Water Tank Plug

[curryp]

I bought a 2001 Coleman Tacoma about a month ago and was getting ready for a long weekend of camping today. Not knowing how much the previous owner used the water tank I figured I would sanitize the tank today. I added the 1/4 cup of bleach to a gallon of water and put it in the tank as recommended in the owner's manual. I then filled up the water tank and shut off the hose. I heard running water and looked under the camper. There is an L shaped plug in the tank and water was coming out the top. I plan to take the plug out tomorrow and see if I can replace it with a plastic plug of some type. Any suggestion?

[bountyhunter]

Yes, DONT!!

That L shaped fitting is a breather.  If you plug it off and close your inlet supply after filling it you will have problems.  I agree it seems silly for their to be an opening for the water to slosh out while driving down the road, but it is there for a reason.  

I turned mine so it would be pointing up, which made the opening on it the highest point in the tank, thus eliminating some of the water from being sloshed out while driving.

It is very easy for those plastic storage tanks to collaspe because of pressure.

[mike4947]

Normal installation has a small hose (like those they use in fish tank filter/arators) that runs from the fitting to a nipple on the back side of your country water fill. That gives the tank venting it needs to fill properly and lets you know when the tank is full as water comes out of it.
That way there is no inside/under the trailer spillage/syphoning that could get water on a surface that wasn't designed to stay wet.

[wavery]

Normal installation has a small hose (like those they use in fish tank filter/arators) that runs from the fitting to a nipple on the back side of your country water fill. That gives the tank venting it needs to fill properly and lets you know when the tank is full as water comes out of it.
That way there is no inside/under the trailer spillage/syphoning that could get water on a surface that wasn't designed to stay wet.

Mike's right again.....I have a 2002 Tacoma and that is how mine is set up.

The hose may have popped off of yours, at the tank.

[bountyhunter]

That makes sense.  My new Baja had a small vent next to the fill up cap, but it was not hooked up to anything.  This camper was just made in March, so I assume the manufactor forgot to install the hose.  I bought a 1/2" hose and ran it myself.

[mike4947]

Actually in the last few years few trailers have the vent to fill tubing installed. Quite a few folks have had actual syphoning problems and gotten to a campground with a 1/2 tank of water when they started out full.