2004 Journey Fuel Fill Vent

rogo88 · 07-09-2016, 08:21 PM

I know that I have seen discussions on this subject, but my attempt to search for one failed. I entered the subject in the search box, but it just went to current posts.

Can anyone direct me to a discussion of the subject topic? Interested in any solution someone might have come up with. Tired of taking twenty minutes of readjusting nozzle angles, etc. while others wait for the pump.

Thanks,
Ron

Harry B · 07-09-2016, 10:46 PM

I had this problem on my 2005 Itasca Horizon. The solution to the problem was a new tank, that had the vent lines on top of the tank i stead of next to the filler necks. It filled like a champ afterwards, even used truck pumps.

GG1 · 07-10-2016, 06:37 AM

Freightliner advised me a few years ago that they would supply the parts needed to fix the problem for free but I would have to pay for the labor involved. The labor was still pricey I opted to deal with it the way it is. Some open the opposite side tank cap when filling but if you are not careful it will overflow on the other side. You may just have a flexible vent hose kinked or still tied up on top of the tank.

bsamole · 07-10-2016, 10:19 AM

Here is a link to a discussion on the topic:

Slow fuel fill solved in late model Freightliner chassis

I have dealt with this problem for the past 16 years and I can attest to the fact that it doesn't go away on its own. My work around is fill up daily or when the fuel gauge goes south of half and don't bother packing in the last 10 gals unless I am putting the unit in storage. Also I keep away from the big fuel nozzle at the truck island.

Petro · 07-10-2016, 10:47 AM

rogo88;

I believe you have received the correct info regarding your slow fill problem. The tank vents were installed on the sides and not the top. I purchased my 2005 Horizon in 2011 and the slow fill problem drove me nuts. A couple of years ago I complained to Freightliner & they reluctantly agreed to split the cost with me. If I remember correctly the estimate for total cost was around $2500.00. I made an appointment at their shop in Gaffney. They installed a new tank for me and now I am a happy camper.

Don

Jim_HiTek · 07-10-2016, 11:11 AM

I've been lucky I guess. My two Freightliners, single side fill, one under a Bounder, and one under a Winne, haven't been the easiest to fill but I learned to adjust.

What I do is fill with the nozzle pulled about three quarters of the way out of the fill tube. Allows lots of air to pass by and helps prevent blow back...which stops the fill prematurely. Yes, I do stand there with my hand on the nozzle, have a set of gloves right next to the door just for that purpose. There's still enough of the nozzle inside the fill tube so it'll hang there by itself. Sometimes I can use 1 or 2 clicks, other times I have to modulate it myself. Some nozzles are worse then others. Some will allow full insertion into the fill tube, and still fill at top speed. Others, like at the truck portion of a station, some nozzles are very large and don't fit well. And it takes forever nursing the fuel in in that situation so if I'm on the truck fill side, I'll usually check for fit before committing my card to the reader. Than drive over to the car side if necessary.

If I'm at at a station where I can tell it's platform leans a little too much, I sometimes use the jacks on the fill side and raise the rig up a few inches. That seems to help too.

Even in the worse conditions, ending up with a long drawn out fill, it seldom takes more than 10 minutes. It just feels like 30.

FIRE UP · 07-10-2016, 05:02 PM

Well Gang,
Yep, no doubt about it, some of these coaches, most with Freightliner chassis, in or around the '04 through the '06 or '07 eras, had/have difficulty in fueling. I've tried all the potential remedies. I've tilted the coach by getting out quickly and providing my own ramps to drive up on the filling side. I've looked at the fuel islands and seen maybe which way they leaned. I've also removed the opposite side fuel cap.

Well, yes I did spew fuel out the other side with that cap removed, big mistake!
As for the other remedies, well, they may or, may not work. I like my fuel right up to the fill spout when I'm done. That way I get max amount of driving between fuel ups and can pick and choose my next spot(s) with more flexibility.

But, that's a personal thing. As for slow filling, yep, for the last, anywhere from 10-12 gallons, it can be a pain, click, stop, click, stop, click, stop. In our methods of travel, fueling is done oh, about every other day or maybe ever three or four days. It all depends on our unplanned itinerary. I surely don't like the "click-stop" goofing around but, at this point in time and, for how long we've owned the coach, and not sure how long we will continue to own it, I guess I'll just have to put up with its temperament on fueling.

Scott

Petro · 07-10-2016, 06:04 PM

Scott;

At first I had the same thought as you have. But I use Pilot/Flying J often and when they changed their pump software to shut off the pump on the truck islands when the nozzle clicks off 3 or 4 time I had to do something. It started all of a sudden on my way to Myrtle Beach 3 years ago when the pump shut down. I went inside and complained and asked why they shut the pump down. They told me I must have a credit problem with my credit card. That happened to me twice more and I got upset. I have the Pilot/FlyingJ credit card. I called the company and asked what the problem was.

They checked my account and told me I did not have a credit problem with them which I already knew. I was upset enough with them that I told them I was going to cut up their credit cards and mail them to their CEO unless some body from the company called me to let me know what the problem. They told me they had changed their software on the truck islands to shut down after the nozzle clicked off a few times. They had too many spilled fuel problems on the truck lanes. The RV islands at the FlyingJs work fine and I try and use them when ever I can. Pilots seldom or never have RV islands.

Don

FIRE UP · 07-11-2016, 04:44 PM

Hey Don,
Well, I can surely see your attitude when something like that would happen. But, I'm not a big fan of Flying J or Pilot so, I probably won't run into that kind of issue. There's nothing wrong with those companies, it's just that in our travels, they're almost always crowded and really tough to get into and out of. So, I move on down the road to a more accessible fueling station, almost no matter who the company is.

If I knew that it was the improperly installed fuel vents that were the issue with mine, AND, we we know we're going to keep this rig for quite a while, I'd most likely run the fuel down to a really low level and, remove the tank myself and finish draining it completely. Then I'd purge the tank correctly in prep for welding. Then, I'd simply install the vents in the correct place. I've done that several times on Fire trucks we had with aluminum tanks.

They'd develop cracks and damage on many of them, due to our wonderful roads in and around San Diego. Our repair facility had good techs but, almost none of them knew how to weld, much less TIG weld aluminum. Anyway, I want to thank you for explaining why you did and do, for fueling your coach. Much appreciated.
Scott

rogo88 · 07-12-2016, 12:30 PM

I thank everyone for their posts on this subject. I was fervently hoping that someone had solved the problem..."two aspirin down the fill tube before starting filling operation, and all works perfectly". No such luck...the situation seems to be the same as always. I can't afford to have the tank replaced and lack the skills to remove, repair, and replace it myself, so I'll just continue as I have been. I like to fill to the brim to make mileage calculations a bit more accurate.

Thank you all for your time and responses.
Ron