Soft Hose circa 2021

[Scott'n'Wendy]

When we got our 2021 303 in the fall of 2020, I spent a lot of time on this and the 'other' forum researching maintenance issues to see if there was anything to be aware of with new trailers. We bought our previous trailer new...but that was back in 2005 and trailer construction and appliances/gadgets had changed just a wee bit. The only big thing that stood out for me was the potential for the soft hose to leak. After reading numerous posts about it I decided to get some fittings and a couple lengths of pex and carry a pex crimper with me. Cate&Rob and howson have put up excellent thread/pdf information on the issue.
I've kept an eye on the soft hose connections on our trailer but they have not leaked. I was expecting them to. I don't remember if it was on this forum, but someone suggested the soft hose on the newer trailers has changed to a diameter the same or close to pex. So soft hose leaks are greatly reduced. Anybody know for sure if this is true? Or perhaps we've just been lucky so far?

[howson]

Scott'n'Wendy
Rob ( Cate&Rob ) did spot something different about the soft-to-pex connection on a hose he spotted in the factory the last time we visited the mother ship. Unfortunately none of us had the foresight to ask for a sample.

It will be a bit, but next time we'll ask for a sample and will report on what we find.

No harm in being ready--probably why nothing has leaked (yet).

Howard

[Cate&Rob]

As howson Howard describes . . . the last time the Forum Moderators were at the factory, I made note of the soft hose being used in production. It is a thinner wall white hose with a blue/red trace thread, rather than the bright blue/red hose used previously. I did not take any measurements, but this new hose did seem to be a tighter fit to the Pex fittings.

Scott . . . is the hose in your rig, the bright colour or the white ?

Rob

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I have bright blue and red hose. Our 303 is an October 2020 build.

[TedS]

My 2021 Reflection also has red and blue soft, 80psi, hose.

[Cate&Rob]

I have bright blue and red hose. Our 303 is an October 2020 build.

I think it is wise that you carry spare parts . . .

Rob

[Country Campers]

I have recently replaced the soft hose on the back of the Nautilus panel with all pex. I did this because a few of the cone washers were starting to drip a little and needed tightening. The cone washers are not supposed to be tightened very tightly. So instead of replacing the cone washers, which I do not think the factory ones hold up very well, I decided to replace the fittings with brass ones with better cone washers from Lowes, and thus replacing the soft hose. I do carry all of the extra parts including cone washers. I also had a couple places where the soft hose was close to kinking. I do not like the plastic fittings.

Brian

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I think it is wise that you carry spare parts . . .

Rob

Oh I'm not taking the spares out. If I did I would get a leak...lol
I'm not complaining, just wondering if GD had seen the complaints of leaking soft hose and made some kind of change.

[03Griz]

My 2021 was built in August 2020. It has the same red and blue hose. I recently removed the hose to the spray port as I was running pex to add hot and cold to the spray port. I can confirm that the Blue soft hose is bigger than a pex fitting, and therefore will replace the hose right up to the Nautilus panel and for the lines going up to the shower valve I will use pex to PB adapter. The PB adapter is much closer to the size that should be for that pipe. Haven't decided if I use a chinch ring with it or double hose clamp it.

[Cate&Rob]

Haven't decided if I use a chinch ring with it or double hose clamp it.

The soft hose tends to squeeze out from under a fixed size ring clamp . . . which is one of the reasons that these connections loosen over time and begin to leak. Better to use a hose clamp (or two) that you can tighten if the connection begins to leak.

Rob

[03Griz]

The soft hose tends to squeeze out from under a fixed size ring clamp . . . which is one of the reasons that these connections loosen over time and begin to leak. Better to use a hose clamp (or two) that you can tighten if the connection begins to leak.

Rob

Double hose clamp clocked at 180 degrees it is. Hopefully I can make them both fit. Thank you.