Sink drain hose

[Jharness81]

Originally Posted by alexcomp

On my 2010 ForestRiver pup the repair was extremely difficult, but not impossible. Your degree of difficulty may vary. The access through the slot where the hose articulates when the sink is erected was very little wider than my forearm. Got it done putting hose clamps on the smooth segment of my replacement hose both to tailpiece and inlet to trap but came out with bruises and scrapes. Used to be I'd get a splash of water through the tears in between the spiral reinforcement near the entrance to trap when the sink was dropped. Repair successful and not a drop recently.

I am familiar with bruises and scrapes related to this repair. lol. I was sore in new places after simply removing the hose clamps that go to the p-trap. Do you recall what the connection under the sink involves so far as removing the old tubing? Is it also simply attached with hose clamps? And if so, I assume said hose clamps are just as big a PITA to get to?

Thanks for the reply!

[alexcomp]

First picture illustrates the crappy seal made at the factory complete with residue indicating leak. Two hose clamps across the spiral rib reinforcement which caused a tear in the hose. That was the leak!


Second picture shows the right kind of drain hose - 4' at $1.50 - that has smooth clamp areas every foot or so. Tough to get at through the hole but I got it done and the leak is done.

If you have the first kind of hose and are leaking, that's probably the cause.

[Jharness81]

I went ahead and ordered 6 ft of the smoothbor tubing a month or so back... just waiting for spring to roll around before attempting to install it. My tubing tore right where the clamps are in your first picture above.

Question... how did you get the old tubing off of the gray threaded piece that goes to the p-trap. Before packing the camper up I tried for a bit to get the old broken piece completely off, but it almost felt cemented or glued in place. I’m sure it’s just really stretched. Did you end up having to unscrew any of the pipe fittings? Would be a complete pain in the ass if that was the case, as I don’t believe a wrench of any sort would be usable in the confined space the p-trap is located in. Wonder if I could just take a sharp razor blade and just cut it all off?

Jeff

[flyerdp]

Yes you can slice the host with a razor blade/knife. Just be careful

On my camper it is on a thick plastic barb so I didn't really have to worry about slicing through that. Even so you don't want to gouge the plastic and give the water a route to exit from.

Im adding that if yours is anything like mine, the P-Trap is against the outer wall for connection go an external drain. There is a ring on the outside that is flush with the outer wall. If someone holds the inside still, you can use a wide slip joint pair of pliers or pipe wrench and gently loosen it. This makes things A LOT easier to work on.

Then just screw on the outer flange when done

Also if you damage the outer flange or make it ugly but not break it there is a matching one on the inside that should be pristine that you can switch it with

[Jharness81]

Yep, sounds like setup is the same as yours. Does unscrewing the flanges allow you to move the p-trap piping around to work more freely on? lol That would definitely be helpful if that’s the case!

Jeff

[flyerdp]

Oh wow, yes.

Not only did I take the end off the outside but I unscrewed the sink drain (make sure you have the right tool for that). Just be careful, it is plastic.

This gave me the ability to take the entire thing to my workbench and work on it.

It makes a world of difference since your not squeezing in to a tight space trying to undo hose clamps and cut off that hose. It will also make measuring a replacement a lot easier.

Once more piece of advice. Take photos of how everything is arranged. I had zip ties around the hose and the water lines etc... You want to get it all back the same way so swinging the galley up and down doesnt suddenly bind.

I would be curious to know if there is pipe dope all over the barbs where the hose wraps around on yours? I wondered if that was the prior owner on mine or if it came that way from the factory. I could see no value in it so it didnt really make sense that it was the factory.

[alexcomp]

Originally Posted by Jharness81

I went ahead and ordered 6 ft of the smoothbor tubing a month or so back... just waiting for spring to roll around before attempting to install it. My tubing tore right where the clamps are in your first picture above.

Question... how did you get the old tubing off of the gray threaded piece that goes to the p-trap. Before packing the camper up I tried for a bit to get the old broken piece completely off, but it almost felt cemented or glued in place. I’m sure it’s just really stretched. Did you end up having to unscrew any of the pipe fittings? Would be a complete pain in the ass if that was the case, as I don’t believe a wrench of any sort would be usable in the confined space the p-trap is located in. Wonder if I could just take a sharp razor blade and just cut it all off?

Jeff

The razor knife ought to work. As I recall, after releasing tension on the two clamps and removing them, it was easy to work the hose off. If yours is cemented, that would be tougher but cutting longitudinally then prying should be doable.

[alexcomp]

Originally Posted by Jharness81

Yep, sounds like setup is the same as yours. Does unscrewing the flanges allow you to move the p-trap piping around to work more freely on? lol That would definitely be helpful if that’s the case!

Jeff

Didn't need to move the ptrap. Able to work through the slot but it wasn't easy.

[flyerdp]

Originally Posted by alexcomp

Didn't need to move the ptrap. Able to work through the slot but it wasn't easy.

I've got big hands Certainly it can be done without removing anything but its a lot easier to do the work if you do and have the tools to take everything off.

[alexcomp]

But sometimes when dealing with old, flimsy pvc fittings it can be wise to leave well enough alone. Wasn't leaking from the ptrap or the external drain and having done any number of plumbing repairs, the times when disassembling caused a new problem is not zero in my experience.

[flyerdp]

Originally Posted by alexcomp

But sometimes when dealing with old, flimsy pvc fittings it can be wise to leave well enough alone. Wasn't leaking from the ptrap or the external drain and having done any number of plumbing repairs, the times when disassembling caused a new problem is not zero in my experience.

These definitely aren't flimsy. Grabbing the barb fitting and yanking the hose off or pushing the hose on is easily equivalent if not more effort/force to removing the plumbing altogether.

I am the type of person that if it was so flimsy due to age that it breaks being removed I would rather know and fix it than close my eyes and pretend all is well until it breaks on its own. Bad plumbing is bad plumbing.

Regardless you and I have differing opinions on this and that is fine. There is no "zero risk" repair so do anything either of us suggests at your own risk.

[Jharness81]

Thanks for all the tips everyone! Looks like I can approach this repair a number of different ways. I think I’ll attempt to cut the original tubing off the barb first, and if that doesn’t work I might resort to removing the flanges so that I can take the p-trap out. The last time I fiddled with the tubing I could have sworn it was glued onto the end of the barb, but I suppose it could have been the light playing tricks on me. lol Hopefully it comes off easily once the tubing is cut! Did anyone else find that their tubing was glued onto the barb?

[alexcomp]

Originally Posted by Jharness81

I am familiar with bruises and scrapes related to this repair. lol. I was sore in new places after simply removing the hose clamps that go to the p-trap. Do you recall what the connection under the sink involves so far as removing the old tubing? Is it also simply attached with hose clamps? And if so, I assume said hose clamps are just as big a PITA to get to?

Thanks for the reply!

It was the same. Two clamps across a ribbed end. Came off easily. Now both attachment points are clamped on smooth, properly clampable ends. In order to maintain flexibility, the hose I installed alternates something like 4" smooth then 10 or so flex/ribbed. Would not want all smooth as that would be less flexible. Just cut to the next longest stretch so that it will replicate the length you are replacing plus a little. Then wire tie the same way so it doesn't flop around too much. (You should have remembered how it was tied didn't you?) Pictures help - mine was zip tied a couple different ways.

[alexcomp]

Originally Posted by Jharness81

Thanks for all the tips everyone! Looks like I can approach this repair a number of different ways. I think I’ll attempt to cut the original tubing off the barb first, and if that doesn’t work I might resort to removing the flanges so that I can take the p-trap out. The last time I fiddled with the tubing I could have sworn it was glued onto the end of the barb, but I suppose it could have been the light playing tricks on me. lol Hopefully it comes off easily once the tubing is cut! Did anyone else find that their tubing was glued onto the barb?

mine was not glued

[riverman1]

Does anyone have a pic of the plumbing set up, under their sink? We just bought a 2007 Flagstaff Classic project. A previous owner gutted all the plumbing. After I finish fixing a couple soft spots, in the floor, I will tackle the plumbing. I am pretty experienced in residential plumbing, since we own a few rent houses, but this is my first RV. Any help or guidance will be appreciated.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by riverman1

Does anyone have a pic of the plumbing set up, under their sink? We just bought a 2007 Flagstaff Classic project. A previous owner gutted all the plumbing. After I finish fixing a couple soft spots, in the floor, I will tackle the plumbing. I am pretty experienced in residential plumbing, since we own a few rent houses, but this is my first RV. Any help or guidance will be appreciated.

Every model is plumbed differently, even some like models depending on the mood of the factory worker that day. A Flagstaff Classic could be any number of models with/without a kitchen island or rear kitchen, etc.

When you say "gutted the plumbing" do you mean all the drain pipe down into the floor/underbelly is missing or just the supply lines or what?

These things are plumbed just like a home. The supply lines come from the water system and go to the faucets and the drains to the grey/galley tank(s).

Here's a generic diagram of the plumbing systems in a R/V.

[riverman1]

"When you say "gutted the plumbing" do you mean all the drain pipe down into the floor/underbelly is missing or just the supply lines or what?"

By gutting, I mean that all of the plumbing under the sink is gone. The drain just goes from the sink to the side of the trailer, I think. I think the fill hose is missing from the freshwater tank as well. Actually, the more I think about it, I believe all the plumbing is gone. There is no shoilet in this one, so we aren't really talking much plumbing to start with. The diagram is a big help, thank you.

When asking for a pic, I was really just wanting to see the difference in the RV vs Residential fittings and such, since it does have to be flexible. Just reading this thread has been a big help and caused me to think through some possible solutions.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by riverman1

"When you say "gutted the plumbing" do you mean all the drain pipe down into the floor/underbelly is missing or just the supply lines or what?"

By gutting, I mean that all of the plumbing under the sink is gone. The drain just goes from the sink to the side of the trailer, I think. I think the fill hose is missing from the freshwater tank as well. Actually, the more I think about it, I believe all the plumbing is gone. There is no shoilet in this one, so we aren't really talking much plumbing to start with. The diagram is a big help, thank you.

When asking for a pic, I was really just wanting to see the difference in the RV vs Residential fittings and such, since it does have to be flexible. Just reading this thread has been a big help and caused me to think through some possible solutions.

What exactly is your trailer model?
Some of your comments make me believe you have a pop-up or A- frame type trailer.

They typically have toilets in the shower (shoilet) drain pipes to the side of the trailer and flexible supply lines. Some/many don't have waste tanks either.

If so, my diagram mostly does not apply.

[riverman1]

Yes, it's a Pop up. From looking at the relevant parts of your diagram and other research, I think I have it all figured out. Thanks for you help.

[Tracilla88]

We similarly had the original factory hose completely tear off. I replaced with the smoothbor flex piping but unfortunately didn’t get the version with the smooth sections.
The pipe went on fine but we’re still getting a small leak at the connection point. Wondering if anyone else had this problem and if you found a solution? We’ve tried epoxy putty and that somehow still didn’t fix it. Current solution is a bucket under the sink.