My Homemade City Water Inlet

[Astroboy]

I didn't like this original chromed but PLASTIC inlet (ShurFlo) with PLASTIC regulator.

Mine was busted; it didn't live up to the cold rigor of New England winter despite the constant heat (BTW, I fulltime)

It's not easy to inspect, and it involves caulking every time I want to access the behind.

[Astroboy]

So, I made this sometime ago. It's a chromed but BRASS cast inlet on sturdy plastic base plates.

At close inspection, it's far from the most beautiful thing. But I can easily unscrew the center portion to pull it out.
It now allows me to easily inspect the regulator.

I didn't feel like to patch the original hole (3~4 inch?) with aluminum and attach the brass part to the aluminum directly. It wasn't going to be easy for me to find aluminum patch and get it cut in graceful manner for me. Perhaps this may be better; the plastic baseplates may act as thermal break, so my heated hose and the internal plumbing would stay somewhat warmer.

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by Astroboy

So, I made this sometime ago.

Astroboy,

More details, please.

Bill

[Astroboy]

Basically, the base plates consists of cutting board (from Target or Wallmart), cut with 6-inch hole saw by electrical drill. The middle smaller hole is cut by 1 3/8 (or may have been 1.5?) inch hole saw.

[Astroboy]

I harvested 2 circular plates from a black cutting board(, only because I didn't know a quick way to find a sturdy plastic plate material).

I chose black, because white would be translucent, and UV would penetrate to the subsurface and may deteriorate the plastic in long term (who knows?).

[Astroboy]

I used 9 of these T-nuts (from Lowes); 6 for peripheral, 3 for the middle.

[Astroboy]

3 machine bolts with countersank oval head are used for the middle. 6 machine bolts with pan head are used for peripheral. The 2 pictures (burrowed from the web) below don't have consistent colors but I found the ones that are in identical STAINLESS STEEL. Definitely go for stainless steel; little pricier but you want to minimize rusting and corrosion of dissimilar metals. (Chromed brass with Stainless Steel ain't as bad, I think.)

[Astroboy]

Oh, don't forget washers, also STAINLESS. 6 used for peripheral.

[Astroboy]

This is the cast brass water inlet, originally from marine application (made by Perko). Outside input is regular garden hose thread, inside output is 1/2 inch plumbing thread (male or female, I forgot... Sorry).

perko water inlet - Google Product Search

[Astroboy]

I don't remember what I used, but some sort of adapters (pics below are INACCURATE but you get the idea), male to female, or female to male. (And I'm out of town right now = not near my trailer)

You need 2 of different kinds.

-> [CITY WATER FAUCET]
-> [OUTSIDE HOSE] output in hose Thread
-> input in hose thread [PERKO CHROMED BRASS INLET] output in 1/2" plumbing thread
-> input in 1/2" plumbing thread [ADAPTER #1] output in hose thread (so convert back again!)
-> input in hose thread [MARSHALL BRASS WATER REGULATOR] output in hose thread
-> input in hose thread [ADAPTER #2, slightly different] output in 1/2" plumbing thread
-> input in 1/2" plumbing thread [Airstream's INTERNAL PEX PLUMBING] (finally!)

Again, please note: the pictures below are INACCURATE.

[Astroboy]

Brass Water Regulator (made by Marshall Gas). It reduces to around 40~50 psi.

Amazon.com: Marshall Gas Controls G-9227 Watermate Jr. Water Regulator: Automotive

Good thing, my campground was selling them for $8 each. I got another extra as an backup(, but I don't imagine I'll be needing it for the next 20 years?).

[Astroboy]

Somehow, the above water regulator also acts as an backflow preventer (1-way check valve) when one is boondocking, pumping from fresh water tank and pressurizing the plumbing from the inside. Perhaps, it may puts on undue stress on its diaphragm (does it even use diaphragm? I'm not sure how it is designed internally.)

OPTIONAL: Camco Backflow Preventer in 1/2" plumbing thread (to be installed after the regulator, before the PEX plumbing).

Amazon.com: Camco 23303 RV 1/2" Back-Flow Preventer: Automotive

Then, again, this would involve another pair of adapters, since Airstream's PEX plumbing input is female. (you'd need male-to-male adapter here)

[Astroboy]

Additional info:

I used the 2nd circular plate (from thick black cutting board) to act as the backing plate behind the exterior aluminum, and the 3rd circular plate (from very thin cheap white plate) as a final layer to hold and sandwich the t-nuts in between. Only so that t-nuts won't de-attach and fall inside from future repeated screwing and unscrewing. 2nd and 3rd plate are fastened to each other by a few WOOD screws.

Then, this composite of backing plates are cut in half, so I could install from outside.

[Astroboy]

TIMED OUT ON editing the above post.

Additional info:

I used the 2nd circular plate (from thick black cutting board) to act as the backing plate behind the exterior aluminum, and the 3rd circular plate (from very thin cheap white plate) as a final layer to hold and sandwich the t-nuts in between. Only so that t-nuts won't de-attach from 2nd plate and fall off inside within the wall. This would allow repeated screwing and unscrewing in the future. FIY, 2nd and 3rd plate are fastened to each other by a few WOOD screws.

Then, this composite of backing plates are cut in half, so I could install these from outside of the trailer.

All this involved a lot of drilling and with many different sized bits.

Tips:

- The challenge was in aligning the locations of many holes consistent among: Brass inlet, the exterior plate (1st), the interior plate (2nd). I didn't and coundn't do them so accurately; if I flip or rotate the plates, my holes didn't line up.

- The cutting circular plates from plastic cutting board is more like 'melting the cut by friction'. I spinned the hole saw at hi-speed in opposite direction so it won't bite into the plastic and get stuck.

- I used a cardboard boxes as a table when using hole saw.

- I used tip of solder to melt and to smooth out the edges of circular plates.

Enough writings for the day, got get off my laptop. Perhpas too much boring info.

Thanks for reading.

[clancy_boy]

Astroboy,

1st - great job, and ingenious use of materials - the repair looks great and should have a long service life. Thank you for complete details.

Great reference.

Mike

[howco]

Very industrial techno, I like it, looks clean......

[sterlingpod]

Excellent job, thanks for the how to pictures and details.