank capacity. I measured the tank, and it is the size Northwood says it is, and 72 gallons is correct. When I put in 72 gallons, I can see that it is full.
I measured 80 gallons, and it still was not coming back out the fill tube.
I have no idea how I could be pressurizing this tank. I am really baffled.
__________________
2018 F350 Limited, 2021 Arctic Fox 27-5L
300 Ah Battleborn LiFePo4, 3kw Victron Multiplus, 600W Solar, SeeLevel
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