It's been awhile, but fixes have been progressing at the rate of Methuselah.  

Mostly because of my lack of skills and knowledge.  How could plumbing be so complicated you ask?  It's actually not.  My rig is 21 foot - there's a couple of short runs and everything with a connection is accessible.  A couple of back twisters but only because I don't move quite like I used to :-)  For Lakota's young buck in the WalMart parking lot it would be a breeze!  And, seriously, my connections can't get any simpler.  City in, tank in, water pump, move the water in one line on the other side of the pump to the bath sink where cold goes up and the shower nozzle is hooked to the faucet.  Then it loops around and under the shower pan (little bay back there to access) and then under the kitchen cabinet where it is plumbed into the hot water heater (ah, wait for it...) and then back to the hot water taps on kitchen and back to bath.  Seriously simple.  Even I can figure that out.

Much of problem has been the learning curve when it comes to connections (freaking four types at least and it seems every salesperson has their favorite so I now have one of everything), getting the wrong sized connections (lowe's only carries 3/8 od not cts - same brand, same color bag), having to go to the next town to find the right connections, settling for different connections (compression) that I then screw up when I'm down to my last elbow I should have ordered more but didn't foresee the bend it needed to make, the extra insert and collet I ended up with after I have everything connected, and then....

...there's chasing down the leaks.  The quick fits are awesome once you get them pushed in - and they work fine on that polybutylene.  Forget the compression - easy to find but I either tightened it too much, or my edge wasn't straight enough (too cheap to buy a cutter so tried a hacksaw and then a tube cutter - and spent the money I should've and bought the right tool in the first place).  Gave up and ordered another quick fit elbow from Amazon.

And then there's a pinhole leak in the fitting on the back of the toilet - just above the water line - ugh.  I am going to try a patch with gorilla construction adhesive and eternabond. Beats doing nothing or replacing a whole toilet mechanism...or toilet.

And did I mention the PO had shoved a stick up the tank drain line?  How long did it take him to find the perfect size 3/8 cts I have to ask myself?  I'm framing that stick with the words - "creative, but not a permanent solution."  And going to hang it above the back of the toilet in the event my glue and tape fix works for the interim and I need a reminder...

Oh, but the water heater (are you still waiting for it?) - it's not really plumbed in!  Nope, a closer look reveals the polly-buuu-ta-leene is all hooked up to itself (no quick disconnects here) to circle back. So I have more figuring out what connections I need fun ahead.  Who knows if the tank will work - but when I popped the valve a few weeks it did have pressure (and only a spitting of water) so I feel optimistic I have a good tank - that has to be good for something, right?

Now does the cold water go in the top ... or the bottom valve?

I feel very inadequate some days!  Ah well.  The water pump is in its new spot waiting for me to do some carpentry once I get all the leaks chased down.  

On a positive note however, the vent crank I took a chance on at Amazon worked.  And, the gravel pad is in (although not done right - I just have to move on and work with it - I plan on spending more time traveling than being here - at least no more sinking in the mud).

Finally,  my mechanic made a house call Tuesday and spent half an hour with his head under the hood. He's recommending we replace the carb - and I'm going to go with that.  Already put too much in this one and this way I'll have something with a warranty.  Hopefully by end of the week or first of next he'll have room in his shop to bring her in and get her fixed :-)  It will be interesting to see what else he finds.  He knows I need safe and reliable but won't sell me anything I don't need.  

No pics...it's just plumbing!  

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Comment by Dawn Michelle on May 18, 2017 at 3:38pm

That six foot though I believe translates exponentially - LOL!  Yeah, it's going to be tight but I expect most of the time it will be me, the dog and wee cat.  

Comment by M K Wilkie on May 18, 2017 at 3:00pm
Your rig is just 6 ft. Shorter. That's the front bedroom sort of. Our last one was 18'9". I loved it but hard to do three underfoot dogs.
Comment by Dawn Michelle on May 18, 2017 at 10:36am

Okay - you nailed it!  We have trees and vines that are taking over, house needs to be pressure-washed, sink in the kitchen is leaking, so much painting...and I AM still working. However, my rig sounds much smaller and therefore much easier to deal with...grin.  

Comment by M K Wilkie on May 18, 2017 at 10:24am
We have retired time but like most there are so many projects screaming to be done at this old house and then we go and do a dummy thing like buy an old trailer and decide it should look new; forgetting that when we're done it will still be an old (not vintage) trailer with a pretty inside. Sheesh!! The house needs painting! The yard is s mess! The yard sale items take up ha quarter of the garage and the basement!!!! What were we thinking????
Comment by Dawn Michelle on May 18, 2017 at 10:17am

Hahah - well I DIDN'T when I started - the naivete of the ignorance :-)  But what can you do?  You either got money or you got time (or precious little of both - and then I guess that makes me a darn fool - lol!!).  Thanks for the support!

Comment by M K Wilkie on May 18, 2017 at 9:55am
Dawn, you are amazing. Taking all of this on is quite a project, but you will have a lot of satisfaction in knowing you did it yourself. I know nothing about about plumbing at all.
Comment by Dawn Michelle on May 18, 2017 at 8:08am

Yah, I am keeping the old tubing as it seems mine is in good shape as well, and I've now learned that the Watts quick connect fittings do work on that old gray stuff as well as the pex (so easy to hook one in one end, one in the other where I had to do some change outs.  

I did replace one run from the bath through the dinette as I was trying to minimize the connections near the converter. Unfortunately I didn't eliminate them so going to take some extra precautions in there.  

Actually only of the leaks were the butylene or the old fittings and that one just needed a quick turn of the wrench! It was either in the toilet fitting (which was just above the water line connection), or sorry to say - where I had to cut and make new fittings to move the water pump and re-hook in the city water line.  The quick connects just had to be seated better and a cheap $1.67 sharkbite disconnect tool worked with them if I had to reseat completely.  And then the compression fitting I obviously fubared.  

So mostly it was all operator error!  Facepalm.

I looked up what the water heater fittings with the bypass so know what it should look like - it was heartening to know that hey, I know in theory how that all works so hopefully this time I'll do better getting all my fittings the first time.  I got this (hahah - famous last words).

THANK YOU - got it - cold water bottom, hot water water too.

And, dang it, going to just go get that tool I need for cutting now that I have another bit to do.  Live and learn!!  

Is the CPVC the white "pvc" stuff they also had offered at the store?  The one guy told me down in Florida that's all they use but up here because of the cold he sees more pex in the RVs...guess it's more resistant to freezing.  I actually was really surprised I had no leaks considering the long bitter temps she went through this winter and I feel fairly certain the line weren't blown out.  

'm trying to take all the missteps in stride.  That's the learning curve.  I am happy with the gravel, just feel I paid too much for what I got and not sure how it's going to work long term.  We got clay mostly here though.  I'll have to add more and keep working it to level - but eventually it'll pack.  In the meantime it will be a lot cleaner and no more ruts in the yard :-)  We had a lot of rain this year.

Comment by Russell E Johnson on May 18, 2017 at 12:05am

Daniel, brittle is not a problem I am having with the tubing. It is the joints that are the problem. Every leak I have had has been because of a bad elbow or a T fitting. I just cut out the bad fitting, put in a new one and ready to go till the next one gives out.

Comment by Daniel Long on May 17, 2017 at 11:25pm

Ugh!!! I really hate the RV CPVC  piping in there. Always have gone in, cut and replaced with blue and red PEXX piping to keep me on track. Yes its' a big pain but so is all that brittle CPVC garbage.

Comment by Russell E Johnson on May 17, 2017 at 9:24pm

Dawn, are you replacing the gray water piping with PEX or trying to patch the old stuff?

The water heater connection for the cold water input is on the bottom and the hot comes out the top or higher up the side. 

Not sinking into the mud is very important, especially when placing stabilizing/leveling jacks down. It is no fun to have to wrap a chain around them and drive away to get them to come with you. LOL

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