LXE Water/Plumbing Improvements


Quick connects for hoses.  After many scraped knuckles from trying to screw the water hose onto the camper inlet in a tight space, we gave up and opted for the same kind of "quick-connects" we use on our garden hoses.  We tried several different models before we found ones that fit inside the water access door, and had to remove the handy-dandy grippers on the connectors, but the results were well worth it.  We used Teflon plumbing tape for leak-proof joints.  Both ends of our water and utility hoses, as well as the spigot "Y", are now easy and quick to connect. 
New faucet.  The previous owners had the factory replace the original faucet.  The replacement unit was plastic, however, and developed a crack in the spout.  When we bought the camper, the countertop was already a bit swollen from the leaking faucet, so replacement with a Shurflo folding faucet was a priority.  To allow enough room to work, I first had to remove the sink.  Removing the existing faucet left three holes in the countertop - two from the OEM faucet, and one from the plastic replacement.  Fortunately, the stems of the Shurflo faucet fit in two of the holes, with just a bit of filing.  (That put the faucet a bit off-center, but it was better than drilling more holes in the countertop.)  Finding material to cover the third hole, and serve as a base for the new faucet, was a challenge.  The solution was to use my Dremel tool to cut a baseplate from a black plastic clipboard and use a hole-saw bit to cut the stem holes.  I glued O rings around the holes, and rounded the corners and edges of the plate on a grinding wheel.  Sandpaper would probably work for finishing, but the grinding wheel was faster.  The result is a good-looking, durable faucet.. 

Before I reset the sink, I rolled a "snake" of plumber's putty around the sink hole to seal the edge and keep countertop spills from running into the cabinet below.
Gray-water jug.  A 5-gal Blitz diesel jug from Wal-Mart was our favorite gray-water jug for the Classic, since it fit perfectly under the drain.  The LXE, however, is 7" higher and the camper's drain line terminates in a 1.5" male-threaded pipe.  To connect the drain to the jug, I used a 1.5" branch tailpiece, with a 3/4" branch.  I sawed off the large unthreaded end and plugged it with a rubber stopper, caulked and held in place with a couple of screws.  Looking inside a branch tailpiece, you can see a small ridge, or dam, that's meant to prevent backflow from the branch.  With my Dremel, I cut and filed it away so that water has a smooth course from the threaded end through the branch.  A piece of old C-PAP tubing fit perfectly over the branch barbs.  To collect gray water in the jug, it's a simple matter to screw the tailpiece on the camper drain and stick the hose in the jug. 
Sewer connection.  The camper drain was also a problem for connecting a sewer hose.  It took several trips to Lowe's to figure how to quickly and easily connect a standard RV sewer hose to 1.5" male threads on the drain.  A 2" x 1.5" pipe hub donut fit snugly inside the sewer hose.  In the small hole of the rubber hub, I stuck a sawed-off threaded sink-drain extension tube, after wrapping it with duct tape to make a tight fit.  The hub and extension tube stay connected to the RV sewer hose.  To connect the hose to the camper drain, I use a short sink-drain tailpiece with a slip-joint nut on each end.  At the campsite, I screw one nut on the camper drain, and the other nut on the threads sticking out of the hub.  To support the flexible hose, I use a sliding support from Camping World.  It's a great invention!
Winterizing.  Since we never used an on-board water tank, I removed the very large one from the camper.  I left the pump in place, however, and found it perfect for adding antifreeze to the water lines. I slipped a piece of tubing over the barbed inlet, stuck the other end of the tubing into a jug of antifreeze, and turned on the pump.  In seconds, all the water lines were winterized.  When I was done, I unscrewed the barbed cap on the pump and replaced it with a solid one.  The barbed cap and tubing will stay coiled behind the water heater til I need it again. 
Cassette toilet.  The cassette toilet holds more waste than the Classic's porta-potty, but it was a bear to clean, especially the first time!  The instructions said to unscrew the "removable mechanism" in the top of the cassette.  Try as we might, it WOULD NOT come loose.  I finally removed the sliding cover, wedged a strip of aluminum in the exposed channels, and used it as a wedge to loosen the mechanism.  Once that was done, I was able to use a garden hose to spray the inside of the cassette and get it thoroughly clean bor the winter.  That aluminum strip is now part of my camper gear.