Set up plumbing bay

[shannonrose]

So, I'm down in Florida and I really need to set up my plumbing bay and wondered if there is anyone here, or nearby, who would be willing to help me.  I can bring the bus to you if you have room or you can come to where I'm parked near Jacksonville FL.  I don't know how to do this part but my kids and I are happy to do the work if someone wouldn't mind telling/showing us how it's done. Also, we don't need anything for the toilet as it's a composter.  So, I just need to hook up my fresh & grey water tanks, water filter, water pump, and water heater.  I've already run all the above floor plumbing, I just am not sure how to do the rest. 
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Peace,
Shan

[Jerry32]

Well you are too far away for me to help. I designed mine to have all the bay plumbing in one bay so freezing weather might not be so hard to plan for. I also has black and grey tanks so had the design align the vent throught the roof to go through a closet. the other thing was to have drains inside the bay so they were protcted and would drain better. I made my fresh water system so all water going to the tank went through a filter first. I put valves to drain fresh water and to fill it from hose hookup. Jerry

[fe2_o3]

   Shannonrose;  The only thing I would add is the water pump would rather push the water than suck it. Try to put the pump near the tank and near the floor if possible...Cable

[gus]

I just installed a new water pump. As I remember it has a suction capacity of about six or eight feet so I put it about two feet from the bottom of the tank.

If it ever springs a leak it won't empty the water tank into the bay.

I also installed a switch near the pump to use when working on the pump.

I also have a pump switch on a wall so the water pressure can be turned off from inside the bus if necessary.

[Tom Y]

Shan, Sorry to far away for me to help. I will send some pics of mine if you like. I built plastic tanks to conserve space.  Tom Y

[Tom Y]

Sorry about the crappy pic. I will try for another.  Tom

[gumpy]

i have a few articles about my plumbing setup on my website.

Go to http://www.gumpydog.com/Bus/site_map.htm and look under Plumbing.

craig

[TomC]

I made my own brass ball valve manifolds-one for cold, one for hot.  Each water appliance has an individual ball valve.  Then if something goes wrong with that one appliance, you simply turn it off and can use the rest of the bus as normal until it is fixed.  Pex makes plastic manifolds for a very reasonable pricing-much cheaper then my custom made manifold.  Good Luck, TomC

[shannonrose]

I appreciate all this information!  Thanks, guys! 

[cody]

I was wondering if pex made plastic ones yet, all I saw at menards were the metal ones and they were around 100 bucks, just too rich for this old guys pockets.

[BG6]

I made my own brass ball valve manifolds-one for cold, one for hot.  Each water appliance has an individual ball valve.  Then if something goes wrong with that one appliance, you simply turn it off and can use the rest of the bus as normal until it is fixed.  Pex makes plastic manifolds for a very reasonable pricing-much cheaper then my custom made manifold.  Good Luck, TomC

Far cheaper and simpler than all of those ball valves is to keep a tubing cutter and plug in the tool box.  If something is leaking and you can't fix it right away, just amputate and install the plug, then put in a coupler when you fix it. 

You are highly unlikely to have a serious problem with properly installed plumbing, and even less likely to have it under conditions where you won't be able to take care of it for long enough that you would need to use the rest of the water system.

Your choice -- $2 for a plug that you will probably never use, or $10 each for valves that you will probably never use.

The only branch valve on my system is the feed for the toilet.

[bobofthenorth]

Your choice -- $2 for a plug that you will probably never use, or $10 each for valves that you will probably never use.
The only branch valve on my system is the feed for the toilet.

Um - begging to differ but there's more times that those shut off valves will come in handy than just in the event of a failure.  Any time you need to work on a branch circuit - like changing a tap washer or replacing a toilet seal - having individual branch shutoffs will be a huge help.  I was fortunate that our coach builder knew enough to put each water source on a homerun to a manifold with shutoffs at the manifold.  The incremental cost of a few valves when you are building the coach will pale in comparison to the long term benefits.  And conversely the incremental saving will be long forgotten when the inconvenience of shutting down the whole system is necessary.

I won't get the quote exactly correct and I don't know where it comes from but "the bitter taste of poor quality will linger long after the sweetness of a low price has been forgotten."

[DMoedave]

Sounds like a perfect job for Fred Hobe at NFla conversions, you should give him a call or check his site, which of course i dont have.

[BG6]

Your choice -- $2 for a plug that you will probably never use, or $10 each for valves that you will probably never use.
The only branch valve on my system is the feed for the toilet.

Um - begging to differ but there's more times that those shut off valves will come in handy than just in the event of a failure.  Any time you need to work on a branch circuit - like changing a tap washer or replacing a toilet seal - having individual branch shutoffs will be a huge help.  I was fortunate that our coach builder knew enough to put each water source on a homerun to a manifold with shutoffs at the manifold.  The incremental cost of a few valves when you are building the coach will pale in comparison to the long term benefits.  And conversely the incremental saving will be long forgotten when the inconvenience of shutting down the whole system is necessary.

The whole system shuts down at the valve that the shore hose is hooked to.  The entire plumbing system is within the middle 15 feet of the coach.  I can't see a situation in which your valve arrangement would pay itself off.   

[bobofthenorth]

I can't see a situation in which your valve arrangement would pay itself off.   

Each to his own but I already explained why its a good idea.