A '63 for me! (many good ideas for your new to you Trailer)

[Safari Tim]

Uwe,

I had this problem in my Safari once. It turned out the hot and cold lines I had each going to a valve then tee'd to a single drain out the belly pan. Both of these valves were on, even though the cap was on the line under the trailer.

This allowed the water to mix only providing luke warm water. Closing both valves fixed the problem.

Hope your solution is as simple.

Beautiful shine btw!

[uwe]

Tim,
Thanks for the tip, but the drain valves and caps are still in my tool box, awaiting installation. I am beginning to think that there's something wrong with my brand new water heater. Blocked intake? Shipping caps inside the fittings, something silly like that?

[3Ms75Argosy]

it sounds like under pressure, that the cold lines are not lettting the hot water "escape" from the hot water tank.

Here's a small test.... try using the overpressure valve (the one that you press down outside on the hotwater tank) and see if hot water comes out. Also, although it shouldn't make a difference... did you "burp" the tank when you first fillled it? I usually hold down that overpressure valve until I get water out when it first fills up.

If you get hot water out... then I'd assume that your tank is making hot water. If you get hot water out after the city and pump are off, then I'm assuming that you're getting hot water via gravity feed (from the lower cold water supply line from the tank) - the tank is supplying some pressure until the water level drops down. Maybe the top (hot water) supply line has a plug in it?
Good luck!
Marc

[azflycaster]

Uwe ~ Have you figured out your lack of hot water problem? Did you install a bypass on the water heater? I looked at the photos that you posted of your Pex, but it does not show where the hoses attach to the water heater...

[uwe]

I have had to pick up a bunch of loose ends here at the office after returning from the 4th of July holiday, so I have not hada chance to investigate the matter further.
My plan is to do some troubleshooting tonight by disconnecting the cold side to the faucts from the circuit, and then checking to see where the cool water is actually coming from. There must be a very silly, simple solution to this problem. I am probably so deep into this that I can't see the forest for the trees.

[uwe]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Uwe ~ Have you figured out your lack of hot water problem? Did you install a bypass on the water heater? I looked at the photos that you posted of your Pex, but it does not show where the hoses attach to the water heater...

I have not yet installed a bypass, or drain valves to clear the lines in the back of the trailer.

[azflycaster]

I have the same Pex fittings (flare) in my 75 TW. I would try and avoid opening them up. They just will not come apart without a bunch of pressure. Heat helps. I think you have a good plan to remove the connections at the faucets.

[uwe]

Today was exciting! Lynn ( Cloud 55), seamstress extraordinaire, came by with my new upholstery covers.
I got to help prepare the foam for the new covers, by wrapping batting around everything and then stuffing the cushions inside the covers. These pics are of the inside cushions while preparing them for their new covers.
The last picture shows Lynn doing her magic to one of the batting seams.

[uwe]

After stuffing all the foam/batting sandwiches inside the covers, we dragged everything inside the trailer to do a look-see. This must have been one of the most exciting days of the whole process. I imagined this day 2 years ago, because this sort of marks the end of the projectus maximus, as it were. yes, there's a bunch of fine tuning left, but all the major steps are now DONE!
I am so pleased with the colors and fabrics, I can't stop looking at it when I'm at area 63. Everything came together quite the way my wife and I envisioned it. We especially like the color combinations and the way they play with the wood and metal inside the trailer. It's very simple, really. The red just gave it the final "pop" that tied everything together.
We still have to do the dinette backs, and install the cleats that will hold the table top between the seats for making a bed. There will be a curtain to separate the bedroom from the bath also.
Lynn ( Cloud55) has been paramount in the upholstery process, her experience and knowledge in fabrics really shows. What impressed me was that she went with our choices, but made everything look fabulous by means of her expertise! The drapes look crisp and perfect, and the fit and finish is much better than I thought I could afford...can you tell that I am excited?

[uwe]

And now back to our regularly scheduled program - finding the hot water problem! I will try and chase that down tomorrow.

[NorCal Bambi]

You had mentioned that you had a couple of electrical problems after you set out on your first journey. Well we hooked up the Bambi for it's first real trip to a rally. Everything worked perfect. Then after about 2 minutes the clearance lights blinked out never to return again. Somewhere between the bowels of the skins of Aluminum lurks a loose connection. Or maybe the loose connection is lurking somewhere else. Somethings are never done.
Things are looking great with your trailer.
Don

[uwe]

Originally Posted by NorCal Bambi

You had mentioned that you had a couple of electrical problems after you set out on your first journey. Well we hooked up the Bambi for it's first real trip to a rally. Everything worked perfect. Then after about 2 minutes the clearance lights blinked out never to return again. Somewhere between the bowels of the skins of Aluminum lurks a loose connection. Or maybe the loose connection is lurking somewhere else. Somethings are never done.
Things are looking great with your trailer.
Don

Hey Don,

My electrical problem is still there. I shorted a spare supply line ( 10ga, streetside run) to ground by means of either pinching it, or more likely, drilling and riveting it to ground. Fortunately it was one of those spare lines that rally did not go anywhere in particular, just running down the streetside of the trailer, in case I needed more 12V amperage for one reason or other.
Clearance lights and tail lights are on the same connection in the umbilical cord. Do your tail lights work?
If so, check each clearance light, the feed might have come loose. I do not recall seeing connections of the lighting wiring inside the skin, they were looped from light to light, with one front and one back light feed.
The front light feed came off the umbilical, the back light feed came off the taillights.

[NorCal Bambi]

I'm working on ordering a new axle tomorrow and then tackle the lighting problem. Thanks for the input.
Don

[uwe]

After much testing and a long winded process of elimination, I found the kitchen faucet to be the problem with my hot/cold water dilemma.
I ended up blocking the 2 lines going to the galley faucet, removed it from the water circuit, and without it everything works as expected.
So, off I am hunting down a new faucet. Whoda thunk?

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by uwe

... I found the kitchen faucet to be the problem with my hot/cold water dilemma.

so...was it a single handle faucet? was the mixing valve somehow letting hot and cold water mix, without coming out of the tap?

[uwe]

Originally Posted by chuck

so...was it a single handle faucet? was the mixing valve somehow letting hot and cold water mix, without coming out of the tap?

No, it was a dual handle faucet from Ikea. ( Loviken http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...umber=00050764 )

The inflow chambers were not separated due to a casting defect, allowing the cold and hot water to mix uncontrolled right where the pipes go into the bottom of the faucet.
With both taps closed, you could blow into one side, and have it spit you in the face from the other side. ( this actually happened to me..)
So, even tough no water would come out of the faucet with the taps closed, it caused all kinds of havoc in the rest of the water supply system due to unintended cold/hot mix.
This would also cause the cold water to prevail since it has less resistance, as it does not have to go through the one way valve and water heater first, like the hot water does.
Anyways, I'm well on my way to hot shower bliss!
I will be leaving for Austin TX on Monday morning, with Overlander in tow as my mobile office/hotel suite. I am exhibiting at the Summer Namm show, and have reserved a spot at Pecan Grove RV Park, near downtown Austin. I hope that the trip is going to go well, I thin I will be slightly overloaded this time, since I am bringing all the equipment for display in the back of the Suburban.

[Safari Tim]

Have fun on your trip to Austin.

Let us know how your A/C works in that Texas heat!

Did you ever get all your vents hooked up?

[uwe]

Thanks, Tim.
Nope, no vents hooked up yet. It's still the 4in duct hanging out of the galley cabinet at this point.
The A/C worked very well at Temecula over the 4th of July. It was 103 one day, and the little unit cololed the trailer very well, to where you could feel a nice chill when coming in from the heat outside.

[SmokelessJoe]

Uwe:

I’ve never stayed in the Pecan Grove but I’ve driven through it a couple of times.

It’s in a dense pecan grove along a riverbank, not more than 2 or 3 minutes from downtown Austin!

It was cooler than I could ever imagine a Trailer Park being.

You’ve likely been to AUSTIN, TEXAS so you may already know that the Downtown Business Association slogan is “HELP KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD”.

You’ll have no trouble doing that.

Sergei

[uwe]

good to know - sounds like a close fit for me!
i have never been to Austin before, so this ought to be interesting.