Fresh water capacities

[smit]

I'm working with Fleetwood and hope they can help me with this situation. This is the letter I sent them. Please read I am open to all suggestions on this matter.
I have recently purchased a Pioneer Spirit (Sept,2006) and have an issue with the fresh water tank that maybe you can be of help. The tank (40 gallon) is located under the couch in front part of the trailer with the intake and vent hoses running to the left side of the trailer. The problem is that the vent hose is located approximately 2 inches from the top of the tank on the side and the intake hose is approximately 2 inches from the top of the tank on the side. By design this allows me to only fill the tank with approximately 30 to 31 gallons of fresh water in a 40 gallon tank. Also the inlet for the intake is 11 inches above the floor, which is the same level as to top of the tank and the outlet for the vent hose is 10 inches from the floor, which is 1 inch below the top of the tank ( inlet and outlet meaning on the side of the trailer not the tank). Also if and when I travel with the tank filled, as far as it's design will allow, every time I turn right or drive to the right in a curve on the road I loose substantial amount of water out of the vent hose. Thus my 30 to 31 gallons of fresh water is further reduced.
All of this does not go well when you dry camp. Is there a way to at least put the vent hose on top of the tank and what will I need to accomplish this. Your help on this matter will be greatly appreciated, I like to dry camp and when I do every drop of water counts.

 

[Jim Godward]

Smit,

Do you have access tot he top of the tank and if so, how much clearance is there before you would contact something??  The overflow on my tank is on top and if you have room there are a couple of possibilities.

Let me know by private E-Mail and I can send you a picture of my installation.  It may not work for you but it may give you some ideas.

[email protected]

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Your situation may be extreme but the problem is not unusual. I've heard of  a few others where the actual capacity was 50-60% of the advertised value. The specs quote the rated max capacity of the tank itself rather than the  actual water capacity available in your installation. And sloppy/inconsistent manufacturing practices may lead to large differences among RVs of the same make & model.  It probably won't change until somebody with a lot of grit launches a class action suit alleging misrepresentation. Your case may be a gross difference enough to justify something like that. However, most manufacturers now have a footnote somewhere in their literature that says something like "actual capacity may vary".

You may be able to raise the outside end of the vent line enough to get back some capacity. It can (and probably should be) be higher than the tank itself.