Water Pump

	My Overlander came with the original PAR (Peters and Russell brand) water pump…sitting disconnected in an overhead cabinet. During the 2004 refurb effort, the focus was to get the Airstream enjoyable with full hookups. With time running short, the onboard water system was not reinstalled until we prepped for the ’05 camping season opener. While the PAR pump worked, and was used to winterize the Overlander in ’04, further testing, as shown at left, revealed two small leaks. One could have been JBWelded, but the other leak was in the pressure sensor. Between that, and the overall age of the pump, I decided to replace it. PAR was absorbed by Jabsco at some point, but Jabsco still markets a version of my original diaphragm pump. Opting for new technology, on a friend’s recommendation I went with a Flojet VSD pump
The two pictures above show the Flojet installed. In the RH picture you can see the new (shiny) copper line at left before it connects to the rest of the plumbing. During the restoration, the original line was found to be swollen, and patched in two places. Replacing the line at that time, I simply soldered a shutoff valve (removed for this installation) on the water pump end, and proceeded with more pressing details. The valve just forward of the new copper is used to fill the tank from shore water, while the valve next to the pump drains the tank through a hose onto the ground outside. The two black dots on the wall above the shiny copper used to hold the sightglass, a removed feature covered on the “White Tank” page. Braided, 5/8 inch, food-grade PVC hose connects the pump to the plumbing. One feature added that Airstream did not have is the ribbed fitting where the pump’s output hose hooks onto the Overlander’s water line. Plumbing the Flojet in proved to be a bit exasperating as both the inlet & outlet had to connect to 5/8 inch line and turn 90 degrees fairly quick. Apparently, one or both situations must not be common as the pump did not come with all the necessary fittings, and it took trips to three different parts houses to gather everything needed. Yeah, I know – Life’s tough.
	Here’s the new pump in it’s allotted space. It works well, and I am quite pleased with it.