WXL water overflow when filling

Can I call on the collective knowledge of fellow AS owners please. 

When I fill the fresh water in my WXL with a hose pipe, I only know that the tank is full when water overflows from the tank under the van.

On previous vans I have had (Benimar Mileo) I could tell that the tank was full when the water started to flow out of the filler hole.

Is the overflowing from the underslung tank the way it is supposed to be?  TIA.

A Warwick owner will confirm, but I imagine it is coming out the breather pipe on the inlet before it actually reaches the top of the filler...it should  be ok.

That is the way it works on our Duo.

Lots of posts on here, there is a breather on top of the tank, I am told that is where the water overflows from.

I usually know when my tank is full, it spurts water on my feet, if I am not taking care.

Don't take much notice of the internal water gauges, both fresh and waste as they can be way out.
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Richard

There has to be a hole (overflow) in the top of the tank or it would not fill completely.

Relax Mr Mainwaring , it's not unusual for water to cascade out as the tank reaches full. Ours does every time!

Dave

Same on our WXL

FrankL0 wrote:
On previous vans I have had (Benimar Mileo) I could tell that the tank was full when the water started to flow out of the filler hole.

On our 2017 AS Warwick Duo. I also fill until water overflows out of the filler hole.
I have seen the other replies so now I'm wondering if there is something wrong with my van (or probably I'm just not looking close enough as to where the water on the ground is coming from).

Ours also spills from the overflow under the van when it's full as did our previous Duo. 

Listening seems to provide the biggest clue as you can hear a change in the filling noise when it's done.

You could always use the Whale filler, if you have one, I find it works fine and stops getting your feet wet, still get water from overflow on tank.

Good point from Tinwheeler, you can hear when almost full, very handy I find on some French sites where their water pressure is overly high and water comes out faster than a Firemans hose.

Got my hard hat on again due to mentioning Whale filler
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Richard

Frank if you look at your water tank the handbrake rod goes through a drop in the tank so the tanks needs a vent on both sides .the corners of the tank have a white plug that has a small slot to vent the tank .I had to make sure I did not block these when I insulated my tank .it  also breaths up the filer pipe but this goes into the tank 3/4 up so will only vent here until you are 3/4 full .
Don do you fill up with a hose with no restrictor if so you will over flow out the filler but may not be filling the tank full to come out the vent holes as they are very small

glyne lock wrote:
Don do you fill up with a hose with no restrictor if so you will over flow out the filler but may not be filling the tank full to come out the vent holes as they are very small

I fill with hose on full power so I assume I overwhelm the vents and that way get blow back from the filler.
I now understand I need to use a slower water speed when the tank nears 100% and that way, I will see water coming out of the vents and not the filler. Thanks.

AutoSleepy_Don wrote:

glyne lock wrote:
Don do you fill up with a hose with no restrictor if so you will over flow out the filler but may not be filling the tank full to come out the vent holes as they are very small

I fill with hose on full power so I assume I overwhelm the vents and that way get blow back from the filler.
I now understand I need to use a slower water speed when the tank nears 100% and that way, I will see water coming out of the vents and not the filler. Thanks.

as you say when it starts to come out the filer slow up the tap next time and you should see the water over flow from the top of your tank.
its hard to fit a vent pipe to the top of the tank as I found out when fitting my extra tank

Same on my Stanway too.

Thanks David. But it’s rather unclear to me I’m afraid. 

Is it possible to show some pictures - or diagrams to help understanding?  TIA

Heanorboy wrote:To me it made no sense that when you fill the water tank when full it just comes out over the top of the tank so unless you are on your hands and knees to look you soak the road which got me a telling off by a warden on a cold frosty morning as I made the road a skating area
So recently I crawled under van and attached two pieces of garden hose to the breather ports these then simply pushed into about 6 inches to flexible waste pipe and this then ran to a short piece of solid pipe with a 90 degree and mini pipe to the side of the van near the fill hole.
No effect on the breathers as the two pieces of hose pipe are not sealed on to the waste pipe so can and do breath as normal.
Sorry no pictures hope it makes sense
David

Heanorboy wrote:To me it made no sense that when you fill the water tank when full it just comes out over the top of the tank so unless you are on your hands and knees to look you soak the road which got me a telling off by a warden on a cold frosty morning as I made the road a skating area
So recently I crawled under van and attached two pieces of garden hose to the breather ports these then simply pushed into about 6 inches to flexible waste pipe and this then ran to a short piece of solid pipe with a 90 degree and mini pipe to the side of the van near the fill hole.
No effect on the breathers as the two pieces of hose pipe are not sealed on to the waste pipe so can and do breath as normal.
Sorry no pictures hope it makes sense
David

would be great to see some pictures as the tanks I have seen only had a blank plug on the top of the tank with a slot cut in it to breath and the tank clamped up to the floor has no space for a vent pipe and is why A/S have done as they have. are your vent ports on the side of the tank on your van

Interesting this, I've never seen water showing underneath the vehicle except when draining the hot tank, or the grey tank not relevant to this post.
Mine fills to overflow at the filling hole/nozzle, when I take the hose out it stops overflowing after a few seconds, just long enough to jump out of the way and keep dry feet!.
Therefore, as we have no problems getting water out of the tank in normal use, air must be getting in somewhere to replace the used water or we'd create a vacuum and cavitate the pump. Perhaps its just a loose filling cap fit....don't know?

 This is the tank on my Wildax the hose being connected to the overflow/breather shown on the picture. maybe not possible on your tanks

IanH wrote:Interesting this, I've never seen water showing underneath the vehicle except when draining the hot tank, or the grey tank not relevant to this post.
Mine fills to overflow at the filling hole/nozzle, when I take the hose out it stops overflowing after a few seconds, just long enough to jump out of the way and keep dry feet!.
Therefore, as we have no problems getting water out of the tank in normal use, air must be getting in somewhere to replace the used water or we'd create a vacuum and cavitate the pump. Perhaps its just a loose filling cap fit....don't know?

Ian
if you look inside the van at the filler pipe you also see a breather going to the filler point as well and works as the main breather when pumping water

FrankL0 wrote:Thanks David. But it’s rather unclear to me I’m afraid. 

Is it possible to show some pictures - or diagrams to help understanding?  TIA

Heanorboy wrote:To me it made no sense that when you fill the water tank when full it just comes out over the top of the tank so unless you are on your hands and knees to look you soak the road which got me a telling off by a warden on a cold frosty morning as I made the road a skating area
So recently I crawled under van and attached two pieces of garden hose to the breather ports these then simply pushed into about 6 inches to flexible waste pipe and this then ran to a short piece of solid pipe with a 90 degree and mini pipe to the side of the van near the fill hole.
No effect on the breathers as the two pieces of hose pipe are not sealed on to the waste pipe so can and do breath as normal.
Sorry no pictures hope it makes sense
David

Frank
was unclear to myself as well and cant see how this was any help to what you ask as this is a wildax that Heanorboy is talking about and not even the same tank as fitted to A/S vans

Glyne

Sorry that you feel that my comments are of no help, and I apologise for that 
The fact that I have now changed to a Wildax does not change the basic idea.
All I am suggesting that to save water overflowing from the tank to do something similar, i.e. connect a drainage pipe to the overflow/breather  so that when full it comes out near where you are filling.  The way I described worked for my van and is meant as a suggestion/guide if you like.
This used to be common on tanks until recently and  how the system works on Ian's van, as you pointed out, but regrettably those type of filling points are now seldom fitted and we either have the Whalemaster system with autostop or a hole in the van wall and when the tank is full loads of water simply overflows all over floor wasting gallons of water before noticing (well I was as I am not very good at bending down or getting on all fours to look under the van) water running from under the van.

Again sorry if misleading
David

It was clear enough to me David - in principle at least.

The exact arrangement of your pipework is immaterial. Their purpose in bringing any overflow water to where it is instantly visible makes a lot of sense to me.

I may not bother to do it as I find listening to the sound from the inlet pipe gives a very good indication of when to stop, as Tinwheeler said earlier.

Dave

glyne lock wrote:

IanH wrote:Interesting this, I've never seen water showing underneath the vehicle except when draining the hot tank, or the grey tank not relevant to this post.
Mine fills to overflow at the filling hole/nozzle, when I take the hose out it stops overflowing after a few seconds, just long enough to jump out of the way and keep dry feet!.
Therefore, as we have no problems getting water out of the tank in normal use, air must be getting in somewhere to replace the used water or we'd create a vacuum and cavitate the pump. Perhaps its just a loose filling cap fit....don't know?

Ian
if you look inside the van at the filler pipe you also see a breather going to the filler point as well and works as the main breather when pumping water

I agree with Glyn, ours is the same as Ian's with a small breather pipe running back up alongside the main filler tube and this allows the tank to be filled until the water comes out of the filler hole, yet to have it breathing smoothly.
this allows filling the tank until water is heard climbing the filler tube and then gently reaches the top.
no drama, no water all over the place, just a full tank and dry feet.
our Bolero had overflow holes in the top of the external tank and the sound of overflowing water was the signal to stop.
far better system now.

bolero boy wrote:
I agree with Glyn, ours is the same as Ian's with a small breather pipe running back up alongside the main filler tube and this allows the tank to be filled until the water comes out of the filler hole, yet to have it breathing smoothly.
this allows filling the tank until water is heard climbing the filler tube and then gently reaches the top.
no drama, no water all over the place, just a full tank and dry feet.

Ours also has a breather pipe, but it doesn't stop the tank overflowing when it's full, assuming it is filled using a hosepipe as specified in the original query.

The emphasis is on the word "small". 

The breather pipe terminates at the fill point in such a tiny hole that the water goes in much faster than the air can come out. Therefore many of us share the common risk of wet feet as water gushes out of the filler hole, and splashes from under the van as the tank overflows.

Ah, two points, Grommit...
one, I dont have any 'overflow' holes as the tanks are inboard between the floors and, as such, excess water inside the van would not a good thing to do...
two, this means the air has to come back up the breather. small(ish) it may be, but certainly large enough to cope with a full on hose fill and the resultant displacement of air.
dont get any gurgling so must be doing the job.

But that's on your van.

The OP has an Autosleeper, so your experience is not much help to him!!