Date:         Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:38:42 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Bottom-filling water tank
Comments: To: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CB2B64A0D949484AAE3951AC175B4274@RON>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

---- The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM> wrote:
> > Trevor, if the inlet could be made so that it allows a faster
> > feed, that would be great.  Of course, that would simply
> > entail a larger opening at the inlet, larger diameter inlet
> > tube, and larger opening into the tank.  It has always seemed
> > absurd that the inlet is so inadequate.  I always fill my
> > tank through the tank lid inside, but there is always risk of
> > getting the cabinets wet.
>
>
> Sounds like a lot of hassle to me.  Personally, the time it takes to fill
> the tank via the inlet has never bothered me at all.  Sure it's a bit slow,
> and if I'd designed it I'd have used a larger tube. But it still fills in,
> what, 5 minutes or so?  If I was so rushed that I couldn't spare 5 minutes,
> I  wouldn't be driving a Vanagon in the first place. :-)  I put the hose in,
> do my quick pre-trip walk-around (coolant level, oil level, tire pressure),
> and by the time I'm done it's just about full. My last Westy had a busted
> inlet hose that I never got around to fixing, so I had to fill it from the
> top opening in the tank, and I found that much less convenient.
>

Please explain to me how you get the tank to fill in 5 minutes?  Mine takes 20-25 depending on how much water is already in it.  If nearly empty, it takes over 30.  I have tried to use one of the plastic valves with a tube on the end sold at RV stores.  The tube is too large a diameter to fit into the inlet sufficiently deep.  With that thing I have to stand and hold it in the inlet, carefully controlling flow rate to get maximum flow in without backup.  Not easy.  I tried to use a funnel.  The inlet won't accept the water fast enough to avoid gross spillage.  The angle of the inlet opening is too low to allow a funnel to properly fit.  The whole damned thing is just poorly designed and needs a complete overhaul.  You'd think that a vehicle that was sold for so many years, someone at the conversion plant would have figured out that the inlet was a piece of crap, and redesigned it to be adequate.  I can fill the tank from inside in 5 minutes or so.  Oh well.

mcneely

> - Ron Salmon
>   The Bus Depot, Inc.
>   www.busdepot.com
>   (215)  234-VWVW
>
> _____________________________________________
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--
David McNeely