Is there a recommended emergency plumbing kit for an RV?

Dear Dave,
Is there a recommended plumbing repair kit one should add to the RV tool kit, without breaking the bank? —Rusty, 2022 Montana 3121RL

Dear Rusty,
I believe it is a good idea to have several fittings and water lines that match what is used in your rig in case of an emergency, especially if you are RVing in cold weather. The challenge is that there are so many different products on the market. RV manufacturers are typically not consistent in what they use and how they are installed.

PEX is a generic acronym, not a brand

Every RV manufacturer that I know uses some type of PEX water lines and connections. PEX is a generic acronym for cross-linked polyethylene and is not a specific brand product. It was invented in 1968 and first introduced into the United States in the 1980s, initially for in-floor heating due to its flexibility.

I was first introduced to PEX tubing back in the mid 1990s, when Winnebago switched from the old 3/8” beige and gray “mobile home” tubing to the 1/2” PEX style and used Flair-It connections.

These are compression fittings that have a hose barb with a threaded nut that seals the fitting. The 1/2” water lines provide a much higher water flow for the shower and faucets. The PEX lines are flexible and can expand and contract to about 1.5 times the original size. That means they are less prone to cracking if the water inside them freezes.

I can personally verify this as I have had a unit freeze solid in Fargo, North Dakota, at -20 degrees. However, I would not recommend this as other components such as the water pump might not fare as well as mine did.

Putting together a plumbing repair kit

The term “PEX” is a generic description and not a brand. Therefore, the challenge with putting together a “kit” for plumbing repairs is that there are so many different types of tubing and fitting manufacturers, not to mention the type of fitting.

Take a look at this photo of a Winnebago and the Flair-It™ connections.

However, there is also a flexible soft plastic line that is not PEX used for the water lines going into and out of the water pump. It is a very soft plastic to reduce the vibration or thumping noise when the pump starts and stops. There is also a soft water line used for the RV antifreeze draw line.

To build a plumbing kit would require an assortment of items

So, to create a plumbing kit for these models you would need quite an assortment of connections, piping, and even a few worm clamps. You can see a couple worm clamps on the bottom line of the water pump.

Other manufacturers go a much cheaper route and use a PEX-type tubing. The connections are simple hose barb elbows and connectors that go inside the tubing.

These are secured to the PEX tubing with either a worm clamp or a pinch clamp such as this.

Here is an example of this type of system used with blue for cold water lines, and red for hot water lines.

These types of fittings require a special pinch tool. I have tried the inexpensive models at the home improvement stores. However, they are very difficult to get a tight compression and ultimately leaked for me. The professional tool is ratcheted and costs more than $100.

The connections in this picture are valves to drain the hot and cold water lines. Many RVs use an even less-expensive valve for the low point drain.

There are dozens of brands of PEX pipe, with Bluefiin being one of the most popular. However, I have used NIBCO, Apollo, and others. If you want to carry some extra tubing, just make sure it has a similar sidewall consistency such as hard or soft. Also, make sure that the inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD) are the same. Most brands are interchangeable.

Connections

Now, for the connections. Just as there are several different manufacturers of tubing, there are just as many for connections—or maybe even more. If you go to Ace Hardware, you will find SharkBite™, which is a very heavy-duty connection with a brass outer casing. Most RV manufacturers do not use them due to the cost, as each connection can run $8-$12.

Other options are Sealand, Sioux Chief, Watts and others. Some of these connections are slip-on compression-type, that are easy to install. However, I think I would only use them in case of emergency as the vibration RVs get going down the road might be too much for them to hold a seal.

So, what is the best kit?

Since there are so many variables in product, connections, and installation, there is not one catch-all kit that I can recommend. However, you can customize one for your rig and application.

I would start by identifying the type of tubing and the dimensions, then get a few “sticks” that come in various lengths. If your rig has the generic white tubing, you can buy one color for all applications. Otherwise, you might want to carry a couple feet of both the blue and the red tubing.

Next, identify the type of connections you have and carry an assortment of them with a few straight in-line, elbow, and even a valve. I would also recommend getting a cap, which is a termination of the tubing, in case you can’t fix it and just need to cap off the line and not have a leak. This could be a compression-type cap or just a ” 1/2″ PEX tube with a plastic cap glued to the end that could be inserted into another fitting.

Easiest repair on plumbing lines

The easiest repair on plumbing lines that I have found is using the barb fittings that go inside and clamp them down with either a worm clamp or pinch clamp. The worm clamp can be tightened with a screw driver. However, I have found a nut driver or socket on a cordless drill makes the best connection.

I use the pinch clamps and tighten them with my grandpa’s long-handled pinching tool. However, I did find a very inexpensive ratchet tool on Amazon here. This kit contains not only the crimper but also what I feel is a must-have in any plumbing kit—the tubing cutter.

One last item to have on hand

One last item that I always carry is silicone tape. This self-fusing tape is often called “rescue tape” and can be used for plumbing fixtures, drain pipes, wiring, and a lot of other items. You can find a great deal on a four-color pack on Amazon here.

The tensile strength grade of leak seal tapes is more than 710 PSI, and the working temperature is -76 degrees F to 500 degrees F. I use it on any drain fixture that I work on, as the vibration driving down the road eventually makes any connection leak.

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DAVE HAS ANSWERED MORE THAN 1,000 readers’ maintenance and repair questions. Read a directory here. There is so much to learn!

Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”

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