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05-10-2015, 04:55 PM
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#1
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 9
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Itasca Sunstar 30T water siphoning
Today I filled the fresh water tank via gravity fill until it was visually full( looking at the tank through storage compartment). I notice after driving for a short distance and parking the rig that the water was siphoning through the overflow pipe, the tank was now 1/2 full and the only way to stop it was to blow back into the overflow pipe to break the siphon, no it wasn't easy !! So, does anyone know of a quick convenient fix. This is a new coach and I am hesitant to take it back to the dealer, they keep it for weeks and usually don't fix things anyway......
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05-10-2015, 06:05 PM
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#2
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 8
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I had the same problem with my View. They added a extension and a coil on top of the tank to break the siphon. Can not tell you the details on how they did it.
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05-10-2015, 06:20 PM
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#3
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 773
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I've never had this problem, but I wonder if turning on the pump and opening a faucet for a few seconds would do the same thing as blowing in the overflow tube. Maybe worth a try...
__________________
Tom
'04 Journey 36G - Cat C7
'04 Honda CR-V
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05-10-2015, 06:23 PM
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#4
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Skiatook, OK
Posts: 1,460
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godddard, what year is your coach?
__________________
Grant & Pat
2014 Adventurer 35P
2021 Rapid Red 4dr Bronco OBX
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05-10-2015, 06:52 PM
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#5
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grtharris
godddard, what year is your coach?
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Hi Tom, it's a 2015 model and have tried the obvious solutions , such as turning on tap in coach, flushing toilet, the only thing that worked was blowing back into the vent pipe back into the tank.
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05-10-2015, 07:44 PM
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#6
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Skiatook, OK
Posts: 1,460
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godddard, does you overflow look like the picture below with the oversize pipe on the outside.
__________________
Grant & Pat
2014 Adventurer 35P
2021 Rapid Red 4dr Bronco OBX
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05-10-2015, 07:55 PM
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#7
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Lowell, Arkansas
Posts: 139
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We have a 2014 30T as well and I e-mailed WBGO and they sent me the fix which looks much like what was posted. I looked at my coach tank and it looks like it's already got a 3/4" tube where they're telling me to put one. So I don't know what to think.
I filled my tank in the drive and about 1/3 of it siphoned out.
TeJay
__________________
TeJay Auto Instructor/4-yrs USAF/ Liz: RN/ WBGO 2014 Vista 30T/ F-53/CHF/5-Star/Koni * Bella & Izzy * Golden /Cocker mix/ Louie The Cat* All Retired
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05-10-2015, 10:31 PM
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#8
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 89
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I have a 2015 Vista 30T. When I fill the tank on level ground, the tank will eventually start to overflow thru the drain. Stop filling and the tank will continue to siphon until the water in the tank is about 1/2"-3/4" from the top. The problem I have had is if the coach is ever low on the driver's side, water will dump out of the drain. I placed a plug in the drain for now to control this problem. Some people have reported just adding a valve. Someone reported that they had theirs repaired at the factory and the drain at the top of the tank was extended and coiled on top of the tank before draining in the original position. I believe that when the coach is low on the driver's side, water must climb up to the height of the passenger side of the tank before draining. I think I may pursue this version on my coach.
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05-11-2015, 04:08 AM
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#9
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Delray Beach, FL
Posts: 65
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I have a 2013 & it will siphon some water out if you fill it all the way & the driver's side is low. But as soon as you get the coach back level it will break the siphon since it is coming from the top of the tank. I have been using it for 2&1/2 yrs with no problem but I never fill it all the way to the top.
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05-11-2015, 07:12 AM
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#10
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Lowell, Arkansas
Posts: 139
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The issue seems to be caused when the tank is filled to the top. When you do that the siphoning action starts and continues until the siphoning action is broken. WBGO's attempt at fixing the problem by installing a larger tube and/or coiling a hose on the top of the tank is an attempt to also break or introduce air into the siphoning action and stopping it. If you plug the overflow tube when you add water there's no place for air to escape and the tank will expand.
Keep in mind that there's two ways of filling the FW tank. You can use the gravity fill on the passenger side and as you add water air will escape. Or you can fill using the valve on the drivers side. If you use that the air has a harder time escaping.
That's what has been reported on these forums. So if that's your fix be careful.
We at this point don't dry camp so we almost never fill our FW tank much past 1/2. I guess this may be a non issue for us.
TeJay
__________________
TeJay Auto Instructor/4-yrs USAF/ Liz: RN/ WBGO 2014 Vista 30T/ F-53/CHF/5-Star/Koni * Bella & Izzy * Golden /Cocker mix/ Louie The Cat* All Retired
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05-11-2015, 08:46 AM
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#11
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 9
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Yes it looks just like that
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05-11-2015, 11:19 AM
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#12
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Delray Beach, FL
Posts: 65
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I don't believe the 2013 has a gravity fill. At least I have never found one on mine. It has to be filled from the driver side.
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05-11-2015, 05:52 PM
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#13
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Lowell, Arkansas
Posts: 139
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Our gravity fill is on the passenger side behind a locked door to the left of the entry door. Maybe all coaches didn't have that option.
TeJay
__________________
TeJay Auto Instructor/4-yrs USAF/ Liz: RN/ WBGO 2014 Vista 30T/ F-53/CHF/5-Star/Koni * Bella & Izzy * Golden /Cocker mix/ Louie The Cat* All Retired
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05-12-2015, 03:42 AM
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#14
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by godddard
Yes it looks just like that
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Detail R has an important piece of information. The section of tubing coming from the tank slips inside the vertical drain pipe, the screw holds them together. The gap between the OD of the tubing and the ID of the drain pipe provides the vacuum break required to stop siphoning. I would verify that there is a gap present.
__________________
Wild Bill
2013 Winnebago Vista 30T, UltraTrac rear trac bar
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05-12-2015, 04:12 AM
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#15
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Delray Beach, FL
Posts: 65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WBandJ
Detail R has an important piece of information. The section of tubing coming from the tank slips inside the vertical drain pipe, the screw holds them together. The gap between the OD of the tubing and the ID of the drain pipe provides the vacuum break required to stop siphoning. I would verify that there is a gap present.
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Yes, unless there is a tight fit between the tube out of the top of the tank & the outside drain tube, there could be no siphoning when the tank level gets to the height of the end of the inside tube. So maybe an easy solution would be to shorten the inside tube in addition to making sure it does not fit snugly inside the outer drain tube. If it is a tight fit, you could replace the outer drain tube with a larger diameter one. Of course, this assumes you can easily get to them. I'll take a look at mine.
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05-12-2015, 11:01 PM
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#16
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Castro Valley, CA
Posts: 59
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cass Sumrall
I don't believe the 2013 has a gravity fill. At least I have never found one on mine. It has to be filled from the driver side.
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Ditto with my 2013 30T.
Last Saturday, I experimented by filling my tank until water came out of its overflow pipe. Then, I let the water drain for several minutes; so, it was no longer full. After that, I blew into the drain pipe to break the siphoning action and the flow stopped. Used a short piece of hose to do it...that worked pretty well without getting wet.
About an hour later, I returned the motorhome to our RV storage your about 4 miles away from home. On the way back home, I could see that there was a consistent trail of water in my path of travel leading back home. I believe the siphoning started up again as soon as the water sloshed towards the driver's side of the tank (where the overflow is located)...probably while making a right turn.
After this, I know that the overflow must extend down inside the tank by at least 1/3 to create the siphoning effect because I have previously lost that much a couple times before noticing it.
And wasting water in California is NOT a good thing these days...
Bill
__________________
2013 Itasca Sunstar 30T Motorhome
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05-12-2015, 11:10 PM
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#17
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 560
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Quote:
Originally Posted by irish65
I had the same problem with my View. They added a extension and a coil on top of the tank to break the siphon. Can not tell you the details on how they did it.
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Had the same problem with our 2000 DSDP. Did pretty much the same thing, ran the overflow up higher and it almost entirely cured the problem.
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft
Charter Lifetime GS Member, SKP, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '14 CR-V
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05-13-2015, 06:06 AM
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#18
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NZ winter and U.S. summer!
Posts: 75
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Here is a pix of my extended overflow pipe.
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05-13-2015, 08:30 AM
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#19
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 85
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Still Bill
After this, I know that the overflow must extend down inside the tank by at least 1/3 to create the siphoning effect because I have previously lost that much a couple times before noticing
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The over flow does not go down that far in your tank. What happens is your tank bows out on the sides when filled to the top. Once it starts to siphon it will release water and the tank will actually start to bow back into itself to a point where it no longer can, then it will suck in air and your tank bows back out and you see it at the 1/3 empty level. Only way to fix is to get the overflow to a level a few inches above the top of the tank where you can reintroduce air into the tank, something similar to the drain vent that goes to your roof on household plumbing that prevents the ptrap from going dry when you use the sink. I don't know why Winnie can't figure this out after all these years.
__________________
2014 Journey 34B
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05-13-2015, 11:45 AM
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#20
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 9
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Thanks to all with solutions to this problem . I will install a valve in the overflow line and open it when filling and camping, although the gravity fill tube should provide sufficient venting for the tank. Another good alternative is to install a tee in the overflow line with an open riser that goes above the tank. This seems to be an ongoing problem with many coaches, one would think the factory would address this before the units go out on the market......frustrating to say the least.
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