Pump for Alde fluid change

stepheng
stepheng Member Posts: 128
in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
Has anyone tried using one of those small pumps you attach to a drill to pump the new fluid into the system.
I would remove the expansion tank and attach the pump to the input side and a tube to the output side to a bucket and pump new fluid until all the old fluid is expelled.  I've use one of those pumps to flush AC coils in a car before and worked great.



2022 T@B 320S Boondock

Comments

  • qhumberd
    qhumberd Administrator, Moderator Posts: 844
    Basically yes should work if you have access to the hoses
    this thread has my procedure with a 12v pump and lots of other methods 

    https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/2665/changing-out-the-alde-fluid/p17
    2019  T@B400 Boondock Lite "Todd"
    2016 Toyota Tundra 5.7 Crew Cab
  • tybladesmith
    tybladesmith Member Posts: 180
    @stepheng, what year and model of T@B? Yes a drill pump can work. Having ready access to the expansion tank is one question. Older tanks have brittle hubs where the hoses attach. Numerous T@Bbers have reported breaking the tank. YMMV
    Kay and Tom - SW Wisconsin - Silver T@bernacle - 2018 T@B 320S Boondock Silver/Black trim TV, 2018 Chevy Colorado, Silver/Black trim, Duramax, TowHaul, IntelliHaul
  • ScottG
    ScottG Administrator Posts: 5,674
    edited April 2021
    I looked into these as one of many alternatives. IIRC, one of concern that came up was the liberal amount of lubricant (a petroleum jelly-like substance) in some pumps, and whether it might contaminate whatever you were pumping.

    This is a concern with any pump you source that is not specifically intended for "clean" transfers, so shop carefully. In some cases you may be able to clean out the excess--that is what I did with the manual transfer pump I ended up using.
    2015 T@B Max S (320)
    2015 Nissan Frontier SV V6 4x4
  • stepheng
    stepheng Member Posts: 128
    Our T@B is a 2018 320S and the expansion tank is behind the Driver's side panel in the back when the seat is down.
    2022 T@B 320S Boondock
  • tybladesmith
    tybladesmith Member Posts: 180
    @stepheng, I have the same year and model. You will discover working with the hoses on the bottom of the expansion tank is nearly impossible without super powers. This is exactly why these discussions are so long. Simple solutions are hard to come by. Working with the Alde spring hose clamps without the specialty pliers is also a super power, expect the dreaded ping of a clamp going off to hide someplace impossible to find. Using a pair of locking hose pinching pliers is also required unless the system is drained completely. Still keep rags handy.
    Kay and Tom - SW Wisconsin - Silver T@bernacle - 2018 T@B 320S Boondock Silver/Black trim TV, 2018 Chevy Colorado, Silver/Black trim, Duramax, TowHaul, IntelliHaul
  • ScottG
    ScottG Administrator Posts: 5,674
    I agree that you will find access to the expansion tank hoses challenging. However, virtually any suitable pump could be used with the tank adapters I discussed here on April 11. No removal of the tank or hoses required! :-)
    2015 T@B Max S (320)
    2015 Nissan Frontier SV V6 4x4
  • Jmarkutah
    Jmarkutah Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2025
    I have pumps made for changing the glycol in the Alde systems I am selling. Please contact me if you need more information at jmark40@q.com It's $185 includes shipping in the USA. I can accept PayPal or Venmo.

  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,035
    @Jmarkutah - Please create a New Discussion under the “For Sale Camping Gear” category to sell these parts.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
  • manyman297
    manyman297 Member Posts: 1,434
    I would discourage the use of those drill pumps due to the large amount of lubricant used in them. I bought one years ago when I had a popup tent trailer thinking it would be great to use to pump water into the freshwater tank at the campsite. One look into the mechanism and I realized how much grease would contaminate the water.
    2021 400 BD
    2020 Tacoma TRD Off-Road 

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