Hi, I just purchased a 96 Thor signature series ltd 27' 5th wheel. And the previous Owner did not winterize. Which I knew but got a good deal. So far I have found a cracked hot water heater and a few cracked valves. But there is a cross connection just before pump. The top part of this cross is gone. Some type of check maybe? There are also some parts just laying there I will take pics of.
Water line issue
- Thread starter Jschlaf
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Alfa38User
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It sounds like you are in for a new tank!!
I am not sure what you mean by a "cross connection" but if you mean a pipe that goes from the input (cold) side of the water tank to the output (hot), then that is part of the tank bypass system used for winterizing. It usually has a valve in it that allows water to flow around the tank when open, or forces water through the tank when closed. The tank itself can have one way (check) valves screwed directly into both the tank inlet (bottom) and outlet (top). The goal is to avoid filling the water tank with 6 to 10 gallons of RV antifreeze when winterizing the fresh water system. It is not necessary to use antifreeze in the tank if it has been drained (and flushed out) using the drain plug located at the front (ie from the outside!) and on the lower end. (The drain plug is either a very large 1 1/16" bolt-like plug with an anode attached on a Suburban brand tank, or smaller nylon plug on the Atwood brand tank (Atwood tanks do NOT use anodes!!).
If this pipe and valve are missing, that is likely the reason the PO did not winterize or did so improperly.
(Winterizing valve systems can consist of one, two, or three valves. See the library for more info on this subject.)
I am not sure what you mean by a "cross connection" but if you mean a pipe that goes from the input (cold) side of the water tank to the output (hot), then that is part of the tank bypass system used for winterizing. It usually has a valve in it that allows water to flow around the tank when open, or forces water through the tank when closed. The tank itself can have one way (check) valves screwed directly into both the tank inlet (bottom) and outlet (top). The goal is to avoid filling the water tank with 6 to 10 gallons of RV antifreeze when winterizing the fresh water system. It is not necessary to use antifreeze in the tank if it has been drained (and flushed out) using the drain plug located at the front (ie from the outside!) and on the lower end. (The drain plug is either a very large 1 1/16" bolt-like plug with an anode attached on a Suburban brand tank, or smaller nylon plug on the Atwood brand tank (Atwood tanks do NOT use anodes!!).
If this pipe and valve are missing, that is likely the reason the PO did not winterize or did so improperly.
(Winterizing valve systems can consist of one, two, or three valves. See the library for more info on this subject.)
Rene T
Site Team
Jschlaf said:
Take the tank to a welder and see if it can be repaired. If it's an Suburban, that should work fine but is it's a Atwood, it may not last too long. The Atwood does not use a anode attached to the drain plug like the Suburban. The anode is a sacrificial hunk of metal for use of better words. The chemicals in the water attack this anode and not the inside of a unlined tank. The Atwood doesn't use one because the inside of the tank is lined. So if you weld a Atwood tank, that area will not be protected. You may get 3 or four years out of it. If it was me, it would be worth it.
