# 08 Apache 700 question



## 96090 (Aug 22, 2005)

Hope someone can help  

We've just collected our new to us apache 700 this weekend through a private sale.

On bringing it home, we've filled it up and charged it up to check everything works as it should - and everything appears to be perfect.

However, when I moved the van from the level road onto our sloping driveway this morning roughly half the water appears to have drained from a blue hose on the drivers side of the van near the back.

Only half the tank contents appears to have drained.

I've checked the owners manual, and the huge array of instruction booklets but can't identify what this hose is, where it comes from or why it drained.

I thought it was the frost protection valve drain for the truma, but that is on the opposite side of the van.

I've looked under the van, but in reality there's not a lot to see.

The hose appears to be cable tied to the chassis and the runs forward but disappears amingst all the chassis rails.

Can anyone shed some light?


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## pomme1 (May 19, 2005)

It's the overflow from the freshwater tank, nothing to worry about. If it was full when on the level, moving the van on to a slope will have caused some water to 'slop' out.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

If it has a turn on/off tap then its more likely the fresh water drain.. Sounds just like the one on our 2005 model except ours is nearside, they may have re-located it on the new model..
Make sure it's turned off... 1/2 a tank loss is a lot via the overflow...


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## 96090 (Aug 22, 2005)

The drain for the fresh water tank s on the other side, this is something else.

Didn't realise it had an overflow - none of my other vans have had.

Also, if it's an overflow, why didn't it lose water from there when I filled it up to the brim the day we got it home?

Sorry if this is basic stuff guys!

If it is an overflow, I guess you can't hook into a super pitch water supply?


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## mgb (Dec 4, 2008)

Give Autotrail a call and ask them to tell you what it is
MGB


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## RainDancer (May 24, 2005)

Hi

It is the overflow pipe, on some models they have two overflows mine has. When you fill up sometimes you can hear a gurgling noise as the water goes into the tank.
When you hear this stop filling. If you don't it should start to overflow.

It has been known that when it starts to overflow it could siphon it's self.
One or two people have had their overflows altered to stop the problem.

Hope this helps.


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

RainDancer said:


> It has been known that when it starts to overflow it could siphon it's self.
> One or two people have had their overflows altered to stop the problem.
> 
> Hope this helps.


Hi Scottch,

That was the advice I was going to offer as well. It has been mentioned on the forums before. The overflow tube sits too far into the tank. Some folks have reached their destination to find half their tank contents have disappeared. :lol:

Jock.


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## 96090 (Aug 22, 2005)

Thanks for the help guys! :wink: 

All very much appreciated


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## bkjk (Feb 5, 2007)

HI HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY PREVIOUS 696. AS SAID THE PROBLEM IS IT COMES OUT OF THE TOP OF THE TANK AND DOWN I TOOK MINE UPWARDS THEN DOWN FASTENED WITH CABLE TIES STOPED ME LOOSING WATER REGARDS BK


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Yes I had this problem with our new mh. Wondered why I was loosing half my tank contents when in France last year.

Going up hills, turning corners etc allowed water to gush out. a friend bhind me saw the water gushing out!

I now have a bung in the pipe! Don't lose water anymore.


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

zulurita said:


> I now have a bung in the pipe! Don't lose water anymore.


It's true then Rita, that the simplest solutions are the best. :wink: 
Do you have a contents gauge, or a float tube to tell you when the tanks is full?

Regards,

Jock.


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*water*

Greetings,

On a previous motorhome there was an outlet half way up the fresh water tank, this had a pipe and tap connected to it to drain half the water off for travelling.


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

JockandRita said:


> zulurita said:
> 
> 
> > I now have a bung in the pipe! Don't lose water anymore.
> ...


Yes Jock,

I look at the reading on the control panel and once I reach 75% or even 100% I stop filling. Even when it immediately registers 100% I know quite a few more litres of water can still be added.

I did get my dealer to put an on/off tap on the overflow line. However it wasn't satisfactory as they used the Truma yellow flip up tap that is used for draining the hot water boiler tank. I filled up when that was first fitted and water gushed out of the pipe with that lever tap in the closed position!! So I took it off and went back to my cork bung! It works fine so I have left it as it is.

On the one occasion I did fill up longer than I should have, water just flowed out of the filler openning. However I know if you have the Heosafe cap for the hose then I would need to check more carefully.

Heosafe also do two different caps, one for those with overflow pipe and one for those without. I bought the one for those with overflow pipe so I really need the other one now.


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

*Re: water*



Humber-Traveller said:


> Greetings,
> 
> On a previous motorhome there was an outlet half way up the fresh water tank, this had a pipe and tap connected to it to drain half the water off for travelling.


Even when I only filled it half full I was still loosing water  I do not like travelling with a full tank but my experience last year was beyond a joke, poorly designed by Auto-Trail which is a shame. A tap to turn on and off would be great and easily accessible without having to scrabble under the mh would also be great!


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## Solwaybuggier (Mar 4, 2008)

*Re: water*



zulurita said:


> I do not like travelling with a full tank but my experience last year was beyond a joke, poorly designed by Auto-Trail which is a shame. A tap to turn on and off would be great and easily accessible without having to scrabble under the mh would also be great!


I agree that carting a full tank of water round is inefficient but I'm sure I've read (probably on here?) that it's advisable to travel with water (and waste) tanks either empty or full - the logic being, if I remember rightly, that the contents of a half full tank can slam around more on bends, humps etc and theoretically at least could cause damage to the tank.

Anyone know if this is a real risk or just a theoretical one?


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

zulurita said:


> Yes Jock,
> I look at the reading on the control panel and once I reach 75% or even 100% I stop filling. Even when it immediately registers 100% I know quite a few more litres of water can still be added.


Yes Rita, we do too. We don't have an overflow on our tank, and although there is a small air vent on the tank cap, most of the displaced air rushes out via the filler neck, so the Heosafe cap wouldn't suit us. I use a small length of hose that slides round the elbow bend in the filler neck which helps to cut down on the amount of "blowback".



Solwaybuggier said:


> I agree that carting a full tank of water round is inefficient but I'm sure I've read (probably on here?) that it's advisable to travel with water (and waste) tanks either empty or full - the logic being, if I remember rightly, that the contents of a half full tank can slam around more on bends, humps etc and theoretically at least could cause damage to the tank.


Most tanks I have filled be it professionally or leisurely, have been fitted with baffles, to prevent water movement, regardless of capacity. Water movement within a large tank can cause instability, hence the need for baffles. Our Hymer tank has baffles front and rear to prevent the sudden movement of the contents, ie, when braking or accelerating, or negotiating inclines. 
Caravans inboard tanks don't have baffles, as the caravans are not designed to be towed with the tanks full.

HTH,

Jock.


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