Loose screws and water regulators - Montana Owners Club

Dean A Van Peursem · 02-26-2007, 06:17 PM

I finally have all the stripped screws repaired on the kitchen and entertainment center cabinets. Screws seemed to have a good bite after filling the screw holes with wood glue, then inseerting as many toothpicks as I could get (3)in each hole and then letting them dry for a few days. Then drilled a pilot hole for each screw slightly smaller than the shank of the screw threads. Each screw tightened up nicely with a hand screw driver. Will see if these hold until we get into a warranty repair facility.

However, a funny observation was made a few hours later. We have had a screw put aside that we found in the RV but couldn't figure out where it came from. Well, tonight I found where it came from. Two screws have come loose and are completely missing on the inside of the entrance door handle/latch. So now I can re-insert one and will have to find another matching screw at a harware store I guess.

I'm beginning to think I have a full time job replacing loose screws in this 3400RL! :-) It is starting to become hillarious. Hopefully I won't have many more loose screws to repair when we do our 1600 mile return trip. At least I'll have local dealers to go to.

We have had a water pressure regulator on our RV that we bought from our original Montana dealer. We have had more than our fair share of leaking and busted pipe connections but in addition we found the water pressure regulator reduced the water flow so much it was annoying. So I went looking for a better regulator at Camping World and didn't like the looks of the adjustable ones but then found a Hi-Flow one made by
Valterra. www.valterra.com. Part number A01-1113VP On sale for $10 so tried it. It works a whole lot better than our previous one at 45PSI. We will see how long it lasts with the high salt content water we have here. I have a water filter ahead of the regulator as well. The water pressure/flow problem may now be solved, at least for awhile.

Slowly getting rid of some of the annoying issues.

richfaa · 02-27-2007, 03:43 AM

We also had the "water regulator experience" Had one on the CG end and the water inside the camper was really low.(here in Apache Junction) Got one of those water pressure indicators . Removed the regulator, installed the indicator at the CG end and it indicated 85PSI which made my hair stand on end...put the indicator at the camper end at the end of 25 feet of water hose and the PSI is 55..the flow inside the camper is acceptable..loose water connectons aside I think the camper plumbing can stand that. Re: the loose screws..When at your 3400 I looked at the build date and it was less tha 2 months earlier than mine.. We had many, many loose cabinet screws.the fixes you used have held to this date.

Such is life in the world of Rv'ing.

Dean A Van Peursem · 02-27-2007, 04:23 AM

Richfaa,

I get the impression from your comment that you are no longer unning a pressure regulator with your unit. If my assumption is correct you might want to check what the pressure does later in the evening or very early in the morning. We have experienced wide variances in water pressure depending on time of day. Here in Apache Junction, AZ but in other places as well. Especially in official WA State campgrounds.

richfaa · 02-27-2007, 05:47 AM

I did leave the indicator on at the camper end for a few days.I would check it at various times and we did note a change in pressure but nothing significant. We did remove the regulator as with it installed there is not enough pressure for Helen to rinse her hair. The pressure really decreases going through 25 feet of hose. Do you have a pressure guage..If not let me know and I can run over and we can do some readings on your camper...

patodonn · 02-27-2007, 06:40 AM

Rich: You really getting a 30 psi drop due to just 25 ft of garden hose? No regulator at either end? No filters or other obstruction between the CG water fixture and where you were taking the pressure reading? That much of a psi drop doesn't sound right...maybe a couple of pounds, but not 30! I'm confused..(as usual! LOL)

Best,

richfaa · 02-27-2007, 07:35 AM

Just went out and hooked it up..It is 12:32 here in Az...The pressure at the CG side is is 80PSI..the pressure at the input to the camper at the end of a 30 foot hose and a in line filter is 59PSI. I lied about the 25 foot of hose...It is actually 30 foot..had to add a 10 foot extension to reach the CG faucet.. I had forgot about that...

patodonn · 02-27-2007, 10:27 AM

So, the 30 psi pressure drop is across the in-line filter....something going on with it?? I get about a 5 psi drop across mine, and there are two filters, different types, hooked in tandem. No regulator in line, at the moment.

In addition to the psi problem, there might be a gpm flow problem as well. Not sure what mine is rated, but seems "adequate". I think ours might be 6 gpm...not sure. I have one of the Westinghouse "whole house filters" in tandem with a "standard" Wally-World charcoal filter. I change the filters about every 3 months, unless I see significant discoloration of the Westinghouse filter through the clear acrylic canister.

Best,

richfaa · 02-27-2007, 11:32 AM

We did not check the drop across the filter but if the filter is causing the drop that is ok because when we have the regulator in the ckt the pressure drops to 45PSi and that causes low flow in the camper. I wonder what the lines in the camper are rated for..Think I will call Keystone and ask them. The pressure Guage is red lined at 60PSI. I have 2 regulators both of them preset at 40-50PSI..That is not enough.

Dean A Van Peursem · 02-27-2007, 12:36 PM

Richfaa,

Thanks for the offer. There seems to be two parameters that affect satisfactory water supply in the RV. Pressure and Flow. Just by adding a "Hi-Flow" regulator that supposedly has the same pressure rating as the standard flow version we were using before, the end result has gone from marginal to totally satisfactory. Since I'm a proponent of not fixing things that are not broken, I don't have a real need to know what the pressure is at the CG end. All I know we have adequate pressure and flow with the new "Hi-Flow" regulator and thats good enough for me! :-) Supposedly the new regulator will hold the water pressure on the RV side at 45 lbs even if the CG side drops below that. Not sure I understand how that works. Sounds a bit like a perpetual motion machine to me! :-)

richfaa · 02-27-2007, 01:14 PM

Dean..Is the high flow regulator the one mentioned in your above post..or''where did you get the high flow regulator...I need one of those..

Dean A Van Peursem · 02-27-2007, 02:12 PM

Richfaa:

It is a Hi-Flow version regulator made by Valterra. www.valterra.com. Part number A01-1113VP on sale for $10.34, purchased at Camping World in Mesa, AZ last weekend. I am not able to quantify the difference in engineering terms but our water flow in the kitchen and the shower went from dismal to satsfactory. I don't know if our previous standard version was defective or not. But there was a significant and noticeable improvement with this unit.

patodonn · 02-27-2007, 03:24 PM

Dean, I don't think you can get more pressure out of a regulator than goes in to it. If the water pressure from the CG water system is 40 psi, you can't get more with the addition of a 55 psi regulator. Least, that's my understanding..

Rich, two days ago, a guy in a new Hitchhiker across from us had very low flow into his rig. Turned out that it was the brass pressure regulator. Removed it, and all was fine. Put it back, same problem. Psi was fine, with and without the regulator.

Sounds like your problem (Helen's hair washing problem) might be a gpm, not a psi problem. Might think about trying a different regulator(s). I had one fail the same way a few months ago.

Regards,

Dean A Van Peursem · 02-27-2007, 04:10 PM

PJ,

I was only repeating what was written on the regulator package which I found a bit humorous. And elephants can fly too! The only thing I can think of that they are trying to claim is that the water will not flow backwards through the regulator. I don't know what the design is to regulate the pressure but I can imagine how it could be designed to not allow reverse flow.

I think you are right about the GPM issue. Just changing to a "Hi Flow" regulator with the same PSI rating solved our problem.

richfaa · 02-28-2007, 10:54 AM

Dean..Got one of those high flow regulators at C.W today.There is a difference. They are marked 55- 60 PSI..Hi flow. All my other ones were marked 40-50PSI. The new one works fine. I see no difference in what we had before.Thanks for the heads up..

rickety · 02-28-2007, 11:01 AM

When I was in the commercial dishmachine installation business, we would sometimes install machines as much as 30 feet awya from water supply. We used 3/4 in supply lines to get flow, but pressure would drop as much as 20 pounds in that 30 foot length. I don't think a 20lb pressure drop in 30 feet with a water hose is unreasonable.

richfaa · 02-28-2007, 11:30 AM

I am no expert but I did the readings 3 or 4 times and they were what they were..what can I say. The new regulator made things better.

Dean A Van Peursem · 02-28-2007, 11:31 AM

Richfaa,

Intelesting. :-) I would have sworn the packaging on my Hi-Flow pressure regulator stated 45 psi. I'd go look at it again but I threw the packaging materials away already. Hmmm! I must be going blind from fixing loose screws! :-) But the bottom line is the new one solved your problem and this is good.

Dean A Van Peursem · 02-28-2007, 12:18 PM

I just looked at the www.valterra.com web site to check to see if I am going senile or not. Here is the description of the Hi-Flow pressure regulator:

All brass interior and increased water flow makes this the top of the line water regulator a real winner! Factory set to keep pressure between 40 and 50 psi. 20% more flow than standard water regulators.

The packaging and the web site don't seem to agree.

richfaa · 02-28-2007, 12:36 PM

Dean..It is stamped on the regulator itself, right under the blue twisty on 55-60PSI...unless there are different rated ones???
I am now looking at the packaging..same part number you quoted.A01-1113VP.. The packaging says..keeps outlet pressure at 45psi, does not reduce pressure when inlet pressure is below 45psi...yet the regulator itself is marked 55-60 psi...... what the....

Dean A Van Peursem · 02-28-2007, 01:33 PM

Ok, at least I now know and others know I wasn't making things up regarding what was stated on the packaging or about not dropping the pressure below 45 lbs. I wonder if the numbers stamped on the ring are its maximum rated capacity not it's factory setting? But you have a water pressure gauge. Why not check it out?

The verbage on the packaging my be the work of a creative marketing type! :-)

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