Nautilus Suction Remedy

Basil48192

Maybe this has been posted before...but I've seen the Nautilus getting a bad rap lately!
I had a similar issue with poor suction while trying to winterize....because I emptied my first gallon of anti-freeze, started sucking air, and I lost the prime on my pump.  I found that if I open the cold water low-point drain for a few seconds (with a bucket below it), the air would purge quickly and the pump would starting pulling again.  For me it worked really well.  I also learned to pour 2 gallons of anti-freeze into a bucket before I started....to make sure I didn't run low.  

bergger

I think the siphon mode on the nautilus is pretty cool.  I use it to winterize and to add water to the tank.  The issue people have that causes complaints is as you say, they can't prime it or don't understand the concept of priming a pump to get it to work.  I'll have to try your method of the low point drain next time I loose the prime.  

pthomas745

Thanks for the hints...but the fact that it is not working easily for so many owners means it was never really thought out. 

Binghi

Siphoning is never easy. Remember siphoning gasoline out of a can with your mouth in the old days? Yee-uck!

AnOldUR

Binghi said:

Siphoning is never easy. Remember siphoning gasoline out of a can with your mouth in the old days?

Wife tells me I did it, but don't remember anything about the old days.

bjn2

Mine wouldn't siphon without help - even with a very short siphon hose and giving the antifreeze jug a boost about eight inches above ground level. I tried pouring fluid into the hose to get it near or into the pump. No dice. I had to apply vacuum by mouth to the sink/shower hose to get the pump primed, but just like you I got air into the line again as the jug ran low before I was finished. Now I can't do the mouth assist so I tried your cold water valve trick. The pump still wouldn't prime. So I finally thought through enough physics to try rasing the antifreeze jug higher than the hose inlet on the Nautilus. That worked. I'm adding this detail to my winterizing notes. The NuCamp video for my 2023 320s BD's winterization doesn't mention elevating the jug, so I'll add a comment to that video. If everything goes perfectly I think you can winterize a 320 with just one gallon but I wouldn't bet on it without lots of practice. Fortunately, I bought two so I didn't need to make a trip to the store. Also, although NuCamp made a comment in text saying where it shows flushing the toilet to winterize that line in the YouTube how-to video, the video doesn't show the toilet flow running pink. You need to run the flush long enough to get antifreeze visible in the flow. 

GregChris

The toilet, at least my cassette in the 320, must share a line to the kitchen sink. I ran the anti-freeze to the sink first, then the anti-freeze came out of the flush right away, same with the shower faucet. It took slightly less than 1 gal to do my 320s. No problem siphoning.

JohnDanielsCPA

I do what BJN2 does. Just lift the jug above the inlet and the antifreeze will start flowing. Then set your jug back down on the ground. 

marleecamps

OK my turn to be frustrated trying to keep my water pump primed while adding antifreeze.  I am in winterizing mode (2021 tab 400, nautilus 3), have a 2-foot hose connected to the fresh water intake, and have a gallon in a bucket raised above the intake.  The ONLY way I can get my water pump to prime is to use Basil's trick above - opening the cold water low point drain for three or so seconds.  But I cannot keep the pump primed - even with antifreeze poured into the short hose and the bucket above the intake.  It stops after a few seconds.  I am pouring out whatever antifreeze I manage to add each time I open the low point drain.

Help, oh wise ones!!!  (And yes, all lines have been drained and the blow out step completed.)

marleecamps

Addl info - I have verified all faucets are firmly closed and Alde relief valve closed.  I recently returned from a month-long trip using water pump on a daily basis with no issues.  Water pump primes but quickly loses it as soon as I close the low point drain.

MuttonChops

IMHO opening any Cold Water Tap will help the Water Pump to prime.

On dry-start-up the pump is moving Air.  That air needs to go someplace.  With all taps/drains closed the relativity small diaphragm area water pump is working to compress air while it is designed to move water and compress water to 50'ish PSI.  Having any cold water tap open allows the air to escape instead of being compressed which means the pump will start pulling/moving water sooner.

How to Prime an RV Water Pump (5 Simple Steps)

Side Note:  On my Tab I use the air-blow winterize method.  After the cold/hot system is dry, I
          place the Alde in by-pass, then pump a small amount of RV antifreeze into the pump.

marleecamps

@MuttonChops.  Thanks - I will try again tomorrow using the external cold tap rather than the low point drain.  Stay tuned.

pthomas745

The bottom line is: this process barely works and is a known failure in the Nautilus trailers.  There should not be dozens of threads and videos and complaints over something so very simple. It should not take multiple attempts and several workarounds in the "hope" that it "might" work.  The best option is: install the Camco winterizing kit.  Or any of the several simple mods that worked the same way.

Why did this Camco kit work first time/every time, without having to open a drain? 

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-36543-Converter-Winterizing-TRV874795/dp/B0006JJ588

marleecamps

@MuttonChops - Success!  Opening the external cold water tap primed the water pump, and it stayed pressurized while I ran antifreeze through all faucets and toilet flush.  Nice to have this task completed.

@pthomas745 - thanks for the recommendation.  I have bookmarked this product for future reference if I have trouble going forward.

Appreciate the guidance.  This group is just so awesome.  I tell all new T@bbers about it when we meet at campgrounds.

Happy_Camper2

Ok, Tab friends, I have a Tab 320S Boondock 2021. Trying to winterize before the severe unexpected freeze here in Texas.  We were just going to make do with keeping it heated during lighter freezes but 9 degrees is a bit unusual here.

Anyway, I can't get the antifreeze to suck up after I blew out my lines.  I have tried everything I know: faucets open and closed, pouring it directly in my short hose...we ordered an RV hand pump antifreeze kit that arrives tomorrow (I hope this works but I'm worried).

Do you have any other suggestions?

Sharon_is_SAM

@Happy_Camper2 - I moved your post here.  See the above thread.

Binghi

Elevate the container of antifreeze above the level of the city water connection. That will make gravity your friend and should help. Also, temporarily replace the screened washer in the city water inlet with an unscreened washer. That will improve the flow of liquid and make siphoning easier.

Happy_Camper2

@Sharon_is_SAM, thank you. I had read every thread I could find and think I originally may have posted here but didn't know if that was the correct way to post a new problem. 

@Binghi, I have done the elevation trick and also trying to pour into the hose and trying to flow through it.  I haven't tried a different washer. Thanks--will give that a try!

bergger

Pour antifreeze in the hose then blow it into the pump and repeat a few times. This has always worked for me the few times the pump did not want to prime. 

mgreen2

I found that turning the nautilus setting to fill the fresh water tank creates a suction immediately. Turn to this setting for a couple seconds and then back to winterize setting and you should be good. 

Happy_Camper2

Ok, thanks bergger and mgreen2.  I tried blowing into it but couldn't make progress.  I was going to try the fresh water setting but in the meantime got my hands on a camco handpump.  This worked so well and so easily and quickly!  NuCamp should sell one of these with their campers!!  I'm going to keep a backup one to take camping so when we. have pump issues with dry camping I have something to help me.

I highly recommend to anyone having issues winterizing to get one of these little handpumps. It was so easy to use and we knocked out the task in 5 minutes after spending hours trouble shooting!!

bergger

Good to know. I’ve been wanting to get one anyway to winterize the black tank flush. Now even more reason to get one.