Onboard Water tank on Avondale 2003 Argente 640-6

[edandmeriel]

Does anyone know how to fill and drain the onboard water tank on a 2003 Avondale Argente 640-6? I have looked underneath and can see what I think must be the tank between the axles, but I cannot find a drain tap or valve any where near to it. The only drain valve the dealer showed me on hand over when we bought the caravan in May was under the front RH seat next to the water heater, this drains the water heater perfectly, but there is no way it is draining an onboard tank as it only drains for a minute or two.
When we set up the caravan and attach the Aqua roll, the onboard sureflow pump only activiates when the taps are opened (makes me think there must be a switch-over valve somewhere?) My big fear is that the dealer has filled this tank and I cannot seem to empty it before winter and it freezes, plus if it has had water in there since May it probably will be pretty unpleasant by now and in need of a good clean.

 

[Damian]

Are you sure that the "tank" you can see under the van is not just the spare wheel carrier? which is accessed from inside the van through a trapdoor in the floor?

As for the pump running when the taps are operated, all caravans work in the same way, and your van will be either a microswitch system, where there are microswitches in each tap, or a pressure system where a drop in water pressure by opening a tap, for example, switches on the pump

 

[TheTravellingRooster]

Hi edandmeriel,a bit of an obvious reply but why not ring the dealer that you purchased the van from.You might even get to speak with the sales chap that tied up the deal or for that matter even the guy that did the collection hand over.

 

[Mikey_74]

Hi we have a 2004 Argente 650-6 which although a different layout is the same body/fittings, ours does't have an on board water tank, as already stated what you can see underneath that I suppose could look like a tank is the spare wheel carrier, as for the water sytem, it's operated by a pressure switch, when we move our van I always open the water heater drain valve under the right front locker like you say, but then I open the kitchen tap, also sliding it rond to the left for the hot supply, this will allow air in so the water can come out, then when we arrive at the next site when I connect everything up I leave the kitchen tap slightly open and then turn the pump master switch on, the pump will normally pump for a few mins whilst it fills the water heater and pipe work up expelling any air through the kitchen tap, I hope this makes sense and helps........Mike

 

[edandmeriel]

Thanks for your replies, I spoke to the dealer this morning who was a bit vague and seems to think it must be an onboard tank as there is no hatch inside to access it (the spare wheel was just sat in the back on the floor) and the floor is covered with Lino from the front to the rear of the caravan in one peice which appears to be stuck / glued down. He has advised me to try and trace the pipes through the front seats to see if there is any shut-off valve between the on-board pump and what may be the tank.
I would be interested to know how you get your spare wheel into the holder on your caravan, which might give me some more clues to my problem (is this from inside or outside?)

 

[Mikey_74]

Well our van is a slightly differnt layout to yours, still the same body/ chassis though so I believe, if I'm right yours has a full width rear washroom and fixed side bunks, ours has tiolet wash basin on one side of the van, (behind the side board and cupboard and our shower is on the opposite side behind the wardrobe, and 2 sets of bunks at the rear behind a door which can be closed, our spare wheel has an internal trap door mounted in the floor, by were your washroom door will be or by your fixed bunks, ours is just behind the axle, it looks like an inspection hatch with a brass pull ring on, to my knowledge any on board water tanks fitted to an avondale of this age was fitted in the one of the lockers.
Mike

 

[Mikey_74]

I've just looked in our caravans handbook abour water systems, the Argente was never fitted with an onboard water tank as standard, if it was fitted as a genuine option and is the Avondale system then in the caravan somewhere you'll have a water level indicator with a switch with internal, external and auto positions, also your caravan will have both an internal water pump (should be a sureflow pump) and an external water pump that you plug in and drop into the aqua roll instead of the blue water pipe that you may have like us.

 

[edandmeriel]

Thanks for looking in your handbook, after seeing a sales clip on U-tube (where I can clearly see the square hatch in the floor), I have come to the conclusion that the Lino covering the floor has been added by a previous owner / dealer and is covering the hatch to access a spare wheel carrier as you have explained. If we put the carpets down the toilet door is difficult to open which I now realise is due to the extra few mm of floor covering and it also explains why the spare wheel was just on the floor in the back when we bought the caravn, as it would not be easy to get out of the carrier with the hatch covered. The next time I get the van out of the storage area I will try and roll back the Lino to see what is underneath. Also there is only the one pump switch and no level indicator so it seems very probable that I have been worrying over nothing!
Thanks to your help I am confident that I will have no freezing mysterious water tank over the winter and life wil be a lot easier on weekends just filling up the aquaroll for the water supply I know when its empty or full and its easy to clean.