Front Runner Footwell tank setup/use questions

[4RunAmok]

I received from Sierra Expeditions our new Front Runner 40L footwell tank... Looks great and will solve quite a bit of previous issues

I have questions though...

There are TWO places to hook up hoses, yet it only comes with ONE hose!!! Very confusing, what am I supposed to do with the other tap without a hose?

How are others using this? Obviously you want both sides hooked up via a "Y" or something so you don't end up with half your water stuck on the other side of the hump.

My intention is to link the sides, and then run a single hose to a 12v Potable Water pump to a spigot of some kind and activate the pump via momentary switch.

 

[MANUCHAO]

the pic on their website shows it with two hoses....
They forgot to send yah one other hose ????

 

[takesiteasy]

Same issues here. The concern about the exposed fitting on the one side being vulnerable to damage is real. It was already broken off when I got my tank. Sierra Expeditions has offered to supply a second hose and new fitting. I am considering the OP approach- two hoses joined together with a common valve. I am not looking at installing a pump though- hoping gravity will work. I think I will install an elbow fitting instead of the straight fitting at the non-recessed location to route the hose to the side and reduce the exposure a bit. I am also wondering how the tank vents to let the water out and air in. Just open the fill cap? Thinking about other ways to accomplish that too.

 

[flyingwil]

I received from Sierra Expeditions our new Front Runner 40L footwell tank... Looks great and will solve quite a bit of previous issues

I have questions though...

There are TWO places to hook up hoses, yet it only comes with ONE hose!!! Very confusing, what am I supposed to do with the other tap without a hose?

How are others using this? Obviously you want both sides hooked up via a "Y" or something so you don't end up with half your water stuck on the other side of the hump.

My intention is to link the sides, and then run a single hose to a 12v Potable Water pump to a spigot of some kind and activate the pump via momentary switch.

It is my understanding that the factory made a mistake on these and the shipment contained an additional port where there was typically drain plug. A standard plug can be used in lieu of the additional hose hook-up. One of the downfalls of the Footwell tank is that water tends to get "trapped" on the other side of the transmission hump, resulting in lifting up on the tank to get the water over to the side with the tap. If both sides had the recessed hose hook ups, and they were interlinked with a "Y" fitting it would be optimal, however, we didn't design it.

If your having issues with your tank, all of us retailers of the FrontRunner products will be able to assist you.

 

[4RunAmok]

I had not contacted you, Wil, because I don't consider this a problem yet. As I fully intended on setting up my own custom hoses anyway... So I won't be needing you to send me extra parts.

Detslider, the attraction of the Raco connection comes with being able to remove the tank, the female has a valve in it to shut off flow.

If you're drawing water from this tank with a pump through the two ports simultaneously using a Y connection, it will not matter if the hose is going up hill. Walmart sells a 3GPM Potable water pump for less than $40.00, and it's made in the USA by Attwood. Already ordered it online. Just need a spout and a 3 way toggle/momentary switch and more hose and I'm good to go!

And YES, serious design flaw in not recessing the other port. Bad move on front runner's part. I will probably change the port for an elbow.

 

[takesiteasy]

Just a note to thank Sierra Expeditions for exceptional customer service. I called on Friday afternoon about the broken fitting and missing hose and the replacement parts showed up in Priority Mail this morning (Monday). That is quick response for over a weekend considering they were shipping halfway across the country!

I tried connecting the two sides together thinking that the siphon effect would empty both sides. It didn't work. The close side emptied first and broke the siphon for the side going over the hump. I think I will go back to plugging the exposed port and just using one hose for now. I don't want to mess with a pump but I like having the option to add the second hose if it turns out lifting the tank to get the water out of the other side is too much trouble. One thing I like about one hose is you will know when you have used about 2/3 of the water and it is time to think about refilling the tank. I switched out the plastic fittings that came with the tank with nylon fittings- much stronger. I'm using a hose ball valve for a shutoff with a cap on the end of the hose for traveling to avoid accidental water spillage. We'll see how it works out. No question it is a good solution for carrying water low and forward.

 

[4RunAmok]

Well here's to hoping that a pump will draw evenly from sides, but now that you mention it, if one side empties before the other, the pump will slurp pockets of air into the flow from the other side...

Switching to Nylon fittings is a good idea too!

 

[4RunAmok]

The walmart pump came today... That thing works awesome!

I rigged up a test in the kitchen as close to the sink as I could get with the tank.

And my fears were realized.

I used an equal amount of hose on each fitting, T connector in the middle, and a small section of hose leading to the pump, and filled the tank. Here are the events as I encountered them...

As I filled the tank, water began to exit the port closest to the fill hole, but didn't get to the pump yet, as it was still sitting above the water line.

As the tank began to fill up and reach both sides, water reached the pump, and water began to flow through the pump without the pump connected to 12 volts, so much for using the pump as a valve!

With the tank now 10 gallons full, I began powered test! Hooking up the pump to the battery and having it come to life was a bit of a shock, I wasn't expecting that kind of performance from such a small thing, but it moves water! I managed to remember to seal the fill hole to see if water pumps in an air tight environment, it does, but the pump obviously labors, the sound of the motor slows a tiny bit, I assume that eventually it might not be able to pull any water from the tank if the vacuum is stronger than the pump??? So I loosened the fill cap and the pressure equalized, and the pump went to sounding like it did before I closed the cap.

Here's where I got the bad news, and I thought this might happen as I mentioned it earlier. The sides did not drain evenly even with equal hoses. As one side emptied, the pump began to sputter water as it sucked air from the empty side.

I still intend to use the tank, and the pump. I will probably have to put in ball valves at each port (or each side of the T) so that I can keep the pump from sucking air when one side empties.

So back to the drawing board, kinda..