Water Tank Vent PSA

[Nailhead]

I filled the water tank on my Alaskan yesterday so I could go scale it out for some axle weights. Unbeknownst to me, some critter had built a nest or cocoon or the like in the vent/overflow hose since last summer, and packed it completely off. Consequently, the only way I realized the tank was full was when I saw the front of the camper bulge out and heard some groaning and squeaking noises, which turned out to be the bulging tank pushing the interior tank bulkhead, step drawer, and dinette seat fronts 3/4-7/8" to the rear.

I'm in the process of undoing this mess right now (got all but 3/8-1/2" on the DS pulled back into place), but you can bet I will never again neglect to check that hose (who knew?), and I'm going to come up with some sort of fix for the open end of the vent hose and its accessibility to bugs.

Check your water tank vent for obstructions before filling!

 

[Herbie]

As chintzy as the ABS plastic tank fill setups used by most RVs (including my FWC Hawk) are, I like that at least they usually have a mesh screen over the vent line opening. On my previous rig (homebuilt GTRV-based Astro), I zip-tied a bit of mesh fabric over the end of the naked vent tube.

I thought I was paranoid, but maybe I wasn't!

 

[Nailhead]

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As chintzy as the ABS plastic tank fill setups used by most RVs (including my FWC Hawk) are, I like that at least they usually have a mesh screen over the vent line opening. On my previous rig (homebuilt GTRV-based Astro), I zip-tied a bit of mesh fabric over the end of the naked vent tube.

I thought I was paranoid, but maybe I wasn't!

Mine's not nearly so snazzy: it's just a 3/8 plastic hose exiting the front of the camper.