1995 Travelmaster 280XS - Water Pump & Tank Filter

[DanteMc]

I have two questions:

1) Does anyone know where I can find the water pump on this RV?  The manual talks about the water pump but does not identify where it is located.  The valve to keep the fresh tank from filling when connected to utility water is not working.  I want to add a manual cutoff valve to keep this from happening.

2) Someone told me the black holding tank has vent tube with a filter to help cut down on the smell from the poop.  I have looked and I do not see a vent let alone a filter.  I did not see anything when reading through my manuals.

Thanks!

 

[Roy M]

The pump should be mounted on the floor close to the tank.

 

[Lou Schneider]

I've never heard of a fume filter for a black tank.  But it will have a vent pipe so the air in the tank that's displaced by the contents of the toilet has somewhere to go besides burping back up the toilet.  It runs up to the roof either through an interior wall or possibly inside a closet.

Look on the roof for a 1 1/2" vent pipe.  It will probably be covered by a plastic T cover, and there should be two of them.  One is for the black tank, the other for the grey tank.

Make sure the cover hasn't compressed down so it's blocking the airflow out of the vent pipe.  Or that debris has plugged the vent pipe.

The water pump should be fairly close to the fresh water tank - this tank is mounted above the floor, either hidden in a cabinet or underneath something like the bed or a sofa.  It will be immediately adjacent to the gravity fill port on the outside of the RV.

There isn't an external valve to keep city water from filling the fresh water tank - the pump has diaphragm valves in each of it's pumping cylinders that's supposed to do this.

There may be a manual shutoff valve that bypasses pressurized water from the output side of the pump to the inlet.  This is so you can turn it on and let pressurized city water bypass the pump and fill the tank.  If this valve is left open or is not sealing closed properly city water will fill the tank.

 

[grashley]

Both the black and gray tanks should have vent pipes out the roof.  Other odor traps are new to me!

The fresh water may well have a valve to divert flow to fill the fresh tank.  If it is leaking, replacements are available.  Other options are to replace the valve with a straight hose fitting, and adding a female hose fitting to the tank fill - with a shut off!

In most campers, water can come from the fresh water pump, to the pump to a TEE  or from the shore water hose to this same TEE  which then feeds the camper.  Follow the water line to the tee, then back to the water pump.

One other approach is to turn the pump ON and follow your ears to the pump.

 

[Rene T]

To find the pump, shut off the shore power water supply, then open a faucet to bleed off the pressure. Then turn the pump on and listen for it running. Then just follow the sound. It won't hurt to run the pump while it's dry.

 

[DanteMc]

All,

Thank you for the feedback.  The valve in the existing pump is not working and allows utility water to fill up my clean tank.  I really do not use the RV water except to wash hands, flush toilets and rinse/wash stuff.  We bring our own drinking water.  When we camp and the tank fills, I have to go around and open the drain valves before I get on the road to shed the extra weight.  I want to add a manual valve going between the clean tank and the pump to keep water from back filling.

The water pump should be fairly close to the fresh water tank - this tank is mounted above the floor, either hidden in a cabinet or underneath something like the bed or a sofa.  It will be immediately adjacent to the gravity fill port on the outside of the RV.

Thanks.  This makes sense!  Before I started to use the leveling jacks, there were times where the drivers side of the bedroom would get water that would pool up next to the bed.  There is probably a leak in there somewhere.

To find the pump, shut off the shore power water supply, then open a faucet to bleed off the pressure. Then turn the pump on and listen for it running. Then just follow the sound. It won't hurt to run the pump while it's dry.

Good suggestion.  I did not think about that!  Thanks!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It's perfectly OK to add a check valve in the hose between the pump and the tank.  You don't need a manual valve, though that's ok as well. However, a check valve is automatic, so nothing to forget to open or close.

The water line to the pump is probably 3/8" or 1/2" tubing.  Check valves in those sizes should be available wherever plumbing supplies are sold - it's a common and standard plumbing item. You will want a check valve designed to mate easily to the type of tubing or pipe you have.  You probably have polybutylene tubing in that vintage of RV, but check before you go shopping.

 

[grashley]

It's perfectly OK to add a check valve in the hose between the pump and the tank.  You don't need a manual valve, though that's ok as well. However, a check valve is automatic, so nothing to forget to open or close.

The water line to the pump is probably 3/8" or 1/2" tubing.  Check valves in those sizes should be available wherever plumbing supplies are sold - it's a common and standard plumbing item. You will want a check valve designed to mate easily to the type of tubing or pipe you have.  You probably have polybutylene tubing in that vintage of RV, but check before you go shopping.

There is a check valve on the pump output to prevent this.  Clearly, it has failed.  Gary has provided the easy and permanent fix.