Now you've reminded me of something. The breather pipes on Sterlings are contorted to say the least. Mine came from the tops of the tanks (normal) and looped down under the chassis and up to the filler box (the white lockable box that contains the fillers and mains inlet) Obviously the breather pipes will get water lying in them and cause negative pressure in the tanks when the pump is working. Not heaps but enough to fight the pump making it harder to draw water. I disconnected mine from the filler box, and using some garden irrigation pipe from the Big Green Shed, ran the breathers back to the rear of the van avoiding any dips that could hold water. At the back I ran them up a short distance behind a box I have sitting on the rear bumper. A minute hole in the breather at floor level prevents any water pooling there, but it isn't enough to allow too much water to spill as I'm driving. Other end plugs will work just as well. Now the breathers are unobstructed, and the flow from the tanks is easy.
Paul, I apologize for not mentioning this earlier, and use my advancing years and mental ineptitude as my excuse. I'm happy to continue discussion on this topic, because it seems this is a design fault that thankfully, in my case at least, has been solved.
Regards Kevin
Now Kevin, that is a great idea. Better late than never bringing the info to my attention. I pic of what you have done would be appreciated.
What is it like when filling with a strong flow of water?
Aussie Paul.
KevinC said
10:11 PM Jan 30, 2015
I'll work on a photo, not real good at that sort of thing. Filling is easy, no gurgling or spitting back. The fault with the original breathers isn't the size, it's the fact that they are effectively blocked by water. I usually fill with an ordinary garden hose shoved about a foot into the fill tube.
-- Edited by KevinC on Friday 30th of January 2015 10:12:36 PM
aussie_paul said
10:16 PM Jan 30, 2015
KevinC wrote:
I'll work on a photo, not real good at that sort of thing. Filling is easy, no gurgling or spitting back. The fault with the original breathers isn't the size, it's the fact that they are effectively blocked by water. I usually fill with an ordinary garden hose shoved about a foot into the fill tube.
-- Edited by KevinC on Friday 30th of January 2015 10:12:36 PM
Ok, re the filling hose Kevin. Have a go at a pic, it is better than a thousand words...
Aussie Paul.
KevinC said
07:37 PM Feb 1, 2015
This plumbing stuff isn't rocket science and many folk may see my effort as a bit rough. But it works for me.
The original filler pipes looped down under the chassis and looked untidy. I cut them and used elbows to get a neat bend under the chassis. The breather pipes similarly looped under the chassis and were always holding water. This affected both the filling and pumping from the tanks. I cut them off. You can see the remaining bits hanging down. I left them this long in case I needed them in the future. Not likely to happen.
You can see the tank selector tap in the top right corner of the photo. I don't need it now so it stays in this position. There's a little green tap on each tank feeder line, and I make sure there's only one turned on at a time.
The tap for the front tank is just out of sight but looks the same as the others. This is an outback van and it's easy to reach underneath to change the taps.
Looking from the back of the van you can see the three new breather pipes, strung through the chassis to avoid any deep dips that might hold water. At the back they extend upwards so they are higher than the tanks. They are concealed behind our alloy box on the bumper but you could bring them up behind the spare wheel if you had one there. A few little drill holes allow air in rapidly but ensure that not too much water escapes when we're going up hills.
I've just noticed near the mudflap on the right you can just make out the tap for the grey water tank. This stays closed except when there's drainage available. The Jayco Sterling chassis is thought to only support three 82l tanks because the gaps between the chassis cross members are too small for any more. Don't believe it! There's just enough room in the space in front of the rear tank, but believe me, it's a mongrel of a job.
Now Kevin, that is a great idea. Better late than never bringing the info to my attention. I pic of what you have done would be appreciated.
What is it like when filling with a strong flow of water?
Aussie Paul.
I'll work on a photo, not real good at that sort of thing. Filling is easy, no gurgling or spitting back. The fault with the original breathers isn't the size, it's the fact that they are effectively blocked by water. I usually fill with an ordinary garden hose shoved about a foot into the fill tube.
-- Edited by KevinC on Friday 30th of January 2015 10:12:36 PM
Ok, re the filling hose Kevin. Have a go at a pic, it is better than a thousand words...
Aussie Paul.
This plumbing stuff isn't rocket science and many folk may see my effort as a bit rough. But it works for me.
The original filler pipes looped down under the chassis and looked untidy. I cut them and used elbows to get a neat bend under the chassis. The breather pipes similarly looped under the chassis and were always holding water. This affected both the filling and pumping from the tanks. I cut them off. You can see the remaining bits hanging down. I left them this long in case I needed them in the future. Not likely to happen.
You can see the tank selector tap in the top right corner of the photo. I don't need it now so it stays in this position. There's a little green tap on each tank feeder line, and I make sure there's only one turned on at a time.
The tap for the front tank is just out of sight but looks the same as the others. This is an outback van and it's easy to reach underneath to change the taps.
Looking from the back of the van you can see the three new breather pipes, strung through the chassis to avoid any deep dips that might hold water. At the back they extend upwards so they are higher than the tanks. They are concealed behind our alloy box on the bumper but you could bring them up behind the spare wheel if you had one there. A few little drill holes allow air in rapidly but ensure that not too much water escapes when we're going up hills.
I've just noticed near the mudflap on the right you can just make out the tap for the grey water tank. This stays closed except when there's drainage available. The Jayco Sterling chassis is thought to only support three 82l tanks because the gaps between the chassis cross members are too small for any more. Don't believe it! There's just enough room in the space in front of the rear tank, but believe me, it's a mongrel of a job.
Well done with the plumbing Kevin, and congrats on success with the pics.
I can follow all of that, thanks.
Aussie Paul.