Water Problem . (1 Viewer)

[RS SPIKE]

Can anybody shed any light on why I'm loosing so much water while on the move ?
I have a Elddis sunstyle 140 on a 08 plate.
On Thursday I set off from home with a full tank of fresh water by the time I reached Dover (220 miles) I was down to less than 1/2 tank.
This is going to cause me problems as we plan on doing lots of wild camping.
Any thoughts/ideas much appreciated

 

[scotjimland]

You have a leak .... have you looked underneath after filling up ?

Either that or it's sloshing over the overfill..

all I can think of, someone with your van may be more helpful

 

[mjltigger]

I know some of the tanks have an overflow that is always open and driving can make it slosh out but would be surprised if that accounts for losing half a tank.. unless you are taking it very rough.. are you sure it's actually full not just reading full.. might be a sticky float sensor (if that's the type of sensor yours has) which frees up as you drive.. of course there is a chance you have a leak in the side of the tank about 1/2 way up but I would have thought you would spot the wet patch when you stop..

oh another thought.. are you running heating and hot water as you drive and did you drain down before you started.. might be pushing a load of water from your fresh tank to your hot tank..

and of course, could be a combination of multiple factors such as some of those above or some I didn't think of..

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[eddie]

Probably the water is being syphoned out of the overflow pipe. When driving the wind passing across the open bottom of the pipe creates a partial vacuum (called the venturi effect (I think if I remember my schooldays lol) the water is pulled into the pipe to fill the vacuum and "Hey Presto The case of the disappearing water!

Try to shield the overflow pipe or re-route it to a more sheltered position will improve things or cure the problem

 

[TheBig1]

or the automatic dump valve is operating

could also be siphoning out of the relief vent

 

[RS SPIKE]

Definitely not leaking as I can fill it up on my drive, pull water through taps & heating etc
And there is no wet patch under the van

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[Jim]

I had an RV that would siphon 3/4 of a tank of water on route. Had to fit a tap on the overflow in the end. But, the most common cause is that your water heater dump valve is operating.

 

[DavidG58]

we had a problem that took some finding, the fill pipe had a split in it quite close to the external fill point, when driving the sloshing up and down the tube emptied quite a lot of what I had put in, not half a tank though. Our sign was a bit of wet on garage floor, but it is well drained and never seemed to be wet enough to worry about.

Changed when I bought a filler adaptor so we have a cap with hozelock connection, I was filling and was also doing something in garage as I now had spare hands, noticed water cascading through the garage when tank was full

our water tank is the opposite side to the fill point, about a metre of filling hose all hidden behind panelling in the garage, but sorted quite easily

 

[Lenny HB]

I think Elddis fit a caravan type tank with an overflow, easy fix, fit a short length of hose to the overflow with an inline tap. turn the tap off when traveling, need to open for use to allow air into tank as water is drawn off.

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[JeanLuc]

I would suspect that the Truma frost protection valve is activating whilst you are on the move. This happened to me a couple of times before I realised what was happening so I made a clip to keep it closed.
At this time of year I clip mine closed whilst travelling (but remember to remove the clip as soon as you arrive and have got the van warm).

 

[Lenny HB]

I would suspect that the Truma frost protection valve is activating whilst you are on the move. This happened to me a couple of times before I realised what was happening so I made a clip to keep it closed.
At this time of year I clip mine closed whilst travelling (but remember to remove the clip as soon as you arrive and have got the van warm).

Don't think so, the problem OP described is a common problem with Elddis vans, if it was the dump valve, it would be peeing out when he filled the tank not just when traveling.

 

[JeanLuc]

Don't think so, the problem OP described is a common problem with Elddis vans, if it was the dump valve, it would be peeing out when he filled the tank not just when traveling.

OK obviously different to my experience but then I have never had anything to do with an Eldiss. I can fill the water tank with the Truma dump-valve open (no leaks below) and the tank only empties with the 'sloshing about' caused by travelling.

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[mitzimad]

on a dry day ,so not in the foreseeable future , fill tank run around the block then look under neath and check for wet if its an overflow pipe maybe you can extend it higher with flexible hose

 

[Lenny HB]

OK obviously different to my experience but then I have never had anything to do with an Eldiss. I can fill the water tank with the Truma dump-valve open (no leaks below) and the tank only empties with the 'sloshing about' caused by travelling.

Think it depends on the height of the tank if it syphons out or not.

Edit:
Thinking about it the hot tank would need to be full for it to happen.

 

[RS SPIKE]

Thanks for the reply's i think i will start with the overflow on the tank first.
Had a quick look tonight,it just looks like a molded plastic outlet on the top of the tank around 20mm.
So i'm going to attach a length of flexi to it with a tap on the other end.

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[Scattycat]

Does your van have an external tank or an internal one?

 

[RS SPIKE]

Does your van have an external tank or an internal one?

External just in front of rear axel

 

[Scattycat]

External just in front of rear axel

Ah, okay, not the same problem that I've had recently
Sorry I can't help then
Bon chance

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[TheBig1]

if its just a bare fitting on the top of the tank, then the vent pipe has fallen off or was not fitted at the factory

 

[wanderer]

I was losing water through a leaking outside shower just a thought for you to check

 

[RS SPIKE]

P

if its just a bare fitting on the top of the tank, then the vent pipe has fallen off or was not fitted at the factory[/QUOTE

Do you have a picture??
Would that be a pipe with some kind of valve in it ???

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[tonyidle]

As the inlet to the overflow is above the water level in the tank it cannot syphon. It is conceivable that an unnoticeably small amount could find its way out as the water sloshed about. Fitting any sort of tap to the overflow may cause other problems like a pressurised tank on hot days or a collapsed tank if you forget to open it.