Refrigerator flex drain tube 3400RL - Montana Owners Club

Old GI · 09-15-2008, 01:37 PM

Well the flex tube that drains the water that collects inside the fridge when you defrost finally completely crumbled. Wife tried to slip a clear tube sleeve over it and it just fell apart. Could not even come close to getting my fat fingers into the space between the coils and the back of the fridge also the drain connector is quite a ways up. What a dilemna, I really didn't want to haul the Monty 60 miles round trip and pay big$$$$ to have a service tech pull the fridge out and put a new tube on. Wife took out the tray inside the fridge and pulled the little funnel thing out of the back wall and looked through the hole and saw light. Went to Lowes carrying the little funel thing and found some very soft flexible plastic tubing that looked like the same diameter as the funnel thing. Back at the house we put the tubing in some boiling water to get it soft and slid it onto the funnel thing about 1 1/2". Fed the tubing though the hole and twisted back and forth until the funnel thing was seated firmly against the back of the fridge, gently pulled the excess tubing through the bottom and out through the grille poured water into the tray and it worked. Cost 6' of tubing a .17 cents per foot. Sorry I didn't take pictures but it was an easy fix. My wife has great fix-em-up ideas.

bsmeaton · 09-15-2008, 01:42 PM

That is strange - I've never had one do that before, and based on the last thread I checked mine and it seems OK. Wonder if there were different products used

Waynem · 09-15-2008, 03:13 PM

Only the portion that stuck out in the UV light would crumble on my "old" 3400RL. I was able to slip a clear plastic tube over the ribbed stuff. Don't know how long it will hold up, but it was better than having that corrugated junk hanging out the opening.

Army Guy · 09-16-2008, 05:26 AM

Mine has fallen apart each time I open the back. I went into put a fan there and it started to disolve in my hands. I just taped it to keep from cracking and that seemed to be working. I just went to check on it and it fell off right where the tape started. Now I'm going to have to look into the fix that Old GI came up with. Thanks for that bit of information.

Lambchop · 09-16-2008, 05:29 AM

On my 08 Montana, the tube is white. Seems like the black tubes are the problem?

I'll keep an eye on mine & report.

Roy

HamRad · 09-16-2008, 06:23 AM

Lambchop,

I've got a 2002 3295RK and it has the black tube. Not a hint of trouble with my BLACK drain tube. I have no idea why there is a difference. I live in a very hot climate with a lot of sunshine and my fridge side of the Monty is west facing. It gets a lot of hot sunshine.

HamRad

Army Guy · 09-16-2008, 07:50 AM

Mine was the white tube. It's also exposed to weather extremes here in Kansas. I was told that the black doesn't break down from UV rays. Not sure if true or not but seems to be.....

SlickWillie · 09-16-2008, 08:31 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Lambchop

On my 08 Montana, the tube is white. Seems like the black tubes are the problem?

I'll keep an eye on mine & report.

Roy

Just give it time. Our Mountaineer has the white tube. I've already tried to replace it from the outside; will try the inside trick next.

bsmeaton · 09-16-2008, 07:10 PM

Come to think of it, all my past RVs were the black tube, this is the first white one.

I think I'm seeing the benefit of indoor storage, as the tube looks good so far.

Old GI · 09-17-2008, 12:06 PM

My tube was white and would crumble if you touched it. We decided to give my fix a try since it was broken all the way up. Just be sure to take that funnel thing that goes through the back of the fridge with you when you get the tubing and get the same size in diameter as the end of the funnel. We bought our tubing in Lowes, it is black and very soft almost like rubber, heat the end in very hot water lube the funnel end with cooking oil and slip the tubing on about an inch and a half. Push the tubing through the hole and when the funnel meets resistance because of the tubing twisting it left and right should let it slip right in until the funnel rests against the back wall of the fridge and then test the fix by pouring a small cup of water into the tray to make sure the water comes out on the outside and you are done.

indy roadrunner · 09-17-2008, 12:49 PM

Think I may have to try this fix also. My white tubing is getting brittle. Have broke off about an inch so far but I can see the potential for more. Might as well fix before it becomes a major problem.

Cyrus · 09-18-2008, 01:01 AM

I have the white tubing also and only the end that was in the sun seem to be crumbling. For the last few months I have kept it pushed back in the vent opening as far as I can so not exposed to the sun. Have not had anymore problem. In my case it seemed to be the direct sunlight that was causing the problem.

Thanks for the info about pulling the drain pipe out from the inside. Anymore problems I will go that route.

SlickWillie · 11-09-2008, 06:39 AM

I was gonna turn the LP off to the fridge today. Guess what. The drain tube broke off way up there! BTW, on our fridge, that funnel that the tubing fits on ain't made to remove from the inside. It is actually not made to be removed once it is installed. It has clips that lock it in when it is inserted through the hole in the back of the fridge. Even with the fridge out, the back of the fridge is too thick to get to the clips to unlock them. I removed it any way; in two pieces. Hopefully super glue will work until I can get another one. I couldn't find tubing that would go on the barbed end of the drain, and slide through the hole. However, I can reach my hand up to the drain from outside. I will post pictures later.

illapah · 11-09-2008, 09:23 AM

hope someone posts pictures someday soon. My white drain hose is crumbling too.

SlickWillie · 11-09-2008, 10:45 AM

For some reason, I can't get a picture to post. Never had a problem before. I tried a link to the part picture on PPL Motorhomes; no luck there either, it just takes you to the online catalog page. Oh well, I'll have to try to figure out what I am doing wrong.

Waynem · 11-09-2008, 02:49 PM

I have posted before the fix I used to stop the water from coming in and in that fix was adding a clear vinyl hose to the existing ribbed hose. I measured the outside diameter of the ribbed hose that is installed, went to the hardware store and bought a 1 foot piece of clear vinly with an inside diameter matching what the outside diameter is. Slipped the ribbed hose inside the vinyl and pushed about 1 inch of the vinyl out one of the square holes. (Go figure - round tube in a square hole)

This fix keeps the ribbed flex hose out of the UV rays and should let it last a little longer. If the end of the vinyl hardens up or fractures, just pull a little out and snip it off. Replace as necessary. (Worked for me.)

SlickWillie · 11-09-2008, 02:55 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Waynem

I have posted before the fix I used to stop the water from coming in and in that fix was adding a clear vinyl hose to the existing ribbed hose. I measured the outside diameter of the ribbed hose that is installed, went to the hardware store and bought a 1 foot piece of clear vinly with an inside diameter matching what the outside diameter is. Slipped the ribbed hose inside the vinyl and pushed about 1 inch of the vinyl out one of the square holes. (Go figure - round tube in a square hole)

This fix keeps the ribbed flex hose out of the UV rays and should let it last a little longer. If the end of the vinyl hardens up or fractures, just pull a little out and snip it off. Replace as necessary. (Worked for me.)

Wayne, I'm not sure the UV is what is rotting the hose. Ours was very brittle and easily broken way up the back of the fridge. Perhaps the heat?

Waynem · 11-09-2008, 03:10 PM

Hmmm! I never had it get brittle behind the vent cover, just the stuff exposed. Hmmm!

Edited: I have never seen the little funnel attachment. Could it be possible to replace the entire ribbed section with a vinyl one? Also, didn't someone post that they replaced the "funnel" with another funnel? Don't remember how they attached it.

SlickWillie · 11-09-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Waynem

Hmmm! I never had it get brittle behind the vent cover, just the stuff exposed. Hmmm!

Edited: I have never seen the little funnel attachment. Could it be possible to replace the entire ribbed section with a vinyl one? Also, didn't someone post that they replaced the "funnel" with another funnel? Don't remember how they attached it.

Someone said their wife pulled the drain (funnel thing)out and they put vinyl tubing on it and pushed it through from the inside. I couldn't do so on ours. The drain has a one-half inch outside diameter barbed nipple made on it. I measured the hole it had to slide through; only 9/16" and the OD of the new tubing I used is somewhat greater than that. The original tubing also has a squeeze clamp where it connects to the drain. I don't think you could ever release it with the drain in place. Our fridge is a RM2862, perhaps other models are different. The drain is only 7 bucks plus shipping from PPL. I'll order one later this week just in case. I have to make an unexpected trip to Dallas in the morning.

kmh3212 · 11-11-2008, 03:17 PM

I would go to an auto parts store and get fuel line hose. That will outlast the fridge!

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