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03-24-2012, 03:17 PM
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#1
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Rivet Master
1992 29' Excella
1987 32' Excella
Morrilton
, Arkansas
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 591
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Pressure Regulator?
I have a question and can't find the answer in the forums.
We have a 92 29-foot Excella Classic and I am wondering if there is any type of pressure regulator built into the plumbing? Probaby not, eh?
On our last trip, we were using an external one we've been using since we got our trailer. It failed. We were reduced to a tiny stream of water in the trailer. I got irritated trying to live that way and told hubs to just hook the dadgum (said worse!) thing up to city water. Well, we didn't really check the water pressure and it was a very large well-developed park that we stay at in the winter. Pretty good pressure- in fact I was horrified when we unhooked and I turned it on. Strong!
Later - maybe a day or so - we noticed water slowly dripping out of the bottom on the street side and discovered a leak in (I guess it's pex, gray plastic?) going behind the cabinet by the bed. Of course, the dang floor is wet.
Husband (REBurt) thinks it was leaking before we took out the stopped up exterior pressure regulator. I'm not so sure.
Questions: Did hooking up directly to city water cause the leak? Having a little water pressure was nice. The external has always caused very low pressure.
Is there anything in the trailer to regulate pressure without it?
I think the leak is at an elbow joint. Is there a product that will likely fix a small leak without us having to re-plumb it (JV Weld or like? And I have some epoxy plumbing gook?).
It's camping season! Don't want to get in a big ole repair job and don't want to let it spend the best of spring in the RV service department.
Thanks for any help.
__________________
Carol
2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins HD 1987 Excella 32'
"Besides, I'm a gypsy at heart and I like to travel around." Reba McEntire
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03-24-2012, 03:22 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
1981 27' Excella II
mays landing
, South Jersey
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,179
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Sharkbite fittings=plumbing for dummies. I always have some for the house and AS. I never found a reducer in my trailer, and use an external one. Sal.
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Sal & Nora
Let us live so that when we die even the undertaker will be sorry. Mark Twain
AIR 42483
TAC N.J. 17
WBCCI 24740
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03-24-2012, 03:29 PM
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#3
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Maniacal Engineer
1971 25' Tradewind
Lopez Island
, Washington
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,244
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Earlier Airstreams certainly have water pressure regulators on the city water supply. I would not be surprised if there was one on yours as well.
The gray plastic is likely polybutylene, and is prone to leaking. Sorry.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f443...mbing-150.html
- Bart
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03-24-2012, 03:33 PM
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#4
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Site Team
2002 25' Safari
Dewey
, Arizona
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 15,616
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Airstreams have pressure regulators built into the plumbing. The grey stuff is most likely not PEX, but most likely Polybutylene which was a disaster in home applications because of leaks.
__________________
Richard
Wally Byam Airstream Club 7513
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03-24-2012, 03:37 PM
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#5
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Rivet Master
Airstream Dealer
Corona
, California
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 16,497
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LawChick
I have a question and can't find the answer in the forums.
We have a 92 29-foot Excella Classic and I am wondering if there is any type of pressure regulator built into the plumbing? Probaby not, eh?
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Carol.
I checked in the Airstream parts book for your 1992 29 foot ambassador.
Yes indeed, it was equipped from the factory, with a water pressure regulator.It doesn't say where it's located, but it is specified.
The top of it looks like a right side up bell, about 3 inches tall.
Andy
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03-24-2012, 05:53 PM
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#6
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4 Rivet Member
1997 25' Safari
Montgomery
, Alabama
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 262
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RELATED INCIDENT. Earlier this year we were in Florida and I found a wet floor in the storage compartment. It had happened before, leaving the insulation surrounding the water heater soaking and draining slowly on to the vulnerable floor. a lot of air directed in there from the reversed vacuum cleaner dried it up. Then it appeared in the same way a year later. I scheduled an appointment with the nice folks at Sanders Airstream. The tech was kind enough to try to explain the problem to me over the phone. BLESS HIM.
He told me that local state parks have hellishly good water pressure and it even creeps higher at night when demand lessens. AND that brass thingy on the water spigot s NOT another water pressure regulator as I thought, but an anti-siphon valve. I was not doubly protected as I thought. He says it is common for add-on regulators to be overwhelmed and until the pressure exceeds the water heater relief valve setting, it will find a weak connection in the plumbing and start leaking.
I dried out, put my redundant add-on regulator back on and even started using the onerous water pump for late night water requirements(with the city water turned off at the hydrant). I have not had a repeat of the leak.
I again thank the nice folks at Sanders and hope this helps others.
__________________
PAT & AL MEYER
TAC AL-26 WBCCI 2626
Montgomery, Alabama
follow the Two Bikes and an Airstream blog at https://airgo.blogspot.com
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03-24-2012, 06:12 PM
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#7
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Vintage Kin
Fort Worth
, Texas
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,014
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As part of the lines, looks about like one of these:
NOT like one of these:
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03-24-2012, 07:48 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
Corpus Christi
, Texas
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 869
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Law Chick,
We have an older trailer and one of the first problems we encountered after our purchase was with the water pressure. Ours blew out a pop off valve and caused a steady stream of water to come out a drain line under the back of the trailer if "any" pressure was on. Pretty sure it was designed to blow if the pressure got too high to avoid other damage and it was a relatively easy fix and no water inside the trailer. Hate to hear yours got you at a fitting in the pipes.. ahh well, now I always have a regulator at the supply. (even though there is one built into my trailer...somewhere) (-:
__________________
Chuck & Skye
Rock and Roll Will Never Die!
WBCCI 3805
AIR 54011 Since July 2011
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03-24-2012, 09:30 PM
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#9
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4 Rivet Member
1963 16' Bambi
Stevens Point
, Wisconsin
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 318
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Hey. Carol,
Sometimes if.you.forget to.put the cap on the water input those sneaky little snakes crawl into the plumbing. Yuk
Tim
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03-25-2012, 02:03 PM
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#10
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Rivet Master
1992 29' Excella
1987 32' Excella
Morrilton
, Arkansas
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 591
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Who said snake!
You guys are like elephants! You never forget! Somehow it always comes down to a doggoned snake! LOL
Thanks everyone who gave me real answers! I'm going out to the traylah today for look for something that might be a regulator, but weighing your responses, I'm sort of resigned to continuing to using an exterior one - much as I hate to!
And yes, ya'll, I do still think about sneaky snakes when I'm digging around in blind places under the kitchen sink or looking for something in the cabinet under the bathroom sink. However, I keep a close lookout~so it ain't likely. If it ever happens, I'll be on here asking how to patch the holes I blow in my beloved traylah, cause I'll shoot, probably more than once. Probably empty my Glock. Eh, 15 holes.
Friend of mine had a copperhead in his yard. Said he did the snake community a favor by killing it, cause there was something wrong with it anyway. Seems it couldn't digest lead! LOL
Thank you very much, my turkey friends, for keeping my phobias in mind!
__________________
Carol
2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins HD 1987 Excella 32'
"Besides, I'm a gypsy at heart and I like to travel around." Reba McEntire
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03-25-2012, 06:51 PM
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#11
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
Corpus Christi
, Texas
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 869
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Did you say SNAKE?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LawChick
Somehow it always comes down to a doggoned snake! LOL
If it ever happens, I'll be on here asking how to patch the holes I blow in my beloved traylah, cause I'll shoot, probably more than once. Probably empty my Glock. Eh, 15 holes.
LOL
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You are not the only one with a snake phobia. I remember fishing in a friends boat when a cottonmouth dropped out of a branch and into the boat. Bob picked up a paddle and swung that thing mercilessly, broke the windshield, broke a light, smacked the trolling motor, beat on the sides of the boat, and FINALLY, hit the snake and got it out.
I remember asking why he lost it so bad...His answer, "If I had had a shotgun I would have sunk us!"
I'm with you. Shoot. A lot. But not in a boat because then you are swimming with it...
And yes, suffer with the cheap walmart regulators.
__________________
Chuck & Skye
Rock and Roll Will Never Die!
WBCCI 3805
AIR 54011 Since July 2011
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03-25-2012, 07:57 PM
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#12
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Rivet Master
Commercial Member
1993 34' Excella
York
, South Carolina
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,417
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Carol, mine has the regulator built into the backside of the city water inlet, inside the nite stand there on the road side. They are available in at least 2 preset pressures, don't remember the numbers. They are prone to leaking. There is an o-ring in there if you take it out, separate the halves..or replace the entire thing. Not a big job. john
__________________
John
WBCCI #268 Palmetto State Airstream Club 22
Region 3 Past President....come with us, you will like it.
Go often to the house of a friend, for weeds choke the unused path........Emerson
Are you kind?..... Uncle John's Band
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09-10-2012, 12:13 PM
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#13
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1 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
Currently Looking...
Austin
, Texas
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 6
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Same problem
i just purchased a 1992 29 foot excella and living in a RV camp. i noticed a small drip in the same area you mentioned 2 days ago. This was not dripping when i purchased but just started since i moved into the rv park. can you provide any further insight if you have fixed the problem and if so how did you get to the pipe for repair?
Thanks
Jimmy Mc
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09-10-2012, 06:25 PM
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#14
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Rivet Master
Commercial Member
1993 34' Excella
York
, South Carolina
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,417
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Jimmy, if the leak is coming from the back side of the city water inlet, it is the built in regulator. It is inside the nitestand on queen bed models and I suppose under the bed on the twin models. It can be replaced easily or taken apart from the inside while still in place, and replace the "o" ring inside. Be sure to check the fitting first, it could be just lose, causing a leak.
John
__________________
John
WBCCI #268 Palmetto State Airstream Club 22
Region 3 Past President....come with us, you will like it.
Go often to the house of a friend, for weeds choke the unused path........Emerson
Are you kind?..... Uncle John's Band
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09-11-2012, 06:56 AM
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#15
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1 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
Currently Looking...
Austin
, Texas
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 6
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Any chance you might have a schematic of the fresh water system? my manual has everything else but good plumbing schematics.
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09-11-2012, 07:22 AM
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#16
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Rivet Master
Airstream Dealer
Corona
, California
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 16,497
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmyroy
Any chance you might have a schematic of the fresh water system? my manual has everything else but good plumbing schematics.
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There are many plumbing, electrical, etc, schematics.
For what year and length?
There are far to many variations between different models.
Andy
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09-11-2012, 07:53 AM
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#17
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Rivet Master
Commercial Member
1993 34' Excella
York
, South Carolina
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,417
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I believe his post was concerning a '92 29'.
__________________
John
WBCCI #268 Palmetto State Airstream Club 22
Region 3 Past President....come with us, you will like it.
Go often to the house of a friend, for weeds choke the unused path........Emerson
Are you kind?..... Uncle John's Band
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