Budgie823 Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 I have a 2015 Autotrail Apache which has, in my opinion, a noisy water pump but has been checked by the dealer who says it is perfectly normal. I'm not convinced and wondered if any other owners of a similar aged Autotrail are experiencing the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agaric Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 You're not suffering from a case of noise fixation are you. My O/H does this until she gets verbal about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmold Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 If you are not talking about a submersible pump but a Shuffle type, then it will probably be mounted on a board which in turn will be mounted to the floor of side. It should be screwed to this board with rubber 'shock absorbers' on the screws. Often they are overtightened and don't absorb the noise as they are meant to. Try slackening off these screws a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgie823 Posted November 2, 2016 Author Share Posted November 2, 2016 It is a shuffle type pump Paul and mounted on the side wall of a locker. I will have a close look tomorrow and follow your advise. Many thanks for the suggestion and, hopefully, it will stop the O/H giving me verbal everytime we're away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Allen Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 Just put our 2015 AutoTrail Apache 700 away in storage for 4 weeks due to other commitments but on our last trip away my wife complained that the pump seemed noisy and the shower erratic between hot and cold. I suggested that she may not have pulled the shower control lever out far enough to get full flow but she said she tried that and it didn't seem to make any difference. The pump did sound like it was activating fully and running a bit rough. Would be interested to hear any views on this from members who have experienced anything similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanS Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 We have had ShurFlo pumps on our last caravan and our last 2 AutoTrail motorhomes and yes they do tend to be noisy inside the caravan/motorhome. Outside you don't hear it. The pumps do have integral rubber mounting bracket but the nature of the pump (not being an impellor type pump) can be noisy. The instruction for fitting the pump say that they should be fitted onto a solid surface - now in a motorhome where would that be ? On our Navajo it was mounted on the floor yet we still found it noisy to an extent and on our Savannah it is mounted in the bunk attached to the sidewall of the shower so not a lot of difference. You might find that the flexible pipework connected to the pump can be vibrating too so make sure it is not touching any of the lightweight cupboard / bunk framing as this can be acting as a 'sounding board'. They are good pumps and you will get used to it. Alan Budgie823 - 2016-11-02 3:46 PM I have a 2015 Autotrail Apache which has, in my opinion, a noisy water pump but has been checked by the dealer who says it is perfectly normal. I'm not convinced and wondered if any other owners of a similar aged Autotrail are experiencing the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 SHURflo RV pumps are inherently relatively noisy. SHURflo’s own installation/operation instructions (example here) http://www.holdsworth.vwt4camper.info/SHURfloWaterPumpInstallationAndOperationManualT4WM.pdf offer trouble-shooting advice on noisy or rough operation. However, if a motorhome/caravan owner is accustomed to a submersible water-pump (that works differently and is noise-insulated by being under water in the fresh-water tank) a SHURflo pump may sound very loud. This link may be of interest http://vandogtraveller.com/mounting-shurflo-water-pump/ suggesting that the pump not be screwed to a rigid surface, but ‘hung’. Regarding John Allen’s wife’s complaint about the shower being "erratic between hot and cold”, attempting a diagnosis is not easy without seeing the installation and also knowing the showering technique being employed. I have a feeling that Auto-Trail fit “Ecocamel” shower-heads as standard and my first suggestion (based on bitter experience of this shower-head in my 2015 Rapido) is to replace the head. Ecocamel shower-heads are fine for domestic use or in an American RV that has a large reservoir of hot water https://www.ecocamel-showerheads.com/motorhome-rv but, in my view (and very definitely in my wife’s view!) they are unsuitable for the type of water system normally fitted to European-built motorhomes/caravans. If you have an Ecocamel shower-head and can develop a showering technique that can produce two successive showers without running out of hot water during the 2nd shower and/or getting scalded/frozen unpredictably, you are a better man/woman than me. My wife used to (literally) curse when showering in the Rapido due to the way the Ecocamel shower-head works and I used to loathe it too. I tried fitting the On/Off valve that Ecocamel market, but that was little use. Eventually I replaced the Ecocamel shower-head with an unsophisticated plastic type (example here) https://www.keyhole.com.tw/bathroom-accessories/hand-held-showerheads/stick-type-plastic-hand-held-shower-head/ bought for a few euros from an E.Leclerc supermarket in France. This head reduces the water flow considerably compared to the Ecocamel product (saving hot and cold water) and doesn’t ‘drain’ (as the Ecocamel head does) if the shower’s water-control is being turned on and off during a wet/soap/rinse-off shower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgie823 Posted November 3, 2016 Author Share Posted November 3, 2016 Many thanks for the replies and suggestions. I have checked the pump and fitting and can confirm it is secured by a rubber mounting bracket and not tightly fixed in a rigid position. I have moved some loose articles from the locker which does seem to have made some improvement so I am hoping that vibration of these articles may have been the culprit. Only time will tell but here's hoping! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 The SHURflo water-pump that has most commonly been fitted to motorhomes is one of the "Trail King” models (examples here) https://www.leisureshopdirect.com/water/caravan-water-pump/shurflo-pumps/shurflo-trail-king-pump-series-spare-parts This is an old design and SHURflo’s revised "Aqua King” pumps are supposed to be quieter. Much of the noisiness is down to what the pump is fixed to, which is why the ‘hanging’ ploy should be effective. My Rapido’s “Trail King” pump is attached to the top of the large plastic fresh-water tank under the rear bed. When the tank is full of water the pump is quieter than when the tank is partially empty. This is what one might expect to happen and there’s not a lot one can realistically do about it. At least my Rapido’s pump is accessible, allowing its filter-unit to be removed and emptied fairly easily to protect it against frost-damage. All three of my motorhomes have had a “Trail King” pump, so I‘m accustomed to the noise they make and I can’t say it bothers me much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanS Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 Derek The 2016 AT models had the Ecocamel shower heads fitted but the 2015 didn't and they have a slender shower head that is great and no problem at all.. My friend has the Ecocamel shower head on his Lunar caravan - his answer for the 'head problem' was to insert a stainless steel screw in the air entrainment hole - job done for him. Alan Derek Uzzell - 2016-11-03 8:30 AM I have a feeling that Auto-Trail fit “Ecocamel” shower-heads as standard and my first suggestion (based on bitter experience of this shower-head in my 2015 Rapido) is to replace the head. Ecocamel shower-heads are fine for domestic use or in an American RV that has a large reservoir of hot water https://www.ecocamel-showerheads.com/motorhome-rv but, in my view (and very definitely in my wife’s view!) they are unsuitable for the type of water system normally fitted to European-built motorhomes/caravans. If you have an Ecocamel shower-head and can develop a showering technique that can produce two successive showers without running out of hot water during the 2nd shower and/or getting scalded/frozen unpredictably, you are a better man/woman than me. My wife used to (literally) curse when showering in the Rapido due to the way the Ecocamel shower-head works and I used to loathe it too. I tried fitting the On/Off valve that Ecocamel market, but that was little use. Eventually I replaced the Ecocamel shower-head with an unsophisticated plastic type (example here) https://www.keyhole.com.tw/bathroom-accessories/hand-held-showerheads/stick-type-plastic-hand-held-shower-head/ bought for a few euros from an E.Leclerc supermarket in France. This head reduces the water flow considerably compared to the Ecocamel product (saving hot and cold water) and doesn’t ‘drain’ (as the Ecocamel head does) if the shower’s water-control is being turned on and off during a wet/soap/rinse-off shower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spireite Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 This is what mine sounds like on a 2013 Pilote -turn the sound UP - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 AlanS - 2016-11-03 9:55 PM Derek The 2016 AT models had the Ecocamel shower heads fitted but the 2015 didn't and they have a slender shower head that is great and no problem at all.. My friend has the Ecocamel shower head on his Lunar caravan - his answer for the 'head problem' was to insert a stainless steel screw in the air entrainment hole - job done for him. Alan As a major selling-point of an Ecocamel shower-head is its water-saving "Aircore Technology” http://www.ecocamel.com/technology finding it necessary to disable that technology by closing off the air-entry hole in the head’s handle really says it all! Unless the motorhome is fitted with a system that will provide a continuous supply of hot water (possible nowadays from an Alde system apparently) I’d advise against retro-fitting an Ecocamel shower-head. Even if the hole in the handle is closed off, I believe the water-flow through an Ecocamel shower-head will still be too great for two successive showers to be reliably obtained from (say) a Truma “Combi” heater’s 10 litre hot-water tank unless the 2nd showerer is male and has been to a public school where cold showers were mandatory. Better to stick with a traditional old style low-flow shower-head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianBW Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I too had a similar problem, so I fitted a Fiamma A20 expansion tank. see: https://www.laleisure.co.uk/fiamma-a20-expansion-tank. [if the link cant be found, just do a fiamma a20 search on the site] This is fitted after the pump. It was amazing how quiet the pump was after the fitting. How to fit suggestions can be found on the internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 BrianBW - 2016-11-16 6:05 PM I too had a similar problem, so I fitted a Fiamma A20 expansion tank. see: https://www.laleisure.co.uk/fiamma-a20-expansion-tank. [if the link cant be found, just do a fiamma a20 search on the site] This is fitted after the pump. It was amazing how quiet the pump was after the fitting. How to fit suggestions can be found on the internet. The Shurflo pump in my 2012 Savannah used to pulse, and was very noisy, i tried adjusting it but it was no better, in the end I bought a Shurflo expansion tank (more expensive,but no better than a Fiamma one) and fitted it, this cured the problem straight away.My present PVC Autotrail has a Shurflo pump also, but does not suffer the same problem.....shorter pipe runs ?? Who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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