# Water Pump Location?



## forceten

Gonna be 41 degrees tomorrow night. Almost that to winterize. My first year with an rv and outback. So my first time winterizing....... I think I get all the steps just fine. Exvept where the water pump might be. I have a 5th wheel roo (toy hauler) with a rear garage. Anybody know where to start looking?


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## Nathan

forceten said:


> Gonna be 41 degrees tomorrow night. Almost that to winterize. My first year with an rv and outback. So my first time winterizing....... I think I get all the steps just fine. Exvept where the water pump might be. I have a 5th wheel roo (toy hauler) with a rear garage. Anybody know where to start looking?


It's often near the fresh water fill as it has to suck out of the same tank that the water flows into. Can't help on your specific model.


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## forceten

Nathan said:


> Gonna be 41 degrees tomorrow night. Almost that to winterize. My first year with an rv and outback. So my first time winterizing....... I think I get all the steps just fine. Exvept where the water pump might be. I have a 5th wheel roo (toy hauler) with a rear garage. Anybody know where to start looking?


It's often near the fresh water fill as it has to suck out of the same tank that the water flows into. Can't help on your specific model.
[/quote]

Hmmm fresh water fill and tank are at the rear. Tank is under the garage. I wonder if the pump itself is also under the garage. Will be a pain to remove the sheeting from underneath with all the screws and pull it down to winterize it if it is. Only other place it could be in the garage area is in a box like area where the power cord gets put into. With about 15 screws for that also.

I'm gonna be tempted just to use the fresh water tank and let the pump get the antifreeze from there. Whats another 5 gallons of antifreeze for less aggravation in getting to the pump.


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## Nathan

forceten said:


> Gonna be 41 degrees tomorrow night. Almost that to winterize. My first year with an rv and outback. So my first time winterizing....... I think I get all the steps just fine. Exvept where the water pump might be. I have a 5th wheel roo (toy hauler) with a rear garage. Anybody know where to start looking?


It's often near the fresh water fill as it has to suck out of the same tank that the water flows into. Can't help on your specific model.
[/quote]

Hmmm fresh water fill and tank are at the rear. Tank is under the garage. I wonder if the pump itself is also under the garage. Will be a pain to remove the sheeting from underneath with all the screws and pull it down to winterize it if it is. Only other place it could be in the garage area is in a box like area where the power cord gets put into. With about 15 screws for that also.

I'm gonna be tempted just to use the fresh water tank and let the pump get the antifreeze from there. Whats another 5 gallons of antifreeze for less aggravation in getting to the pump.
[/quote]
Ok, before you do that, turn on a faucet and walk around. You should be able to hear the pump running.


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## CamperAndy

It will not be under the floor in the belly of the beast unless they pre placed an access for it.

Try this, from inside your trailer locate the water fill location. You will find that it is hidden behind a cupboard or even just a box. Open this up and you will find your pump. The pumps are normally within 3 feet of the fill point for the trailer.


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## forceten

CamperAndy said:


> It will not be under the floor in the belly of the beast unless they pre placed an access for it.
> 
> Try this, from inside your trailer locate the water fill location. You will find that it is hidden behind a cupboard or even just a box. Open this up and you will find your pump. The pumps are normally within 3 feet of the fill point for the trailer.


That would put it in the same box as the box where the power cord gets pushed into. Its the only thing on that side of the garage. Everything else is just the wall and bunk beds. The water fill and city water feed are on the back corner of the 5th wheel and the fresh water fill looks like it just drops right into the fresh tank under the garage (3 feet away from the fill)

Gonna do what nathan said I put some water back on and see if i can hear the pump in that box. Would be strange to have the pump in the same spot the power cord goes, but who knows. Will have to find out and take pictures if it is. So any future 5th wheelers can search for the thread and see.


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## GarethsDad

forceten said:


> It will not be under the floor in the belly of the beast unless they pre placed an access for it.
> 
> Try this, from inside your trailer locate the water fill location. You will find that it is hidden behind a cupboard or even just a box. Open this up and you will find your pump. The pumps are normally within 3 feet of the fill point for the trailer.


That would put it in the same box as the box where the power cord gets pushed into. Its the only thing on that side of the garage. Everything else is just the wall and bunk beds. The water fill and city water feed are on the back corner of the 5th wheel and the fresh water fill looks like it just drops right into the fresh tank under the garage (3 feet away from the fill)

Gonna do what nathan said I put some water back on and see if i can hear the pump in that box. Would be strange to have the pump in the same spot the power cord goes, but who knows. Will have to find out and take pictures if it is. So any future 5th wheelers can search for the thread and see.








[/quote]
It's not strange for the water and power to be in the same cabinet it cuts down on wasted space. Here is the water and electric in my 03 25rss. James


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## CamperAndy

On My 31rqs the water pump is in the same space as my converter.


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## forceten

Well found my water pump and winterized today. Bought a bypass kit for the pump so its easier next year. For anyone else that searches and has a 5th wheel roo, the pump was indeed in the garage. Inside the box where the power cord wraps into. 6 Screws and the box came off.

Of course gilligan (as you guys call him) put my pump in. Was looking at it and its upside down and in the air. I'm not gonna fix it till i dewinterize in the spring. But i can't understand how hard it would have been just to have the pump rest on its rubber feet base and pipe it. What worker that day just didn't feel like piping it nice and the right way. Grrrrrr


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## Scoutr2

forceten said:


> Well found my water pump and winterized today. Bought a bypass kit for the pump so its easier next year. For anyone else that searches and has a 5th wheel roo, the pump was indeed in the garage. Inside the box where the power cord wraps into. 6 Screws and the box came off.
> 
> Of course gilligan (as you guys call him) put my pump in. Was looking at it and its upside down and in the air. I'm not gonna fix it till i dewinterize in the spring. But i can't understand how hard it would have been just to have the pump rest on its rubber feet base and pipe it. What worker that day just didn't feel like piping it nice and the right way. Grrrrrr


Looks like Gilligan left you some teflon tape for installing a winterizing kit!

But seriously, the pump should be mounted vertically, with the head down. (An old mouse pad between the mounting surface and the pump will keep it from using the wall/surface as a sounding board.)

Mike


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## forceten

> Looks like Gilligan left you some teflon tape for installing a winterizing kit!
> 
> But seriously, the pump should be mounted vertically, with the head down. (An old mouse pad between the mounting surface and the pump will keep it from using the wall/surface as a sounding board.)
> 
> Mike


That was my tape after installing the bypass









Vertically? So your saying the pump shouldn't be laying flat (horizontally) using the rubber base that is built into the unit? Whats the benifit? I would have thought it would be quieter to have it laying on the rubber base.


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## Scoutr2

forceten said:


> Looks like Gilligan left you some teflon tape for installing a winterizing kit!
> 
> But seriously, the pump should be mounted vertically, with the head down. (An old mouse pad between the mounting surface and the pump will keep it from using the wall/surface as a sounding board.)
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> 
> That was my tape after installing the bypass
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Vertically? So your saying the pump shouldn't be laying flat (horizontally) using the rubber base that is built into the unit? Whats the benifit? I would have thought it would be quieter to have it laying on the rubber base.
Click to expand...

Every pump I've seen installed in an RV has been that way. I'm a hydraulics guy, and my guess is that orientation always ensures water will be present at the pump head. (Gravity) When the pump has no water in the head it loses its prime and runs dry until it an draw water. This will wear out the pump prematurely. But it could also be to keep the electric motor pointed up, so the heat doesn't get transferred to the pump case as easily and leaks won't find their way into the motor case. (Water won't run upill.) Warming the gears/bearings in the pump head would cause them to wear out faster. But I'm not exactly sure.

I'm going to winterize tomorrow and I'll make it a point to check the pump's owners manual, but I believe the manual says to mount the pump vertically with the head pointed down.

Mike


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## CamperAndy

Since the pump is located above the tank suction, there would be no advantage to any specific pump orientation as it relates to pump performance.

Mounting the head with the feet down and the head pointing toward access would allow you to adjust the pump dead band pressure switch easier but not required. Any orientation that would keep water off the motor in the event of a leak would be preferred.

For noise isolation you need to re-plumb the suction and discharge with soft hose loops to isolate the pump pulsations.


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## Scoutr2

As promised, I checked the owner's manual for my pump today and it said that it could be mounted horizontally or vertically. But if mounted vertically, ensure that the pump head is pointed down, with the electric motor on top, so that "in the unlikely event of a leak, water cannot enter the electric motor case," as I expected.

And I still maintain that an old soft foam-rubber mouse pad works well as a cushion between the pump mounting base and the mounting surface. It absorbs almost all the vibrations from the pump and keeps it much quieter. I did this to our pump and it is now whisper quiet. And the suggestion to replace the hard plastic lines with soft flexible hose (with a loop in each, to absorb vibrations) will add to quieting things down. Those hard plastic lines transmit the vibrations to anything they touch, resulting in more noise.

Hope this helps!

Mike


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