Louis Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I am new to motor homes and have just bought an Auto Sleeper Trident Campervan. (VW T4), year 2000. The water level indicator on my zig unit shows the tank as full when the pump is struggling to deliver water to my sink until I add more to the tank. There is no drain on my water tank, only on my waste tank, so I cannot tell how much water I actually have. It seems strange that the water tank can only be drained by pumping water into the waste tank via the sink. Is this the usual set-up? Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Don't know about your van and a water tank drain plug but being A/S I would be surprised if it does not have one - but then again it may well not - someone on here will have had one and should be able to tell you? Zig units were very inaccurate for water tank contents - so much so that we never used ours in any of the vans that had them as they were so misleading. We knew roughly how much water we used each day and thereby how long a tankful would last - usually about 3 days - then simply refilled every three days or whenever the opportunity arose when off site camping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Hi Louis and welcome :-D Have you looked 'inside' the tank? In our Rimor's we have to take off the red cap and remove a bung in the centre to drain it as it doesn't have an external drain tap ... shame as it's not nice having to stick your hand in freezing water to empty it ... one of those 'to do' jobs ... I've got the tap, now I've just got to fit it when the weather improves!:D As for the gauge, it could need the contacts within the tank cleaning, if they gunge up they don't work very well, if at all. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Louis Welcome to the forum. I believe a Trident's fresh- and waste-water tanks are both external, beneath the vehicle's floor. So, if there is a drain for the fresh-water tank, it will need to be accessible from outside the motorhome. Like Tracker, I'd be surprised if Auto-Sleepers has not provided some means of draining the fresh-water tank other than pumping it out into the sink. Even if there is no 'tap' (similar to that of the waste-water tank) in evidence, there may be a draining/cleaning point in the side or underside of the fresh-water tank. Look for a large diameter screw-in (possibly recessed) 'bung'. Zig-made water-level indicators were indeed inaccurate, but should normally be able to distinguish between empty and full. The one on my Herald had a small adjustment knob that helped and, even though it was never accurate between full and empty, it was always read "empty" correctly. Sounds like you've got a problem, either with the gauge or with the sensor in the tank. Is the gauge always stuck on "full", or is there some 'life' in it? If it's stuck on "full", then I suggest you check and clean the electrical connections where the wiring connects to the sensor in the tank and see if that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Hi Many thanks for your replies and what a great site this is. I've been reading threads by other motor homers and have already picked up some very useful tips and hints. I look forward to an enjoyable future and plenty of fun using my camper. Louis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Mel B - 2009-04-16 5:59 PM Hi Louis and welcome :-D Have you looked 'inside' the tank? In our Rimor's we have to take off the red cap and remove a bung in the centre to drain it as it doesn't have an external drain tap ... shame as it's not nice having to stick your hand in freezing water to empty it ... one of those 'to do' jobs ... I've got the tap, now I've just got to fit it when the weather improves!:D As for the gauge, it could need the contacts within the tank cleaning, if they gunge up they don't work very well, if at all. :-S Mel - have you considered drilling a hole through your bung and attaching a chain or nylon cord to a brass or stainless bolt through it with a washer top and bottom and fixing the top end to the tank cap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 Hi That sounds like a great idea - if I can't find a drain tap, that's what I'll do. Many thanks Louis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Hi Louis. I go along with other replies that there must be a separate draining point other than taps/waste tank, so all you have to do is find it. A bit obvious, but have you tried raising the carpet/flooring to see if there's a access hatch in the floor. Quite a common arrangement in motorhomes, and if it is there then all you need to do his unscrew the top cap, reach down and pull out the bung. Pretty basic, but a quick and easy way of draining the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 Thanks for that Howie, I'll have a good look over the weekend but I've got a Trident user's handbook and only a drain tap on the water tank is indicated in that. Louis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Louis Motorhome handbooks are often very sketchy on information. I think your best bet for a rapid informed answer would be to contact Auto-Sleepers via http://www.auto-sleepers.co.uk/index.php/Quality_motorhome_service_centre Otherwise, as there seems to be no member of this former who has 'hands-on' knowledge of where (or if) A-S provided a drain on the fresh-water tanks fitted to T4-based panel-van conversions around Year 2000, you might try the A-S Owners Club http://www.asoc.fsnet.co.uk/ I'm doubtful that, with a panel-van conversion having an under-floor tank, any draining facility will involve access to a 'bung' from above. In any case, if there were a bung, you should be able to spot the drain-point easily from beneath the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted April 18, 2009 Author Share Posted April 18, 2009 Derek Great advice! The water tank is, I believe underneath the van but to be honest I haven't quite located it yet. There's not a lot of room to squeeze under but I'm working on it! I don't think there's access from inside though. The link to the Auto Sleepers members site was very useful so I may well apply to join. Also I understand there's a motorhome show on at Peterborough next week and I plan to go along and maybe get some more help there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 If you get a couple of paving slabs or even concrete blocks you can drive the van up onto them as a temporary ramp - being good sized wheels it will drive up OK - and this makes getting a shufty underneath so much easier for very little effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Louis - 2009-04-18 10:59 AM Derek Great advice! The water tank is, I believe underneath the van but to be honest I haven't quite located it yet. There's not a lot of room to squeeze under but I'm working on it! I don't think there's access from inside though. The link to the Auto Sleepers members site was very useful so I may well apply to join. Also I understand there's a motorhome show on at Peterborough next week and I plan to go along and maybe get some more help there. Best idea yet Louis, and bound to find someone with the same type of van who i,m sure will be only to glad to show you how to drain that tank. Not often you find a question that remains unresolved on this particular forum, so when you do find the answer perhaps you could post your findings just in case this problem crops up again. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Louis, On one of our early auto-sleepers the drain tap was at the end of a pipe coming from the tank the pipe and tap were held in a terry clip at side of the body. If you cannot see anything ring the Auto-sleepers service center ask for Charles 01386 853511. Regards Alf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 Thanks very much Alf, that's very helpful. Louis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Louis, one of my water tanks has to be emptied by lifting a board which is the floor of the wardrobe, reach down into the well and lift the plastic hinged lock. Might be worth looking at the floor of your cupboard to see if it is a lid. Joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 Thanks for your suggestion Joy but I don't think that applies in my case. Best regards Louis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.