lancepar Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 How would members describe the noise from the inboard water pump in their Motor Home? Should it be hardly noticeable or loud? Ours is noisy, does that mean it is on its way out? We have only had the MH since December 2011 and it has always been noisy in operation. I have read the mountings may have some bearing but is there anything else that could be investigated? Cheers B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Difficult to describe the noise it makes but it is quite noisy, it is a rhythmic thudding noise that changes slightly in speed, tone and loudness when you go from hot to cold. It is loud enough for us not to flush the toilet at night so as not wake the OH up. Our van is an 2004 Autotrail so I would think it should be the same as yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit_Stops Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Don't know your particular vans, but I've read elsewhere that how the pump is mounted can affect how loud it is when working. Something to do with the mounts being on a separate board, not directly screwed to the hab floor? I'm sure someone who knows will be along soon... Steve :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I changed my Shuflo pump last year, and was surprised how quiet the new identical pump is...................so maybe being noisy is a sign that its on its way out ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 it depends on the van, the pump, how it is mounted, where it is mounted, it's age, whether the fixing screws are too loose, too tight or just the right tension to hold the rubber feet in place without being so tight that they add to the noise and vibration. Without knowing much of the above it is hard to advise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 .....it could be a faulty pump, but as Rich says, more often than not it is either where, or how, it is mounted. It needs to be mounted onto a surface which doesn't itself magnify the accoustic effect by vibrating freely. If it is mounted on thin board or ply, this can often be remedied by relocation to a more solid surface (but may be constrained by electrical and water connections), or (in-situ) by adding an additional piece of thicker wood, that is itself firmly fixed to a solid surface, to screw the pump to. In addition, the mounting is usually accomplished by screwing through rubber bushes in the mounts, and these need tightening to the point where the bushes are just firmly located, but the bushes are not compressed (allowing sufficient movement in the units to absorb much of the vibration). Over- or under-tightenning of these screws appears to be a common problem, and I have had some success in the past by loosening off over-tightened ones. (In other words, the screw heads should be screwed down to the bushes, but there should be "play" within the bushes allowing the pump to move as a car would on suspension). It's worth checking both points (in reverse order to their listing above) and remedying as necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Motorhome is 2004/2005 Auto-Trail (Cheyenne?), so water-pump is probably a Shurflo Trail-King model. It may be possible to reduce pump-noise as Robin Hood advises. It's also commonplace with UK-built motorhomes for the connections to the pump to involve semi-rigid plastic hoses rather than the recommended braided flexible hose - this can increase operating noise. There's generic troubleshooting advice here: http://tinyurl.com/cqpsl2k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancepar Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 OK, plenty to think about then, cheers B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I don't know whether I have just been unlucky but my previous motorhome pump had to be replaced after 7 months of use and now my present motorhome's pump has had to be replaced after 11 months of use. Both were Surflo on Autotrails and went very quiet before packing up so if your pump is being quite noisy then I would say that it is probably a healthy sound. I now always carry a spare just in case it packs up. I've been told that the motorhome manufacturers buy them for peanuts but they retail to joe public for about £40. I always carry a spare gas regulator as well because of the contamination lark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 You've definitely been unlucky... Can you say what caused your two failures, as Shurflo pumps have an enviable reputation for reliability/longevity? I'm sure motorhome manufacturers like Auto-Trail get a hefty quantity discount when buying pumps, heaters, batteries, etc. The RRP for a Shurflo Trail-King 7 seems to be around £65 but (as you say) they are available significantly cheaper. I understand you managed to obtain one from Todds Motorhomes (Preston) at £39 and that's a real bargain. Mid-£50s appears to be the average (total) online price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 The first failure was down to the wishbone sticking, I have reset it and its on a shelf in my garage, its now working again but I won't trust it so it can gather dust. The motor works OK as I've bench tested it. The second failure was changed over at the Auto-Trail service centre so I can't say what caused it other than before it packed up the tone changed and it went very quiet. It was there that they said they buy in bulk at very low prices £9 was mentioned. A number of Auto-Trails now have the water pump situated under the cooker, it couldn't be in a worse place for servicing or replacing, you need to have extremely long arms and an extra long screwdriver is a must, I made up a special cradle for it to rest on once it was released and then the new one went back the same way. I asked Auto-Trail if they could mount them in a more prominent position whether they will we will have to see. If the pump has a reputation for being well built and reliable then I must have been unlucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Screwed my current Trailking to some 22.5mm beech strips which are Sikaflexed with a fat bead to the floor to provide a good 'floating' platform. Screwing the bushes to the point Robin says and flexible hose as Derek says are the ways to go too. I also buy into accumulator tank installation to smooth flow and reduce cycling. Less stress on the pump and plumbing, and cheap as chips to install. I did have one fail but after many years of use on a narrowboat, never had bother with Shurflo products other than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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