My one LD gripe July 15, 2018, 08:09:49 am One thing I find hard to understand in my LD is no hot water heater bypass. Even my off the shelf run of the mill camper I bought over twenty years ago came with that. I can't understand why a high end top of the line LD doesn't have that standard.
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #1 – July 15, 2018, 09:18:31 am You would think so, huh? I'm not sure if it's even offered as a option.
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #2 – July 15, 2018, 09:43:02 am Quote from: HiLola - July 15, 2018, 09:18:31 amYou would think so, huh? I'm not sure if it's even offered as a option. My 1994 Holiday Rambler trailer that I only had a couple of years had a fantastic system. One valve under the sink bypassed the water heater then you unscrewed the hose from the water tank to the pump and screwed on another hose to the pump intake. Stick the other end of that his into a small bucket of anti freeze and turn on the pump. Open all faucets and you are winterized. I really loved that trailer for it's quality but unfortunately a trailer just didn't work for us.
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #3 – July 15, 2018, 10:27:11 am I'm with ya on that, Sawyer. I used to own a Bigfoot, and it came standard with a hot water heater bypass.A while back, Ken Fears and I installed a hot water heater bypass in my Midbath. I sure do like it for winterizing purposes. (Thanks again, Ken!) 1 Likes
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #4 – July 15, 2018, 10:33:59 am Quote from: Jan Forseth - July 15, 2018, 10:27:11 amI'm with ya on that, Sawyer. I used to own a Bigfoot, and it came standard with a hot water heater bypass.A while back, Ken Fears and I installed a hot water heater bypass in my Midbath. I sure do like it for winterizing purposes. (Thanks again, Ken!)I'm going to look into doing this on my FL. I think the pump is under the floor of the closet so I'll remove it and see if I can rig something up.
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #5 – July 15, 2018, 01:20:33 pm Quote from: Sawyer - July 15, 2018, 08:09:49 amOne thing I find hard to understand in my LD is no hot water heater bypass. Even my off the shelf run of the mill camper I bought over twenty years ago came with that. I can't understand why a high end top of the line LD doesn't have that standard. Realize that at one time, almost all LDs were sold in Southern California and Arizona, neither places where winterizing is commonly done. In 23 years of LD ownership, I have never had to do it. Some winter we never get down to freezing for a few hours, much less days at a time..Bypass kits in can be installed inexistent LDs for folks with true winter climates, I have installed a few kits.Amazon.com: Camco 35953 8" Supreme Permanent By-Pass Kit for 6 Gallon Tank -...Larry 3 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #6 – July 15, 2018, 01:30:40 pm ^^^LOL! For some of us this is such an odd concept that it seems to come from a different planet!
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #7 – July 15, 2018, 01:43:25 pm "For some of us this is such an odd concept that it seems to come from a different planet!"----Well, some apparently do think that the "different planet" description certainly applies to California! (I'm a 4th generation "native")
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #8 – July 15, 2018, 02:21:43 pm Quote from: huskerblue - July 15, 2018, 01:30:40 pm^^^LOL! For some of us this is such an odd concept that it seems to come from a different planet!Maybe I should just move and forget the bypass problem. 1 Likes
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #9 – July 15, 2018, 03:20:53 pm When I ordered my 2017 MB, I asked Todd if they could install the water heater bypass during construction of the unit, since I figured it would be easier. I offered to purchase a bypass kit and ship it to them. Tadd said no. It was one of those "no's" that I figured not to ask why not.
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #10 – July 15, 2018, 03:30:49 pm Quote from: Glenn Lambert - July 15, 2018, 03:20:53 pmWhen I ordered my 2017 MB, I asked Todd if they could install the water heater bypass during construction of the unit, since I figured it would be easier. I offered to purchase a bypass kit and ship it to them. Tadd said no. It was one of those "no's" that I figured not to ask why not. Well that's just kind of weird. The bypass is fairly standard even on low end RVs.
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #11 – July 15, 2018, 03:56:32 pm When LD started in the 60's, how many RVs had bypass valves standard. The mothership does tend to have a "we've always done it this way" attitude and slow to change. Maybe they weren't thinking of the Winter North Atlantic market back then and thinking of California conditions.(Not the only ones)
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #12 – July 15, 2018, 05:03:20 pm "Well that's just kind of weird. The bypass is fairly standard even on low end RVs."That's not the only 'weird' you'll find at LD!Although Steve Newton was magnanimous in providing most of my requests there was a glitch, the water heater. Atwood makes two models, LP only and a combo LP and electric. The two units are physically identical the only difference is the fuel source. To install the combo unit a short piece of Romex and a circuit breaker would be the only items needed. The answer was an emphatic NO! ? When you have full hookups why would you want to waste your LP when you are already paying for electric? 1 Likes
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #13 – July 15, 2018, 05:15:11 pm Quote from: JCT - July 15, 2018, 01:43:25 pm"For some of us this is such an odd concept that it seems to come from a different planet!"----Well, some apparently do think that the "different planet" description certainly applies to California! (I'm a 4th generation "native")If not a planet, at least an Island(Newcomer family in 1852, born in the Army hospital at Ft. Lewis)
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #14 – July 15, 2018, 05:31:27 pm Quote from: Lazy Bones - July 15, 2018, 05:03:20 pm"Well that's just kind of weird. The bypass is fairly standard even on low end RVs."That's not the only 'weird' you'll find at LD!Although Steve Newton was magnanimous in providing most of my requests there was a glitch, the water heater. Atwood makes two models, LP only and a combo LP and electric. The two units are physically identical the only difference is the fuel source. To install the combo unit a short piece of Romex and a circuit breaker would be the only items needed. The answer was an emphatic NO! ? When you have full hookups why would you want to waste your LP when you are already paying for electric?Set in their ways I guess or they figure "if it ain't broke don't fix it".
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #15 – July 15, 2018, 10:26:07 pm Quote from: Sawyer - July 15, 2018, 05:31:27 pmSet in their ways I guess or they figure "if it ain't broke don't fix it".And yet, they stopped putting windows in the cabover; ironically, they refuse to stop putting windows in the showers of some models, even when the buyer asks them to leave the window off the vehicle. Go figure.
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #16 – July 15, 2018, 10:50:50 pm Quote from: Eric Greenwell - July 15, 2018, 10:26:07 pmAnd yet, they stopped putting windows in the cabover; ironically, they refuse to stop putting windows in the showers of some models, even when the buyer asks them to leave the window off the vehicle. Go figure.Apples and oranges, Eric. The cabover windows, so we are told, eventually leaked. The shower window in our 30' serves as nice cross ventilation to the toilet room across the hall. It's a small window we can leave open when the LD is locked. We keep a drying rack in the shower and hang wet/damp clothing, towels, etc. there when not in use. We have a hanger rod across the skylight frame on which we hang coats and heavy clothing items. Nice to have the fresh air circulating through the shower stall when we are parked. As you can see, we would miss that window.Chris 1 Likes
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #17 – July 15, 2018, 11:13:31 pm I wouldn’t want to be without our shower window. In the RB, it is directly across from the “Throne” and makes easy access for the inevitable “hose & wand” show. Much easier than running along the floor through the coach door.Hey, we can’t have it all...but that’s okay too.Kent
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #18 – July 15, 2018, 11:58:25 pm Quote from: Lazy Bones - July 15, 2018, 05:03:20 pm"Well that's just kind of weird. The bypass is fairly standard even on low end RVs."Although Steve Newton was magnanimous in providing most of my requests there was a glitch, the water heater. Atwood makes two models, LP only and a combo LP and electric. The two units are physically identical the only difference is the fuel source. To install the combo unit a short piece of Romex and a circuit breaker would be the only items needed. The answer was an emphatic NO! ? When you have full hookups why would you want to waste your LP when you are already paying for electric?It is disappointing that they are not willing to consider alternatives although from their perspective they have a continuous back-log so why worry? Not to point fingers but considering that California normally leads the rest of the nation in ecological energy issues I would have guessed they would strongly promote use of electric over LP especially for this application.Now I am curious as to how much a new combo unit would cost and how much you would be able to sell the new "used" unit for...
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #19 – July 16, 2018, 08:12:13 am Quote from: Renegade242 - July 15, 2018, 11:58:25 pmIt is disappointing that they are not willing to consider alternatives although from their perspective they have a continuous back-log so why worry? Not to point fingers but considering that California normally leads the rest of the nation in ecological energy issues I would have guessed they would strongly promote use of electric over LP especially for this application.Now I am curious as to how much a new combo unit would cost and how much you would be able to sell the new "used" unit for...Somehow I doubt people that make their living making and selling recreational vehicles that get single digit MPG are all that "green". 2 Likes
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #20 – July 16, 2018, 09:07:03 am Quote from: Sawyer - July 16, 2018, 08:12:13 amSomehow I doubt people that make their living making and selling recreational vehicles that get single digit MPG are all that "green". Kermit got it right years ago:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpiIWMWWVco 2 Likes
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #21 – July 16, 2018, 10:06:05 am From a Quality perspective: Steve, not allowing the 120vac hot water heater option, or the hot water heater bypass option reduces LD potential for an error or a quality failure point! Secondly, considering the location of the MB water heater, Steve would be "Raked over the (burning)Coals" for putting a water heater bypass in the MB location. Try reaching those valves from that little drawer opening, or disassmbling the right couch/bed araingement to access them!
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #22 – July 16, 2018, 10:54:13 am I wonder if LD not wanting to put in an electric / gas water heater might have something to do with the 30 Amp limitation on the hookup. Running the air conditioner, refrigerator and microwave, (and converter) all at once would be pushing the limit. A water heater at 1400 watts would require the A/C not to be on. We all know that someone out there wouldn't understand that , and complain about the warranty not being any good to have it fixed. I did help a fellow owner, who after a few weeks without inside 110VAC electric, was about to take the motorhome to an electrician. I showed them how to reset a tripped circuit breaker. RonB 1 Likes
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #23 – July 16, 2018, 11:06:54 am This article may be interesting to some:Failed drug tests on the rise for RV makers and other manufacturers |...A guest editorial for RVers Online from eleven years ago:What all RV Purchasers Should Consider 1 Likes
Re: My one LD gripe Reply #24 – July 16, 2018, 11:18:41 am I've never had to winterize my coach. I was in 5 degree weather at Bryce Canyon once, (heater ran a lot), and the only damage was that the windshield washer reservoir took a while, with engine running, to thaw out. (Guess the anti-freeze in the washer tank wasn't quite up to snuff). If I did want to winterize it, couldn't I just empty the water heater, and blow it, and the rest of the plumbing clear with air? Any remaining water wouldn't be concentrated enough in one place to cause a problem. After that I would still put in about 2 gallons of anti-freeze in my water tank and pump it through to catch the water tank residual, pump, toilet valve and manifold breaker, inside the floor water lines, etc. I would expect most of that 2 gallons would get into the water heater. I have a permanent ball valve on the water heater outlet to drain most of that. I would use that to pour into the traps, to end up in the emptied holding tanks. RonB