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Topic: Access to Water Fill Valve etc. 99' U270 (Read 704 times) previous topic - next topic

Access to Water Fill Valve etc. 99' U270

Probably not many of you have had to do this, but when I discovered water coming from underneath the trim in the bathroom, I had no choice but attempt to take out the bottom shelf in the bathroom vanity cabinet to gain access to the fill valve. That was not a fun process! Limited space to work and the fact that it is impossible to take the shelf out while the vanity is there inspired a fun little project. Okay, it's not really a fun project... And not one that I would undertake unless I had to go in there for some compelling reason. But since I did, and because in our coach all the plumbing and the shore power cable come up through the floor under the cabinet, I wanted to have easier access to this space. Among other possible reasons to have to get in there is the fact that almost all of the electrical wiring passes through this space. The nastiest part of the project was cutting the bottom shelf in two inside the cabinet.

After removing every screw that I could get to and cutting the back of the part of the shelf where the drain pipe goes through, I extracted the pieces. I then screwed and glued the pieces back together outside of the cabinet. Now fully committed, I used two pieces of aluminum angle to create an exoskeleton to hold the cabinet shelf together, because there's not much support for the backside of it from underneath. I fitted the aluminum pieces and drilled all the holes and then removed them before cutting the whole assembly in half on my bandsaw. I also cut the piece in half that I had cut out inside the cabinet that wrapped around the drain pipe and glued each half to its respective side of the assembly so that when together, it wraps around the pipe. That part isn't in the pictures. In essence, the shelving assembly was in three flat pieces that were obviously put in there before the front framing of the vanity cabinet was put on. Even unscrewed (which in itself is no easy feat), they were impossible to take out without bending to the point of breaking. now the assembly is still three pieces (Edit: actually 5 when you add the 2 pieces of aluminum angle), but configured so that they can come out of the cabinet door opening.

Moral of the story: it's a lot easier to build your own ship in a bottle then disassemble somebody else's! Or... While a "Ship in a bottle" may look really cool... It's pain in the back to work on!

Anyway, here are some pictures...
Don
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Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Access to Water Fill Valve etc. 99' U270

Reply #1 –
Don, you do nice work.  What kind of leak prompted this repair?
Also, I have a 99 270.  Just curious does your have the touch light handle?
Jerry
Jerry & Nanci
1999 U270 34'WTFI
2011 Malibu
A smart man knows what to say, a wise man knows when to say it.

Re: Access to Water Fill Valve etc. 99' U270

Reply #2 –
Don I have to ask have you ever work in or managed a machine shop. When I was installing a new kitchen in my home I ran into a problem with the new cabinets.They where not square. So I call out a factory rep. After she checked out everything I was doing she asked if I had anything to do with a machine shop.I said yes. She said your all alike,and pulled out a ruler and said we work to an 1/8 th of an inch and not one of those thousands. Keep doing what your doing it is fantastic.Gam
joseph gambaro
1999 U295 36'

Re: Access to Water Fill Valve etc. 99' U270

Reply #3 –
Jerry, No touch light on ours... on our 99 the handle is on when the porch light is on. Kind of leak we had was the kind that happens after you've completely replaced all of the accessible Pex fittings and Pex piping, redone your City Water Supply, water pump, Utility Bay plumbing system and fixed all the other leaks and then one final try at about midnight to discover water coming out from underneath the bathroom cabinet on your newly installed (at least so far as usage goes) bamboo floor! Seriously though, I was arrogant enough to think that I had all the plumbing sorted out after many trials and tribulations... All that work was as a result of my fairly extensive bulkhead repair project in which I had to remove all the holding tanks, water heater, Manabloc, etc. So a lot of what I did was to upgrade systems "while you were there" sort of thing.
I posted about the leak a week or two ago... even posted a video on YouTube.
YouTube
Anyway, it was a leaking fill valve that is in a very difficult to access location. But no longer! The sureest way to not have to get back in there that I know of is to make it easy to get back in there... ::)

Quote from: Green99 –
Don, you do nice work.  What kind of leak prompted this repair?
Also, I have a 99 270.  Just curious does your have the touch light handle?
Jerry
The selected media item is not currently available.
Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Access to Water Fill Valve etc. 99' U270

Reply #4 –
Thanks Gam! No machine shop work for me... but I do like precision! My son is updating and restoring an early 80's Bridgeport mill though...
Don
Quote from: gam –
Don I have to ask have you ever work in or managed a machine shop. When I was installing a new kitchen in my home I ran into a problem with the new cabinets.They where not square. So I call out a factory rep. After she checked out everything I was doing she asked if I had anything to do with a machine shop.I said yes. She said your all alike,and pulled out a ruler and said we work to an 1/8 th of an inch and not one of those thousands. Keep doing what your doing it is fantastic.Gam
The selected media item is not currently available.
Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Access to Water Fill Valve etc. 99' U270

Reply #5 –
Don,
I agree if you dont want a leak, make it accessible.
Nice job.  I am surprised it wasn't made accessible originally.  Any valve will leak with time.
Jerry
Jerry & Nanci
1999 U270 34'WTFI
2011 Malibu
A smart man knows what to say, a wise man knows when to say it.