smokie joe Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 I have just bought an Auto Trail Tracker EKS, when I fill up with fresh water at home all the lights come on (over the door) to say its full but when I get to a camp site they only register half full and after 2 days reads empty and the alarm comes on. Is there something I am not doing or anyone know why I appear to loose water on the journey. It would seam to come out of the overflow pipe en-route, should this pipe be bunged? or do I have a problem I don't know about. Thanks in advance for any information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Hi smokie joe, have you got a little knob beside your water level indicators to adjust the reading to correspond to the true level in the tank? There have been a few complaints about Autotrail water levels, I used to have a Cherokee 'L', but I can't remember what the water level indicators were like. Sooner or later some one with your model will come up with the answer. Welcome to the Forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokie joe Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 I only got the van last month, I filled it up until I could get no more water in, the control panel above the door shows a series of lights going from yellow to green, (it was so full the water was comming back at me via the overflow pipe under the van). When I got to the campsite 70 miles away checked the water as I turned the pump on and it showed yellow, 2 days later it turned red and the alarm went off, indicating No Water. So 2 days ago I did the same filled up with water (at home) drove for 50 miles to a site and the same thing when I got there the lights turned to yellow, this indicated, to me, that I must be loosing water on the journey, but I don't know how unless its via the overflow pipe, and I wondered if there should be a bung in end of the overflow pipe that I didn't get with the van. As I don't use the shower in the van I cannot see how I am running out of water so quickly, by the way the waste tank was almost empty when I came to empty it so the water must be going somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Hi Angela, and welcome to the madhouse that we call the forum! This is s common problem with almost all vans and there are a couple issues you could consider. Firstly leave the van standing full of water for a day and see of it leaks from anywhere. Often the tank's internal pick up pipe does not reach far enough into the tank and can easily be extended but as the Tracker fresh tank is slung between the floor and the waste tank it would be a bit of a pain to take out and check. The Tracker tank is very shallow and wide so parking on any kind of slope may well lead to a loss of water pick up when there is still quite a bit left in the tank. We had a similar water loss problem with our Tracker and I extended the overflow pipe and ran it tight against the underside of the floor to the opposite side of the van. It does seem a bit better. The main use of the overflow pipe is to let air into the tank as the water level drops rather than as an overflow per se because, unless you use a sealed filler - in which case the overflow does what it says, the fresh water will always spill back out through the filler when the tank is full - and that's how I tell when my tank is full - although I always like to see water coming out of the overflow as well just to prove it isn't air locked. You can't trust any tank contents gauge and mine is just as unpredictable. I know from experience that a full tank will last me just over three days including travel so we just fill up every third day and totally ignore the tank contents gauge - it might just as well not be there for all the use it is! Call it a feature of the van if you like but at least the tank holds a nominal 100 litres which gives you a good head start on those that only carry half or even less than that. Try filling the tank at home and topping it up on arrival at a site and you will see what you have lost en route and you will also discover your actual usage which I would guess to be very roughly about 25 to 30 litres a day? Is your van the current Fiat or the previous model as there are other issues with the latest X250 base van? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usinmyknaus Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Hello Smokie Joe I expect it is pouring out of the overflow pipe as you drive. My van's tank is nominally 100L but that's only true on level ground. I only ever fill it to 60% if I am moving the van, otherwise it's just wasted. When setting off I fill to 60% and top up on arrival. In the Alps last year I could only fill to 40% before water came out of the overflow. I've resisted the temptation to bung the overflow on the basis that it might just make a mess of the van's interior by coming out the inspection cap under the lounge seat, presumably the designers knew what they were doing! To avoid having to move the van on site or if I am up somewhere without sufficient access to get the van to the tap, I carry a 15L collapsible water bottle for topping up and this system has served me well in my first year of touring. I also fill the bottle if I am setting off into hilly country so that I have a stand by supply. One other point, your water boiler may have an auto drain facility which operates as the air temperature approaches 3 degrees or so and that can dump your water when you least expect it. Suggest you check your manual for guidance - the valve can be over-ridden but you have to be careful. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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