2005 Starfire Freshwater Drain Plug

[BS20]

2005 Autocruise Starfire

 

Our recent private purchase of our 1st motorhome has so far been very good apart from draining the fresh water tank.

My intention is to get my arm into the tank and clean it out and letting the water out via the drain plug. I tried to remove the plug in the bottom of the tank by twisting , but it did not move, so is it a normal type of plug where I just need to pull it up as I did try to do this but did not want to put a lot of force on it in case the finger hold broke off.

So is it a twist or pull, and when I do manage to get it out should I use something like Vaseline to seal it when I replace it to keep it water tight ?

[Derek Uzzell]

For practical guidance on this you really need someone who owns (or has owned) an Autocruise motorhome that is a similar model and age as yours and knows what sort of drain-plug is fitted to the fresh-water tank.

 

Given the age of your motorhome, its fresh-water tank must have been emptied many times. Emptying normally involves having a drain-tap outside the tank or a drain-valve (or bung) within the tank and, in the latter case, the design of the valve/bung varies. (examples in attached photos).

 

If your Starfire has no drain-tap outside its tank, draining the tank must be via the drain outlet that’s inside the tank. Obviously you don’t want to break the ‘plug’, but without knowing what the thing looks like it’s not easy to say how it should be operated without potentially damaging it. Similarly with your ‘Vaseline’ suggestion - once the plug has been removed its design and operation should indicate whether lubrication would be useful or inadvisable. If the plug has rubber components, then a rubber lubricant would be preferable to Vaseline.

 

As you bought the Starfire privately, can you not contact its previous owner for afdvice on this issue?

[Rayjsj]

My 2005 Autocruise had an internal fresh water tank, a Starburst,

A picture is worth a thousand words and might help others to advise you.

They usually have an access hatch/cap to allow tank cleaning.

Providing you dont use excessive force you shouldnt damage it.

Perhaps it has never been removed before and is just very stiff.

[Derek Uzzell]

If the drain-plug in the fresh-water tank of BS20’s Starfire has never been removed since 2005, how has the tank been emptied during the last 14 years? Or is there another drain-point outside the tank?

[BS20]

I spoke to the previous owner who only owned the MH for 18 months and he said he was unable to remove the plug himself and relied on the amount drained out from the taps and some water always remained in the internal tank

Thanks to Derek and picture 4, it looked very similar to mine but without the chain attached so I set about pulling and twisting but it would not move. I checked underneath to check that no sealer had been applied, and then got a pair of pliers as the grip was slippery in the water in the tank and after a hard pull it came out.

It seems as if a previous owner had wrapped some type of tape around the plug to presumably stop a leak and the glue had been pressed outwards to the edges and made a very firm hold in the drain hole.

So now after a clean of the tank, the bung and the drain hole all is well, including no drips. So far.

 

[graham]

We owned a Starfire and the plug is a normal bath type plug fitted from the inside. The weight of the water helps to seal it. I was always able to pull it out but it was reluctant to move at the end of the season so could be interesting after a few years. It may be possible to drift it out from underneath and it won't be difficult to source a replacement. Good luck.

[BS20]

Graham, that makes sense as the existing bung is wrapped in tape to make a better seal so may not be original.

I will pull it out again tomorrow and try some old kitchen plugs I have in the garage, and if they have a firm seating I will get a new one and try that out for a while. I can probably find a chain as well to fix to it.

[Derek Uzzell]

If the drain-plug (with chain) in my photo would fit, it’s used by several motorhome manufacturers and the ‘bung’ alone is available on-line (example advert here)

 

https://leisurelines.net/fresh-tank-drain-bung-swift-baileys-autocruise-5540-p.asp

 

Chain versions are higher priced.

 

http://tinyurl.com/y54ypewx

 

 

[myshell]

I have an Autocruise Pioneer Renoir and the drain tap for the fresh water tank is completely different, it's located on the floor LHS of the tank, could possibly be worth looking there for it.

 

 

 

 

[BS20]

Thanks Derek I will order a new one. I may in the long term fit a tap underneath. I have had a look like myshell suggested but it does not exist.

Thanks for the replies, no doubt I will have another question soon as we get to use our Starfire on more trips.

[myshell]

I tried to attach a photo of my drain plug for you but it's size was over the 100 Kb allowance, I have managed to get it resized and will try again, sorry if it doesn't work this time nothing else I can do.

[Derek Uzzell]

I’ve rotated your photo (as shown below).

 

I assume your Pioneer Renoir’s fresh-water tank is the black thing on the right, with a blue hose attached to a ‘stub’ on the tank and the hose then leading to a right-angle bend to which the grey 3/4” BSP drain-tap is fixed, with the tap’s outlet then sticking through the ‘stone effect’ floor. A far from pretty arrangement, but effective.

 

I can’t see adding an external drain-tap to BS20’s Starfire’s tank being worth the effort, as the tank won’t have a ‘stub’ like yours and, although a bolt-through hose-connector could (probably) be installed, this would need to be positioned some way above the tank’s floor, meaning that, although draining would be more convenient, it would be much less complete than using the ‘bung’.

[Harvey]

My 2006 Starblazer has the red plug with chain as Derek posted so your Starfire is probably the same. It is quite soft and 'squidgy' . I usually 'wriggle and pull' it to remove and do the same to replace as if just pushed in it can leak.

 

Harvey