Quote:
Originally Posted by itat
The dealer will want to replace it with the same cheap valve. I recommend you do it yourself and get the Watts valve I used.
|
I'll chime in to echo this sentiment pretty much across the board.
If you have a $2 failure, fix it yourself with "better."
Replace screws with stainless bolts or use Gorilla Glue on the screw threads. If something comes apart, figure out why and reinstall with better methods. And in some cases, just upgrade from the get go - e.g. fresh tank mounts and support.
I think my practical limit for surrendering my rig to be "repaired" by an RV shop is at least $200 or more. I brought my rig to the shop twice.
1) wheel bearing repack. I hate that job.
2) roof replacement under warranty...about a $5000 job.
Otherwise it's DIY because I'll always do it much better and with better materials.
Case in point: A 1 1/2" ABS drain broke a Tee under my rig...due to vibration and torsional twisting. A dealer would have replaced it with the same poor design. I replaced it with soft rubber Fernco fittings. End of problem forever.
These things are built to price and then we expect our $30,000 home on wheels to survive being yanked all over the country on rough roads. Realistically, a fully operational mobile home that costs 10% to 20% of the cost of our homes on fixed foundations just can't stay glued together the way our permanent homes can...and to be honest, our permanent homes have crazy problems, too.
If you don't pay Airstream prices, you don't get an Airstream. And Airstream owners will tell you they have their problems, too. With this in mind, I'd much rather keep camping and fix it myself than part with the rig for unknown amounts of time to get a crappy repair to "factory standards."
Linear Mode
