Water Pump -- Where is it?

Dry camping with the 2010 2551S.  The water pump is very noisy and surges on and off.  I know the pump is a Shurflo but don't know the model. Some models are quite noisy and surge a lot. Or, this pump could have a problem.  Anyone here know the model?  Also and most importantly -- does anyone know where the pump is and how to get at it?  I'm trying to avoid calling Kermit.  Thanks so much.

Paula
Santa Fe

Paula,

I don't know where your pump is located on your 2551, but..........

When we bought our 2350 back in 2007, we too had a noisy surging quick-cycling pump.  It didn't sound pretty, moaning and groaning every few seconds.  After getting educated about this, I installed a small water pressure tank from Home Depot and also covered the pump with a home-made wooden enclosure for noise and protection from severe impact from stuff, given the pump is mounted in my outdoor storage compartment.  See here.



Since installation, the pump is just a quiet humm, and the quick cycling is gone.  I estimate close to 1/2 gallon of water is in reserves when the pump shuts off.  When on, it runs until the reserves in the pressure tank are back to full.  It changed the feel & quality of the entire plumbing system.  I think some of the "Quiet Factor" came when I re-plumbed the pump to the pressure tank instead of the RV.  Both inlet and outlet hoses for the pump are now flexible, one is the no-pressure soft tube from the main fresh water tank, the other a stainless braided hose used for a faucet or toilet at home.  With both in and out pipes being flexible, they dampen vibration so vibration no longer resinates through the RV plumbing.

We exclusively dry camp with only occasional electric hookup, so our water is always used on-board with the pump.  It really makes a huge improvement.  Other good news is that it cost me only $50 which if you are handy, you can do it just as cheap.  But if not, you can buy a much more expensive pressure tank with mounting feet from places like Camping World at nearly 5 times the price.

If interested, email me direct through my profile here and I will email you the installation procedure with pictures, in a Word document.  It does assume a 2350 like mine, so you'd have to deviate as needed.

Paula

On my 2009 2551 the water tank and the pump are both under the driver's side bed, but your 2010 model may be different.  If not, remove the mattress and unscrew several screws holding the plywood top of the "bed box" and both items will be visible.

If like the 2009 model, the pump (Shurflo model 2088) will be on the left end attached directly to the hard plastic water lines (outlet end) and a flexible hose coming from the water tank will feed the pump inlet side.  Our original 2088 pump also make lots of vibration noise which I believe was the result of it being attached to the hard plastic lines.  Yesterday I finished installing the new Shurflow model 4008 (dubbed the "Revolution", $99 at Camping World) to replace our Model 2088.  There is an article on the Revolution in the June 2010 issue of Trailer Life.  The article said the Revolution was much quieter, did not sputter as much as the 2088, and eliminates the need for an accumulator tank.  That convinced me to make the change.

The Revolution instructions say to never install a water pump without having flexible tubing at both ends, advice with I followed.  I also installed a strainer, something else Phoenix omitted from their installation, and I had installed a winterization device earlier.  With the pump (and strainer and winterization device attached on the inlet end), the 4008 pump had to be turned 90 degrees or so and moved away from its original position in order to fit in the area.  The pump is now much quieter.

Terrel
Denver

Great responses from Terrel and Ron.  We dry camp about 50% of the time and have a three week trip coming up at Arches NP and Canyonlands NP in Utah, Mesa Verde in CO and Chaco Canyon in NM with no hookups.  I won't be able to tolerate the noise and surging.    I am very handy and like doing things myself if I can (I don't touch electricity, though).  The fresh water tank is under the passenger side bed on the 2010 2551S so I assume the pump is there, as well.  Everything I read in the rv forums today indicated certain Shurflo models are problematic but that the Revolution which you installed, Terrel, is much quieter and does not surge.  I also read about folks going Ron's route.  Either way, I'm taking the bed apart today and seeing what is up in there.  I really thank you for your responses.   

Paula
Santa Fe

Enjoy the project.  Either way, you will appreciate the results.

About Arches/Canyonlands.....My Favorite!  We were in that area last September for 3 weeks.  Click Here To See My Few Remaining On-Line Pics

If you want to camp primitive & cheap, there are numerous BLM campgrounds about.  Just be careful camping along the river in BLM's.  There are the tiniest bugs that easily make it through the window screens.  If it's hot, you can't run the genset or main engine due to camp ground restrictions, so you have to open the windows.  Turn on the interior lights and you'll have clouds of bugs around each light fixture.  They don't bite, just freak out my wife.  The only way to rid the ones inside is to wet a wash cloth and capture them between the damp cloth and flourecent light lens.  We learned to open the windows only when the lights were turned off.  Then no bugs.

Have a great trip.

Ron, I had those tiny bugs last week at Navajo Lake in CO.  I did the wet paper towel thing on the lights to, ahem, extinguish them.  Those bugs and the ravenous mosquito swarms drove me out of there.  Hope the bug/mosquito run is all over when I head to Utah in a couple of weeks.

Paula
Santa Fe

For those of you that are getting a custom built PC, this may be useful info. When I had my PC 2350 w/ slide out built, I specifically request Kermit to put in the features Ron Dittmat recommended in prior posting on the water pump. The first few nights, I can hear the humming goes on and off intermittenly. The annoying thing was that the humming noise came from right under the bed, but I must say I am gradually getting use to it

rockrat,

Are you saying you had the water pressure tank installed by the factory, but the pump was cycling on and off all the time?  If so, it sounds like something is wrong because it shouldn't do that.

If that is happening, maybe the psi in the pressure tank is set wrong.  There should be 18-20 psi in the pressure tank when empty.

Paula,
I have a 2010 2551/S, and yes the pump is under the passenger side bed with the water tank.  My pump was very noisy and cycled a lot.  The pump was attached directly to the hard plastic water line, and as Terrel mentioned, Shurflo directions strongly recommend against that.

I installed the Shurflo accumulator ($60), it is smaller than the one Ron installed but that is what would fit in the space.  I also installed a strainer at the pump inlet as recommended by Shurflo.  Also, I adjusted the pump shut off point using the screw in the end of the pump according to the instructions.  The most important thing is that the pump is no longer directly attached to the hard plastic water line and the difference in noise level is amazing, can hardly hear it now.  With the accumulator tank and adjusting the pump, there is no more cycling, the pump runs very smoothly.

Hopefully you can see the installation in the attached picture. The pump was located where the accumulator now is and attached to the hard water line hidden under the black ABS line.  There is now flexible line between the pump and accumulator tank and a strainer at the pump inlet hidden under the relay in the picture.

Hope this helps, Bob

Following up on this thread -- I did exactly what Terrel did above (including the winterization kit and screen on the pump).  Very quiet.  No surging.  What a difference!  Got everything on Amazon -- cheaper than CW.  Thanks again. 

Paula
santa Fe

Paula,

Glad to hear you got a working solution.

How often does the pump go on and off when the water is running?
Is there consistent water pressure while running, or do you see a varrying stream of water from the faucet?

Ron

Ron,

After we got it in and working we ran the pump for an extended period.   Pressure is consistent and strong, no surging on and off.  Listened for vibration noise and easily fixed that with some foam padding here and there.  Once the bed is back on top I expect we will hear a hum and that is about it.  Well worth the trouble to fix it.

Thanks again.

Paula
Santa Fe

The new/improved pump model sounds like a much better solution than using a water pressure tank with the old pump.  If my old pump ever fails, I will buy that new/improved pump and see if it's beneficial to rid myself of the pressure tank to gain a little more storage space.

Thanks all for sharing.  This forum is great.