Fixing Your City Water Inlet on a Pop Up Camper

When we took our first little overnight trip in Peggy Sue, we discovered that our water did not work.  It was a quick trip and was fine.  I washed dishes in a collapsible container and rinsed out doors.  We used paper plates and made do.  However, with less than 2 weeks before our first multiple night trip, we needed ta working sink.

I researched online how to repair our problem.  We knew that we had a good connection.  Water was coming from the faucet at our campsite.  But when hooked to our camper, no water was coming through the faucet at the actual sink.  Finally, we decided that it must be the city water connection inlet.

Our Jayco Qwest has a city water connection that hooks up outside of our camper with a hose.  Water will come into the camper and dispense with a little pump at the faucet on our sink.  The water that drains comes out and will drain by a second hose into a large blue waste container.

This was the original connection.  Lots of wear and tear.  It was time to replace this!

If you are new to camping, I do recommend getting a Reliance Products Hydroller 8 Gallon wheeled water container for your draining waste water.  Or, purchase something similar.  Most camping stores along with Walmart do have these.  And, most camp grounds require waste water containers.   Our container is a fairly large one that is on wheels for easily moving to dump waste water.  Since water weighs 8 pounds per gallon, a container with water is going to get heavy fast.  This set up makes easy work when maintaining a camp site.

To get our water in working order, I contacted our local RV store.  If you are trying to make big repairs, this is a great resource.  I do use Amazon a lot, but I was unsure of the exact part that I needed and wanted to be sure that what I got worked.  After several emails back and forth, the guy at the RV store ordered a part for me that came in quickly.  Our local RV store is Aberdeen RV.  I'm already in contact with them again about decals for our pop up when we paint it in a couple of weeks.

The new part came with a nice cap to keep the inlet covered until use.  However, no screws are included.  So, keep the ones that come with your set up!

We used JR Products 321-B-2P-A Polar White City Water Dish.  Amazon does sell this part cheaper. It cost me $30.99 at the RV store.  But, it is $18 on Amazon.  However, we didn't have the time to order parts that may or may not work.  And, I wanted to be sure that what we used works.  If you are little more handy than I am, you might can figure it out on Amazon.  Especially if you have the time.
I removed the three screws on the inlet.  Then, I used a putty knife to pry the connection away from the camper.  It came off fairly easily.

Once the old water connection was removed from the camper itself, it can be unscrewed to remove.

The old inlet screwed out.  The new inlet screwed in.  Before we sealed everything up, we popped up our camper and tested the water line.  There was no need to seal up if the water still wasn't working. And the lady at the RV Store had already mentioned that our issue could be the actual pump at the sink that was not working.



Screw in the new piece and test to make sure that everything works.  It did for us!

It was the inlet though.  We hooked up the water to the new inlet and turned on the water inside. Perfect.  Water came out and drained just as it should.

To complete the installation, I put some putty around the hole cut out on the pop up for the water inlet.  I recommend putting this stuff in the freezer before you do this to get it really cold.  That putty is like chewing gum and it really sticky.  Getting it cold before installing makes it much easier to work with.

The sealing putty comes in a roll and is very sticky when warm.  Place in the freezer to make it easier to work with.

After pressing the new inlet part into place on the camper, I refastened the screws.  Finally I sealed everything with Geocel 28100V Pro Flex Crystal Clear RV Flexible Sealant - 10 oz..  Since this is a sealant to work with on the sides of a camper, I decided to go around and give everything a fresh seal.  We've put a lot of work in to this project, and this is just one more way to ensure that we have a lot more use out of our camper!



One plus to working with the RV Store for this repair was that the sales people were able to recommend just what I needed and the service was great!  Also, they gave me some putty to make my repair with as opposed to selling me a whole bunch that I didn't need.

The putty is sold on Amazon that you would need to make this repair. Butyl Putty Tape Window Flange Tape Camper RV Roof and Window Sealant RV Putty Tape (1/8" x 1" x 30')

Total cost for this repair for us was $42.35.  This was for the new water inlet, pro flex and the putty (which was provided by the RV store).  Even though the part was more at the RV Store, I didn't buy the putty.  So, the cost would have been the same either route.  It really comes down to a matter of where one wants to shop on this one!  Service was a big plus to me, and I would use our RV repair store again.

This new inlet is great.  The old one didn't have a lid or cap over the inlet.  Now, we have a brand new clean water source that seals up when we are not using it.  This makes me even happier!

My husband and I have learned during this project that many times these repairs just take the time to research and follow through with them.  Time is key and not getting in a rush.  But, a lot of repairs that we have done haven't been hard or costly.  We just took our time in making well informed decisions before we actually did any thing.

What repairs have you made to your pop up?  Have you had water issues?  Please feel free to share your comments and feedback about repairs that you have made to your camper projects.  I feel like our next trip out we will be glamping in style.

If you would like to see more of what we did during our remodel, check out the rest of my blog. Also, the items that we have used during our remodel can be found on my Pop Up Remodel Page.  We've got everything working like it should, and I feel confident that we have a lot of happy memories ahead!

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