2006 Winnebago Sightseer 34A

[fastwhls]

Hi everyone, have an issue with my fresh water tank. I fill it with city water to full when I see water dripping from over flow line and the panel shows full. Problem is when I start driving to my next destination seems like I loose lot of my water as I'm driving.... I did not see any valves for over flow line... We just purchased the rv last month...... Just want to know if anyone has as answer for this new bee... Thanks a lot for any hint or suggestions.

[RTegarini]

Originally Posted by fastwhls

Hi everyone, have an issue with my fresh water tank. I fill it with city water to full when I see water dripping from over flow line and the panel shows full. Problem is when I start driving to my next destination seems like I loose lot of my water as I'm driving.... I did not see any valves for over flow line... We just purchased the rv last month...... Just want to know if anyone has as answer for this new bee... Thanks a lot for any hint or suggestions.

My father-in-law has a 2006 Sightseer and I have a 2005-equivalent Itsaca. Neither one of us has a problem with water draining out, per se, but I can tell you that when I fill the tank, the tank will fill past the 'full' part of the tank and the over-flow will drip water for quite some time. But I only think it's because the tank overflow is a little lower than a 'full' tank. Throw in the curvature of the road when parked at a curb or sloshing around when driving and yes, I do loose a little water but I really think it's primarily because I can fill the tank so 'full' compared to the overflow drain.

On my model, I can see the tank water level from an outside storage door and the real loss of water is minimal.

I have heard that water can drain out and then cause a vacuum, where the water continues to drain out but I've never actually seen it. -RT

[fastwhls]

Originally Posted by RTegarini

My father-in-law has a 2006 Sightseer and I have a 2005-equivalent Itsaca. Neither one of us has a problem with water draining out, per se, but I can tell you that when I fill the tank, the tank will fill past the 'full' part of the tank and the over-flow will drip water for quite some time. But I only think it's because the tank overflow is a little lower than a 'full' tank. Throw in the curvature of the road when parked at a curb or sloshing around when driving and yes, I do loose a little water but I really think it's primarily because I can fill the tank so 'full' compared to the overflow drain.

On my model, I can see the tank water level from an outside storage door and the real loss of water is minimal.

I have heard that water can drain out and then cause a vacuum, where the water continues to drain out but I've never actually seen it. -RT

Hi RT, thank you very much for your respond. That's what I thought. I'm able to see water line from side and level is high and full. Water level was 1/3 and I filled it up before driving and after driving 35 miles it showed I have only 1/3. I have a feeling the sensors are not placed correct and don't show correct level. When I was filling up it took a while to pass from 1/3 and all of a sudden it start showing 2/3 and Full very quick. In the picture you can see the first sensor is very high on tank. We have been dry campaign since yesterday and been using the fresh water and still shows 1/3. That's the only conclusion I could come to.

[MurphyMan]

Originally Posted by fastwhls

Hi everyone, have an issue with my fresh water tank. I fill it with city water to full when I see water dripping from over flow line and the panel shows full. Problem is when I start driving to my next destination seems like I loose lot of my water as I'm driving.... I did not see any valves for over flow line... We just purchased the rv last month...... Just want to know if anyone has as answer for this new bee... Thanks a lot for any hint or suggestions.

Our 2006 Winnebago Outlook does exactly the same thing. We have a filler door on the passenger side at the rear of the coach. Tried all sorts of things, I finally just went and bought a $0.95 sink stopper which I place between the outlet of the port and the door and that seems to do as good as anything else I could have come up with.

[Mudfrog]

Originally Posted by fastwhls

Hi RT, thank you very much for your respond. That's what I thought. I'm able to see water line from side and level is high and full. Water level was 1/3 and I filled it up before driving and after driving 35 miles it showed I have only 1/3. I have a feeling the sensors are not placed correct and don't show correct level. When I was filling up it took a while to pass from 1/3 and all of a sudden it start showing 2/3 and Full very quick. Attachment 156973 In the picture you can see the first sensor is very high on tank. We have been dry campaign since yesterday and been using the fresh water and still shows 1/3. That's the only conclusion I could come to.

Those sensors sure don't look like they're placed in the right spots. The top and middle are way too close together. It's no wonder the level indicates a change so quickly.

[RTegarini]

Originally Posted by fastwhls

Hi RT, thank you very much for your respond. That's what I thought. I'm able to see water line from side and level is high and full. Water level was 1/3 and I filled it up before driving and after driving 35 miles it showed I have only 1/3. I have a feeling the sensors are not placed correct and don't show correct level. When I was filling up it took a while to pass from 1/3 and all of a sudden it start showing 2/3 and Full very quick. Attachment 156973 In the picture you can see the first sensor is very high on tank. We have been dry campaign since yesterday and been using the fresh water and still shows 1/3. That's the only conclusion I could come to.

Based on your photo, I can say mine are set in entirely different positions, more consistent with 1/3, 2/3 and full. You should re-position them for more accurate readings. Mine run top to bottom, down the center of the tank, essentially where your second sensor is. -RT

[Yellowboat]

In my 2006 Sightseer 29R water would come out the gravity fill port. I don"t remember losing too much water.

[JPeterson]

Twice, my 2007 Sightseer overflow has pulled a vacuum and has almost drained the tank. The vacuum is strong enough to collapse the plastic tank.

[RTegarini]

I couldn't figure out a way to attach a photo from my computer in a PM, so here's how my sensors are lined up. Originally, the last one was at the bottom was where my blue line ends, but I moved it up some to give me a little more warning that I was getting low. -RT

[4x4van]

Originally Posted by fastwhls

Hi RT, thank you very much for your respond. That's what I thought. I'm able to see water line from side and level is high and full. Water level was 1/3 and I filled it up before driving and after driving 35 miles it showed I have only 1/3. I have a feeling the sensors are not placed correct and don't show correct level. When I was filling up it took a while to pass from 1/3 and all of a sudden it start showing 2/3 and Full very quick. Attachment 156973 In the picture you can see the first sensor is very high on tank. We have been dry campaign since yesterday and been using the fresh water and still shows 1/3. That's the only conclusion I could come to.

Depending on the actual shape of the tank, the sensors COULD be positioned correctly. My tank "looks" fairly even and straightforward when viewed from the open compartment door, but behind the main visible part is a large section that is only from the top to about 8" down. In other words, there is just as much volume in the first 8" of height as there is in the next 24". With the cutouts in your tank, the top will have more volume (per inch of height) than the bottom, and that doesn't consider what may be lurking behind it (out of sight). Just a thought, although that second sensor DOES look too close to the first (top) one.

What I would do is fill your tank, then drain it using a 2 gallon bucket. At each bucket full (or 2) drained, put a mark on the side of the tank. Then you can accurately judge your actual remaining water. That will also allow you to perfectly re-position your sensors.

[fastwhls]

Originally Posted by RTegarini

I couldn't figure out a way to attach a photo from my computer in a PM, so here's how my sensors are lined up. Originally, the last one was at the bottom was where my blue line ends, but I moved it up some to give me a little more warning that I was getting low. -RT

Thank you so much for marking up the picture. That gives me better idea where they support to be. And it's a,good idea to move the lowest one a bit higher to get an earlier warning. Does your tank shape is the same as mine.... ?

[fastwhls]

Originally Posted by 4x4van

Depending on the actual shape of the tank, the sensors COULD be positioned correctly. My tank "looks" fairly even and straightforward when viewed from the open compartment door, but behind the main visible part is a large section that is only from the top to about 8" down. In other words, there is just as much volume in the first 8" of height as there is in the next 24". With the cutouts in your tank, the top will have more volume (per inch of height) than the bottom, and that doesn't consider what may be lurking behind it (out of sight). Just a thought, although that second sensor DOES look too close to the first (top) one.

What I would do is fill your tank, then drain it using a 2 gallon bucket. At each bucket full (or 2) drained, put a mark on the side of the tank. Then you can accurately judge your actual remaining water. That will also allow you to perfectly re-position your sensors.

Hi 4x4van, thanks for you respond... I tried to see if I can find a picture online to see the shape of the tank. But when I was filling it up it went from 2/3 to full very fast.

[4x4van]

Just as I suspected; your tank has a shallower section that goes all the way across to the other side of the RV. Here's a link to your plumbing diagrams: http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/...d34a_plumb.pdf

Look on page 4, and zoom in. The top 1/3 of your tank actually goes the full width of the RV all the way to the gravity fill neck, while the bottom 2/3 is only along the side visible in your pic. It's also on page 7, View E (looking straight up).

That means that when it "looks" like you still have 2/3 left, you really only have 1/3, at most. The lower sensor looks like it is positioned exactly where it needs to be, although the middle one looks to be high.

As for losing water while driving, with the full width of the tank, any turns that would force water to the passenger side would indeed force water out of the vent hose (I believe it is the long straight line from the top down through the floor in your pic) for quite a good amount of water, simply because of the width of the tank. You could add a valve to that vent line and close it while traveling, BUT you would have to remember to open it both to fill (or you could burst the tank) and to use while camped.

[RTegarini]

Originally Posted by fastwhls

Thank you so much for marking up the picture. That gives me better idea where they support to be. And it's a,good idea to move the lowest one a bit higher to get an earlier warning. Does your tank shape is the same as mine.... ?

My model is a 2005 34A, which is listed with a 70 gallon capacity. Not sure if that includes the 6 gallons for the water heater. Mine does match the original photo in this thread, which is the one I used to show my sensor locations with the blue lines. Out of the zillion pictures I have in my motorhome photo file, I guess I've never taken a picture of the water tank, which I should have, since I once replaced the water pump. -RT

[fastwhls]

Originally Posted by RTegarini

My model is a 2005 34A, which is listed with a 70 gallon capacity. Not sure if that includes the 6 gallons for the water heater. Mine does match the original photo in this thread, which is the one I used to show my sensor locations with the blue lines. Out of the zillion pictures I have in my motorhome photo file, I guess I've never taken a picture of the water tank, which I should have, since I once replaced the water pump. -RT

I checked and my tank has 60 gallon capacity. I tried to look for a replacement tank online just see the shape of the tank. 4x4van sent me links to 7 plumbing drawing showing top portion of tank goes across to the other side. Can you snap a picture and email it to me..?
[email protected]

Thank you so much.

[fastwhls]

Originally Posted by 4x4van

Depending on the actual shape of the tank, the sensors COULD be positioned correctly. My tank "looks" fairly even and straightforward when viewed from the open compartment door, but behind the main visible part is a large section that is only from the top to about 8" down. In other words, there is just as much volume in the first 8" of height as there is in the next 24". With the cutouts in your tank, the top will have more volume (per inch of height) than the bottom, and that doesn't consider what may be lurking behind it (out of sight). Just a thought, although that second sensor DOES look too close to the first (top) one.

What I would do is fill your tank, then drain it using a 2 gallon bucket. At each bucket full (or 2) drained, put a mark on the side of the tank. Then you can accurately judge your actual remaining water. That will also allow you to perfectly re-position your sensors.

Thank you sooooo much for taking time and getting the 7 diagrams and thanks for suggestions.