Water Tank Seepage
About a year ago, I began noticing that when we are connected to city water, our onboard water tank slowly fills, even with all the gate valves properly positioned. Every two to three weeks I have to turn off city water and use the onboard water until the tank becomes mostly empty again.
Is the city water somehow entering the tank backward through the pump? Or perhaps I have a leaking gate valve, allowing a trickle to reach the tank? Is a “one-way” valve located after the pump? Or is the valve in the pump itself, making it necessary to replace the pump?
Chris Kratt, F358183
Vero Beach, Florida
The problem-solving principle of Occam’s razor says that the simplest of competing theories should be preferred. Therefore, I believe that your water system has a leaking valve. Have you inserted a pressure regulator into the system between your coach and the campsite’s hose bib? If you don’t have one, I strongly suggest you use one now. I’m thinking that one of your previous stops — or the current one — had an overpressure situation that strained your onboard water valves. Any faulty valve should be replaced.
Cherokee Flat Towing
Jerry Halberg wrote that his 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited sometimes shakes violently when being flat towed (“Tech Talk,” April 2015, page 20). That experience is common when towing a Smart car. The solution is to loop a bungee cord through the steering wheel and tie both ends down to the seat or console. Adjust the bungee cord so that the steering wheel has a little resistance as it turns around corners and follows a straight line.
Gary Bechtold, F279879
Pahrump, Nevada
As reported previously by Family Motor Coaching magazine (“RV News & Notes,” February 2016, page 36), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (FCA) announced on January 20, 2016, plans for resolving the serious wobble problem that sometimes occurs when 2014-2016 Jeep Cherokees are towed four wheels down. The FCA statement said: “The vehicle’s Electronic Power Steering (EPS) system is inactive while the vehicle is being flat-towed with the ignition in the ‘off’ position. Accordingly, the vehicle does not benefit from the system’s function.”
The FCA statement said the problem will be resolved by “a jumper wire harness and switch to ensure the vehicle’s EPS system has power to function while it is being flat-towed.” Cherokee owners who will tow their vehicles four wheels down can get more information by calling the Jeep Customer Assistance Center at (877) 426-5337.
All-Electric Coach
I am researching companies that are considering manufacturing or customizing all-electric motorhomes. The motorhomes would be powered by rooftop photovoltaic panels that charge the chassis batteries and also provide energy for on-board electrical needs such as air-conditioning. Can you steer me in the right direction?
John W. Jones
Via Email
Some RV manufacturers produce what they call “all electric” vehicles, but what that really means is that they don’t use propane (for heating, refrigeration, and cooking). They tend to be high-end models. And they are equipped with Aqua-Hot hydronic heating systems to provide heat and domestic hot water.
That said, I don’t know of any truly all-electric motorhomes or motorhome vehicles powered solely by solar energy. A company called MVP RV shared a prototype of an all-electric Type C motorhome back in 2010-11. An investor in the company had invented a type of lithium-ion battery that was being used. But problems between investors resulted in the company being dismantled in 2012. Here is a link to a story about the motorhome: http://goo.gl/E2tRn3.
Roadtrek (www.roadtrek.com) is equipping some of its Type B units with solar panels and experimenting with different batteries.
The bloggers at Technomadia.com have written about their experiences with solar power and lithium-ion batteries.
And although it’s a few years old, an article by Mark Polk about all-electric RVs may be of interest. Here’s the link: http://goo.gl/6jJwKe.
Water System Problem
We purchased a 2016 Forest River FR3 28DS in April 2015. Recently we were on an extended RV trip and had a problem filling the fresh-water holding tank when the water hose was hooked up to the city fill line. Initially this occurred intermittently, but as our trip progressed, it was a continual problem. Upon returning home, we took the motorhome back to our dealer and explained what happened. Lo and behold, he could not replicate the problem and told us the system worked properly. Do you have any explanation for what might be causing this?
Lauren Krup, F412216
Pismo Beach, California
There may have been a kink in the filler hose, and the kink may have worked its way free with use and road vibrations. Now that you’re home, try replicating your campground experience by attaching your hose to the coach. That way, you can ascertain whether the problem will occur again. If it does, perhaps you can shoot a video to show your dealer.
Editor’s note: After following the above recommendation, Lauren Krup sent word that the water pump was found to be faulty and was replaced.
Funky Fuel Fill
Editor’s note: The following two letters deal with a similar issue.
I have a 2007 Fleetwood Pace Arrow with a recurring problem. When fueling, the nozzle cuts off very often. This happens repeatedly, as often as 10 times a minute. I change the direction of the nozzle, but it clicks off again. This problem makes fueling a very long process. My RV mechanic says it is a design flaw and there is nothing he can do. Any advice would be helpful.
Peaches Haas, F390640
Venice, Florida
In the February 2014 “Tech Talk” column, a reader described having trouble fueling his Thor Palazzo motorhome because the fuel pump cut off before much fuel had been pumped into the tank (“Fouled-Up Fuel Filler,” page 20). I have encountered the same frustrating problem with my 2007 National RV Sea Breeze LX. The low angle and length of the filler tube to the tank causes the pump to shut off. The solution I discovered is to lower the rear jacks in order to raise the rear end a bit. This changes the angle on the filler tube and allows the fuel to flow more rapidly into the tank. Try it. It works!
Dave Miller, F307238
Cornville, Arizona
I’ve experienced the same problem while testing new motorhomes. Sometimes I’ve had to stand and hold the pump handle instead of locking the handle on, and the flow is very slow. Other times, holding the handle completely upside down has worked. Peaches, if you haven’t done so, I suggest you contact Fleetwood tech support (www.fleetwoodrv.com/contact; 800-322-8216).
Dave’s suggestion sounds like a good one, too, but some coaches may respond to elevating the fill side rather than just the rear, depending on the fill location on the coach.
A final thought: Check that the fill and vent hoses do not sag between the side of the coach and the fuel tank. Ideally, they should be sloping all the way to the tank. Sometimes a sag can be eliminated by shortening a hose. Or, use a table saw to remove one-third of the circumference of a thin-walled PVC pipe, and then snap it over the sagging hose and secure it with nylon zip ties.