How To Plumbing help - Replacing elbow swivel in wet bay

[JJT-NC]

Plumbing is probably my worst thing ever. While I wait for a call back from repair shop to work on this, I'm thinking about trying to fix it myself.
A leak has developed in my 2022 DS 4081. I spent a good deal of time isolating the source to the elbow swivel shown in the photo below (It is connecting to the top of the water pump). Drops accumulate in that area right near the elbow. It seems to be the best thing to do is to replace that elbow, as seems unlikely that the hose has failed. Questions I have are:
1) Tricks and tips around removing that old elbow? I don't really want to cut the hose as I am not sure there is any slack to reach back to the pump. Smart way to remove that clamp?
2) What would be the problem with using a hose clamp to secure the new elbow to that old hose?
3) Best place to find a replacement elbow quickly?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Neal]

As you probably know you can unscrew that fitting to give you some flexibility to work. My guess is it is not the fitting but that's easy to replace, my guess is it's a bad pex crimp (the metal band).

I would use wire cutters (strong ones) and put it at the base of the crimp and wiggle your pliers back and forth to force that pex crimp to break and open. The other option, as you can see in the bottom of the picture is where the band is doubled up, you can use a standard screwdriver and pry that open. You want to remove that crimp/clamp.

You can then remove the pex line from the fitting and install a hose clamp and then reclamp it and see how things go. If you know how to install another pex clamp which requires a special tool you can do that (YouTube can show you how). But a properly sized hose clamp will work just fine.

 

[SteveMA]

Have the same leak in my 2020 Mountain Aire. I re-plumbed my last coach completely - did purchase the tools to cut the clamps off, as well as the tools to crimp them using the rings rather than the pinch ones. A bit of an expense, but it was less than 2 hours of RV shop time $. I never really saw any clamps fail, but I did have a couple of the swivel fittings that leaked because the gaskets were not perfect ( hence the re-plumb)

Just getting ready to rebuild my entire water system and add Manibloc manifolds as we had a leak in the basement in December from a fitting and had to go 4 days at Christmas with no water. I want to be able to isolate everything just like on my last coach (from a different manufacturer that cost 1/2 the price). Newmar offers manifolds, but only on Essex and King Aire so for the price of a $200 manifold, I was hauling jugs of water in Las Vegas….

 

[osuallen]

hard to tell for sure from the photo, but it looks like the crimp is right at the end of the tube and it appears it could be leaking there. Follow the procedure that Neal described.

 

[TheLooks]

We have replaced dozens of those clamps on that garbage hose this winter. As far as the fitting itself, you can buy new rubber beveled rings that go inside them. The fitting themselves can freeze and crack but less likely.

 

[lostinfla]

I wouldn't use a screw type clamp on the hose. I've tried it and it will leak at some point. You can get a pex crimp tool with an assortment of clamp bands (1/2 and 3/4") on Amazon. I bought one, keep it on the coach, and have used it more than I thought I would.

 

[JJT-NC]

Looks like I need to be a plumber Getting the tool and clamps to fix it - and also to add to the toolbox. Thanks!

 

[team bradfield]

I bought the pex tools and rings a few years ago for my Montana 5th wheel, just in case, and have used it to make some repairs at the S&B, very handy, I keep a 5' section of pex in the DS, Home Depot carry's all the stuff

 

[team bradfield]

I also bought an assortment of "shark bite" fittings for emergency's, they work great

 

[rvkev]

I carry a Pex crimp tool also. To help you remove the hose from the pipe carefully warm it with a heat gun. Patience is your key to getting the fitting off. BE careful not to warm other components. End nippers will work fine to cut the crimp off, although the end nippers will be tough to squeeze. Try using the end nippers perpendicular to the hose.