COMMON plumbing issue damaging new RVs - check yours! 

we now know the problem, what can we swap or change to help prevent this. Waiting for a demonstration video on how you wold repair this.

I just finished upgrading to all brass/stainless steel fittings, and replacing all of the vinyl tubing with pex in my Grand Design trailer. I did it myself, and I am very happy with the results!

"The wrong type of tubing". You said it exactly right. It's like the builders are weekend hardware store parts bin pickers. I've had to completely replumb my last two RVs. 1000 thumbs up.

Thank you for commenting on this. Finally, a RU-vid RV tech talking about this. The flexible hose connected with PEX connectors and cinch ring will eventually leak. Every camper that I have owned has developed leaks in these connections. I always must redo the plumbing. As you mentioned, no plumber would do this in a house because it will leak, and it’s against the code. I think many RV owners are unaware of this significant problem. I still cant believe why this is not all over youtube.

Just checked my 2022 Rockwood Geo Pro (aka Flagstaff E Pro). The plumbing is just as your video warns. Flexible tubing and PEX pipe crimped to the same connectors.

Jacob, you nailed it, RV manufacturing needs regulations and codes.

I make the plumbing line assemblies for Pleasureway Industries and we don’t use those flexible lines, at least on the pressurized side of the pump. We also don’t use the pinch rings shown in this video, we use the full copper crimp rings on pex lines. Just saying for those looking for companies that don’t use the lines shown in this video. 🙂👍

Great video. Can you post a video of how one might convert a poor flex tube application to something more reliable? What is the fix? Change the fitting to some kind of adaptor (1/2" PEX x 1/2" PB Coupling) or remove flex hose?

We've had 3 RVs in 5 years, and all 3 leaked at the water heater connection for this exact reason. One actually blew the flexible tubing hose off, which is why we tell as many people as possible to always shut the water off when you're not at the RV.

Thanks for raising this issue. My I have a 2021 Forest River Mini/Micro Lite from the Rockwood/Flagstaff plant. I have to say that for a Covid Era unit I have been very pleased with the Quality Control. Very few issues. However, the one issue I found in my first year of ownership was exactly what you are pointing out. In my back bay where the water pump, water heater, and water filter are situated, I found 5 joints where the vinyl hoses were pex clamped onto pex fittings, were leaking. I used a mixture of barb fittings and heavy duty worm gear hose clamps to resolve the issues. The dealership just wanted to reclamp with pex clamps. I told them I would take care of it myself. The wife and I have been camping and traveling in Travel Trailers for 40years and are on our 6th travel trailer. I'm use to correcting these kind of problems.

Water is my arch enemy at this point after living full time in a renovated old travel trailer permanently set up on a farm . Every single sink / plumbing / leak that could happen, has 😂💀. Thank goodness for RU-vidrs like you and others who teach me wtf I’m supposed to be doing 😂

You are giving me what I want and what I need to be educated in this field. Looking forward to a great friendship, Thank You!

We will be picking up our RV next week. I will check the plumbing for this. Thank You!!!

This fantastic and very important topic earned a new sub. Your honesty is greatly appreciated. Rock on.

Thanks Jacob! Another informative, great video. I've seen so many people in FB groups talking about these types of leaks. It's pitiful that there aren't any real basic regulations that RV manufacturers have to adhere to. People would be willing to pay a bit more for the correct plumbing materials, I know I would. I really dislike greedy corporations. Ugh.

Thanks for your videos. We are in the market for a travel trailer and find your info important. We can't wait for the list video.

Would love to see more videos like this. I am not handy. This ‘show and share’ without a lot of extra information- to the point method was incredibly helpful. And very clear. Thanks!

Nice video. Totally agree with your video. I have replaced these flex hoses in our last 3 units day one!! Also I remove all ac ceiling vents and seal them up bc factories do a POOR job of installing them and I want the cold air inside the RV not in my attic space

As a Lic. Master Plumber, one of the first things I noticed in both my RVs is the subpar waterline installations. Most of the problems I have encountered were/are plumbing related. You'd think manufacturers would have an actual plumber on staff.

Thanks for the video. We have a 2022 Jayco 264BH. It has flexible tubing in places connected with PEX clamps. 2nd trip out the line into the water heater blew off but it was clamped on the ridge of the barb. Glad I was standing next to the trailer when it happened. Will certainly keep an eye on all the other areas for leaks. Great information!!!

I just recommended you and your videos to JD at Big Truck Big RV(RU-vid channel). His video was entitled Water Damage and he had a shower drain pipe freeze and crack. When he pulled the panel off behind his water management system and shined a light back there I said "Damn" out loud! The plumbing was awful...lots of Pex to Flex with the Flex visibly swelling. I advised him to check out your videos on plumbing which I have learned so much from. Hopefully he will do that and address those issues before the inevitable leaks start. Thanks Jacob!

Love this 2023 KZ sportsman you hit it right on I have leak like that under the bathroom sink I tightened the Faust hookups still Leak's you're experience helps thanks

Jacob! Great video. Thanks. It would be nice to see a video where you add an inline water valve to shut off the toilet water when those cheap toilet pedal valves explode causing one to turn off the pump etc.

You are 100% right! Those flexible vinyl tubes are bad news!

I have had a hell of a lot of issues becaue of the craptasticplastic pex fittings. WE HAVE ADDED A FOUR filter water filter setup with a 5 micron sediment then all the way down to .5 micron carbon block filter. After that it passes a small household dual tank Kinetico water softener. Soon we are adding a reverse osmosis and UV light as well. The main filters and softener are for the entire 5th wheel. The UV will be for entire unit but the RO will be a drinking faucet at the kitchen and one in master bathroom. This has provided a much needed protection to apliances and fixtures. As I go I replace as much craptasticplastic fittings and those stupid hoses as I can to make a good right tight n true setup. thanks for the video

More time fixing things then enjoy actual vacation. Tent camping for me-no worries, no breakdowns, no equipment costs, no maintenance, no storage. Thanks for the heads up. I learned lot from your channel.

Thanks Jacob! Fantastic video.

Your video explains a lot! I have a 2020 Aliner Titanium. That exact tubing was used on the Sink Faucet and it started leaking the 1st year. Leaked on every use and made our boondocking a nightmare. I had to remove all the old Flex tubing and reinstall correct fittings and a decent faucet. Problem fixed.

Thanks for the education. I am really looking forward to your review of RVs. We do not have one yet, but have several top contenders as we whittle down the list.

Thank you. I found many fittings including drain pipes that were not properly tightened in my camper and were dripping water. Had I not upgraded my kitchen faucet I never would have known until the mould and rot started.

My 2017 forest river 29 RKP had the same problem I do believe my pipes froze even though I blew the water out I would guess there’s water between the fittings that freezes and expands the hoses on these cheap nylon hoses. I repaired it myself and then use a antifreeze and it’s not leaking so far so what you said is right

Thank you. I'm doing a leak repair now due to this problem. I have flexible hose connected to a black plastic L junction going to hot and cold water.

Thanks Jacob I really appreciate your help.

Jacob, OK how to safely test the entire water system for a leak in an RV? I made a combo winterizing connection / leak down test fitting. It attaches to city inlet then regulated compressed air. Pressurize the RV, 40 PSI or so, close the valve in the tool that locks the air in the rig and a built in gage on the tool monitors system pressure. By using regulated air and monitoring pressure loss you are not using more water and possible further wet areas. Its a similar test to new construction rough in plumbing system air testing. Tool layout, air fitting to ball valve to pipe T one leg gets the gage other gets male hose connection to RV. Gary 2007 Airstream Classic 30' Slide Out

This is great advice! Thank you for sharing this.

I used that flexible tubing at the pump, in the old camper with barbed fittings and worm clamps. Never had a problem with it. And it made the pump a whole lot quieter.

Would be very interested in which manufacturers do this. May need to rewatch a few factory tours. There should be basic electrical and plumbing code for RVs just as there is for houses imho.

Wonderful video - thank you! My 2022 Riverside Retro RV was all vinyl on pex clamps and I have fixed at least 12 leaks so far. I hired a plumber to do the first one and then he showed me how to do the rest. I used pex to barbed adaptors using a short length of pex using a pex clamper, and then clamped the vinyl hose properly with a screw-tightening steel ring on the barbed portion. None of them have leaked again but there are still a few places that haven't started and I suspect there will be more leaks from these. I do use a pressure regulator but actually the water pump seems to have pretty high pressure and when I'm not hooked to city water I don't know how to prevent this pressure other than turning off the water pump all the time. The dealer did one repair only - the shower water hoses because the leak required the fridge to be moved to fix. But even then they said they could not repair with barbed connections because they only get reimbursed by Riverside to restore it to the condition to which it was built. To prevent this from happening again I installed cutoffs on these two hoses (hot and cold) from the pump area to the shower so that I can make sure there is no pressure in these shower hoses except when I actually need to shower, and then turn them off again right away after showering. A bit of a pain but better than having to have the fridge removed again for another leak.

Good info! I'm glad you mentioned the pressure issue. We are on our fourth RV, currently a 2017 Class A and have always used a water pressure regulator which I set at 40-42psi. I use an adjustable regulator with a built in gauge as I believe the ones you show are simply restrictors not regulators. Being on several social media camping related sites I've come to the conclusion that a heckuva lot of leaks are self induced. I don't understand the obsession with high water pressure, what does it prove?

Well done. You are THE MAN. I want to know about proper ratchet fittings for PEG not the crimp ring (destined to fail) approach.

Good call thanks for sharing that information

Thanks for the information. Now I know why my plumbing in my outside kitchen is leaking. Now I need to look at all my plumbing connections for I’m sure I will find more that are incorrect and will need to get these corrected. Since I’m still under warranty with my fifth wheel I’d love to have this corrected under the warranty. However if I bring this to the manufacturer and tell them the plumbing was incorrectly installed I already know that their response will be “it’s installed however production wants to install it” like I’ve heard before when I tried calling them out on installing only part of the roller mechanism on my mirrored closet doors and not the whole mechanism. I’ll most likely have to foot the bill to fix the plumbing which I am not able to do at this point in my life. Praying that nothing else leaks.

Another great video, Thanks Jacob

Thanks for the video!

My Forest River had that junk and it leaked, I ended up putting in a warranty claim to have all the plumbing done with only pex. They build rv's like crap and ask the moon for them. Awesome video, I subsribed.

Uponor PEX is unlike any other PEX competitor. The connector allow full port fittings by a proprietary tool manufactured by Milwaukee tools that expands the pex which has a memory that then shrinks/compresses the fitting, eliminating the crimp rings in place of a 2nd pex ring that guarantees a secure fit.. We use only Uponor on all of our jobs. It can freeze and then thaw, expanding by 10%. Though Uponor is slightly more expensive, the speed and security it supplies more than offsets the cost.

Hi Jacob, I am a new subscriber and plan on getting back in to RVing after 20 years. I have been looking at two possible travel trailers to get started. One is the Grand Design Momentum 21-G toy hauler, and the other is either the Terra, or the new O-V-R from InTech. Have you reviewed either trailer recently? I really like your honest, no-nonsense approach to your videos.

I’m new to your channel. But I have had water problems in my Grand Design . Because of in proper pex connections caused junction leaks. Yes I used Grand design name. Not the only poor assembly I have had.

Can’t wait for your camper review.

So in watching through this a couple of times we still weren't clear what to look for in the difference between the outside appearance of the fittings. We just bought a new fifth-wheel and we'd like to be able to know what to look for while it's still under warranty. It may not make a difference, as there may not be a problem yet, but we'd like to at least be able to complain to the company if there is a problem (and change it out ourselves if necessary to prevent one). Thanks for some very helpful information!

Just stumbled on this video, I liked and subscribed. Great topic, 2021 vanleigh Vilano, msrp 109k, 70 percent of the plumbing was with the flexible junk, I spent 2 half days replacing with pex, no more leaks. Good point on parks with higher pressure than others, that’s when it leaked the most. Not a fan of pressure regulators, I like a good strong water pressure, especially for the shower.

Not only that, they know that it won’t fail until after your warranty is over and/or they have rebranded under a new company name and are no longer required to honor the old brand name warranties.

Thank you

We bought a brand new 5th wheel, this is exactly what happened to us! Plus many, many other issues. The dealer had it for "for warranty" service for close to six months before we were able to actually take possession of it. It immediately went back for more issues and was another 3 months. I picked it up again and moved it an hour away from the dealer. It was still leaking profusely. I started performing my own "warranty" service. Two years later it is almost back together. And, it now belongs to someone else. We bit the bullet and bought a much more expensive 5th Wheel, used from a different dealer and even though I've had some issues they have been minor compared to that first 5th Wheel! I am lucky to have the skills, tools and experience to work on RV's. What in the world does someone that doesn't have the ability to address these things do?

My GD TT uses the flexible tubing all over in places it is passing through walls & cabinets wherever the lines aren't a straight run. It is also an annoyance because these rough holes punch through walls & cabinets causing the lines to rub on these jagged openings which cause all of the strange noises one hears when they flush the toilet or flip on a faucet. The flexible water hoses are at maximum static pressure before a faucet is turned on, then as the water flows the hose will slide fore or aft slightly as the running water pressure is less than static pressure. I have tried trimming the openings to these cabinets or walls to make the holes more uniform, then wrapping the flexible tubing with a microfiber towel to limit the jerking the tubing does as it slides unevenly. When I first heard these noises, I thought I had a plumbing leak as the rhythm of the ticking of the line rubbing on the rough hole opening sounded just like water dripping ... A sound one never likes to hear while sitting on the toilet! After about 45 minutes of investigation I came to the conclusion it wasn't leaking in this case, but was a poor execution of a terrible slap together job of my Imagine's plumbing. Although we dreamed of our future toy hauler, due to all of these build quality issues that can't easily be fixed, we are seriously considering having small park models at each end of where we work for the summer in CO (District manager for USFS consessionaire) & play for the winter as a snowbird down south. The rub is that we like to play for a month spring & fall between seasons & was horrified at the cost of Class B's that cost $200K which are Junk in 5-10 years like many autos can be. Having slight mobility issues as semi-retired Boomers, we thought maybe a very small Class C was the right answer, still made from junk, but half the cost of an overpriced Class B. But you pointed out the plumbing issue still exists, so we can run, but not hide from this problem. The Minnie Winnie 22M has a Power Gear small bedroom slide, not the worst at least, but still the problem with the plumbing. This is at best a 3 season coach anyway, but most of the plumbing is ducted away in chase ways not easily found. I see the RVIA certification requires flexible plumbing on the water pump, presumably to limit vibration travel by hard plumbing. However companies like Brinkley purchase premade high quality flexible tubing & connectors where needed. Winnebago & Thor need to listen up!!! Thanks for the education, now more research is needed on my part. Davey & Sheila Knapp

Great insight… thanks!

had 2 leaks in our water distribution area. one from city water connection, one on outlet of filter. Both due to this issue. I found that upgrading to brass the 1/2" pex clamp wouldnt fit over hose and 3/4" wouldn't clamp tight. Had to swicth to a screw type hose clamp. However on filter the flexible vinyl wouldnt clamp tight because diameter of filter was less than 1/2". So the pex clamp was the only way to get sealed. Very frustrating process with the only solution seeming to retro everything to pex

Great video! Thank you

Were getting ready to purchase a jayco pinnacle thank you ill look for this they say its pex plumbing

Hi Jacob, great video. Really appreciate your expertise. I have a 2023 Reflection and we used it a lot our first summer with no issues. However I have been reading all the horror stories and want to do some upgrade in the spring on this topic. In the event that I don't remove and replumb all the flex pipping to PEX, what would you recommend for the replacement of the PEX crimp on the flex line to the copper PEX fitting? Would a standard metal screw tight plumbing clamp be the best choice? I would appreciate your wisdom. Thanks, Wayne

Great info!

I've actually seen that on RV's but just assumed it was OK because the manufacturer installed it that way. What a revelation. Yeah, I'll be voting with "the golden rule" with my next RV purchase.

I’m glad my rv doesn’t use this connection. Unfortunately they used cheap plastic pex fittings that all failed between year 2 and 3. We purchased a huge fitting kit and replaced every fitting.

Thank you for the informative video! Does Keystone plumb their trailers correctly?

Great information

100% correct and just fixed a leak due to that on my Tiffin at the water pump... problem is... a lot more to fix! Mobile tech said it's a common problem and corrected it. I'm an electrician and not a plumber - I know my limitations!

Thank you for doing this! This is such awesome information. Love the clear and concise explanations. 😊

I had an improperly installed air admittance valve that was for my black tank flush, it was a cheap plastic valve that had terrible ratings when you looked up the part number. Was in a spot that was hard to find and the only way I knew something was wrong is when I did use the black tank flush, water would come out from under my sons bunk and flood the floor. Took out the valve, hard connected the piping from the flush tank port to the tank (bypassing the AAV) and installed a vacuum breaker on the outside where my hose connects to the rig. Fixed the leak and still have a vacuum breaker to prevent backwash into the clean water. A brass Valve would of saved me hours of cutting the wall out behind my shower to find the AAV, but plastic is cheap.. cheers!

Thank you for this video!! As @rdance3 mentioned - would you consider doing a video on fixing this issue - swapping it out. Our 2022 Storyteller Overland Stealth mode has had several leaking problems - we just thought from rough roads and vibration. We recently took it out in freezing temps (supposed to be 4 season) and in the particular box where the plumbing connections are, it froze - though the rest of the van and water tanks were fine. That caused the lines to swell and ALL the clamps to loosen. My husband has had a heck of a time replacing the clamps with the kind that you use a screwdriver to tighten. Unfortunately many of them are still leaking and we are wondering if there is damage to the hoses or what. Trying to figure out the best path forward and how much we need to replace down there. lines? clamps? connectors? A video helping with how to correct the problem would be much appreciated.

I had leaks at my kitchen sink, bathroom sink and shower. I kept tightening the swivel to pex connection but the leaks continued. When I replaced the plastic swivels with brass swivels the leaks ended. I had the swollen cabinet wood on a brand new winnebego..

Great video on this topic! 26 year tech and mobile RV repair pro. Subscribed Have you tried one of the Ryobi SS pinch clamp battery operated tools? I'm thinking of getting one for tight quarters jobs, and Ryobi is the only offering so far.

Good tips, liked & subbed! 👍

Hey Jacob! Just found your channel and have subscribed. I watched your comparison of Brinkley, Grand Design and Alliance. We are definitely going to purchase a Brinkley 3100 and thankfully the only plumbing issue seems to be at the actual water pump with the flexible tube and wrong fittings. Could it be just a matter of changing out the style of "connector" and "clamp?" Thanks again for your channel and wealth of much needed knowledge!

I'm still learning and processing information before buying a travel trailer. Been at it for three years now! I'm retired with plenty of time, love to tinker. I was thinking "oh well, I'll just have fun replacing vinyl with pex" But then, I realized; how much cheap vinyl might be hiding that I can't get to? Not good!

This is a great video about what the problem is, but HOW DO WE REPAIR THIS? Do we need to tear apart the RV and replace all the vinyl tubing with Pex, or is there a correct type of fitting(s) we can switch over to? For example, would it be appropriate to use a 1/2" barb-to-FIP adapter fitting, connected to a 1/2" PEX-to-MIP fitting? And if so, would that FIP/MIP connection need PTFE/pipe thread sealant? Thank you!

Great info

I have only found one piece of that trash tubing in my RV. It run from my freshwater tank to my pump. Glad it’s on the suction side not the pressure side

I love my 1995 Monaco dynasty. Back when they built RV’s to last many many years.

Keep the truth coming.

I could use your advice. I have a leak where had pex goes to soft pex. I need to know if there is a best way to get to it. We have a Grand Design Momentum 397Th. The leak is where the had pex goes to soft then to the washer connection. Thxs. Great videos and advice

I found 6 leaks in my grand design solitude / I am going to start switching it all out with pex

Yeah my toilet is hooked up that way only way i found out is luckily its right on top a pipe that goes to my tanks. So i removed some pannels and i found it. I know its not the best solution but i now just fill up my fresh water tank and use my pump and that stopped the leak i guess less pressure.

I have had at least 10 fitting leaks on my 2022 RV.. The issue is, the pex itself. Draw a short line with a sharpie on the pex pipe by the fitting at the connection to a faucet. Then hand tighten the nut on the fitting. You will see the line/pipe rotating with the fitting nut. This is because the seal sticks to the pex, turning it with the nut. PEX tubing does not like being rotated, so it will unwind the pipe and also loosen the fitting you just tightened. The solution is to hold the pipe with one hand, then tighten the nut with the other. This keeps the pex pipe from twisting with the fitting nut.

Just subscribed to your channel and keep up with the info….Thanks

That is exactly what has happened to me on a brand new trailer first trip out.

My 2024 Flagstaff Micro has this exact issue. Had two leaks the first month! Not sure they even tested the dang thing.

My 2021 382MBQ has some of that, mine is whit and the 1/2 pex clamps will not fit over the hose, am changing that stuff out. Also, changing the plastic fittings out for brass ones.

Great video, so how would you recommend making the connection between PEX tubing and Flex tubing?

I just went to look at a 2024 Grand Design and everywhere I looked there was vinyl flex pipe into pex fitting with pex clamps. I walked away. I have a 2010 Rockwood mini light and the trailer is plumbed correctly except for 2 fittings at the water pump. They have never leaked and I'm going to fix them soon.

Can this be modified at the point of connection? If you see the flex pipe with a pex connector? In other words, can you remedy this without replacing the entire line? And just replace at the connection point? Thanks - good video. 👍

OK, Forest River fails the plumbing test by using pex fittings and oetiker clamps on vinyl tubing. I have fought the leaks for years, finally trying screw hose clamps as a better solution. What I am going to try now is to heat the pex and slide it onto a 1/2" barb fitting which will then be connected to the vinyl tubing. Wish me luck,

We have a 2020 Flagstaff with a ton of these connections; most of which leaked after a year. I was able to repair the connections using pex. Forest River is not going to be on my list if I ever buy another RV. Their quality is bad, seems like every time we use the trailer I spend a couple of days fixing everything that breaks

Good info! I along with others get your info via email. Didn’t know about this till now. I do have that flex line for my black tank flush .

Hi Jason, thanks for great stuff, hey, could you recommend a couple of Class C's that have good plumbing.....thanks Ron

Install orings on the pex fittings .

A link to the fittings would be great!

Had to fix 2 leaks in my new 2022 5th wheel almost immediately after buying.

What is the proper repair method if you have this configuration and get a leak?

On several FB groups, people recommend removing the PEX compression clamps and using worm gear clamps (automotive hose clamps) instead. Is this a suitable fix even though they still use the original PEX fittings? If not, what's the best way to correct this problem? My 2021 Flagstaff is plumbed this way and I'd like to take preventative action and fix it properly.

Grand design did this on my imagine xls 22mle. Leaked after 14 months, luckily we caught it.