Fresh water tanks drain - Esprit (2008)

[Steve Kind]

Hi - I'm a new Dethleffs owner -just did our shakedown trip in our pre-loved 2008 Esprit. Having formerly owned a 2003 Autotrail, I'm massively impressed with both the build and design quality of Dethleffs - so many neat ideas, so well put together. However, the one aspect that seems odd to me is the arrangement for draining the fresh water tank. Having to dismantle the passenger seat and then put my arm (potentially) above the elbow in freezing cold water to pull out a little rubber bung is hardly my idea of "vorspruung durk technic". Is there some reasoning that I've missed behind the lack of an external drain tap? - and has anybody dome a retrofit to add one? Would be pleased to read people's comments and suggestions

 

[JimboT]

what model have you got?
I have a 2008 advantage and you have to undo the red cover and then pull out the plug.
you can run the pump and empty most through the grey water tank.
Jim

 

[Steve Kind]

what model have you got?
I have a 2008 advantage and you have to undo the red cover and then pull out the plug.
you can run the pump and empty most through the grey water tank.
Jim

Ha! Never thought of that - though it's not exactly elegant is it? Just don't get why the manufacturer doesn't put a simple drain tap om the outside
As you say, there is one for the grey water

 

[two]

Would be pleased to read people's comments and suggestions

Get someone else to do it.

 

[tonyidle]

Hi - I'm a new Dethleffs owner -just did our shakedown trip in our pre-loved 2008 Esprit. Having formerly owned a 2003 Autotrail, I'm massively impressed with both the build and design quality of Dethleffs - so many neat ideas, so well put together. However, the one aspect that seems odd to me is the arrangement for draining the fresh water tank. Having to dismantle the passenger seat and then put my arm (potentially) above the elbow in freezing cold water to pull out a little rubber bung is hardly my idea of "vorspruung durk technic". Is there some reasoning that I've missed behind the lack of an external drain tap? - and has anybody dome a retrofit to add one? Would be pleased to read people's comments and suggestions

Attach one end of a nylon cord to drain plug, the other to something that floats. Or fit a conventional drain cock.

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[Stealaway]

Do you need to drain the fresh water tank? Would it hurt if it froze when half empty? There loads of room for it to expand.
I only drain the boiler, although that also has a safety low temperature drain on it any way.

 

[Rob Turner]

My Dethleffs has a tap on the top of the tank

 

[Stealaway]

So has my Burstner just under the seat cushion

 

[Steve Kind]

Do you need to drain the fresh water tank? Would it hurt if it froze when half empty? There loads of room for it to expand.
I only drain the boiler, although that also has a safety low temperature drain on it any way.

That's a good point Stealaway - I guess that I'm slavishly following the "official" advice that the water system should be drained after every period of use. Even so, it just seems silly not to have a drain tap. Every other MH I have experience of has had one and it seems absurd that something as advanced as the Dethleffs (which has been a bit of a stretch for us financially) needs us to dismantle the passenger seating and pull a plug every time. I had hoped that some clever soul on here would have addressed this issue with a simple modification - I quess I will have to either put up with it or work one out myself from scratch

 

[Stealaway]

I've been thinking this through and I think you do need to protect your taps. If you don't open your taps and empty them they could freeze and blow. So you need to run them empty so the water tank does need to be empty. Thanks for making me think it through.

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[Steve Kind]

I've been thinking this through and I think you do need to protect your taps. If you don't open your taps and empty them they could freeze and blow. So you need to run them empty so the water tank does need to be empty. Thanks for making me think it through.

Yes - dead right Alex - the official advice is to drain the tank with ALL the taps in the vehicle in the centre position and open, so all the water drains back to the tank and out. This would be so much easier if they simply put an external drain tap on the tank. As it is I have to work the rear passenger seat back cushions out from behind the safety belts, take the base cushion off (bit more damage from the velcro to the underside every time) lift the hinged lid and unscrew the big red tank stopper to access the drain plug in the bottom of the tank.

 

[Stevewheel]

We have a 2010 Globebus and that also has the lift up plug assembly in the bottom of the water tank. Like others have said I pump most of it into "grey" tank before, ahem, going for a drive....seems to be empty when I come back!
One other thing to check re draining down supplies to taps etc. I discovered (under another seat) that I have a screw valve attached to what I think is the lowest line of water pipe in the van. It goes through the floor to the outside and seems to be the way to ensure that every last drop leaves the pipework once the taps are open. Crazy thing is its not mentioned anywhere in the handbook!

 

[Stealaway]

unscrew the big red tank stopper to access the drain plug in the bottom of the tank.

Do you realise that there could be two positions for the red valve. One is an overflow position to stop you filling it when you are on the move, you can only half fill it thus saving weight. It's obvious if you have it set for full / full because the hose will blow back when you are filling the tank, as opposed to pushing the air out the overflow

 

[Pausim]

I had a Knaus with the drain at the bottom of the tank and no drain off tap. However, it was attached to a rigid vertical pipe that acted as an overflow and a vent. It was relatively easy to unscrew the assembly from the top to drain it off. It occurs to me that perhaps your Dethleffs originally had a similar arrangement. If your tank has no vent at the top and there is a thread in the drain my suspicion would increase.

 

[Armytwowheels]

Which Esprit do you have?

Our 2005 Esprit on a Fiat/Alko chassis has the waste and fresh taps next to each other in a locker in the floor.

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[Steve Kind]

Do you realise that there could be two positions for the red valve. One is an overflow position to stop you filling it when you are on the move, you can only half fill it thus saving weight. It's obvious if you have it set for full / full because the hose will blow back when you are filling the tank, as opposed to pushing the air out the overflow

Thanks for that - I will investigate before we head down West on Boxing Day. Hadn't noticed any settings on that big stopper.

 

[Steve Kind]

We have a 2010 Globebus and that also has the lift up plug assembly in the bottom of the water tank. Like others have said I pump most of it into "grey" tank before, ahem, going for a drive....seems to be empty when I come back!
One other thing to check re draining down supplies to taps etc. I discovered (under another seat) that I have a screw valve attached to what I think is the lowest line of water pipe in the van. It goes through the floor to the outside and seems to be the way to ensure that every last drop leaves the pipework once the taps are open. Crazy thing is its not mentioned anywhere in the handbook!

Our Esprit has a manual drain for the pump and a solenoid controlled valve in the base of the water heater that automatically dumps the contents of the heater if the temperature drops below 6 degrees. They told us this on handover - unfortunately, the DIDN'T tell us that, once triggered, it had to be manually re-set, or where exactly it was. On our first pitch we couldn't lift water to the taps and after trying for about half an hour we went outside to find our unit stood in a 2 inch deep lake The dealers help line didn't know where the valve was either - we ecentually found it behind the back bumper

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

Our 2013 Esprit has the same arrangement as yours which I also find inconvenient. However it's not as inconvenient as the grey waste valve on one of our previous vans, a Laika which was on the underside and froze up in sub zero temperatures.

 

[Steve Kind]

Our 2013 Esprit has the same arrangement as yours which I also find inconvenient. However it's not as inconvenient as the grey waste valve on one of our previous vans, a Laika which was on the underside and froze up in sub zero temperatures.

of the three we have owned, this 08 dethleffs is clear and away the best (and most expensive), which makes the inconvenient drain all the more frustrating.

 

[Cycosport]

I know it's been a while since this thread but I was wondering if anyone has come up with an alternative to the water tank waste pull plug under the seat which is quite inconvenient. I'd be interested to know if anyone has rigged up an external drain tap or is a viable alternative to drain via pumping through to the grey waste until it empties. Thanks - you can probably tell I'm new to this !

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[Podney]

of the three we have owned, this 08 dethleffs is clear and away the best (and most expensive), which makes the inconvenient drain all the more frustrating.

And quite ridiculous!
I can’t believe that a “quality” motorhome is designed like that. It really is the most simple thing to get right,isn’t it.
On the Rapido (12 years old) we have a very simple system........it’s a drain tap on fresh as well as waste......why wouldn’t you have that?!
I guess you will get one fitted. Good luck.

 

[mpdcymru]

I seem to have a very similar problem with a Trend 6567 except that the tan is in a cupboard under the island bed. Quite limited access and the large red cover seems reluctant to move

 

[EMS]

Our 2007 Hymer had a plug in the bottom of the tank that had be removed to drain the tank completely. Otherwise there is always water just below the pump that will be stale/bad. If the water freezes it could damage the pump.