Losing a lot of water through overflow while driving?

[mikracer]

Originally Posted by gcvt

And while I've got the picture up, what the heck do people store in those recessed storage areas behind the goucho bed? Booze?

Usually those are installed on dinette style beds where you sleep across the width of the van. It gives you a couple extra inches. Maybe its there to help make the bed a little wider for the gaucho.

[carringb]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

Howbout just simply adding in a valve in your overflow line? Just remember to open it when filling and close it when you're full.

The main reason for the vent/overflow is actually so you don't collapse the tank as you pump out the water.

[youtube:2mtbggor]

[BrianW]

Originally Posted by mikracer

Usually those are installed on dinette style beds where you sleep across the width of the van. It gives you a couple extra inches. Maybe its there to help make the bed a little wider for the gaucho.

Yup, we have those insets in both sides of our dinette benches. Love them. Not only do they give you extra sleeping room, but during the day we can store sleeping bags and pillows back there behind the cushions. They add a surprising amount of storage space.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by carringb

The main reason for the vent/overflow is actually so you don't collapse the tank as you pump out the water.

What about a water check valve?

[Viva]

My SMB with a "long-wise" gaucho (so not sleeping cross-wise) also came with those recesses. I put spare blankets, "winter" clothes, and a spare pillow in them (held in place by the couch back and resting on the tops of the battery boxes - my batteries sit on the floor just below those recesses at the "back" of the couch).

I have never lost any water that I know of while on the road (I think I would have noticed as I dry camp a lot). Will have to look at the overflow setup.

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by carringb

The main reason for the vent/overflow is actually so you don't collapse the tank as you pump out the water.

[youtube:35rpiawi]

11-21-2014, 12:53 PM	#17
daveb Site Team     Join Date: May 2007 Location: Turlock Ca Posts: 10,409 Garage daveb's Garage   Sportsmobile (AKA Money Pit)	Re: Losing a lot of water through overflow while driving? Hum, for some reason I thought the water pump pressurized the tank pushing water through the system. Guess I was off base on that one. __________________ 2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures

11-21-2014, 06:15 PM	#18
gcvt Senior Member     Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Longwood, FL Posts: 1,562	Re: Losing a lot of water through overflow while driving? Below are some more detailed pictures of my setup. Not sure if installing a valve is the way to go - it'd be very hard to access without removing the bed and the consequences of forgetting to open it after arriving at our destination would obviously be bad. That video did make me laugh though. I'll have to read up on water check valves. Rallypanam mentioned that as a possible solution when we were camping last weekend - need to look in to that. Modifying the plumbing to get a line up above the tank seems easy enough but I'm not sure if I have enough room. With the bed in place, I've only got about 1" of clearance. See below... __________________ Greg Old van: 1997 E250 EB30 (Stolen) New van: 2003 E250 EB10

11-21-2014, 06:42 PM	#19
gcvt Senior Member     Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Longwood, FL Posts: 1,562	Re: Losing a lot of water through overflow while driving? Originally Posted by rallypanam Clearly you need to buy all the fancy PEX tools, tubing, and a large fitting collection so you can fix this. And then lend them to me whenever I need them. Ha...that's clearly the best solution! __________________ Greg Old van: 1997 E250 EB30 (Stolen) New van: 2003 E250 EB10

11-22-2014, 01:55 AM	#20
schluchtenflitzer Senior Member     Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Unterfranken Posts: 456	Re: Losing a lot of water through overflow while driving? Originally Posted by gcvt I'll have to read up on water check valves. Rallypanam mentioned that as a possible solution when we were camping last weekend - need to look in to that. Check valve is not a good idea because the overflow line works in both ways. 1-air out: while filling-and water out if it is full and you still try to fill it up > you need it only if you fill up with your city water hook up Also the water will expand if you fill it in cold and then stay in the sun for a while > tank will blow up 2-air in: if you suck water out with your pump, and if the water cools down if the tempereatur drops down Of course you can ignore point 1 but then you have to open the inside filler cap while hook up the city water. If you forget this only one time you damage the tank and have a lot of water in your van __________________ www.Dieda-unterwegs.net 2001 SMB E350 4x4 7.3 Powerstroke 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400 Convertible ,1978 Peugeot 504 Convertible,1988 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2,KTM 300 EXC,BMW G/S Paris Dakar,BMW "Diabolo"

[daveb]

Hum, for some reason I thought the water pump pressurized the tank pushing water through the system. Guess I was off base on that one.

[gcvt]

Below are some more detailed pictures of my setup. Not sure if installing a valve is the way to go - it'd be very hard to access without removing the bed and the consequences of forgetting to open it after arriving at our destination would obviously be bad. That video did make me laugh though.

I'll have to read up on water check valves. Rallypanam mentioned that as a possible solution when we were camping last weekend - need to look in to that.

Modifying the plumbing to get a line up above the tank seems easy enough but I'm not sure if I have enough room. With the bed in place, I've only got about 1" of clearance. See below...

[gcvt]

Originally Posted by rallypanam

Clearly you need to buy all the fancy PEX tools, tubing, and a large fitting collection so you can fix this.

And then lend them to me whenever I need them.

Ha...that's clearly the best solution!

[schluchtenflitzer]

Originally Posted by gcvt

I'll have to read up on water check valves. Rallypanam mentioned that as a possible solution when we were camping last weekend - need to look in to that.

Check valve is not a good idea because the overflow line works in both ways.
1-air out: while filling-and water out if it is full and you still try to fill it up > you need it only if you fill up with your city water hook up
Also the water will expand if you fill it in cold and then stay in the sun for a while > tank will blow up
2-air in: if you suck water out with your pump, and if the water cools down if the tempereatur drops down

Of course you can ignore point 1 but then you have to open the inside filler cap while hook up the city water. If you forget this only one time you damage the tank and have a lot of water in your van