Quote:
Originally Posted by donreitz
I have a 2013 FC 25 FB with single beds. This will be the first year I have to worry about winterizing the unit, which means I need to access the water heater bypass valve. The owner's manual says the valve is located "through the curbside front exterior access door." It isn't. Access is through a small cutout in the curbside bed deck under the mattress. With a flashlight I can see the (yellow) valve, but there's simply no way I can fit my hand through the access cutout and between the plumbing to reach it. Even my thin-handed daughter has trouble reaching the valve, although she can't get enough purchase to turn it.
What am I missing? There's got to be a way of accessing the bypass valve short of removing the bed deck. Any help is appreciated.
Don
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I have the same trailer, the same yellow valve, and I think the same cutout. The cutout is a circle about four or five inches in diameter.
I have no trouble reaching my hand through the hole and touching the yellow handle. It's pretty much right under the cutout. But there is some plumbing that prevents me from getting a grip I can turn it with. The valve is pretty stiff.
What I do is use a tool to turn it. At first I used an open end wrench--just open the jaws and drop it over the handle, then turn the wrench. I wrote a note to myself to remember the wrench in the future. But next time, it didn't work out for me. Instead I used a conventional slip-joint pliers. My handle has a few scratches in the pretty yellow paint now....ask me if I care.
Another note: it may be possible to shift the blocking plumbing out of the way a bit. Also, One of the blocking plumbing pieces is a coiled flexible hose with screw-on ends. I have considered buying a longer replacement so that it can be moved out of the way.
I'm attaching a picture of what I see when I look through that hole. By the way, my 120V electrical system has been modified in the area, so the picture shows some non-standard parts.