check valve on outside shore hose connection is leaking

[Flame]

Newbie here again. I am almost done guys and maybe won't bother you too much more. Good news... I spent all day today checking ALL plumbing and tanks and drains. Everything works great. This is a 1998 concourse. The only problem I seem to have is when I hooked up to shore water and using a pressure regulator everything worked fine and no leaks "UNTIL" I disconnected from the hose. Now the brass piece where I hooked onto wont quit dripping!!! I see there is a white plastic spring loaded valve of somekind in it. I touched it and it had a lot of pressure on it. I jiggeled it but it still drips. What to do and how to fix please?? It is running down onto my shinny wheel simulators. There was a little screen and gasket in it and I removed it to install a new hose gasket. Can't see how that would have caused it to keep dripping.

[Blue~Go]

First of all, don't "go away" --- exchanging trip reports, projects, and etc. is what makes the place fun.

I think that typically these are built into the fill door assembly. You may be able to replace it individually, but I don't think they specifically design it that way. The reason these exist is to keep a roguely pressurized shore water connection from overwhelming your plumbing and causing a flood inside the Chinook.

There are also pressure regulators you put on the hose bib outside, but I'm not sure that will help if yours is leaking.

If your water fill door is like mine (very likely), then you may find it is an obsolete Bargman part. Key clue is that the gravity fill is on the right (aft) and the pressure fill is on the left (forward). Most newer ones seem to be the opposite.

I haven't done it yet, but I believe that one of the JR Products water fills will fit the opening (will come back with part number) later but it's a similar size overall. These come with either a plastic (cheaper) or metal (more expensive) pressure relief built in. You would have to do a little rearranging indoors, but luckily PEX is pretty much like tinker toys. Otherwise it's the same concept as the Bargman one.

If this doesn't sound like something you want to deal with now, let me give you another option, that even has some virtue to it

I never use the pressurized hookup. Why? I just don't like the idea of something that could pour a thousand gallons into my Chinook while I was out hiking. Doesn't happen often, but I have heard of it happening. You could also just shut off the water at the hose bib each time but that sounds like a great thing to forget both coming and going. So what I do is just use the campground hose to fill my water tank, then I take the hose away and use water from my tank. Need more? Refill.

Even if you don't like this idea in the long run, it's something you could do now if you don't want to make the repair right away, but you still want to be functional.

BTW, if you hate the sound of the water pump like I do, there are some options. But I'm away from power and my battery is low on the laptop, so I'll stop for now.

[Flame]

So how do I get the pressure off of it? I did also fill my tank 3/4 full byway of the gravity fill. I don't mind doing that at all verses tearing into the pressure valve one. But...when the waterpump comes on does it also represurize the pressure valve again?? Wouldn't it still leak? Also, someone may have added another water intake at the left rear (driver side) to mine that is nowhere to be found in my manuells. I hooked a waterhose to it and all it seemed to do was fill my black water tank. Maybe it is just for washing it out? Should I go back out and push the pressure valve until the pressure is released and the leak maybe stops?

[Blue~Go]

Hmm, good point. Maybe it would be pressurized and leak. But also maybe not since it's a one-way valve. Guess you could try it and see? Now I'm curious.

That solo round hose connector right aft on the driver's side is a black tank pressure rinser. If you were to remove the outside side wall of the "tire locker" you'd see that it connects to a run of PEX tubing that then turns and goes through the floor, then underneath and into the size of the black tank (you can see that underneath). There's a sort of "bullet" fitting that goes into the tank with a very small opening so it makes a pressure spray (of course said very small opening can also clog with "black."

[Scott]

So how do I get the pressure off of it? I did also fill my tank 3/4 full byway of the gravity fill. I don't mind doing that at all verses tearing into the pressure valve one. But...when the waterpump comes on does it also represurize the pressure valve again?? Wouldn't it still leak?

I might be missing something, so I apologize if I'm stating the obvious . The check valve is there to keep water from going out of the city connection when you're using your 12V pump. To relieve pressure, turn off your pump and open a faucet. If that stops the drip, then yes, once the pump comes back on, it'll drip again. A pice of debris or a mineral deposit can get in between the seat and the ball of the check valve, causing a drip if when internal plumbing is pressurized. Jiggling the ball under pressure was a good idea and can sometimes clear the debris. But since that didn't work, you might have a deformed seat or ball and need to replace it. I just looked briefly online and didn't see anything that would be worth the effort to replace, IMO. I would just finger a way to block it off entirely and use the 12V pump exclusively, as annoying as it may be.

[Blue~Go]

You know, I think I spoke out of turn. Which was kind of stupid, because I never ever use pressurized shore water, so what do I know? I guess the only reason I piped in is that I looked and looked for a matching Bargman water door to my stock one (door is not in great shape), and the best I found is one that will fit very closely to same but not exactly.

What I can now see that I don't understand is that I thought that "thing" where you attach the pressure hose was a regulator that kept too much pressure from going into the Chinook (which could potentially burst something. But now it sounds like it's a check valve (which makes sense because otherwise, as Scott says, when you run your self-contained water system the pressure would go bye-bye out that connection).

Sorry if I confused things with my initial reply. I should stick to what I know, geez.

So for those of you who do run pressure hose water from a hose bib, do you run a stand-alone pressure regulator?

[Scott]

You know, I think I spoke out of turn. Which was kind of stupid, because I never ever use pressurized shore water, so what do I know?

Oh man, no problem. It took me almost three years to realize that I didn't actually have an airbag. Directly under my nose, there it wasn't .

I've never hooked up to city water either. The 12V pump works well and is totally safe; just turn it off when no water is needed, and the maximum disaster is about 30 gallons. Still a catastrophe but certainly of less significance than a city-powered flood. Also, having a hose connected to the rig seems like an unnecessary trip hazard, and I'm seldom parked near a bib. To the contrary, I have faith in the Chinook's plumbing and wouldn't be terribly concerned about a blowout either way.

I replaced the pump, had the tank out when I removed the carpet, re-sealed the gravity hose (just because I was in there), and replaced a gross breather hose. So that little fill port and I have spent a few moments together. I replaced my toilet as well, but that's another topic.

I'd like to hear about your sound abatement strategies if you'd like to share. Mine is mounted to the floor atop a half inch of EVA foam. I certainly hear it, but I don't really notice it anymore.

[Chinookers]

Inside the City Water filler, under the filter, is a small check valve . If the check valve has worn or has dirt on it it won't seat properly and may leak when the water pump is used, When this happens the best course of action is to replace the whole filler assembly. A straightforward maintenance job that will cost you around $20 for the part. When seating the new part be sure to use Butyl tape to provide a proper seal.

[Blue~Go]

Although a little less straighforward if you have the Bargman gravity/city water door that was stock on my early
'99 (good chance you do with a 1998).

I was never able to find that Bargman part anywhere, and any other ones I can find have the gravity and city inlets switched with each other. Not that this is the end of the world, but it means a bit of plumbing in under the kitchen sink cabinet (hope you are small...) and then possibly some filling and re-drilling on the outside.

The closest fit I have found is this JR products door. I think it will fit even though it is not exactly the same size. But the gravity and city inlets are switched around fore and aft, as compared to the Bargman.



The above is part number K7112-6-A. That means it has as key lock, is polar white (our color) and it has a brass city filler. K7112-6-PA has a plastic city filler (less durable).

This has the reversed fills, a rough opening of 4-3/4" high x 5-7/8"" wide, and an outer dimension of 6-1/2" x 7-5/8". I *think* it will fit the molded recess in our era Concourse, but have not removed my Bargman to find out for sure.

While you have it out, you may notice that the plywood strips around the inside of the opening (that accept the screws that hold it on) may have detached from the shell. They were held on with polyester mush. Thickened epoxy and clamps will put them back (I have already done the electrical door).

[caconcourse]

This has the reversed fills, a rough opening of 4-3/4" high x 5-7/8"" wide, and an outer dimension of 6-1/2" x 7-5/8". I *think* it will fit the molded recess in our era Concourse, but have not removed my Bargman to find out for sure.

Maybe it's not reversed but can be mounted either way (upside down from picture). Seems like the vent opening should be higher than the fill valve anyway.