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  1. #21
    Seasoned Camper
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    Quote Originally Posted by powerscol View Post
    HD or any good plumbing/hardware store will have the tools. I have a pex pipe cutter, and a simple crimp pliers for the rings, they are not expensive. A trick is also to have a heat gun handy to warm up the fittings so the go on easier. You can also use the heat gun to warm and bend the pex. Comes in handy at times. Don't forget to install the crimp rings first. It not fun pulling thing apart when you forget.
    Yes, It looks like HD has all of the parts. Since I have received enough good advice here, I should be able to determine all of the items needed from the website ahead of time.
    Good to know I can heat it up to work if needed. Will it stay bent if I heat it, or does it go back to the original shape? Might depend on the exact PEX material.

    Thanks;
    Rob
    Rob & Kathy
    2019 F350 CCSB SRW, w/Demco Autoslide.
    2019 Solitude 310GK.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob+Kath View Post
    Yes, It looks like HD has all of the parts. Since I have received enough good advice here, I should be able to determine all of the items needed from the website ahead of time.
    Good to know I can heat it up to work if needed. Will it stay bent if I heat it, or does it go back to the original shape? Might depend on the exact PEX material.

    Thanks;
    Rob
    It will hold its shape somewhat if you hold the bend and cool it. It takes practice as you can easily kink it and if that happens throw that part away. They make metal bending sleeves you leave on the pipe. HD has those too.

    Now don't misunderstand me when I say you can heat the fittings/pipe up - its more like warming them. You should still be able to easily hold them in your hand. They can and do melt - don't ask how I know.
    2018 Reflection 150 Series 220RK 5th wheel with 6K axle upgrade. B&W 25K OEM Companion, Steadyfast system, 2022 F350 SRW 6.7 King Ranch 8' bed, Trailer reverse lights, rear spare tire holder, storage tube, sumo springs, Victron MultiPlus 12/120/3000, and Solar

  3. #23
    Seasoned Camper
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    I finally have this project done. There are new PEX lines to and from the filter with grommets, which should solve the original problem through the metal panel holes.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    First, the PEX works great, no leaks at all, but I did run into a few problems to watch out for....

    Make sure your installer (self) knows what they’re doing. Despite taking before pictures and double checking, I managed to reverse the connections on the back of the Nautilus panel. It did not work. After cutting and removing them I was able to reconfigure and make it correct. The PEX is stiff enough that there is no way to make short distance deflections without putting a strain on the assembly. Start over.
    Once I got everything correct, water hose connected, water on, pressure on the inlet gage, turned on the sink and it slows to nothing. About 5 or 6 seconds to go from weak to zero. Maybe the inlet check valve isn’t happy with the 40lbs pressure?? I disconnected the hose/regulator and pushed the little button on the inlet connection . The shower was refreshing, but quite a surprise. About 2 seconds of water to relieve the pressure. I turned the little screen around to hold the valve in and re-connect the water hose.

    Still no joy. Water stops after a few seconds. I cracked the water filter housing slightly open to see if water would come out at that point. Once I got it a couple of turns open, the water started to flow to the RV. Bingo! I pulled the filter element out and put it back together. Works perfectly. The filter element was new this spring.

    Conclusion: PEX is awesome, and a first timer can easily have no leaks. Spare water filters are your friend. Even good ones may not last long, especially if they are doing their job. Check and double check your work, then when you know you have it right, check it one more time.

    Thanks to everyone for all the help.
    Rob.
    Rob & Kathy
    2019 F350 CCSB SRW, w/Demco Autoslide.
    2019 Solitude 310GK.

  4. #24
    Seasoned Camper DECelt's Avatar
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    Nice job Rob! That's my next project. I have read about some issues with fittings and washers on the back of the Nautilus. Can you tell me exactly what you used?

    Thanks,

    Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk
    DECelt
    2021 Solitude 310-GK
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  5. #25
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    I ended up sourcing everything through Home Depot. The connectors for the back of the Nautilus were PEX swivel connectors (one elbow, one straight):

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Apollo-1...1212/301541107

    The old ones un-screwed and came off very clean. I wiped everything down to make sure before assembly. When I put the new connections on the back of the Nautilus, I put some plumbers grease (silicone I think) on the rubber seal inside the new connector. Hand tight only, good and snug, but only hand tight. I'll see if that is good enough once I put this thing down the road and bounce it around. I have a fear of cracking the plastic and having a mystery leak if I over tighten. Time will tell.

    I can make a complete parts list if that will help, this is just what I used at the back of the Nautilus.

    Rob
    Rob & Kathy
    2019 F350 CCSB SRW, w/Demco Autoslide.
    2019 Solitude 310GK.

  6. #26
    Site Sponsor CX500T's Avatar
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    Kind of on the subject, anyone find a good Lowes/Home Depot / Online source for the "looks like PEX, crimps like PEX but is more flexible" lines that a few of the connections on the Nautilus on a 397TH use?
    2019 GD Momentum 397TH
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  7. #27
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    I think you are referring to the hose pictured in my initial post (top of this thread). I threw out the pieces that were removed, but I think there were markings of some kind on the hose. My basement wall is still open and I will look at the remaining hoses when I get back in there. If I find anything I will post it here. That hose also used PEX connectors and crimp rings, but I don't think the hose itself was a PEX product.
    The stiffness was a pain to work with at first. Ended up cutting each piece long and trimming it as I went to insure a good fit. The short sections do not give much without putting a lot of stress on the connections. Once I figured it out, the process was not hard to do and the results were very good. Learning on the job.

    It would be very nice to have the flexibility, however, I suspect the stiffness is a side effect of a material that is more durable and leak resistant. Not sure about that, just a humble opinion. Someone here may be able to enlighten us on a suitable product.

    Rob
    Rob & Kathy
    2019 F350 CCSB SRW, w/Demco Autoslide.
    2019 Solitude 310GK.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by CX500T View Post
    Kind of on the subject, anyone find a good Lowes/Home Depot / Online source for the "looks like PEX, crimps like PEX but is more flexible" lines that a few of the connections on the Nautilus on a 397TH use?
    It is call soft pex hose. I had to replace all the crimp pex clamps with worm drive clamps on the back side of the Nautilus because of leaks.

    Richard and Kim
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  9. #29
    Seasoned Camper DECelt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob+Kath View Post
    I ended up sourcing everything through Home Depot. The connectors for the back of the Nautilus were PEX swivel connectors (one elbow, one straight):

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Apollo-1...1212/301541107

    The old ones un-screwed and came off very clean. I wiped everything down to make sure before assembly. When I put the new connections on the back of the Nautilus, I put some plumbers grease (silicone I think) on the rubber seal inside the new connector. Hand tight only, good and snug, but only hand tight. I'll see if that is good enough once I put this thing down the road and bounce it around. I have a fear of cracking the plastic and having a mystery leak if I over tighten. Time will tell.

    I can make a complete parts list if that will help, this is just what I used at the back of the Nautilus.

    Rob
    Thanks Rob, but I don't think that you need to do any more work! I assume that the washers in those worked just fine. I thought that I had read somewhere about special washers...that was pretty much the only concern that I had.

    Thanks!

    Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk
    DECelt
    2021 Solitude 310-GK
    2022 Ram 3500 CCLB diesel

  10. #30
    Seasoned Camper
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    CX500T: This is what is shows on the "soft" hoses on the back of my Nautilus.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    There are some ridged PEX lines on the back side as well,... The same stuff I just used. There is a mix of hose types used from the factory, both PEX and the softer stuff.
    I am not enough of a plumber to know why they used different hose/tube types. It would appear to be a cost of labor to install issue, but that is a guess.

    DECelt: There were no other washers in the connections I made. Just the built-in seal on the PEX connector. I was not aware of any washer/fitting issues, so perhaps ignorance is bliss. There are numerous other connections that I did not touch, so there might be more going on there.

    Rob
    Rob & Kathy
    2019 F350 CCSB SRW, w/Demco Autoslide.
    2019 Solitude 310GK.

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