2006 Roadtrek Popular 210 Freshwater Leak/Drip

[badrandy]

Hi, your help its certainly appreciated! I have owned several motorhomes over 40 years, but just bought first Roadtrek, a 2006 Popular 210. We are departing for a trip to Alaska, Saturday July 7. Here is the issue. When I fill both lower (front) and upper (back) freshwater tanks, I get a significant, long lasting (several hours and it was still going) drip coming from the top of the lower tank. I can't tell exactly where drip is coming from, but it is wet around where the fill tube goes into the top of the lower tank (not easy to see). Last night, I drained both tanks and only filled the front. No drip. This morning, I filled the upper, and no drip. Then I turned on pump, pressurized system, and the drip returned. It has been dripping for about 30 minutes, even after I de-pressurized freshwater piping. Hopefully someone has seen this issue before.

[Doneworking]

Essentially, on that model RT you have two tanks. The smaller tank (which is filled from the back door cavity upper left side) can be isolated by a valve arrangement that you will find in the area with the water pump. It can, therefore, be used by itself for cold weather camping without danger of freezing because the tank is not exposed to the outside but rather is located under the right rear bed (that is true on my 2007 RT210 which is almost identical to a 2006). If you don't have the twin beds but have the electric couch option back there it may be a little different.

The valves I mentioned can be set to use only the above described tank or they can be set so that that tank gravity feeds with use from the larger tank which is filled in the driver's door post.

I expect you are experiencing a leak at the point where the upper tank (cold weather tank) feeds into the lower, larger tank. This should probably be controllable (but not fixed) by turning off the upper tank until about 3/4 of the lower tank has been used then opening up the upper tank to drain back into the lower tank. I suspect when the lower tank is full, it would leak more when the water backs up into the line to the upper tank.

If all of this sounds a little complex.....I think it is!! If you do not have the manual for your particular RT model, go to roadtrek.com, click support on the upper right corner of the home page and then click manuals. I just did that and no manual is shown for a 2006 210P so you might look at the 190 model for that year. OR, just select the 2007 year and you can get 210P specific information. Go figure? I don't know why they don't seem to show a 210 for 2006, probably just an omission.

IN ANY EVENT, the Roadtrek manuals are very detailed and you will find (2007 manual) very specific information about the tanks and valves discussed herein, along with some pictures of the valves. We bought our RT new eleven years ago and I still get confused by the arrangement.

Hope this helps because it is a pain in the rear to drop that big tank filled by the driver's seat. If I have guessed right about what is causing the leak turning off the upper tank until the lower is down to a 1/4 tank or so and then opening it will be a fix that will work indefinitely.

It makes no difference if the system is pressurized or not because the flow between the tanks is completely reliant on gravity only.

By the way, my valve to fill the tanks from a hooked up city hose hasn't worked for years so I just always fill both of them from the door post access points.

Paul

[badrandy]

Thanks for the reply and help Paul. I believe we got it figured out this afternoon. A guy who works for me, who is much thinner than me, was able to crawl completely under and see the issue was where the fill line comes into the top of the front/lower tank. He replaced the hose clamp around the fitting on the top of that tank and the leak stopped completely. Thanks again for your help!

[Doneworking]

Great! Now, while you are at it, you might think about bookmarking or downloading that 2007 manual. No one makes a manual as detailed as Roadtrek did back then. The company was started by a guy that was an engineer and it showed. Now, nope.

I carry a hardcopy of the manual with me in a 1/2 inch three ring binder. It has come into great assistance over the years, especially when out boondocking a few times.

Anyone that owns a Roadtrek needs to have a skinny friend!

Paul