OT camper question

mb58

Member
This is such a good forum for getting knowledge about everything (I'm serious). So I'm gona try this question here. I have a 2012 bumper pull camper. Just out of warranty naturally. At first everything worked great. Now this problem. Every faucet runs hot water only. Even the commode fills with hot water. You can turn the water heater off and when the water cools you will get only cool water from each faucet(naturally). I called the place I bought it as well as one other RV dealer and neither said they had ever heard of the problem. One did say he thought maybe it was a by-pass valve stuck open, but then just as quickly said he doubted that was the problem. Will the by-pass valve be on the water heater or somewhere in the lines? The water heater is almost impossible to get to. I think the trailer was built around it. Any one had something like this happen to them?
 
I thought of the bypass valve also, because its the only thing that can be changed in the water system. But I don't see how that could matter, as the bypass valve prevents water from going into the water heater, so you can then put in RV antifreeze without polluting the tank. I think I'd look at it (its at the inlet to the hot water tank) anyhow.

Beyond that, I'm stumped. The cold water should be separate from the hot water, and I don't see how it could have suddenly changed itself- its plumbing, after all, and plumbing can't change itself, because it can't hold a pipe wrench.

Interesting regional terminology (and I've seen it on here before)- around here, a "camper" is mounted on the back of a pickup. What you have would be a trailer. What do you guys call a pickup mounted camper?
 
A truck mounted camper is called a "camper". A bumper pull camper is called a "camper". A fifth-wheel camper is called a "fifth-wheel camper". The second place I called for advise advertises as "Camperland". We don't like to use to many words down south when one world will do. lol.
As for the water heater. There was one thing I failed to mention. When you run completely out of hot water-no more water enters the camper. It just quits running. You have to go outside and disconnect the water hose from the camper, connect it back, and wah-la! you have running water inside again and as long as you don't turn on the water heater, you won't run out of water again.
 
It's a 2012 model- so like everything else these days, I'll bet its got some electronic switches and valves, and something has gone (even further) south. Probably a flow director valve with a safety switch that shuts off the water flow to the heater when there's no water in it, so as not to burn up the water heater.

You need to get a schematic of the electrical and water heating systems, probably from the manufacturer of the water heater. Is there anything in the documentation of the camper along those lines?

Also need to find a more knowledgeable RV repair outfit. . .
 
Only things I can think of - An anti-scald shower valve when it fails will do that, or on my camper the hot and cold valves on the shower can be on, but if you don't turn the valve on the shower head itself on no water will run, but the hot and cold valves being on can back feed.
 
if i remember right my cold water line to the hot water tank has a check valve at the tank so hot water couldn't back up into the cold water line
much like the check valves in your house boiler system to stop hot water from naturally rising.
 
just a wild thought, but that happens here at the shop. i have a slop sink in the shop that has hot and cold water. there is a garden hose hooked up that has a sprayer end on the hose. if some one leaves the faucets on at that location with the garden sprayer wand hooked to the hose, hot water will come out on all the other faucets until that faucet is shut off. possibly if you have a shower head shut off in the bathroom, and the shower faucet is on, that could be where it is flowing thru. just a thought.
 
That's kind of the direction I was thinking. We had a portable dishwasher given to use one time. Hooked a hose Y to the faucets where they came through the wall opposite the washing machine. The hose connector for the dishwasher was junk,that's why we did it,but we put a regular hose end on it and hooked to that Y. Hot water was passing through that Y and we were getting hot water everywhere,even in the toilet tank.
 
There is a one way check valve at the water heater to prevent just this from happening. Can you remove a bed or cupboard to get at it? If not you may have to pull it (the heater)out from its spot some. Not a huge job. A reputable RV dealer should be able to fix this reasonably. Oh, and what you have is called a "Travel Trailer". (TT)
 
Excellent suggestion Glennster.

While it doesn't come out straight hot, our milkhouse faucet has a Y on the end, allowing us to hook up two hoses with sprayers at their ends. If that faucet is left on hot, the washtub faucet serves up only luke warm water. Not too refreshing when coming in for a cold drink while hwying!


Glenn F.
 
Some valve is open causing a back feed! In construction often the plumber will want to have all his pipes energized after his rough in, but before fixtures are set, so if a pipe is punctured during construction the pipe will leak immediately! Usually the homeowner will complain of hot water on the cold side of everything, as the shower valve is causing a back feed like you describe!
 
As said here, check the shower, inside and outside. On mine there are valves to run water anyway you want,you can bypass the heater or send all of the water through it. One thing about camper water valves is the T handles work backwards of anything else I have been around. What I think should be off(vertical water line and horizontal handle) is on
 
Around here a topper covers the bed of the truck.

Everything else most people call a camper.

Truck Camper, Fifth Wheel, Motorhome, etc. Mid Michigan

Some people like to get fancy, "I have a diesel pusher" or "I have a Georgie Boy", "Class A"

Rick
 
Sounds like this is a problem when you're connected to "city" water.

Have you tried putting a few gallons in the onboard tank, and run it off the internal water pump?

It sounds like you have two problems:

1. A check valve is stuck at the city water inlet, not allowing the city water to enter the cold side of the system.

2. A shower valve is open, allowing the hot water to bypass through into the cold side of the system.
 
On mine there are 3 valves near the hot water heater, if they arent in the right position you get hot water from both taps. When I winterize it I shut the 2 valves at the heater, and the 3rd valve is between the other 2, I open that, If I forget to close it in the spring hot water comes out of both taps.
 

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