The documentation I received with my Barth has nothing about the auto water fill system. I would like to get drawings or an explaination of how it works. I believe it it working but since I don't know what is suppose to happen I don't know if it is working properly.

The auto-fill is a solenoid-operated valve which, when turned on allows city water (presuming you're hooked up) to flow into the water tank, thus preventing the hassle of filling it with a hose from outside.

From other posts in this forum, the valves appear to be troublesome, sometimes failing to close, or leaking internally, so the tank fills to overflow. Mine did that at first, probably because the rig had not been used regularly, but I cycled the switch several times, which loosened whatever was making the valve stick open.

I don't know whether or not they're supposed to stop automatically when the tank is full, but mine doesn't, and will overflow the tank if I don't keep an eye on it.

Some feel that keeping the auto-fill working is a bigger hassle than filling the tank by hand, and have taken them out of the line.

Go up to the "search" block at the top of the forum, and do a search for auto fill for other discussions.

[This message has been edited by olroy (edited March 16, 2005).]

The electric solenoid is opened by the switch on the panel, and is shut off by a "full" sensor in the tank. When the sensor shuts off the solenoid valve, a buzzer sounds until the switch is moved to the off position. Mine worked well for several years, but I never trusted it. I have since replumbed and everything is now all manual with no gravity fill. If I need to fill from a container out in the woods, I let the pump suck it up. No lifting.

Anyone with a sticking valve should pull it out and give it some vinegar. Operating it many times while still wet with vinegar will clear out the lime.

Mine clicks when the tank is full. sounds like the seitch is trying to shut off. Mine works fine. I think: Bill

My solenoid failed on my last trip to Disney.
I tripped the solenoid open to fill the fresh water tank (can't remember why) and when I came back from the day out, there was a 10 foot diameter puddle underneath it, which nearly caused me to have heart failure! I had visions of the entire inside of the coach being flooded, but there is/was an overflow that dumped the excess on the ground when the 'overfill' switch failed to close the gate.

I replaced it with a simple hand valve. It makes sense to watch it fill, but it is not absolutely necessary in my coach due to teh overflow pipe..but that first sight took my breath away!

Have one, didn't work when I got the coach, doesn't work now. I have never had enough need for it to bother with troubleshoot. I believe mune "buzzes" all the time, even when the sensor does not indicate full.

I do have a little issue with the fresh water fill, though. The overflow tube is connected about 3 inches below the top of the tank, loops up well above the tank, and then out the bottom. Someone at Barth thought the up loop would compensate for the fact that the connection to the tank is below the full level.

Wrong! It simply creates a siphon tube, will dump aomething between 1/8 and 1/4 of my freshwater tank once it overflows and the water line is shut off. Very annoying. I need full capacity use of my fresh water tank.

The fix that I am about to install is a small vent tube at the top of the loop to "break the vacuum" and halt the siphon action.

If you can easily get to the fresh tank to look at it, you might have the similar issue.

I pulled my valve out in the fall because, while it did work, it was not sealing completely when off and the pump would cycle every couple of minutes to rebuild the water pressure. The valve seeped water from the system back into the tank dropping the pressure as a result. I opened the valve and cleaned it as well as I could. The rubber plunger that creates the seal seem to have hardened somewhat and may be the reason for the poor seal. If my effort does not fix the problem, the $200 cost for a new valve will not be worth the small convenience the valve provides. I will likely replace it with a short section of pipe as there is a shutoff valve in the line already.

Bill G