Bypass Valves - Location......why?

[paulmac]

Am I the only one who wonders why they locate the bypass valves in such difficult places to get too? In our flagstaff they are behind a panel next to the toilet in the bathroom. To get to them you have to first extend the slide out a little so you can get to the bathroom located in the rear of the coach. Remove the access panel located near toilet and low to the floor, so you have to get on your hands and knees. Then bend over even further to see and access the valves. This is right near the hot water heater. Why couldn't those valves have been placed on the outside of the coach just above the hot water heater behind a locked access panel? Or in the hot water heater compartment? And I have seen or heard of bypass valves placed in worse locations. Appears to me people who design the coaches never think about small things like this. Don't get me started on the location of the dump valves for the grey and black water on this camper

[nosaint3]

The first day I hooked up to the campground water on my trilogy we had water but no hot water. We found the shut off valve by climbing into the storage area and opening the panel next to the water shut off system and with a looky feely system got the shutoff valve turned on for hot water.

[mcnabbwr]

It is no different than any other product it's done for space savings and cost. If the engineering departments worked on any product in the field I believe they would make changes. I won't mention make or model, but remember several years ago if you wanted to change a spark plug in this car you needed to remove the motor mounts to jack the engine up or cut the inner fender well.

[azjerry]

And it's not just the bypass valves. On my trailer, the low point drains are behind the dual wheels. No way to reach without lying on the ground and crawling underneath.

[davel1971]

if that's your only "problem" with your camper, consider yourself lucky

[Boss Hoss]

And while we're at it-why would F.R. put the fresh water drain-dead center under my TT.I now have an elbow extension to the edge of the trailer.WHAT WERE THEY THINKING????

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by Boss Hoss

And while we're at it-why would F.R. put the fresh water drain-dead center under my TT.I now have an elbow extension to the edge of the trailer.WHAT WERE THEY THINKING????

Is that a trick question.............

[VinceU]

Need to realize the people building sub assemblies like furniture and pump/ water heater skids never see the "line" or he finished products. Their job is to build sub assemblies and have no idea how they are shoe horned in.

[Twisty]

Slam and jam and get them out the door!!

[davel1971]

Originally Posted by Boss Hoss

And while we're at it-why would F.R. put the fresh water drain-dead center under my TT.I now have an elbow extension to the edge of the trailer.WHAT WERE THEY THINKING????

because that's where the tank is and water doesn't drain uphill

[elind]

To my knowledge I saw Wildcat is installing the hot water heater bypass valve on the outside water hook up panel. They also put the antifreeze suction hose on the same outside panel. This is something Pete Leigl wanted to see on the Wildcat.

[Boss Hoss]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

Is that a trick question.............

No!

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by Boss Hoss

No!

In that case they put the valves in the most inconvenient place they can with the hope that the buyer will be to old or incapacitated to do the work and will take it to a dealer who will charge three or four times the cost thus increasing the trickle down.

[donanddona]

Hey elind what about that "Cold" water-heater bypass valve?

[WolfWhistle]

I don't know if the by-pass valve piping in the unit mentioned by the OP could be modified for convenience, but many things like this can be improved. I would think in the interest of longer pipe runs; less antifreeze and simplicity they would have to be near the HWH???

My XLR 29HFS had several poorly planned or poorly executed examples including the fresh tank drain. It wasn't as difficult to get to as some mentioned here, but the factory with a piece of 1/2" PEX and a couple of fittings dropped it straight down from the drain hole; actually unnecessarily close to the ground. I replaced the pipe; routing it to the outside, which is easily reached.

I would say most if not all the poorly placed drains could be easily extended to one side or the other without running them uphill.

Getting to fix and upgrade is the fun part of RVing... don't you think?

I will say that many small things on my XLR were done right and are convenient, of course, only the things that are not, draws one's scrutiny.

If the supervisors at the factory were doing their jobs, these small problems that we bring to this forum, would all but be eliminated. Because, I doubt that the fine detail of the build are laid out exactly for the assembler.

[Semperfi24]

It didnt seem that inconvenient when I installed them there,

Sincerely yours,

The guy who installed it into the camper when there were no walls in place...

[awellis3]

Originally Posted by mcnabbwr

It is no different than any other product it's done for space savings and cost. If the engineering departments worked on any product in the field I believe they would make changes.

On our 2604WS, the WH, water pump, water filter are all located in a service bay accessible from the outside of the trailer. (Actually, it is the left side of the front pass-through storage. The storage compartment is divided into 1/3rd - 2/3rds with the plumbing in the smaller area.)
It's nice to be able to stand outside in one place and do all the winterizing procedure. Very smart design.