Replacing the Soft Hose in a Reflection 312BHTS

[Sumitk2]

A special thanks to Rob Cate&Rob and Howard howson for the guidance on replacing my soft Hose with Pex. I purchased my TT less than two weeks ago, and started camping right away. On a morning walk, I stumbled upon a small puddle like in the picture, but it was by the front road side storage bay, where the Nautilus Panel is.



I removed the curved backing from behind the Nautilus Panel and this is what I saw.



I shut off the water, and ran around inside looking for more leaks. I found water under the bathroom sink, and kitchen sink. So a total of 2 leaks inside. I went back outside to investigate the outside leaks, and found 2 leaks by the outside kitchen (one from the hot water line, and one from the hot water junction from pex to soft hose just inside the basement, and another leak from the front bay area, which I thought was solely from the picture above, but that was isolated to behind the panel, not what was on the ground outside. Where that water was coming from was the junction between the hot water low drain point soft hose to pex. So all in all I was losing faith in my water lines. Luckily I stumbled upon a similar forum, which led me to Rob and Howard.



Shows the leak for the low point drain connection from soft hose to pex to drain.

[Jkwilson]

My two cents is that the soft hose is good for reducing noise from the pump. My answer, which I got from a post Rob made, is to use two adapters To make a Pex to Soft Hose adapter. A half inch female barb to MPT, and a half inch Pex to male MPT. This allowed me to use Pex on the Pex fittings, but to have flex hose for the pump.

[Sumitk2]

Luckily there was no damage, and I had already bought a dehumidifier for the winter camping season, so I just let it run in the front storage area to ensure no excess moisture. My first order of business was to fix my water pump line where there was a leak behind the Nautilus Panel. Luckily I had a 1/2 inch FIP x 1/2 Inch FIP sink hose to bridge the gap until I could get something permanent.

I tried to fix the leak with a hose clamp, but it made it worse. Could have been 100% operator error...I am no plumber....not even close.



With that completed, I was able to use all my water as normal, but would use the pump in case a larger leak ensued. It would cycle every once and a while at the other leak locations, but I kept the inside areas dry, and only turned the pump on when needed. Luckily in my case, the leak points were very small, but they were all at the soft hose to pex junctions.

Once I got my supplies from Lowes, built my plan, and received my crimping tool from Amazon, I was set. I overbought just in case....but still needed more. I started in the kitchen by replacing the fittings where it was leaking, and used a 1/2 x 1/2 PB Polybutylene Adapter from Sharkbite (Lowes ~ $3 ea.).









Of note: The adapter kit comes with PEX crimps, but I was using clamps...it was difficult getting the adapter into the hose with a clamp in place. I later purchase a crimp tool, and found it much easier to do it the way it was intended with crimp rings vs. clamp. My crimp tool was larger, and I was glad to have the clamp tool for the tighter spots as I was able to use one hand for most of the tight spots.

[Sumitk2]

My two cents is that the soft hose is good for reducing noise from the pump. My answer, which I got from a post Rob made, is to use two adapters To make a Pex to Soft Hose adapter. A half inch female barb to MPT, and a half inch Pex to male MPT. This allowed me to use Pex on the Pex fittings, but to have flex hose for the pump.

Jkwilson yes, Rob's Cate&Rob posts are what led me to the adapter. Made life a little simpler!

[Calbar]

Luckily there was no damage, and I had already bought a dehumidifier for the winter camping season, so I just let it run in the front storage area to ensure no excess moisture. My first order of business was to fix my water pump line where there was a leak behind the Nautilus Panel. Luckily I had a 1/2 inch FIP x 1/2 Inch FIP sink hose to bridge the gap until I could get something permanent.

I tried to fix the leak with a hose clamp, but it made it worse. Could have been 100% operator error...I am no plumber....not even close.

With that completed, I was able to use all my water as normal, but would use the pump in case a larger leak ensued. It would cycle every once and a while at the other leak locations, but I kept the inside areas dry, and only turned the pump on when needed. Luckily in my case, the leak points were very small, but they were all at the soft hose to pex junctions.

Once I got my supplies from Lowes, built my plan, and received my crimping tool from Amazon, I was set. I overbought just in case....but still needed more. I started int he kitchen by replacing the fittings where it was leaking, and used a 1/2 x 1/2 PB Polybutylene Adapter from Sharkbite (Lowes ~ $3 ea.).


Of note: The adapter kit comes with PEX crimps, but I was using clamps...it was difficult getting the adapter into the hose with a clamp in place. I later purchase a crimp tool, and found it much easier to do it the way it was intended with crimp rings vs. clamp. My crimp tool was larger, and I was glad to have the clamp tool for the tighter spots as I was able to use one hand for most of the tight spots.

That is the exact adapter that I used when I added my water filter in my kitchen island. I transitioned from soft hose to flex and hope that it works out.

Rob

[Sumitk2]

With the kitchen complete, I moved on to the bathroom...I installed some shutoff valves, and caulked the faucet (was never done, as can be seen from below...)

[Sumitk2]

Now the hard part...I knew I was going to need water, but was it going to be hot and for that nights shower! It was noon, and I continued. This was probably the most complicated as it involved the Shower, Hot water area, Washer and Dryer, and pipes underneath. I started with running the Hot and cold water pipes for the Hot water heater. I cut them at the low drain points (shown in the first post), clamped a 1/2 inch straight coupling, put some gorilla tape so the clamps wouldn't bind, and I began to pull from where I cut a hole in the coroplast. I was able to pull and push the soft hose into the compartment and the pex followed, and the pex curved with no issues. I repeated with the cold line, and began ripping out the soft pipe (which was gratifying!).


I laid on the ground, and guided the pipe into place.

Since I was down here, I went ahead and cut out the soft hose for the shower, sink, and W/D hookups. It was a challenge, but i made my cuts off set a little and was able to maneuver the tool without damaging the surrounding wires or ducting. I attached the pex which were long pex lines, and I was going to cut them when I got my final measurements for the shower and sink lines. I did the hot water line first as it was less maneuverable, and followed with the cold water line.

[Sumitk2]

I finished the shower, and cleaned up the hot water area. I elected to use 4 x 90 degree bends as can be seen. They worked great. I plan on redoing this area, I would like the cold line to the hot water heater as low to the ground as possible, and I will add a bypass for easy winterizing. I elected to not add the W/D lines back in, as I saw how much work was involved when howson did it in his. I would rather add solar and batteries which will add weight, and a combo W/D unit will eat up a lot of weight capacity.

[Sumitk2]

The outside kitchen turned out to be a project. Not much working space, and odd angles behind the sink. The also only have a square hole for the flexible piping to go through, and that did not line up with the cold water side of the faucet. I built a workaround, but think I will just install 30 inch sink hookup lines into the basement, and attach two male fittings. This way it will be easier for me to fit a wrench back there vs. channel locks. I am open to suggestions.



Looking from where the drawer was pulled out and to the left.



From inside the basement, looking at the soft hose connection. I cut a three sided rectangle in the coroplast with one side left on to make it easier to tape back up.


Looking from the basement up to the outside kitchen.

Sorry for the quality, I aired out the lines, but still....as others have stated...there was a lot of water in the lines, and my phone took a few dousing, and I didn't realize the quality was going down. This is a pic of the cold water side of the faucet, looking down. The pex would not go down, and I didn't want to force it.

[Sumitk2]

After I finished the outside kitchen, I was ok with not redoing the lines from where the soft hose connects to the kitchen lines...but when I went back to insulate the outside kitchen lines, as there are NO heated vents way in the back, I guess I moved the lines enough for the hot to start a slow leak again...major sigh. I tried tightening it with a pair of channel locks, but I didn't want to over tighten. Its very difficult to get a good grasp on the hot water side of the faucet from the removable drawer. I may cut an access panel into the bunkroom, and have a better shot of fixing it. Short story long, I decided to go after the soft hose lines from the kitchen. If your going to do a job, do it right. Ideally I wanted to add winterizing valves to the outside kitchen lines and not have to do it from the basement. So I cut some more holes (2) into the coroplast, and began. It was much easier than anticipated thanks howson 's Soft Hose Replacement project. The goal is to install a bypass for the hot water heater, and fill the lines with RV antifreeze, shut the outside kitchen valves with the fluid in them, and open the camper back up, minus the aft section of pex. This way I am protected from a freeze back there. We like to camp as much as we can, and this provides me a little peace of mind.


Underneath the Kitchen sink. Notice how the hole is right over the beam. Fun!


I brought new pex down from the kitchen to try and T off the main lines. I decided to not do this, as it was going to be hard to cut and crimp/clamp the pipes. Furthermore, the location of the pex to soft hose junction was very tight, and GD sandwiched in all the Heating lines between the floor to clear the slide mechanism, so it was easier to remove the pre placed pex from the kitchen, and cut the pipe from upstream, attache with gorilla tape and pull it. This way I would have one continuous pipe all the way to the sink. I would then T it for the outside kitchen.


Flexible pipe sandwiched in.

From below looking up at the junction.

The previous photo is from the hole in the coroplast in this one looking aft. I was thinking of just laying the pex like this, but figured I would follow GD way, and follow the original pex.

I cut the original pex from further upsream, taped and pulled. Sorry, phone got wet here as well...lots of water.

[Sumitk2]

The pex was easy to work with, and I was able to pull it and guide it into the kitchen access hole. From here I cut the outside kitchen lines, and brought them into the kitchen access hole as well. I still have some odds and ends to clean up, insulate some pipes and fix the low point drains from the Nautilus panel. More to follow....

[Cate&Rob]

Sumitk2

Wow! Jordan . . . your pictures and detail are amazing. You definitely fit in just fine on this forum .

Rob

[howson]

Sumitk2 (Jordan)-- nice work! Very gratifying that I was able to help.

The last picture in post #11 is one of those "holes" I often reference that allows a lot of hot (or cold) air to enter the trailer through the floor. Not sure if you plan on sealing it up but give it some consideration--you'll be surprised how much of the "outside" comes in through those gaps. You'll find one behind the electric fireplace, too, if you pull the fireplace out to inspect the molex wiring. Cate&Rob has a very handy PDF for the type of fireplace in his and my trailer--might still be applicable to yours.

When you're ready I'll point you to a few more projects that I think your wife will really like (and are easy to accomplish).

Howard

[ThePowells]

Sumitk2 That's tremendous work!

[Cate&Rob]

My two cents is that the soft hose is good for reducing noise from the pump. My answer, which I got from a post Rob made, is to use two adapters To make a Pex to Soft Hose adapter. A half inch female barb to MPT, and a half inch Pex to male MPT. This allowed me to use Pex on the Pex fittings, but to have flex hose for the pump.

Just a caution on using the OE hose for connections to the water pump . . . some have reported that pump suction can collapse this hose. Another alternative is to adapt the Pex to 3/4" hose connections and use washing machine hoses which are flexible but have a heavier wall construction. I use two "coils" of pre-fabricated washing machine hose for good vibration isolation. I also use vibration isolation mounts on the feet of the pump.

Rob