Date:         Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:18:15 -0800
Reply-To:     colorworks@GCI.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Troy <colorworks@GCI.NET>
Subject:      Puzzling water drip
Comments: To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=Windows-1252

Not being able to leave well enough alone, I went out today and took the screen out of my 89 water filler hose/tube. The little RV fill valve now fits down that hole in the utility hookup and I can go full bore with the water. (nice I thought!) I went ahead and filled the tank up and suddenly I had a water drip too! Oh my!

When I investigated further, I found that the water was leaking out the actual top of the tank. If you fill the water tank beyond the level of the fill tube it will leak out the top of the tank as it's not completely watertight. There are various hoses and wires that go down through the top and water can leak out of those. In my case, the actual top was a little bit loose, so I had a real mess!

The moral of the story here is use your ears when filling. You will hear a steady "hiss" of air as you fill right up until the water reaches the filling tube, then it gets quiet--STOP here or your tank will leak. Those German engineers had good reason to put a dust flap or kind of check valve in the utility hookup as it stops the venting when water reaches the height of the inlet filler hose. So, caution is recommended or you'll end up rusting the floor of your van. Getting water out from under the flooring isn't easy. I'm now kind of kicking myself for breaking out the screen, but I can now fill the tank in a few minutes.

So, there is you answer to your puzzling water drip Rocket.

Troy