Factory PEX to hose connections

[Devildog1982]

We picked up our new Coachmen Apex Nano 187RB in April of this year. In the last 3 weeks we have had damaging water leaks in the compartment where the city and black tank flush connectors run from the rear left side of our unit to the outdoor shower and water heater.

Is it acceptable for the manufacturers to run flexible water lines and connect them to PAX fittings using PEX Cinch clamps? I had to make emergency repairs by removing the PEX factory made PEX manifold and installing a fabricated PVC unit to stop the leaks.

Also they connected the same blue tubing to the ROC 14080 water heater bypass assembly and it was also leaking at the water heater valve connection. There the blue hose was preloaded and pulling the hose at an angle from the PEX connection. Is this a normal industry practice or was just someone trying to cut corners? I will be replugging in the spring to get it straightened out to where I beleave it should have been manufactured

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Devildog1982

We picked up our new Coachmen Apex Nano 187RB in April of this year. In the last 3 weeks we have had damaging water leaks in the compartment where the city and black tank flush connectors run from the rear left side of our unit to the outdoor shower and water heater.

Is it acceptable for the manufacturers to run flexible water lines and connect them to PAX fittings using PEX Cinch clamps? I had to make emergency repairs by removing the PEX factory made PEX manifold and installing a fabricated PVC unit to stop the leaks.

Also they connected the same blue tubing to the ROC 14080 water heater bypass assembly and it was also leaking at the water heater valve connection. There the blue hose was preloaded and pulling the hose at an angle from the PEX connection. Is this a normal industry practice or was just someone trying to cut corners? I will be replugging in the spring to get it straightened out to where I beleave it should have been manufactured

Yes to both questions in this sentence.

It becomes an industry practice because they are cutting corners on hiring qualified individuals to perform work like this.

Then again if the factories were to hire journeymen Plumbers, Electricians, Carpenters, etc., what do you think would happen to the price of RV's?

A good training program and better Quality Assurance program in the factories would go a long way towards solving these problems.

[5picker]

Plumbing like you have witnessed is common across all manufacturers. Don't feel singled out.

There are a couple posts a month on the various R/V forums with leaks such as yours. Most do as you and fix themselves.

It's truly a shame the R/V industry won't do a better job but cutting expenses is job one for them. Quality assurance isn't even on their radar.

[NJKris]

I experienced the same type of leaks in my wet bay. I cut off the deformed part of hose, and reclamped with new PEX clamps, no more leaking. The leaks started before my first year of ownership ended. I asked FR if they would reimburse me for the cost of the clamps and tool, about 100 bucks, since it was under warranty. They refused. The guy said I would be sent some extra flexible water hose since now mine were all so short they barely fit. They didn't send it.

[AZ Pete]

In my experience the vinyl hose is too large ID for the pex fittings, and after replacing the factory oetiker clamps, only to have them leak again, I went to screw type hose clamps that are designed for fuel injection line...they can be tightened more, and can be retightened if need be

[FirstFiver]

Yes, it is normal industry practice to cut corners.
How else could manufacturers make so much money on something that costs so little to make.

[jkoenig24]

"Quality assurance isn't even on their radar."


Sadly, this is TOO OFTEN the case

[Tundra 2014]

I agree quickest fix on the flexible hose is adjustable hose clamps. I get mine from Tractor Supply as they have some w/ the agriculture sprayer parts that are wider and stainless steel. You can find PEX clamps that will fit, but they are hard to find. It may just be different manufactures, out of 100+ bands I had 3 that were slightly larger.

[DouglasReid]

on our camper those VERY incorrect connections were not made. They used plastic PEX type fittings on the braided lines. Problem there was the braided lines were swelling quite a bit and I was fearing one would burst.

My pex fittings were a swagged type of crimp but the fittings were hard plastic. Plastic gets brittle with age and cracks. Again, me being me I was afraid they would leak.

My solution was to remove the braided lines and the plastic fittings. I replaced them all with brass fittings and crimp ring connectors. Those connections will outlive me!

[AZ Pete]

what did you replace the braided lines with?

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by AZ Pete

what did you replace the braided lines with?

In a word, PEX, and brass PEX fittings with ratchet type clamps.

I used a PEX female adapter, screwed it onto where the end of the braided line terminated at whatever device it was connected to.

I connected it to a piece of PEX and ran it back to where the other PEX ended. A PEX Coupling with two clamps on either end and I was done.

In the pic I have attached you can see the PEX running to and from the water pump, to the outside shower and in the very far back to the rear of our new Furrion Tankless water heater.

In the foreground of that pic there is one braided line it goes to the outside shower head because it is a hand spray and PEX would not be flexible enough to work there.

[Tundra 2014]

When I removed my filter, I replaced all the plastic "T"s. I was able to cut the flexible hoses and reattach w/ PEX clamps.I did have to look around at hardware store to find PEX clamps that were slightly larger to fit around the flex hose. Took a piece of flex w/ me. Adjustable clamps will do the same, I have found the PEX to have more even pressure (less leaks over time). I did not change all the adjustable hose due to needing the flex with the small working area in my "F-front trailer". MY suggestion is to also replace the water hose inlet connection at the same time. Many of the standard water inlets are plastic, replaced w/ metal. The originals are easy to crack from the weight of the exterior water hose connections or pulling on the PEX. This was an additional $10.

[Devildog1982]

I ended up making a manifold from PVC and used 1/2 inch barbed fittings and used hose clamps. On the water heater I have a temp fix where I am removed the ROC winterizing rig and went with an Apollo 1/2 inch 90 degrees brass PEX fitting and hose clamp.]I will eventually replace everything that has a hose attached to it.

[KyDan]

Every flex hose with a screw clamp in all 4 of my current and previous trailers leaked at some point. Some leaked first time out and others waited as long
as 3 years. One blew completely off the fitting- thankfully we were in the trailer and heard the water pump kick on for no reason. Screw clamps are OK I guess but you need to give them a tighten when they are new and again after a year and probably every year after....

My first rig over 16 years ago and my current one which is 4 years old ALL DEVELOPED LEAKS AT THE SCREW CLAMPS.
My current rig waited 3 years to leak but it started dripping at the water pump last winter while we were being snow birds.

[AZ Pete]

Have had the same leak problem with oetiker clamps. Would really like to find an alternative flex hose that is a tighter than the vinyl hose. The vinyl hose seems to be the problem for me. It is oversized and seems to compress over time, resulting in leaks.

[DougW]

I had a couple of those where the braided hose on the PEX connectors leaked. The problem is as was stated above, the braided hose has a larger inside diameter than PEX so it takes an extremely tight clamp to make a water tight seal. Making it so tight deforms the hose and it can still leak. The easiest and (so far) most reliable fix I have found is to use sharkbite fittings. They are very easy to use, just push the water line into them firmly making sure it is well seated, no clamps or rings to use so they are even pretty easy to use tight places.

[gw1800]

I had the fitting behind my toilet leak. It was a flexible PVC hose, like the ones in the pictures, connected to a PEX fitting with a PEX clamp. The fitting was too small for the hose. I cut off the crimped end of the hose, wrapped the fitting with self fusing silicone tape and put on a worm hose clamp. The addition of the tape made the fitting diameter fit the hose perfectly. No more leak.

[adaycj]

Same nightmare here in our new 21QBS. The braided hose has no business being on a PEX fitting of any sort. The spec.of the ID of the PEX line and the braided stuff is off by almost an 1/8.

After 3 leaks in 4 trips, one that wrecked the trip, I replumbed the entire unit in proper PEX. It was no small event to get to all of the places where they hacked in the braided stuff.

As a silver lining, I found another leak that had already formed I hadn't found yet. I also found the shower base that was cracked and about to collapse.

As far as the workers, plumbers, pipe fitters, ect. A large number of homeowners manage PEX installations and repairs successfully every year. There are things to learn, but is isn't that hard to get it sealed up for good. The only difference is they aren't handed incompatible braided hose. It is all on FR for even having this nonsense stuff in the factory. It's only good as a shower wand hose.

[NJKris]

Amazing that a business that was started in 1996 (Forest River), still hasn't figured this out yet. They've had 25 years to get it right.

[gw1800]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Amazing that a business that was started in 1996 (Forest River), still hasn't figured this out yet. They've had 25 years to get it right.

I tired to find a connector for a flexible PVC tubing. very few and far between. Even harder to find is one that would connect PVC to PEX.