Are RV Faucets Unique?

mjurgen889 · 07-23-2011, 05:54 AM

The finish on our bathroom and kitchen faucets is starting to deteriorate. Is there anything unique about an RV faucet that would preclude replacing it with a normal home faucet of the same size and similar function?

Thanks for a great forum!

Mike

youroo · 07-23-2011, 06:08 AM

Nope,replaced ours when they were new. replace now or later. Youroo!!

mjurgen889 · 07-23-2011, 06:19 AM

Thanks - thought that was the case, but just didn't want to arrive home with boxes of faucets to immediately return!

**KyDan** · 07-23-2011, 07:10 AM

This question comes up often.
Short answer is no.

Lots of us have gone to Home Depot or Lowes or any large dept store or
hardware store and bought replacement faucets.

In my case, our bathroom sink is very small and bath faucets spout length
varies so if you have a similar situation you might want to measure the spout
on your old one and get one of a similar dimension.

jsutherl · 07-23-2011, 01:17 PM

It is the shower faucet that is a bear. First; sometimes they don't leave you any way to get access to the plumbing to disconnect it. Second; you have to have that strange little threader connector sticking off it for the shower hose.

I've been looking but so far I haven't found a good quality shower faucet. I want one with handles instead of knobs. So I can tell which (hot or cold) side is on or off at a glance.

capucine · 07-23-2011, 04:59 PM

Faucets are the same fit. For the bathroon get a 4 inches hole fit and 8 inches for the kitchen,. Faucets for trailers are not to good quality. Just the look is nice. These trailers faucets are very light to save for the weight but I dont think a few more pounds for a delta or price fister faucet will make a big thing on your gass bill. Eventually I will replace mine also on my new 2011 trailer. I already replaced the spout O ring for a smaller size because it was almost impossible to turn it even by using plumber grease. And yes there is no leakage with the next smaller size of O ring.

3 Happy Campers · 07-23-2011, 06:16 PM

Right from the factory our Sierra 356RL had almost zero flow/pressure from the OEM faucets.
I showed the dealer a thread from this form where folks ran into the same problem & replaced the faucets with ones from Lowes or HD.
I went out & picked some midlevel faucets from Lowes & the dealer installed them & reimbursed me for the cost under warrenty.

jimh · 07-23-2011, 08:40 PM

when i had a leak around the "garden tub" faucet that i couldn't stop, the dealer said there were two sizes and the factory had installed the smaller one. holes were drilled for a larger one.
bottom line they stopped the leak (between faucet and under part of shower.
i didn't see what he was talking abt but am happy with the repair.
when u replace, look for metal in the mixing area. on my kitchen faucet it was replaced once within a couple months of buying the trailer with same kind. last year, it split again. replaced with one from camping world (abt the same price) that is all metal underneath. i suspect that the faucet split because of me being a little to fast to get the air out of the system (sputter creates a hammer).

capucine · 07-24-2011, 06:32 AM

jimh: Faucets should take the air in the system without breaking. If they breaks it is because they are of poor quality. In your house the faucets will takes a lot of hammering from air in the system without falling apart.

jimh · 07-26-2011, 06:41 AM

it was the only explanation that i could come up with. didn't happen in any other faucet so thought it was due to compressed air hammer (was trying to relate it to a steam hammer). the faucet in the sink goes up abt a ft and thought that was causing a pressure build as the air was replaced by water.
i've never had it happen in my home but have not bled air out of the home system but once.
on the trailer, it cracked within the first 2 mos. replacement, i babied and it made it abt 6 yrs. there may have been other factors.
the faucets didn't fall apart; the mixing area cracked. it very well could have been very low quality faucets.
the faucets in the lavatory and shower also have plastic mixing areas and have not been a problem.
thought it was odd that i lost two of the same brand and design with cracks in that area.

j2detroit · 07-26-2011, 07:48 PM

i am in the prosee of replacing the faucets in out 06 cherrokee they still worked ok but the squeekie bathroom fauset was driving us nuts we found a very nice perless unit for our bathroom took only a half hour to change works great looks great nomore squeek kitchen fauset this weekend then the shower

F and E Damp · 07-26-2011, 09:02 PM

You may run into differences in the faucet center dimensions and the size of the pipes supplying the water. I haven't looked into changing the shower system yet, but would very much like to. There are more pressing issues right now.

Sticks and bricks has Moen tub-shower faucets. A shower-only version looks good. We've seen some Swedish (maybe German) ones (Hans Groehe) that are really handsome. We may look into adapting those to the MH. It all depends on the plumbing hot/cold pipe outlet center distances and the pipe sizes.

jsutherl · 07-28-2011, 10:04 PM

I just finished changing out the faucet in the kitchen. One strange thing; the connectors on the bottom of the faucet are unlike most I've come across in a house. And there where no valves to shut off the sink.

So I cut off the existing connectors and installed some BrassCraft PushConnect valves.

BrassCraft 1/2 in. NOM PushConnect x 3/8 in. OD Comp Outlet Chrome Plated Brass 1/4-Turn Angle Valve - G2PC19 C1 at The Home Depot

I also had to buy a 1-1/2" drill to drill a third hole in the counter. There was no center hole in the counter and the faucet I bought requires a center hole.

Two pictures below, before and after. The chrome one with the ruined finish is the before. The white pull-out faucet is the after.

**Herk7769** · 07-29-2011, 06:42 AM

I used these.

1/2 in. PEX PTC Ball Valve with SharkBite Connections-22222-0000 at The Home Depot

moosata · 07-30-2011, 08:04 AM

How do you replace the garden tub faucet? There doesn't appear to be a way of removing it from the back, like a house faucet.

jimh · 07-30-2011, 08:35 AM

on mine, there is a screw in plug (4"?) on the outside (dry side) that allows access to it.

moosata · 07-30-2011, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimh

on mine, there is a screw in plug (4"?) on the outside (dry side) that allows access to it.

Hmmmmmmm...................we don't have that on ours.
Rockwood 8314ss ultralight, 33", 2007

mjurgen889 · 07-30-2011, 10:39 AM

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions. I'm a new guy about to head to the Gulf coast with the RV - first big trip. I'm going to post another question and invite your input - apologize for these newbie questions and I promise I do search around first! Thanks to all and drive safely!

Mike

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