--- title: "Fresh-water tank straps and supports to look at before storage" kind: "answer" slug: "fresh-water-tank-straps-to-check-before-rv-storage" url: "https://www.rigfixhq.com/answers/fresh-water-tank-straps-to-check-before-rv-storage" markdownUrl: "https://www.rigfixhq.com/answers/fresh-water-tank-straps-to-check-before-rv-storage.md" --- # Fresh-water tank straps and supports to look at before storage Recall answers explain official NHTSA recalls and a VIN check. A model-year campaign is not proof a VIN is included. Owner reports are not recalls. These are owner reports, not recalls. On XLR, Shasta Oasis, Jay Feather, and Apex pages, owners describe a fresh-water tank that dropped when a strap or a support let go. Look at the mounts if you can see them before you drain the tank for winter. This page tells you what to look at and what to ask a dealer. It is not a repair procedure. This page is not legal advice. Read the recall letter for your VIN, and ask the manufacturer named in that letter if you are unsure. ## What the owner reports describe The XLR owner report cites two NHTSA complaints and a forum reply. ODI 11093774, on a 2018 XLR Nitro, says the tank detached on the highway. ODI 11692047, on a 2021 XLR, says the driver's side straps let go while the trailer was parked and the tank fell. The 2021 complaint says the owner was told the repair was not covered under the recall, and it does not name a campaign number. A 2014 forum reply says a tank had worked partway out of the supports. Those are three accounts. They do not show one loose strap on every XLR. The Shasta Oasis owner report cites an RV Insider review of a 2018 Oasis 18BH that says the water tank fell off because it was not secured correctly, and a Forest River Forums post about a 2016 Oasis 26RL whose dealer replaced the tank and added a third strap. The Jay Feather owner report cites ODI 11528983, a 2019 tank that dropped while it was being filled, and ODI 11679638, a 2022 Micro whose straps were held by self-tapping screws and whose tank was gone on the highway. The Apex owner report cites ODI 11424075 and ODI 11670729, both on 2018 coaches, where supports held by screws sheared or stripped. Each of those pages says the posts do not show the same failure on every coach. - [XLR fresh-water tank owner report](https://www.rigfixhq.com/issues/forest-river/xlr/2021/forest-river-xlr-fresh-tank) - [Shasta Oasis fresh-water tank owner report](https://www.rigfixhq.com/issues/shasta/oasis/2018/shasta-oasis-fresh-tank) - [Jay Feather fresh-water tank owner report](https://www.rigfixhq.com/issues/jayco-travel-trailers/jay-feather/2022/jayco-jay-feather-fresh-tank) - [Apex fresh-water tank owner report](https://www.rigfixhq.com/issues/coachmen/apex/2018/coachmen-apex-fresh-tank) ## What to look at while the tank is still in place Jayco's winterizing article says fresh water tanks should be as empty as possible in storage, and that you should clean the black tank, then the gray tank, then the fresh tank before you store the RV. Grand Design's winterizing article says to drain the freshwater tank. The Grand Design Reflection fifth-wheel owner's manual says to drain the fresh water system at the end of each trip, and to winterize the plumbing before the RV is stored or exposed to 32°F or below. Those pages are about freezing. They are not a recall. The owner-report pages say to look at the straps and supports if the belly is open enough to see them. A strap that is loose, missing, or held by a screw that spins is what the 2022 Jay Feather complaint describes after the tank was already gone. A support that has pulled loose is what the Apex complaints describe. A tank on the ground, on the axle, or hanging from the hoses is what those reports describe. Do not tow it that way. Putting a dropped tank back was shop work or a driveway jack in those reports. Ask the dealer to look at the mounts. - [Jayco: winterizing tips, including an empty fresh tank](https://www.jayco.com/blog/rv-winterizing-tips/) - [Grand Design: drain the freshwater tank before storage](https://www.granddesignrv.com/adventure-more/learn/how-to-winterize-your-rv-or-travel-trailer-in-six-easy-steps) - [Grand Design Reflection fifth-wheel owner's manual](https://www.granddesignrv.com/content/dam/grand-design-rv/en/master-files/customer-service/owner-support/resources/owners-manuals/reflection/current/ReflectionFW_OM_Rev09_2026.pdf.coredownload.inline.pdf) ## Ask whether the visit is warranty, and still check the VIN Each of these owner reports says it is not a recall. The XLR page says the 2018 owner was told the failure was inherent, and the 2021 owner was told the repair was not covered under a recall the complaint does not name. The Oasis review says the warranty was one year. The Jay Feather complaint says Jayco told the owner the 2019 trailer was out of warranty. A complaint is not a coverage decision for another coach. Ask the dealer to look at the mounts and to say whether the visit is warranty before the next trip. A separate safety recall can still be open on the same VIN. Check the VIN at NHTSA. A recall, a warranty repair, and an owner report are three different labels. Another answer walks through how to tell them apart. - [NHTSA recalls lookup](https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls) - [How to check an RV or tow-vehicle VIN for recalls](https://www.rigfixhq.com/answers/how-to-check-an-rv-or-tow-vehicle-vin-for-recalls) - [Is a problem found while winterizing a recall, a known issue, or a warranty item?](https://www.rigfixhq.com/answers/is-a-problem-found-while-winterizing-a-recall-or-a-warranty-item) - [Check for open recalls before you store your RV for winter](https://www.rigfixhq.com/answers/check-for-open-recalls-before-storing-your-rv-for-winter) - [What is the difference between a recall, a warranty, and a technical service bulletin?](https://www.rigfixhq.com/answers/recall-vs-warranty-vs-technical-service-bulletin) - [Recall and issue alerts](https://www.rigfixhq.com/alerts) ## Questions ### Are dropped fresh-water tanks a recall? Not on these pages. The XLR, Shasta Oasis, Jay Feather, and Apex reports cite complaints and forum posts, and each page says it is not a recall. Check the VIN at NHTSA for any campaign that does include your trailer. ### What should I look at before I drain the tank? If you can see the straps or supports, look for one that is loose, missing, or pulling out of the frame. That is what the owner reports describe. Jayco says a fresh tank in storage should be as empty as possible. Grand Design says to drain the freshwater tank. Draining the tank is not a repair for a mount that has already let go. ### Who pays if a strap has already failed? These reports do not decide that. Some owners were told the repair was out of warranty or not part of a recall. Ask the dealer whether the visit is warranty on your coach. A safety recall, when the law requires a remedy, is a different letter and a different answer. ### Is this legal advice? No. This page points at owner reports and at manufacturer storage pages. It is not legal advice, and it is not a repair procedure. HTML page: https://www.rigfixhq.com/answers/fresh-water-tank-straps-to-check-before-rv-storage