Parking on slope - Clean water tank empty

[DonnaDuane]

I filled my clean water tank completely full this morning in preparation for my first week of winter camping.  Then I parked for about three hours on a gentle slope (tail down). I noticed water coming from the overflow as I walked away thinking I might lose a little, but not much in the short time I’d leave it like that.  Later, I just got in and drove off, never thinking anything of it. When I arrived at my destination, I opened the faucets and flipped the pump switch, but the light didn’t come on, nor any sound of a pump. Then I checked tank level gauge and it read ZERO. Is it possible I drained all 32 gallons on the ground by parking on a slope? If not, any suggestions for getting clean water going is appreciated. Duane

[ScubaRx]

Just parking on a slope seems an unlikely scenario for making the freshwater tank drain. There is no way it can drain through the overflow. Please let us know exactly where the water you saw draining was coming from. Was it in front of the curb side tires or behind them?

[DonnaDuane]

Behind. The same place as the overflow.

 

I’m in the Ollie now and noticed a valve for what I think is the overflow. It was open.

 

Could I have left the valves in the wrong position after our first night in a campground with a city water hook up?

 

The pictures of the various valve configurations in my manual are not easy for me to figure out.

 

What does it mean when the pump light won’t even come on?

[ScubaRx]

Ok, that tells me what happened. The overflow is in front of the tires. The drain is behind the tires. Apparently, the drain valve was open. The drain valve is not one of the ones located around the water pump. It is located on the the floor below the water pump. Make sure this valve is closed and refill the fresh water tank.

 

As for why the pump light does not come on, that would be an electrical issue. First check the fuse and we’ll go from there.

[DonnaDuane]

That does explain how I lost all my water.

 

I know not to run the pump without water in the clean tank. Is it possible it’s wired to sense when there’s water before it will come on?

 

I’ll check the fuse and let you know.

 

Thank you soooo much for being available to me. As a newbie to this, I’m finding there’s more to this than I realized

[ScubaRx]

The pump does sense water pressure but only to the extent that it comes on whenever you open a faucet. It can not tell whether there is actually water in the tank. It appears that this problem is that there is no power getting to the pump therefore it can’t come on.

[DonnaDuane]

The diagram on the fuse/circuit door says the water pump should be a 15amp fuse in the 5th position. However, what I found was a 7.5 amp fuse in the 5th position that seemed to be ok. I put a new 7.5 in but pump light still doesn’t come on.

 

Thankfully the furnace and frig are working great. And, because I’m parked outside my friends home in Bend, Oregon, I can always impose on them if I need to.

[bugeyedriver]

My 2008 Elite had a bank of switches just inside the door that enable different parts of the DC system.  One is labeled Water Pump.  Unless it is flipped up to the "On" position, the On-Off rocker switch in the galley cannot turn on the pump.

 

Does your 2018 Elite have the DC system enabling switches?

 

Also, do you have a rocker switch outside, near the exterior shower hose, so you can turn the pump on from outside?  If so, make sure it is firmly in the on or off position,  If it is at a midpoint "null" position, you will not be able to turn on the pump from the inside.

[DonnaDuane]

“Does your 2018 Elite have the DC system enabling switches?”

 

Pete, it doesn’t. It has the one below the kitchen sink.

[KountryKamper]

On a Elite 2 it has a switch in the top of the bathroom vanity. See if you have one. Either one should be able to turn the pump on. Check the one in the bathroom and flip it a few times. The 2 switches work like a 3 way and the pump can be turned on from either location.

[Mainiac]

Indeed..sounds like the tank drain was open. We have gotten into the habit, when winterizing, to return all valves back to operating positions. We even do that with the waterheater bypass valve(s). It has saved us from those memory lapses that happens over the winter sometimes. As a shutdown/startup routine we start at one corner and do a slow walk around checking valve and switch positions. Then we go inside and do it in there. Just something that has worked for us, after a few "mis-steps early in our journey. (Is there a pump switch in the bathroom?) Enjoy the journey....

 

Hopefully the water pump was not on with the tank being empty. Running a pump without water is not recommended. A pump comes up to pressure and shuts off, hence you might not hear it being on as you walk away. Then as the water drains and the pressure drops, the pump comes on and has nothing to pump. Not sure that scenario would blow a fuse or not? But could damage a pump. If finding nothing obvious electrical in pump circuit, I would bench test the pump...

[ScubaRx]

These pumps are capable of being run with no water for some time. That alone should not blow a fuse. Do you have a multimeter?

[STEVEnBETTY]

On hull #219 the “dc enabling switches” are in the overhead compartment above the nightstand on the right hand side.

 

Steve

[Mike and Carol]

Another thing to check is your water pump. There are two red wires that connect to the underneath front of the pump. My pump quit working when both wires worked themslelves lose. Here’s a pic of what I found when I looked. If they are not connected feel around for a blade connection under the front of the pump, there are two. If the wires don’t fit tight give then a squeeze with some pliers.

 

 

 

 

[John E Davies]

Getting back to your initial situation.... filling the fresh tank on a slight slope is fine (butt low). It does get a little extra water into the tank since the vent/ overflow is towards the front. But when you level the trailer and start travelling you will get some more flow there as the excess water escapes. On a really rough road you can lose some of your supply due to sloshing. This is how it works in the II. I assume your Elite is similar. This a downside to the “long and low” design of the tank. A tall tank with a high vent does not have this issue.

 

It is a steep learning curve at first but it gets easier ...  You do have a harder than normal job ahead of you because you are learning in the cold season which stresses both the owner and the trailer more than learning in May. Good luck.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane Wa

[DonnaDuane]

I don’t have a multi meter on me.

[DonnaDuane]

There is no other pump switch other than the one between sink and drawers in kitchen.

[DonnaDuane]

I found both wires. Since yours, the covered them with plastic flex covers to protect them.

 

I checked to ensure they’re connected and found the very secure.

 

Didn’t remove them though. Very difficult to reach.

[DonnaDuane]

GREAT NEWS!!!  On my way to get my propane tank filled, I spy Jerry’s RV Service here in Bend, Oregon. I stop in and this is what happened:

 

Talk about extraordinary service!!! I drop in unexpectedly, two hours before closing, with a brand new (my first ever) travel trailer that the water pump won’t go on. They act like my life depends on getting that pump working. The shop guy (I’m sorry I don’t remember his name) crawls into the holes where the pump is, then the fuse panel, then dismantles the switch to test if each component is working. He discovered it was simply a bad switch, so he replaces it and the pump works great!  Then I ask if I can fill my clean water tank from their faucet and he says “Sure, pull around back.” After that, I ask him “How much do I owe you?” He says, “Don’t worry about. Merry Christmas!” Then I say, “No, you spent a lot of time and worked hard to get me running. Please let me pay you. “ He says, “Don’t worry about. Merry Christmas!”

 

They’ve just won a customer for life. They have 4.5 stars on YELP so didn’t need my 5 star review, but I wrote it anyway because they were just so great!!!!

 

I now have hot and cold running water for a shower and hot coffee in the morning ?

[ScubaRx]

Do you have a switch panel in your rearmost upper cabinet?

 

When was the last time your water pump was operational?

 

There is an additional pump switch in the bathroom. I believe it is under the upper ledge of the caddy type insert in the sink vanity. It will act as a 3-way for the pump.

 

You can check the wiring on the back of the switch in the cabin. Make sure the wires are all still connected. There should be three. The one in the bath is probably more difficult to check but I would try that one too.

[ScubaRx]

Yea.....

[Mike and Carol]

That’s great news! Jerry’s RV needs a great 5 star review!! Merry Christmas - Mike

[DonnaDuane]

In all my exuberance getting pump working, I forgot to lock the bathroom door before driving the 5 miles to my camp site. Discovered I now have a broken mirror door.

 

Any suggestions on getting it replaced?

[topgun2]

Either email of call Jason Essary ( jessary@olivertraveltrailers.com ).  He can arrange to ship you one.

 

Bill

[Geronimo John]

@Mainiac:

 

Even if the pump was left on during winterization, I suspect that the impact would have been minimal as surely we all disconnect the trailer batteries to isolate them from any trailer electrical draw during the winter.

 

As most, I then hook up a battery maintainer to the isolated battery bank in the trailer battery drawer.