Plumbing Created by Airstream or ????

[ADK Jim]

Hello all:

Haven't posted in awhile because everything on my Classic 300 LE was operating and my biggest project this year has been polishing, polishing, and more polishing.
I need some advise and hopefully some images from others. I was staying in our Airstream for 2 months while volunteering at a state park and upon leaving noticed a wet spot under the driver's side twin bed. It appeared on a raised carpeted area above the floor. The main flooring wasn't wet, so I am guessing the leak is from one of the fittings in the photos below. On this model the water storage tank is on the curb side and the pump, and assorted plumbing is on the driver's side. I removed the moldy particle board to discover the images below. So . . . was this created and designed by Airstream or a summer intern who secretly wanted to become a plumber? I also found that it also goes into the rear storage compartment and then heads back under the bed? Since I am not sure where the leak is coming from, I am half tempted to rip it all out and replace the old gray tubing with the new PEX and fittings. Any advise from those who might have tackled the job. Is this what your plumbing looks like? Thanks for any help. Jim

[tevake]

Looks like the same apprentis was there at the factory to do the plumbing on my
345 Classic coach.
Not the same layout, but very similar style of work. Mine does not use the copper elbows but otherwise look very similar.
Yours does seem mostly original. I would think you should be able to find the leak and repair that part.
OTOH, you have exposed the area so could get in there to do a total replacement if you really need a brake from the polishing.

Cheers Richard

[ADK Jim]

Richard:
Thank you for the reply. I am hoping another 300 LE owner will let me know if they have the same "spaghetti" of pipes as I do and maybe even where they all go. At least I know it is probably original. Thanks again, Jim

[wahoonc]

I agree... looks like standard factory install, they seem to all have missed the plumbing 101 class.

I would defintely get rid of the polybutylene ASAP. I have two houses that I am going through the process of replacing it on right now.

Aaron

[Isuzusweet]

I replaced all my plumbing in my 83 310 TD with the Pex A Wirsbo Uponor system. It's very easy to install with no crimping or loss of pressure due to restrictive fittings and took me a day os with testing. The plumbing place you buy the Pex A from will most likely rent you the Pex A tool for a nominal fee to do the job. The nice thing about Pex A is that it's an expandable pipe, so it does limit the possibility of a burst pipe due to freezing.
The one modification I undertook was NOT putting the water pressure regulator in the coach. If you go with Pex A you don't really need it but I have decided to run a water filter and regulator at the point of water plug in; that way I regulate the water BEFORE the coach and filter it as well, so bits or pieces of crap don't get into the water supply.

Cheers
Tony

[TomKirk]

Before doing any of the above, you should put a gauge on it and do a pressure test. Your system should hold steady pressure (over time) at say, 40-60 PSI.

What you may have may be a condensation issue and not a plumbing leak.

Tom

[ADK Jim]

Thank you Tom, Tony and Aaron. All good thoughts and I appreciate learning what others have done. Tony, were any of the pipes fastened to the walls. My big concern is the shower on the curb side of the motorhome. I think I would have to rip out the entire refrigerator and bi-fold door just to get to the back of the shower fittings. Did you have to do this? The bathroom sink, toilet and kitchen sink (driver's side) are fairly easy to get at the fixtures. Anyone else do this job? Thanks all, Jim

[idroba]

Although the gray polly pipe seldom fails (but can) I would replace as much as possible with PEX. It was the gray plastic fittings which usually failed in the gray polly systems. Yours appears to have mostly copper fittings (elbows etc) so that at least is good.

Airstream still has strange plumbing, even with PEX. My 2014 20' FC has 17 90 degree elbow fittings between the fresh water tank and the kitchen sink hot water tap. Yes 17! You can imagine the pressure losses involved.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by ADK Jim

Thank you Tom, Tony and Aaron. All good thoughts and I appreciate learning what others have done. Tony, were any of the pipes fastened to the walls. My big concern is the shower on the curb side of the motorhome. I think I would have to rip out the entire refrigerator and bi-fold door just to get to the back of the shower fittings. Did you have to do this? The bathroom sink, toilet and kitchen sink (driver's side) are fairly easy to get at the fixtures. Anyone else do this job? Thanks all, Jim

I am not familiar with the MoHo construction. Is there an access panel to the shower plumbing? If so you can possibly snake the new pex in there, and just cut the PBT stuff back and leave it in there.

idroba is correct in that the pipe seldom fails it is usually the fittings, however I have had some pipe let go. The primary issue was apparently caused by the amount of chlorine in the water, it caused the deterioration of the PBT. I have had some sections of pipe fail, but it was on the house that has been hooked up to a city water system since new. The country house was on a well for years so the piping and fittings lasted longer.

I am extremely gun shy of the PBT due to the systemic failures of it, and would do everything I could to replace it.

Aaron

[Isuzusweet]

@ADK Jim

I did take out the fridge and freezer beside the shower as I was replacing cabinetry. I also ended up gutting the moho to revinyl all walls and shower so replacing the plumbing was easy but in your case it could be difficult to do, but not impossible. You need to post photos of what you have beside the shower so I can figure out a solution.

Cheers
Tony

[SebasSF]

Hi Jim, that looks about right. Do you know if your "auto fill" works, and do you use it? That is what the actuator is for, and a lot of the complexity. You may just want to find the leak and fix it, or you could simplify it quite a lot.
I have a rear queen so photos from mine would be different, but glad to help.


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[Isuzusweet]

This is the area beside my shower before I ended up removing some of it for renovation. As you can see there is a panel with a cut out to gain access to the rear of the shower faucet. This panel could be taken out completely without compromising anything else, allowing you to pull the old plumbing out, using it as a snake to pull the new stuff in. I don't know if this is the same layout as yours.

Cheers
Tony

[ADK Jim]

Isuzusweet & all - again thank you for your responses. Second shower question. Is there a lip on the edge of the shower base that the walls rest on top of, or do they just butt together? If my original shower leak is from a butt joint, then it sounds like a big job! If it is some form of a lap joint (wall to shower base) then maybe a caulking job is in order. Will do pressure check first and I am thrilled that at least I have he copper elbows for the joints. I can easily replace the few that are not and were the original gray stuff. Any additional shower pictures would greatly appreciated. Jim