I would really like to have a mistake-free day…..

[Rich W.]

It’s my goal every morning. But today was not one of those. Between setting myself up for failure with one of my bright ideas (a shut off valve on my fresh tank over-flow) and a simple oversight this morning while disconnecting (not closing my tank fill valve), I managed to do some major damage to my tank system this afternoon. I either ruptured the fresh tank or maybe (hopefully) just blew a line off, but as the water tank blew up like a giant water balloon, before it self-vented somewhere, it bent support members and displaced the grey and black tanks enough to move my dump outlet about an inch back so it no longer lines up with the port in the bottom of the wet bay.

Fortunately the waste tanks are still intact, hold their contents, and can still be dumped. I know this sounds crazy and impossible, but I modified things so that I could cause myself this problem. I just never thought I would. But today I did. Anyway I guess this is supposed to be cathartic but Im not sure it's helping. As the DW says, there’s no body damage, no one got hurt, and it’s just another project I didn’t need, so things could be worse. But I feel pretty crapy about it right now and thought maybe confessing my sins would help. So far it hasn’t.

 

[Deer Springs RV Park]

Holy cr*p! So I'm not the only one that does this kind of stuff?

I've worked for hours, days sometimes, just to find I've created an expensive boondoggle that has not promising ending. Sucks, but so goes life I guess.

 

[TheLooks]

Its called being Tim the Toolman. I have been accused many times by the DW. But oh they love it when it works.

 

[AbdRahim]

Take heart my friend. Tomorrow is another day. I just wrote a five figure check for a boo-boo. Yes, it hurt twice! I guess humans will be humans.

I have heard it said that the only person that does not make mistakes is the person not doing anything.

 

[Rich W.]

Take heart my friend. Tomorrow is another day. I just wrote a five figure check for a boo-boo. Yes, it hurt twice! I guess humans will be humans.

I have heard it said that the only person that does not make mistakes is the person not doing anything.

well there is that. The theory was that since the center of the tank sags, you never set off with a full tank because it ejects whatever volume is necessary to reach a sort of equal librium out of the over flow. That and you always lose water through the over flow going around turns.

So I capped it with a gate valve. Someone mentioned that if he did that, he’d forget and do all kinds of damage, but I was certain at the time that because I did the mod, I could and would manage it well. And I did until today. I’ll probably have to pull the tank to repair it properly. Oh well.

 

[J&JD]

well there is that. The theory was that since the center of the tank sags, you never set off with a full tank because it ejects whatever volume is necessary to reach a sort of equal librium out of the over flow. That and you always lose water through the over flow going around turns.

So I capped it with a gate valve. Someone mentioned that if he did that, he’d forget and do all kinds of damage, but I was certain at the time that because I did the mod, I could and would manage it well. And I did until today. I’ll probably have to pull the tank to repair it properly. Oh well.

I would bet that it’s a connection and not the tank, hopefully. And all the connections are somewhat accessible. Keep us filled in (no pun intended).

 

[RKins]

Sorry to hear this happened. Maybe an update to the pre-departure checklist is due?

 

[Rich W.]

Probably just pull the valve and put it back the way it was. Then it can’t happen. I’m not boondocking with this thing enough to need a full 100 gallons of water anyway.

 

[Rich W.]

Well it could be worse. I opened things up this morning, surveyed fhe damage, and its nothing I can’t fix. I’ll have over a week at my stop in NH - be there in a couple days, and I have resoruces there - garage to work in, metal working stuff, local shops to do stuff as necessary.

And the good news is that nothing is permently damaged. The tank over-flow hose just came off the connection to my valve. Wish it had done so a bit sooner.

But the water tank did swell up like a giant, very strong, water balloon and bent some pretty stout angle iron. So I have some work to do, but I have the time, know how, and a place to do it. As the DW said “just another project I didn’t need”.

 

[Jireh Financial]

It’s my goal every morning. But today was not one of those. Between setting myself up for failure with one of my bright ideas (a shut off valve on my fresh tank over-flow) and a simple oversight this morning while disconnecting (not closing my tank fill valve), I managed to do some major damage to my tank system this afternoon. I either ruptured the fresh tank or maybe (hopefully) just blew a line off, but as the water tank blew up like a giant water balloon, before it self-vented somewhere, it bent support members and displaced the grey and black tanks enough to move my dump outlet about an inch back so it no longer lines up with the port in the bottom of the wet bay.

Fortunately the waste tanks are still intact, hold their contents, and can still be dumped. I know this sounds crazy and impossible, but I modified things so that I could cause myself this problem. I just never thought I would. But today I did. Anyway I guess this is supposed to be cathartic but Im not sure it's helping. As the DW says, there’s no body damage, no one got hurt, and it’s just another project I didn’t need, so things could be worse. But I feel pretty crapy about it right now and thought maybe confessing my sins would help. So far it hasn’t.

I give you credit for making an open admission. Takes humility to talk honestly about mistakes and things that do not "work out as planned".
Hope the repair goes smooth.
Ken

 

[AbdRahim]

Probably just pull the valve and put it back the way it was. Then it can’t happen. I’m not boondocking with this thing enough to need a full 100 gallons of water anyway.

How much water were you loosing? I have not perceived any water loss over hundreds of miles of travel. If it is siphoning out, you could just try putting a loop in the overflow tube.

 

[Rich W.]

Not enough to make this worth it. And when it rains, it pours. This afternoon in a KOA zoo, my awning decided to self-dissassemble. Don’t know why, but given my other issues I just took it in stride, applied some zip ties and zip screws and decided it will be someone else’s problem when this trip is over. Par for the course at this point. Good thing I carry tools and supplies.

How much water were you loosing? I have not perceived any water loss over hundreds of miles of travel. If it is siphoning out, you could just try putting a loop in the overflow tube.

To answer the question though, the center of the tank sags considerably which caused it to push out about 1/5 of the tank‘s capacity. So I never had a full tank until I “fixed it”. And then of course there’s the water you lose going around turns etc.

Anyway, certainly not worth the trouble I caused myself. But…oh well. I’ll pull the fresh tank in a couple days, fix fhe damage, put it all back together, breath in, breath out, and move on.

 

[Neemer]

Chin up, Rich. Stuff happens. To all of us.

 

[Rich W.]

Chin up, Rich. Stuff happens. To all of us.

Yeah things are fine. The awning coming apart actually seemed humerous at this point. We are in a KOA (Williamsport South/Nittany Mountain in central Pennsylvania) and its an absolute zoo, completely packed for the 4th weekend, but fortunately we got an excellent pull-thru spot (last minute cancelation) pointed away from it all over looking fields on the edge of the park.Watching the fire flys - things could be worse…

 

[John&Andrea]

It’s my goal every morning. But today was not one of those. Between setting myself up for failure with one of my bright ideas (a shut off valve on my fresh tank over-flow) and a simple oversight this morning while disconnecting (not closing my tank fill valve), I managed to do some major damage to my tank system this afternoon. I either ruptured the fresh tank or maybe (hopefully) just blew a line off, but as the water tank blew up like a giant water balloon, before it self-vented somewhere, it bent support members and displaced the grey and black tanks enough to move my dump outlet about an inch back so it no longer lines up with the port in the bottom of the wet bay.

Fortunately the waste tanks are still intact, hold their contents, and can still be dumped. I know this sounds crazy and impossible, but I modified things so that I could cause myself this problem. I just never thought I would. But today I did. Anyway I guess this is supposed to be cathartic but Im not sure it's helping. As the DW says, there’s no body damage, no one got hurt, and it’s just another project I didn’t need, so things could be worse. But I feel pretty crapy about it right now and thought maybe confessing my sins would help. So far it hasn’t.

It’s my goal every morning. But today was not one of those. Between setting myself up for failure with one of my bright ideas (a shut off valve on my fresh tank over-flow) and a simple oversight this morning while disconnecting (not closing my tank fill valve), I managed to do some major damage to my tank system this afternoon. I either ruptured the fresh tank or maybe (hopefully) just blew a line off, but as the water tank blew up like a giant water balloon, before it self-vented somewhere, it bent support members and displaced the grey and black tanks enough to move my dump outlet about an inch back so it no longer lines up with the port in the bottom of the wet bay.

Fortunately the waste tanks are still intact, hold their contents, and can still be dumped. I know this sounds crazy and impossible, but I modified things so that I could cause myself this problem. I just never thought I would. But today I did. Anyway I guess this is supposed to be cathartic but Im not sure it's helping. As the DW says, there’s no body damage, no one got hurt, and it’s just another project I didn’t need, so things could be worse. But I feel pretty crapy about it right now and thought maybe confessing my sins would help. So far it hasn’t.

Hang in there. Many of us have been there.