Low cost water pump cigarette lighter or 110 v.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Dave never needed to winterize not even once . Guess I'll just keep pouring water into a too small tank . 20 gal . Had 35 in camper . I am spoiled I guess . Didn't think it was too complicated .Sorry . Pat

Pat: Not discouraging you. It just isn’t something that would be a big priority for us. As a said in an earlier post we have an external pump system if we are transferring a lot of water to the fresh tank. I will admit it is nifty the flexibility that the Oliver system gives you with just a single onboard pump. In the Escape I would be concerned with the space for these valves (even if 3-way diverters) and easy access to manipulate them.

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Some RVs fill the tank only through the city water connection. My motorhome is done this way and uses a diverter valve to manage the flow paths... but it only has one diverter valve, so it is not capable of using the RV's pump to fill the tank from an external container.

I noticed this on my neighbors motorhome I winterized on Friday. It requires a pressurized source to fill the fresh tank with a diverter valve. Has this ever been a problem or is the thought that the tank is really big and time between hookups is well within the capacity you are carrying under normal use?

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Perhaps because it is physically difficult to lift water jugs and pour it in?

True. That is why I was suggesting the “winterizing” tee directed outside the trailer and stuck in the container. I understand some would just like to transfer it to the fresh tank and may not like the container sitting there like the original picture Pat provided of the Oliver.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I noticed this on my neighbors motorhome I winterized on Friday. It requires a pressurized source to fill the fresh tank with a diverter valve. Has this ever been a problem or is the thought that the tank is really big and time between hookups is well within the capacity you are carrying under normal use?

The tank is big (a couple hundred litres). When I need to fill without a pressurized source, I use a 20-litre portable jug and a powered pump to transfer the water into the RV's tank. I use a 120 V AC pump, but it would be better to have a portable 12 V DC pump and an outlet for it near the inlet, or a plumbing arrangement like Oliver's which would enable use of the RV's pump.

When pressurized water is available this is great, but not having a gravity fill port is certainly a negative feature. In my motorhome's case, it is the result of mediocre design and a variant of the floor plan which places a slideout (which can't easily or reasonably contain a gravity fill port) over the water tank location where the other floor plans have their fill port. This also messes up the water tank overflow/vent.

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I understand some would just like to transfer it to the fresh tank and may not like the container sitting there like the original picture Pat provided of the Oliver.

Yes, especially if they are filling at a place where there is water available (but not piped right into the campsite), and preparing to travel with a filled tank to another location without water service.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

For that functionality, it would be a tidier and easier-to-follow installation if they used just two 3-way diverter valves - one at the pump suction and one at the pump discharge - instead of four separate valves.

....The Oliver setup also allows filling the tank from the City Water Inlet, and this requires opening both of the valves at the pump discharge, which is why they could not use a diverter valve in this location.

I'm not sure when they changed but Oliver was using 3-way diverter valves at some point. See photo. I agree this is much cleaner and accomplishes all functions (which from page 83 (pdf page 92) of their manual is "Normal" (drawing from tank), "Boondocking" (drawing from rear inlet to fill tank) and "Winterization" (drawing antifreeze from rear inlet into trailer plumbing). The ability to fill the fresh tank from the city water inlet becomes moot because you could simply connect to and use the fresh water fill inlet.

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

In an Escape, one could just leave the existing tank fill port alone, and not have any concerns with check valves even if adding the pumped filling or pumping for direct use from the Rear Inlet. According to the diagram, the Oliver Rear Inlet is never pressurized and is controlled by valves, so it does not need a check valve; the Rear Inlet is (as others have mentioned) functionally the same as a winterizing tee.

Agreed. So after studying this a bit closer it really is just a modified version of a winterizing tee on the pump suction that would extend to the exterior and would serve the same functionality as Oliver's rear inlet. The only other piece is another 3-way valve on the supply side of the pump choosing to pressurize the system for direct use or choosing to fill the fresh tank. So the only issue that remains is how to best tie in to the large corrugated tank fill line (not sure of it's rating but not specifically designed to be pressurized) or the fresh tank directly. Thoughts?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

So the only issue that remains is how to best tie in to the large corrugated tank fill line (not sure of it's rating but not specifically designed to be pressurized) or the fresh tank directly. Thoughts?

I think I would want to leave that alone, and fill through either the existing pump suction line or the tank drain (which could be replaced by a tee). I don't see any need for the fill line to enter the tank at the top - my motorhome fills through the pump suction line, which of course is at the bottom.