Got a 78 Argosy 24' (in excellent condition) that we've had for about 5 years now. We're only the second owners. Love it!
We've put several thousand miles on it with so far with pretty minor plumbing problems - sink cartridge, leaky joints fixed with PEX connections, blown hoses on the water pump, etc.
But now I've got a serious one. we're camping and have a bad cold water leak that seems to be either under the shower pan or behind the shower wall. Don't want to dry camp for the next 2 weeks so how do I proceed? Is it easy to take off the shower back wall? Do I need to go in through the belly?
Hi Ron,
I have a 22 foot argosy myself and have just finished Pex piping it. It sounds like your leak is coming from the rear enclosure behind the two shower knobs, not from underneath the shower pan (good news) and you do not have to go in from the belly pan (better news). Just drill out enough of the rivets holding the rear enclosure to the wall until you can identify where the leak is coming from. Unless you have had a pipe freeze it sounds like a problem in the shower valve assembly which is famous for developing leaks. If the repair is tto much for you to do now but you still wish to use your water I would just go under the rear sink and install a valve in between where your toilet pipe is and the shower knob that way you can isolate the leak and still use everything but the shower and fix it later.
Good luck
Hi ron
I just got the same trailer. I don't have a plumbing issue yet but have not yet hooked up any water. What did you wind up doing?
Quote:
Originally Posted by uniquemicro
Hi Ron,
I have a 22 foot argosy myself and have just finished Pex piping it. It sounds like your leak is coming from the rear enclosure behind the two shower knobs, not from underneath the shower pan (good news) and you do not have to go in from the belly pan (better news). Just drill out enough of the rivets holding the rear enclosure to the wall until you can identify where the leak is coming from. Unless you have had a pipe freeze it sounds like a problem in the shower valve assembly which is famous for developing leaks. If the repair is tto much for you to do now but you still wish to use your water I would just go under the rear sink and install a valve in between where your toilet pipe is and the shower knob that way you can isolate the leak and still use everything but the shower and fix it later.
Good luck
Actually the leak was under the basin pan. To take it out I had to take off the trim, then the shower wall with the taps, then more trim and finally drill out the rivets for the pan. One of the right angle joints had cracked. (Most of my plumbing woes have been caused by the right angle joints.) This joint was under the pan close to the wall separating the shower from the bed. Thank the stars for PEX and pex connectors.
Last edited by CanoeStream; 10-10-2009 at 10:45 AM.
Reason: merge quotes, remove double post
I have a 74 24" Argosy with a leaky shower valve. The O ring seems to get cut when installing new ones therefore it doesn't stop the leak. I took it to an RV shop and they quoted hundreds of $ to replace the faucet. They explained to me I need to remove the trim from the shower wall that covers the screws that hold the paneling to the back wall then remove the caulking and drill out the rivets. Replace the faucet fixture then reinstall everything. Is that a good description of what you did? They also said it is likley the trim piece and panel will crack because it's too old and brittle. What was your expereince? Thanks for any help.
Last edited by buffaloman; 10-15-2009 at 07:56 PM.
Reason: typos
The plastic trim will crack but you can buy it from any Airstream dealer or search this site.
Booth the upper and lower trim needs to be removed before the back wall can come off. Mine was a little tight and took some patience because of the carpet around the toilet and the old caulking at the sink.
The lower trim rail will need longer rivets to put it back.
Thanks for the description and conformation of the process. Did you replace the facuet while you were doing the work?
Do you remember the rivet lenghts that I need to buy? Any good scource recommendation? Also what size drill is used to remove the original rivets? Do you need a special rivet replacement tool or are they break off rivets? ( insert and break off with pliers?)
To drill out the existing rivets, use an 1/8 inch bit designed for metal. Place the bit in the rivet's indentation and drill straight in. The bit cuts the rivet head off and opens the joint. After you remove the panel, you may have to remove the rest of the rivet with pliers. Just take your time so that you do not damage the panel.
To reassemble, you'll need a "pop rivet" tool which costs about $10.00. It's remarkably easy to use. For a good description of how the tool works, see the current issue of "ShopNotes" (Vol.18, Issue 108, pages, 10-11). The rivets I used came from Airsteam, but you can get them at Lowes. At lowes ($5 a box), they are marked as 1/8 inch thick and either "long" (1/2 in) or "medium" (3/8 in?). I used both depending on the thickness of materials to join.
thanks rgolemba for the information. BTW what toilet do you have. I also have to replace the exisitng toilet, a Aqua Magic SL ,model. The valves leak and I have been advised replacement parts aren't worth the trouble to replace. "Buy a new one". One issue is the size, my 74 Argosy has about 12 1/2" clearance between the black water tank connection and the bottom of the shelf behind the toilet. The RV shop says that they can't find one that fits. Someone here said they replaced theirs with an Aqua Magic V. The low profile unit almost seems to fit and it might, if the unit sits slightly forward of the back shelf. Thetford Co does not return emails nor do they answer their telephone. What do you think? Feel free to contact me by shooting me a PM with your email address. Thanks again.
Last edited by flyfshr; 10-27-2009 at 05:59 PM.
Reason: Removed email address - contact through PM
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