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Old 09-08-2015, 07:42 AM   #1
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Fresh water tank

I have a question. How do you stop the water coming out of fresh water tank when traveling. I fill up my fresh water tank before head out. By the time I get to my camp site, the water is all gone. BTW, its a 96 16Ft Scamp. Any suggestions?
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Old 09-08-2015, 07:48 AM   #2
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You have leak that needs fixed or the drain is open.
Ken
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Old 09-08-2015, 07:51 AM   #3
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No, I filled it up Wednesday. Was no water under camper. Tank was full when we left. Drove Thursday, by the time we got to our camp site. The water was gone. I think it's coming out of the overflow. But to know how to stop that.
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Old 09-08-2015, 08:13 AM   #4
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I use my water tank a lot and have never had it empty on its own when traveling. Have you opened up the hatches and check to see if there is any water in the bottom of them indicating a leak?

If your trailer is hitched up correctly - i.e. level or slightly down on the tongue it would be very hard for any water to come out of the fill cap. Especially if you have the cover secure on it. If you do not fill the tank slowly it can back up and make you think that it is full when it is not.

The only other thing I can think of is that perhaps when you filled the fresh water tank you forgot to also fill up the hot water tank? so that as soon as you turned the water pump on (and opened up the bypass system if you have one) the water was pumped from the fresh water tank to the hot water tank.
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Old 09-08-2015, 08:45 AM   #5
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Thanks, I never thought of that. Water in the water heater.
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Old 09-08-2015, 10:17 AM   #6
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The hot water tank theory would only work if you had a hot water tank with a capacity equal to or greater than the water reservoir tank!

The water is leaking or being forced out during travel. Fill tank...drive a few miles and check for signs of a leak....repeat and look again...check tank for any loss if you have a monitor panel to indicate tank level. Your story details indicate you only leak water when trailer is in motion and not when parked...or...does it also leak water when parked over time? Very Strange!

This one sounds like one for "Stump the Chumps" on the NPR Radio Broadcast "Car TALK"
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Old 09-08-2015, 12:07 PM   #7
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You may have 3 outlets in your tank.
The main fill port. This should have a cap on it.

The main outlet at the floor. This should have a tee in the line. One section going to the pump and other water supply and the other side of the tee going to a shutoff valve to a drain line under the trailer.

The third line coming from the top of the tank going out down through the floor. This is an over flow line when you fill the tank to the top the over flow will drain under the trailer. It also acts like a vent to the tank when the water pump is sucking up water from the bottom supply line. This line is open and could let some water out as you travel as the water sloshes up against it as you travel. You should loose very little from this line.

If you leave your water pump on when you travel you could be leaking water almost anyplace and the water ends up in your holding tanks. It all depends on how complicated your water system is on your trailer. depending on shower, toilet or water heater in addition to your basic water supply.
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Old 09-08-2015, 07:58 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Uplander View Post
The hot water tank theory would only work if you had a hot water tank with a capacity equal to or greater than the water reservoir tank!

LOL I don't think we have a stump the chumps!

Scamps standard water tank is only 12 gallons of water. Hot water tank sucks up 6 gallons (mine is actually an 8 gallon) of that, flush the toilet and run a tap and before you know it you have used up another gallon or so of water just filling up the water lines through out the trailer.... ending up with about 5 gallons of water or less in the tank. May seem like some to be almost empty!
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Old 09-08-2015, 08:57 PM   #9
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Trying to figure out how the hot water heater gets filled. When we fill our fresh water tank, does the hot water tank get filled too so we are putting in a total of 12 plus 6 gallons of water? Or does the hot water tank only fill from the fresh water supply when it is first lit and gobbles up half the fresh water tank right off the bat. Just don't understand... Help!
Duh!
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Old 09-08-2015, 09:04 PM   #10
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I don't know about your Scamp, but I make sure the water heater is full by attaching a hose to the city water inlet and then opening the pressure relief valve. After a couple minutes of water and air coming out, I know the water heater is full.
As I use hot water, it is replenished by the water in the fresh water tank.
First pic shows relief valve, top centre.
Second pic shows water gushing out.
Attached Thumbnails
anode relief valve.jpg   anode relief valve open.jpg  

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Old 09-08-2015, 09:08 PM   #11
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Yes the fresh tank holds 12 gallons and the hot water tank another 6 or 8 gallons depending on which size tank you have. I believe the 6 gallon is standard on Scamp.

It depends on how you trailers hot water tank has been set up as to how you fill the hot water tank. If it has a bypass system then you would have to turn that off and turn on the 12v water pump in order for the hot water tank to fill. Filling of the hot water tank has nothing to do with actually turning the hot water tank on/lighting it. If no bypass system in place when you fill the fresh water tank it will not fill the hot water tank unless the water pump is turned on. Just make sure you have some water in the fresh water tank before you turn on the water pump as its a great way to burn out the pump if there is no water in the fresh water tank.

When filling the tanks its also a good idea to go outside and open the pressure release valve on the hot water tank and leave it open until the water runs fully out of it -not just a bunch of air and spurts of water, that way you know it has all the air cleared out of it allowing it to fill all the way.

EDIT: or you can fill the hot water tank as Glenn does .... but either way the water pump needs to be on and the bypass system (if there is one) must be off in order for the hot water tank to continue to refill itself via the fresh water tank.
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Old 09-08-2015, 09:14 PM   #12
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I too found my tank with less water than when I started out. I found no leak, but surmised that the water rushes forward during braking and the resulting pressure sends water out the vent hose which is located on the front of the tank. So I installed a valve on the hose and it no longer happens, at least when I remember to close the valve. That said, I only lost about 3-5 gallons. I don't see how the whole tank could empty.

Cheers, john
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Old 09-08-2015, 09:40 PM   #13
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I too found my tank with less water than when I started out. I found no leak, but surmised that the water rushes forward during braking and the resulting pressure sends water out the vent hose which is located on the front of the tank. So I installed a valve on the hose and it no longer happens, at least when I remember to close the valve. That said, I only lost about 3-5 gallons. I don't see how the whole tank could empty.

Cheers, john

With my fresh water tank full to overflow, when I get to where I'm going to camp less than a gallon has left. Now I never worry about that because I can always find someplace to fill the fresh water tank. I guess I've done this enough that I don't have to worry about a lot of things. Getting about time for a 6 week trip, home for month then a 4 month trip.
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Old 09-08-2015, 09:45 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
With my fresh water tank full to overflow, when I get to where I'm going to camp less than a gallon has left. .
What is the point of filling it then? What's the point of having a tank?
When I get to the campsite I'm headed for, my fresh water tank will be full ( over back roads ) and I'll have another 5 gallon container. Because, there are no taps, no pumps, no hookups. Just a lake.
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Old 09-08-2015, 09:58 PM   #15
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Thanks, Glenn and Carol, for your replies! I'm quite sure we don't have a bypass system so once we turn on the water pump the hot water tank will fill. So, now my next question is... as we use hot water is it replaced so that 6 gallons stays in the water heater all of the time or does it only fill when it approaches empty? Does unused hot water from one trip remain in the tank and, upon filling the fresh water tank and turning on the pump, only whatever amount of water is needed to fill the 6 gallon hot water tank will move from the fresh water tank?
Do my questions make any sense?! Thanks.
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Old 09-09-2015, 12:02 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by ljswanson53 View Post
Thanks, Glenn and Carol, for your replies! I'm quite sure we don't have a bypass system so once we turn on the water pump the hot water tank will fill. So, now my next question is... as we use hot water is it replaced so that 6 gallons stays in the water heater all of the time or does it only fill when it approaches empty? Does unused hot water from one trip remain in the tank and, upon filling the fresh water tank and turning on the pump, only whatever amount of water is needed to fill the 6 gallon hot water tank will move from the fresh water tank?
Do my questions make any sense?! Thanks.
The hot water will continue to pull water from the fresh water tank as you use the water in the hot water tank in order to keep the hot water tank full. Once the fresh water tank is empty the sad news is you will not be able to get much if any of the hot water out of the hot water tank as there needs to be water in the fresh water tank to create the pump pressure .. easy fix, just use a portable container to refill the the fresh tank.

Yes the water in the hot water tank remains in it - unless you drain it from the outside. I use my trailer frequently so I do not normally dump out the hot water tank every trip but do drain it out at few times a camping season as I have found water from questionable sources (often private well water) can get smelly in the hot water tank if left sitting in real warm weather. Also make sure you drain the hot water tank before the winter cold weather sets in.
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Old 09-09-2015, 12:14 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by ljswanson53 View Post
Thanks, Glenn and Carol, for your replies! I'm quite sure we don't have a bypass system so once we turn on the water pump the hot water tank will fill. So, now my next question is... as we use hot water is it replaced so that 6 gallons stays in the water heater all of the time or does it only fill when it approaches empty? Does unused hot water from one trip remain in the tank and, upon filling the fresh water tank and turning on the pump, only whatever amount of water is needed to fill the 6 gallon hot water tank will move from the fresh water tank?
Do my questions make any sense?! Thanks.

Yes, the water is replaced from the fresh tank as you use any hot water from it and it does stay full, just like it works in your home water heater. The water will always stay in the tank, one trip to the next, unless you drain it. If your heater tank is full, try filling the fresh tank and see if it disappears to eliminate the possibility of your water going from the fresh to the heater. I've never heard of this happening before without finding a big wet spot from a leak. In over 30 years I've never drained any of my water heaters and never had a problem but I don't have to winterize either. Not a bad idea though.
BTW, your questions are exactly why we are here.
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Old 09-09-2015, 12:18 AM   #18
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Thanks Carol, I forgot to mention the pressure needed for the water heater to work .
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Old 09-09-2015, 12:23 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
With my fresh water tank full to overflow, when I get to where I'm going to camp less than a gallon has left.
Strange I have filled my tank and not lost much if any water when traveling Funny part is I more often than not fill the tank just before heading down a rough roads as well.
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Old 09-09-2015, 12:44 AM   #20
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What is the point of filling it then? What's the point of having a tank?
When I get to the campsite I'm headed for, my fresh water tank will be full ( over back roads ) and I'll have another 5 gallon container. Because, there are no taps, no pumps, no hookups. Just a lake.
"Less than a gallon has left" Translation -- Less than one gallon got away. Translation #2 All is still there except for about 1/2 gallon.
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