Water tank question

CharlieRN

We had our 320BD on her maiden off-grid voyage just last week - a Harvest Host location only a few hours from home. While we had great weather and a generally terrific experience with our T@B, there were a few relatively minor glitches, one involving the water supply.

I thought I filled up the water tank before we set out, but it turns out that, despite the interior display indicating full, that was a chimera. We were quite parsimonious with our use of water; no showering, very short rinses in the sink & sparse flushes of the toilet. Yet we got to "low" on the indicator after only a day.

When we returned home, I drained the grey water tank into a 5 gallon bucket; it got to only about half-full, maybe 2-1/2 gallons. For obvious reasons, I did not want to use the same technique to measure the water in the cassette but it was at most half-full, so about another 2-1/2 gals. I then opened the faucet on the sink and got only a quart or two before the water turned to a trickle and the pump started cavitating, which I took as indicating an essentially empty supply tank.

Overall then, water use was perhaps 5-1/2 gals from a tank that nominally holds 19 gallons. Obviously, the indicator was wrong. Is this an easy adjustment or does it have to go to the dealer for that? Is there any way other than using the indicator to determine when the tank is really full and just as importantly, any way to reasonably estimate of how much water is left?

Sharon_is_SAM

Sounds like the sensors need a tweak.  Someone recently had a sensor fail and it involved a wire, but yours sounds like the sensor plug is a little off.   In the meantime you can fill your tank with a 5 gallon jug x 3 and know you have at least 15 gallons.  The fresh and gray tanks are narrow from top to bottom and you will be able to get more fresh water in by going tongue up.  If it starts spitting back, slow down so the air has a chance to escape from the vent.  If water starts coming up the vent, you are beyond full😊

Bayliss

@CharlieRN, you can try a gauge like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007NHS9M4/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=knowledgeshar-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B007NHS9M4&linkId=eb188c6effa0de319131f48287398f65

I rarely trust the monitor in the trailer, although mine seems to be pretty accurate.  I just fill the tank at a normal rate initially, but when I hear (through the water-fill tube) the tank approaching capacity, I slow the water down to help get the air out of the line/tank and continue filling until the water starts backing up through the fill tube.  You can also try raising the tongue of the trailer a bit to get more water into the tank.

CharlieRN

Follow-on to original post about water issues.

As per my initial remarks, when the fresh water indicator gauge read "low" and the pump sputtered when I turned the tap at the kitchen sink on, I assumed that the tank was essentially empty. Turns out this was a bad assumption - I got just over 5 gallons of water when I drained the system completely today. I would expect some of the stored water to not be able to be accessed, but 5 gallons is over a quarter of the 320's total fresh water supply. Surely this can't be "normal".

Our camper is going back to the dealer in a few weeks for retrofit of the Yakima rear rack, and I will ask that they take a look at the water system but I wonder if others have faced the same issue and what could be causing it.

pthomas745

You might want to think about where your water tank is:  on my 2017, the fresh water is over on the passenger side, just forward "around" or "near" the axle.  (We have hundreds of trailer photos and factory tour photos, and the water tank photos are vague).  So, add one more factor to your water quantity:  was the trailer level?  I know when I sanitize or winterize that I need to drop the tongue to get more water out.  If your trailer was "biased" toward the rear, it could have made a difference in your gauges and for your pumping ability.

CharlieRN

@pthomas745 - Our camper was pretty level, both at the campsite and when home in my driveway when I tested things. At the moment, it is a bit tongue-high since I just completed a mod to add dual 8" semi-pnuematic wheels. It was in that attitude when I drained the fresh water tank though. I'm going to try lowering it to see if more water drains but based on the location of the drain (near the passenger-side leveler), I'd guess that won't have any effect.