Water pump weirdness

[Geronimo John]

On 6/25/2023 at 10:25 AM, Boonter Jeff said:

It could be a combo of our controller on the truck not working, and an electrical problem on one side of the trailer.

A simple test of the brakes is to test them at a very slow speed on gravel with a trusted driver and a second observer.  While traveling at a slow walk speed, you could pull the emergency brake cable with you and a friend watching the impact on the left and right tire sets.  

All four tires should lock up instantly.  If one or more do not, then you know where your problem resides.  If all four of them lock up, then do an amp draw test.  It should read about 3 amps per wheel.  If not near this you have another hint.  

Finally, using an amp meter, have a friend apply the tv brakes and slide the brake controller boost lever slowly up and down the range.  If no change then you have another hint.

GJ

[Geronimo John]

On 8/3/2023 at 8:21 PM, Boudicca908 said:

 My friend taught me her brother's "fix" for re-installing screws into small holes in wood when they basically won't take a bite: put wooden toothpicks and wood glue into the hole. 

 

On 8/4/2023 at 8:30 AM, MAX Burner said:

 The forces ripped the locking mechanisms from their mounting positions underneath the drawer held there by two (IMO) very small wood screws...

I too have experienced the same issue, and tried the toothpick/glue and larger screws as well.  My approach that worked is to use small screws and washers with nylock nuts.  Fixed the screw issue.  Will now try the strap process for keeping them closed.  

Good inputs, Thanks.

GJ

[ScubaRx]

On 6/25/2023 at 6:30 PM, Steph and Dud B said:

Yep. Tightened all the fittings and screwed down the hold-down straps. Very strange symptoms. When the pump is sucking air, you can barely hear it. If anyone keeps getting air in the lines the first time you use your pump on a trip, check those connections.

I'm glad it was a simple fix. On the second day of our Quartzsite trip this past January, I found that our water heater tank had a hairline crack on the very bottom and leaked whenever the pump came on and pressurized the system. Forty days without hot water. Ahhh, the joys of camping. I love the challenges.

[Boonter Jeff]

I tried to find one of my old threads complaining about leaking connections with those hand tight Oliver fittings.  Regularly, on our EII, one of them would loosen up and I would hear the pump running or see water leaking out of one of the weep holes.  Recently I tried something that actually seems to have stopped the problem.  Kind of counterintuitive.  I put food grade, silicone lube (typical use- servicing water filtration systems) on the threads and retightened.  A couple of trips with no weeping holes and maybe a solution 🙂

[thompsonkd]

For some reason our water pump keeps running instead of shutting off, suggesting a leak or loose fitting somewhere. I tightened all the obvious fixtures under the curb side bed and the problem has continued. I am not seeing water come out of the scupper holes, and I don’t see any moisture under the bed. My question is where else should I look for a leak, cracked fitting, or some other issue? Maybe a water pump issue? Thanking in advance for any suggestions!

David

[Steph and Dud B]

Our original symptoms have returned. After moving/storing the trailer, even for one day, we get a lot of air in the lines that needs to be purged at the next campsite by turning on the pump and opening hot and cold faucets. Everything's fine after that - until the next time we move.

Another thing I've noticed is the sound of water sloshing in the water heater tank after a drive - but not while camping - making me suspect the water heater tank is draining during transit. But, again, no signs of a leak. While camping, the pump doesn't run unexpectedly, so the system is holding pressure while in use and there's no water dripping anywhere.

I'm thinking maybe a bad check valve in the pump is rattling open while driving and letting water drain back into the fresh water tank, thus the need to re-prime the pump after every trip? 

It's very strange.

[Rivernerd]

On 9/25/2024 at 7:23 PM, thompsonkd said:

My question is where else should I look for a leak, cracked fitting, or some other issue?

Maybe under the galley sink, and then the bathroom?  I would check for leaks under the galley sink first, as water there can cause major issues.  If the connections under that sink looks good, I would carefully examine the bath faucet and toilet supply line connections.

Good luck!  And, please report your results.

Edited September 27 by Rivernerd

[topgun2]

I'd also check the water pump filter and all of the connections in/around the water pump.

I'm suspicious of air getting into the system due to loose connections - probably on the draw side (i.e. where water is drawn into the Ollie from either the winterization port (most likely suspect) or the fresh water fill port).

Bill

[jd1923]

21 hours ago, thompsonkd said:

For some reason our water pump keeps running instead of shutting off

So first, are you sure you have enough water in the freshwater tank? Our fresh tank appears empty when half full due to an OTT installation defect on some older hulls. When it starts to pull air from the freshwater it will gurgle first and then run continuously. We refill frmo the boondocking port and we're good for another 18 gallons.

7 hours ago, Rivernerd said:

Maybe under the galley sink, and then the bathroom?  I would check for leaks under the galley sink first, as water there can cause a major issues.

This certainly could be the cause, but a water leak from ANYWHERE will show up dripping in one or more weep holes. Our kitchen faucet had a leak coming from the extension hose built-in to the faucet. It was not even hand tight. See picture for what a leak looks like. The center water spot is fridge condensate. The two on the ends were coming through the weep holes via the kitchen faucet connection.

[mossemi]

3 hours ago, jd1923 said:

So first, are you sure you have enough water in the freshwater tank? Our fresh tank appears empty when half full due to an OTT installation defect on some older hulls.

Good idea!  When we were new owners and the fresh water tank seemed to be out off water and the SeeLevel display indicated that there was water available, I would use the front jack and raise the front of the Ollie and could usually get several more gallons of water out of the tank.  Eventually Bruce and Cheryl from NC. worked with the factory on the problem and determined the draw pipe did not reach the bottom of the tank, resulting in unusable water left in the tank.

We stopped in Hohenwald in 2018 on our way to Illinois for a family reunion and left the Ollie for the water pickup tube modification.  Oliver has supplied the necessary parts and several owners out west completed the modification themselves.

@csevel is the last owner I remember having the modification done at the factory, maybe a couple of years ago.

Mossey

 

 

[thompsonkd]

Thanks for everyone’s suggestions. I tightened up the fittings again under the curbside bed and the pump quit running after pressurizing the system. Eventually I’ll check under the kitchen sink, and if necessary, the bathroom sink. I wanted to check the inlet pipes and fittings for the fresh and city water inlets, and the winterization port; what is the easiest way to access these fittings?
Thanks again. 
David 

[mossemi]

9 hours ago, thompsonkd said:

I wanted to check the inlet pipes and fittings for the fresh and city water inlets, and the winterization port; what is the easiest way to access these fittings?

Just inside the outside rear storage/basement door which should be above the fresh and city water inlets.  You will have to remove the floor to access the water pipes and check valves.  There should be 1 each blue PEX pipes from the fresh and city water inlets.  There will also a red and blue pipe going to the outside shower.  Double check the check valves for leaks.

Mossey

[thompsonkd]

Thank you Mossemi. Perfect, just what I needed. 

[Rivernerd]

16 hours ago, jd1923 said:

So first, are you sure you have enough water in the freshwater tank? Our fresh tank appears empty when half full due to an OTT installation defect on some older hulls.

The sensor inaccuracy is not limited to "older hulls."  The fresh tank sensor on our 2022 Elite II reads 68 percent when full, with water draining out of the overflow.  When the tank gets low, we have to guess how much water is left...

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, Rivernerd said:

The sensor inaccuracy is not limited to "older hulls."  The fresh tank sensor on our 2022 Elite II reads 68 percent when full, with water draining out of the overflow.  When the tank gets low, we have to guess how much water is left...

I wrote previously our "fresh tank appears empty" which was not a good choice of words. Our FWT and some others were installed incorrectly by OTT, yes just some older hulls. We ONLY get 18 gallons of water (measured MANY times now when refilling) when the water pump starts drawing air. I never use the tank gauges which are inaccurate even when the Oliver is perfectly level. We know after 3 days the 18 gallons will need refilling. We know when we have emptied the fresh a second time the gray will need emptying the black needs it every other time we empty the gray. Just our water usage. I gave up on tank sensors years ago, hoping these external sensors would be better, but not.

13 hours ago, mossemi said:

We stopped in Hohenwald in 2018 on our way to Illinois for a family reunion and left the Ollie for the water pickup tube modification.  Oliver has supplied the necessary parts and several owners out west completed the modification themselves.

I recently opened a service ticket on this. Mike Sharpe replied, "I am looking into if we have the parts and even the tools to be able to do this as we have not done this modification in the last three years."

He never replied whether he did "have the parts" or would still do a repair not done in over3 years. When I asked could you confirm availability of the parts ship me the parts, this was his answer The ticket was later closed, and I received no real answer other than this:

"If you are able to find someone local to you to do it the spin weld tool they have may be a different size than what we use and then they would have to use the parts that they keep in stock for the job."

 have no idea if I towed our trailer all the way to OTT that they would fix this issue anymore. Our Olivier went back to OTT in 2018 and 2020 for service and you'd think they would have fixed this already! I'm going to have to live with it. At least we have a 35-gal FWT in the TV. How in the world would a FWT be installed with the suction line only halfway down such a flat tank? It should be designed to touch the bottom.

 

[thompsonkd]

Missed, and others; basic question: I tried to access the pipes and valves in the basement-there’s a wood panel-what’s the easiest way to get that out? I took the screws on the bottom of the panel out, but the floor doesn’t easily come up! Do I just pry away? Thanks in advance!

[mossemi]

20 minutes ago, thompsonkd said:

what’s the easiest way to get that out?

I have to remove the vertical panel on the left that separates the basement from the rear street side stabilizer jack. Then remove any screws holding the floor down.  My Ollie does not have a rear vertical panel across the rear of the basement area, does yours?

Mossey

[mossemi]

6 hours ago, jd1923 said:

Our Olivier went back to OTT in 2018 and 2020 for service and you'd think they would have fixed this already!

I don’t believe that I have ever fixed, replaced or repaired a customer’s issue that I was not made aware of by the customer or that did not reveal itself during my efforts to address the issue they initially brought to my attention.

If the previous owner had brought the water tank issue to the service departments attention while they were servicing the Ollie and the service department did not address the problem, then that is a problem.  But with the service department’s history of exemplary service, I don’t believe that is or was the case.  I think it is much more likely the previous owner was not aware of the issue or didn’t bring it to the service departments attention.

Mossey

[thompsonkd]

Mossemi; realized I misspelled your name! I am going to try and post a picture of what our basement structure looks like. We are traveling and visiting family so it’ll be a few days. I appreciate your help. 
David

[dewdev]

@thompsonkd

My hull #354 is close to your hull number. To get access to the check valves under the basement storage area, I first removed the vertical panel on the back side of the trailer, I then removed the screws on the bottom of the floor and was able to remove the section of floor that is over the top of the valves. the floor panel did come out a little hard but by wiggling it a bit it came up.