Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 10-07-2017, 08:17 PM   #1
Rivets?
 
nvestysly's Avatar

 
1992 29' Excella
2010 22' Interstate
Van By The River , Georgia
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,363
Interstate Shower Head / Faucet / Mixing Valve

We just purchased a used 2010 Interstate. Upon closer inspection I see several drawbacks with the combination sink faucet / shower head. I'm wondering how other Interstate owners deal with the issues mentioned below.

1) The faucet is somewhat like a kitchen sink in that it has a rubber "button" that switches from a stream of water to a spray of water. The button doesn't remain in the spray setting - it has to be reset (button pushed) to spray every time the mixing valve is turned on.

2) Why am I turning the mixing valve on and off so often you might ask. Because I don't want to waste water between wetting down, lathering and rinsing cycles. So each time I turn off the spray the faucet returns to stream mode. So... why is there not a better way to temporarily turn off the water at the spray nozzle? An on/off valve would really make taking a Navy shower much more simple.

3) Are there any alternate brands/models of shower heads that also include the faucet and mixing valve? If anyone has upgraded or otherwise changed the fixture please let me know what you replaced the original with.

4) I am not going to use the shower house. Much of our "camping" is not in a campground so using the shower house is not an option and I don't like public showers for a number of reasons. We bought a self-contained RV for a variety of reasons and taking a shower in the RV is one of those reasons. We're simply looking for ideas on conserving fresh water as well as minimizing gray water accumulation.

Thanks.
__________________
Lucius and Danielle
1992 29' Excella Classic / 2010 Interstate
2005 Chevrolet Suburban K2500 8.1L
2018 GMC Sierra K1500 SLT, 6.2L, Max Trailering
Got a cooped-up feeling, gotta get out of town, got those Airstream campin' blues...
nvestysly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-07-2017, 08:32 PM   #2
Figment of My Imagination
 
Protagonist's Avatar
 
2012 Interstate Coach
From All Over , More Than Anywhere Else
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,868
Quote:
Originally Posted by nvestysly View Post
1) The faucet is somewhat like a kitchen sink in that it has a rubber "button" that switches from a stream of water to a spray of water. The button doesn't remain in the spray setting - it has to be reset (button pushed) to spray every time the mixing valve is turned on.
Mine stays in the setting I put it in on my 2012 Interstate. I leave it in spray mode almost all the time. I've never had the problem you describe.
Quote:
3) Are there any alternate brands/models of shower heads that also include the faucet and mixing valve? If anyone has upgraded or otherwise changed the fixture please let me know what you replaced the original with.
You said it yourself, it's like a kitchen faucet. I noticed the same thing myself only a few days ago. My goddaughter's family has a kitchen faucet that almost a twin of my Airstream Interstate's bathroom faucet/shower, except it's white. So a trip to Home Depot to look at kitchen faucets should solve your problem.
__________________
I thought getting old would take longer!
Protagonist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2017, 06:11 AM   #3
Rivet Master
 
2013 Interstate Coach
Waterloo , Iowa
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,598
I wondered what the button was supposed to do - mine does nothing. Mine is stuck in the spray mode - which sounds to be the better mode to have it stuck in.
Titus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2017, 07:29 AM   #4
Rivet Master
 
Lily&Me's Avatar

 
2007 Interstate
Normal , Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 18,065
Yep, replacing the head sounds like the solution....my hand held in both the Interstate have levers which stop the flow of water, which I use when showering in the Interstate.

Maggie
__________________
🏡 🚐 Cherish and appreciate those you love. This moment could be your last.🌹🐚
Lily&Me is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2017, 08:18 AM   #5
2 Rivet Member
 
2015 Interstate Grand Tour
Anywhere USA , USA
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 90
Quote:
Originally Posted by Titus View Post
I wondered what the button was supposed to do - mine does nothing. Mine is stuck in the spray mode - which sounds to be the better mode to have it stuck in.
Mine is also stuck in the spray mode, a good condition for conserving water taking showers.
JayP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2017, 11:08 AM   #6
Tampatomgirl
 
1990 34' Excella
Zephyrhills , Florida
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 102
I have an older Airstream. My shower head has an on/off switch. I'm sure there are new ones on the market that you could purchase.
Tampatomgirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2017, 03:35 PM   #7
Rivets?
 
nvestysly's Avatar

 
1992 29' Excella
2010 22' Interstate
Van By The River , Georgia
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,363
I was able to find an online supplier who sells the combination bathroom sink faucet / shower fixture. It can probably be purchased from Airstream too. So for those of you who are "stuck" in spray or stream mode or for people like me whose wand always defaults to stream maybe this is the answer.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	faucet.PNG
Views:	227
Size:	233.9 KB
ID:	296522  
__________________
Lucius and Danielle
1992 29' Excella Classic / 2010 Interstate
2005 Chevrolet Suburban K2500 8.1L
2018 GMC Sierra K1500 SLT, 6.2L, Max Trailering
Got a cooped-up feeling, gotta get out of town, got those Airstream campin' blues...
nvestysly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2017, 03:43 PM   #8
Rivets?
 
nvestysly's Avatar

 
1992 29' Excella
2010 22' Interstate
Van By The River , Georgia
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,363
On the Other Hand...

...maybe this Moen single-hole kitchen faucet is something to consider. Some of the dimension are similar to the original equipment found in the Interstate however, the Moen unit is overall taller than original.

But look at the 6th bullet point under features - the Moen product has a pause feature that permits the water flow to be turned off without the need to "turn off" the faucet. Sounds pretty promising and the MSRP is not significantly higher than the faucet provided by Airstream.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	moen_1.PNG
Views:	158
Size:	85.7 KB
ID:	296523   Click image for larger version

Name:	moen_2.PNG
Views:	133
Size:	58.2 KB
ID:	296524  

__________________
Lucius and Danielle
1992 29' Excella Classic / 2010 Interstate
2005 Chevrolet Suburban K2500 8.1L
2018 GMC Sierra K1500 SLT, 6.2L, Max Trailering
Got a cooped-up feeling, gotta get out of town, got those Airstream campin' blues...
nvestysly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2017, 06:52 PM   #9
2 Rivet Member
 
1967 17' Caravel
Stayton , Oregon
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 21
We just got home from Camping World. They have options. After a couple years of searching for a piece to reconnect our shower hose in our 67 Caravel we gave up and are replacing the whole thing. Camping World has one that says it has a pause setting on the shower head and one that says it has an off position on the shower head. Also oxegeneting for less water usage.
tin twinki is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2017, 10:16 AM   #10
3 Rivet Member
 
2005 22' Interstate
san clemente , California
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 237
Hi L and D
I had the CW oxygenating sprayer but it does not shut off entirely. Changed to a gun/lever type spray head , only about 1 to 2 inches diameter that can also be used as a bidet sprayer; much like a bidet toilet seat. Say CLEAN in more ways than one.
Congratulations on joining the INTERSTATE group. It's a great looking machine and now a new home away from home.. Also suggest a teakwood pad for the floor of the head in case of any water dripping or leaks. AEW
unifreck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2017, 07:42 AM   #11
Rivets?
 
nvestysly's Avatar

 
1992 29' Excella
2010 22' Interstate
Van By The River , Georgia
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,363
Found a solution for now...

Our first shower in the Interstate, with the factory shower/faucet head was less than satisfactory - difficult to control flow of water, temperature was erratic because of the need to turn the faucet on & off.

I removed the factory shower/faucet head and replaced it with the outdoor shower head. What an improvement! Now the faucet can be easily used to wash hands and brush teeth and it's great for showering too.

The lever on the head of the outdoor shower can be locked into the ON position for routine sink duties and put into the OFF position for showering. From the off position a partial push of the lever allows water to flow for wetting down and rinsing. In between the water turns off completely.

I'll put a few pictures in the next post.
__________________
Lucius and Danielle
1992 29' Excella Classic / 2010 Interstate
2005 Chevrolet Suburban K2500 8.1L
2018 GMC Sierra K1500 SLT, 6.2L, Max Trailering
Got a cooped-up feeling, gotta get out of town, got those Airstream campin' blues...
nvestysly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2017, 07:47 AM   #12
Rivets?
 
nvestysly's Avatar

 
1992 29' Excella
2010 22' Interstate
Van By The River , Georgia
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,363
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8824.JPG
Views:	131
Size:	237.5 KB
ID:	297316
Lever down and locked for sink mode

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8825.JPG
Views:	147
Size:	241.2 KB
ID:	297317
Lever up (no flow) for shower mode

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8826.JPG
Views:	111
Size:	249.5 KB
ID:	297318
Push lever partially down for wetting and rinsing in shower.


I'll have to look at the Airstream parts list to see if the outdoor shower head can be purchased separately. Let me know if anyone has deatails on the head by itself.
__________________
Lucius and Danielle
1992 29' Excella Classic / 2010 Interstate
2005 Chevrolet Suburban K2500 8.1L
2018 GMC Sierra K1500 SLT, 6.2L, Max Trailering
Got a cooped-up feeling, gotta get out of town, got those Airstream campin' blues...
nvestysly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2017, 09:03 AM   #13
Figment of My Imagination
 
Protagonist's Avatar
 
2012 Interstate Coach
From All Over , More Than Anywhere Else
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,868
Quote:
Originally Posted by nvestysly View Post
I'll have to look at the Airstream parts list to see if the outdoor shower head can be purchased separately. Let me know if anyone has details on the head by itself.
I didn't bother. Way back in 2014 I just got a shower-hose-to-garden-hose adapter (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1), and use an ordinary garden hose sprayer on the outdoor shower hose.
__________________
I thought getting old would take longer!
Protagonist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2017, 02:51 PM   #14
4 Rivet Member
 
Air99's Avatar
 
2014 Interstate Ext. Coach
Camas , Washington
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 288
Quote:
Originally Posted by nvestysly View Post
Found a solution for now...

Our first shower in the Interstate, with the factory shower/faucet head was less than satisfactory - difficult to control flow of water, temperature was erratic because of the need to turn the faucet on & off.

I removed the factory shower/faucet head and replaced it with the outdoor shower head. What an improvement! Now the faucet can be easily used to wash hands and brush teeth and it's great for showering too.

The lever on the head of the outdoor shower can be locked into the ON position for routine sink duties and put into the OFF position for showering. From the off position a partial push of the lever allows water to flow for wetting down and rinsing. In between the water turns off completely.

I'll put a few pictures in the next post.


I like it a lot, is there a part number and if available in chrome?
Air99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2017, 05:12 PM   #15
Contributing Member
 
Pahaska's Avatar
 
2018 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Austin (Hays County) , Texas
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,164
Images: 4
My used 2014.5 came with an outside shower hose, but no outside shower head. I would be interested in finding a source for the head.

BTW, I find the outside shower is great for filling the fresh water tank when hooked up to water at a campground. I plug in the hose to the shower, stick the hose end in the fresh water inlet, and turn on the cold at the shower.

This is a lot more convenient than my former 3 Airstream trailers, all of which had the fresh water inlet on the curb side. That meant dragging a hose around the trailer or hooking a hose to the faucet in the adjacent site.
__________________
John W. Irwin
2018 Interstate GT, "Sabre-Dog V"
WBCCI #9632
Pahaska is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2017, 05:37 PM   #16
Rivets?
 
nvestysly's Avatar

 
1992 29' Excella
2010 22' Interstate
Van By The River , Georgia
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,363
We were in a Camping World today and noticed a replacement head is available for the outside shower. About $15. See the pictures below.

I'm not particularly interested in actually replacing the head on the outside shower as much as I'm interested in using this type of head for the inside shower. For instance, I will likely use one of these heads in our trailer shower.

We've determined the Navy shower method with this head really conserves water. We've both taken six showers in the Interstate and the fresh tank still registers 1/3 full and the gray and black are only on 2/3. We should be able to make seven days before "dumping!" We can't go that long in our trailer and the tanks in the trailer are twice as large as those in the Interstate.

Click image for larger version

Name:	ImageUploadedByAirstream Forums1508801750.312599.jpg
Views:	87
Size:	95.5 KB
ID:	297630

Click image for larger version

Name:	ImageUploadedByAirstream Forums1508801768.773661.jpg
Views:	85
Size:	95.3 KB
ID:	297631
__________________
Lucius and Danielle
1992 29' Excella Classic / 2010 Interstate
2005 Chevrolet Suburban K2500 8.1L
2018 GMC Sierra K1500 SLT, 6.2L, Max Trailering
Got a cooped-up feeling, gotta get out of town, got those Airstream campin' blues...
nvestysly is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2017 Classic Hot Water Mixing Valve Calibration rivetville 2016 - Current Classic (all lengths) 74 08-17-2017 04:20 AM
Shower Mixing Valve Cartridge Replacement jmellana Plumbing - Systems & Fixtures 2 07-29-2017 11:34 AM
Atwood XT Water heater mixing valve orloffgray Plumbing - Systems & Fixtures 0 03-23-2016 07:55 AM
Shower valve and head Bob Riffle Airstream Classifieds 0 02-05-2015 04:56 PM
Need mixing valve G. Traveler Sinks, Showers & Toilets 5 11-01-2011 06:15 PM


Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:18 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.