Should You Turn Off Your RV Water Pump When Traveling?

Yes, turn off your RV water pump before you travel. If the pump is on, anything that opens a valve while you drive (a bumped faucet, or something falling on the toilet foot pedal) lets your fresh water tank run straight into your sinks or holding tanks. If there is more water in your fresh tank than there is room in your black tank, it overflows. We learned that one the hard way.

Hey y’all, we’re Jimmy and Lisa with FindUsCamping. After 18+ years of RVing, you’d think we’d be past rookie mistakes. Nope. Here’s ours, so you don’t have to make it.

What happens if you leave your RV water pump on while driving?

Most of the time, nothing. That’s the trap. The pump keeps the water lines under pressure, so it is ready to send water the second any faucet or the toilet valve opens. Parked, that is handy. Rolling down the highway, with stuff shifting around inside, it is a gamble.

If something opens a valve while you drive, the pump just keeps moving water from your fresh tank. With a toilet, that water goes into the black tank. With a sink, it goes to the gray tank. Either way, once a tank is full, the water has to go somewhere.

What happened to us?

It was move-in day, and we pulled out with the fresh water pump still on. In the bathroom, we had a big bag of dog food sitting out (not in its canister). Somewhere down the road it tipped over and landed right on the toilet foot pedal.

That pedal stayed pushed down the whole trip. The toilet kept running and filled the entire black tank. We had no idea until we got to the campground, got set up, and saw water pouring out of the bottom of the camper. Even better: the other side of that bathroom wall is our living room, so water was running under the wall and into the living room, too.

The one bit of good luck: we had dumped and flushed the black tank (twice) before we left. So it was a whole lot of water, but not much “mess.” Small mercies.

Whose fault was it?

This is still up for debate in our house. Jimmy says Lisa turned the pump on. Lisa says it wasn’t her rookie mistake, it was somebody else’s. And Jimmy admits the dog food could have just gone in the garage, since we don’t carry the golf cart anymore. So, as Lisa says, it’s our fault. We’ll call it a team effort.

How do you remember to turn off your RV water pump?

Two simple habits would have saved our floor. First, turn the pump off before you move. Second, store things so they can’t fall onto a toilet pedal, faucet handle or anything else that turns water on. Here’s what went on our close-up list, plus a few more checks we’d suggest:

• Water pump off. Make it part of your pull-out checklist, every single time.
• Toilet pedal clear. Nothing stored on, next to or above it that can slide or tip.
• Faucets closed. Kitchen, bathroom and shower. Check that nothing is leaning on a handle.
• Loose items packed away. Bags, bins and boxes go in a cabinet, the garage or a basement bay, not on the bathroom floor.
• Know your tank levels. If your fresh tank holds more than your black tank has room for, an accident can overflow it.

Should you travel with water in your fresh tank?

That depends on where you are headed. Plenty of RVers carry some fresh water so they have it when they stop, especially if they are heading somewhere without hookups. Just remember: water in the tank plus a pump left on is what turned our move-in day into a mop-up day. If you carry water, the pump switch matters even more.

If you’re still learning how your tanks work, our posts on how to tell if your black tank is full and RV black tank cleaning are a good next read.

What other RV mistakes should beginners watch out for?

We have a few! We’ve been full-time on the road for 6+ years, and we wrote up the bigger lessons in 6 years full-time RVing: what we got wrong. And we’d love to hear yours. What was your first RV rookie mistake? Tell us in the YouTube comments. We promise not to laugh. Much.

Quick answers

Should you turn off the RV water pump when driving?

Yes. If anything opens a valve while you drive, the pump will keep pushing fresh water into your sinks or tanks.

Can an RV black tank overflow from the fresh water tank?

Yes. If the toilet valve stays open and your fresh tank has more water than your black tank has room for, it can overflow.

Why did our RV toilet run while we were driving?

A bag of dog food fell on the foot pedal and held it down while the pump was on.

Should the RV water pump be on when you’re hooked to city water?

Usually you don’t need it, since city water pressure does the work. Check your RV’s manual for your setup.

Come join the village

RV life is more fun (and less soggy) when you share the lessons. Sign up for the FindUsCamping newsletter, join the FindUsCamping Villagers group on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube, and come meet us at a FindUsCamping campout. Until the next time you find us camping, safe travels, y’all!