Kitchen sink drain hose on 02 Patriot

[Bill Johnson]

The kitchen/galley on our 02 Patriot has a flexible drain hose that I have had to replace twice due to wear caused by the opening and closing of the slide.  I am wondering if you have suggestions for a more rigorous yet flexible hose.
Bill

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

Hi Bill,

I do not know if it is better, but the least expensive replacement I found was the flexible water fill hose used in many trailers and fifth wheels.  They have a gravity feed water fill the same diameter as our drain line under the kitchen sink.  It looked identical to the original.  Most trailer supply stores carry it on a roll, and sell it by the foot.  I replaced mine in Las Vegas about 3 years ago, and have had no problems since.

Larry

[Joel Weiss]

Hi Bill--

I also have a Princeton model so I have the same wear problem with the drain hose.  I had a serious leak a couple of weeks ago on a weekend in a small town where there were no RV dealers nearby.   After some serious thought I decided that the best approach was to cut off the damaged last foot or two of the hose and then splice in a hose of similar diameter--if I could find one.

The solution I came up with was an automobile radiator hose and some plastic "barb" fittings I found in the outdoor shop at Home Depot, plus some standard hose clamps.  Radiator hoses come in variety of sizes and I was able to come up with one that worked.  I think the radiator hose will withstand the repeated flexing better than the plastic drain hose was able to.  Consider that it's designed to be used in an environment with heat, vibration and nasty liquids.  

Joel

[Bill Johnson]

Thanks Larry and Joel,
Now the fun of getting my old joints to bend enough to gain access to the hose.
Bill

[Joel Weiss]

With the drawer in the cabinet under the cooktop removed I had just enough dexterity in my joints to reach the plumbing pipe into which the drain hose is connected.  Once you unhook the hose  from the pipe there is plenty of length to pull it towards the drawer front so you can splice in the new section.  A new piece of hose, a piece of pipe to couple new hose to old and some hose clamps.  The whole repair took less than 30 minutes once I had all the stuff.

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

You may give some thought to cutting an access hole in the left wall of the cabinet under the sink.  Mine is about 10" x 10", which Is covered with a 11" x 11" piece of plywood.  It sure gives more access to the problem area.  Not all cabinets are alike, so investigate before you cut.  It helps to have long arms, and be able to work with one hand.

Larry

[Karl Welhart]

I have replaced mine several times over 10 years.  This last time, I used pool hose from Home Depot.  It is blue on black heavy duty and has been fine for almost 5 years.  No wear signs at all.  Part of the trick to lasting is getting the hose tight when it is installed in the slid open position.  Additionally, I unscrewed the fittings from the PVC pipe, then put the hose on the fittings with loose clamps.  Reinstalled the fittings to the pipe and then tightened the clamps on the hose.

[Joel Weiss]

Part of the trick to lasting is getting the hose tight when it is installed in the slid open position.  

With the Princeton model I think the real problem is that when the slide is closed the hose is forced to bend and move out of the way as the sidewall gets closer to the pipe into which the hose is attached.  If you haven't already done so, take a look at the hose when the slide is retracted; it will be bent somewhat at the sidewall of the coach.  Over time that bending will crack almost any hose although some of the suggestions here are probably a lot stronger than what was originally installed.