Give Your Camper a Facelift - New Electrical Hatch and Drainage Port

If you are contemplating taking on the task of remodeling or updating a camper, you are going to be looking for parts to do the job.  Or, if you have done any work on a camper, you are probably familiar with JR Products.   This company prides itself on affordable high-quality products for the RV industry.  Their products will renew your RV for wherever your journey takes you.  Every product that we have used has been easy to install and of great quality.

Peggy Sue our pop up camper, is a work in progress.  Our first priority was to get our pop up camper ready to begin using this year.  Along the way, we have tackled several minor and major projects. From updating our cabinet hardware to replacing our city water inlet, we have done updates that make us able to enjoy our camper.  You can see both of these updates from previous blog posts that I have linked above.

I am learning as I go along.  JR Products has become a go-to product line that I have been using to make updates.  This week before our Memorial Day trip I have replaced our electrical hatch and gray water outlet.

Making these minor updates area easy to do and look great when they are finished.  To make these updates, you will need:

• Replacement parts for your exterior - in my case this is a new electrical hatch and a gray water outlet.  Both of these parts cost about $20 or approximately $10 or less each.
• Putty - approximately $10-$12
• Pro-flex sealant - $10
• Putty knife to remove old putty
• Screwdriver or drill

This is a $40 project that will take less than an hour to do.  Even the novice could do this project easily.  I actually did this project early in the morning before going to work without breaking a sweat.  

Our current gray water outlet is dingy and discolored.  Yuck!  I'm glad that is not where water is coming in!  The electrical outlet is open and exposed.  Also, both look worn and the putty and sealant are old and worn.  It is just time to replace this!  If you are wondering if you should replace these items, look for damaged and exposed putty, worn pieces, and missing caps.  These little touches can really give a camper a facelift.  And, if you are doing a major overhaul, don't overlook these little items that will finish your new look.

Original gray water evacuation port.  Yuck!

Original electrical hatch

Begin by unscrewing the screws on your existing water outlet and electrical hatch.  You may need to slide a putty knife behind these pieces to pull them away.  Carefully do this so that you don't damage the exterior of your camper.  Remove the putty and sealant by gently scraping it away.  If your camper is old enough, it will come off with little work at all.  

To get your new water outlet in place you will need some putty.   Dicor is a trusted RV brand.  A roll of Dicor Butyl Seal Tape will do the job.  I recommend placing your putty in the freezer before you start your project so that it isn't so sticky.  It's a lot like silly putty.  Just stretch it out and around the back of your new piece, line up your holes for the screws and press into the walls of your camper.

Once you have removed the piece from the wall, you can remove the evacuation port and replace with the new one.  

Screw the JR Products 95185 Exterior Evacuation Drain Port into the drain hose coming from inside of your camper.  Place putty onto the back of the drain port that is going to attach to the exterior camper wall.  Place the screws back into place.  Finish your replacement with a bead of  Geocel Pro Flex Crystal Clear RV Flexible Sealant.  This sealant does come in white and an almond color.  I just like the clear.

For the electrical hatch, you will follow the same process.  Start by removing the screws and the existing putty and sealant.  Line the back plate of the JR Products Polar White Deluxe Round Electric Cable Hatch with Back with putty.  As you get ready to push the electrical hatch into the camper, pull the electrical connection plug through the perforated back wall.  Line up the back plate screw holes with the screw holes on the camper wall and replace the screws.  Seal with ProFlex.

Line the back with the putty.  I leave a place open for the screws as I work around.

Place the electrical hatch back into the hole in the wall of the camper and line up the holes for the screws.

The best part about replacing these pieces is that now everything is neat and clean and sealed.  Our gray water evacuation drain cap broke on our last trip.  This leaves our camper exposed to little bugs and creatures to coming inside.  The next electrical hatch is sealed with a little door that also keeps everything closed up.

The new electrical hatch has a closed door that opens for the electrical plug to be removed with a little lever that allows the cord to remain exposed while closing the hatch shut while in use.  Neat and tidy!

Everything that I have used from JR Products has been easy to use and works simply with my camper.  I can order these products from Amazon or a local RV shop that we use.  I have been happy with how easy these products are to install.

Take a look at your existing electrical hatches, water outlet, and city inlet.  Inventory what shape these items are in.  These are are simple updates that can be done for less than $50.  The price alone makes it worth the update.

If you are concerned about ordering something that will actually fit, email the people at JR Products and ask.  Or, work with your local RV Dealership.  Both can answer questions and help you make the best decision for your specific brand of RV.   These parts do seem to be universal so you won't have a hard time figuring it all out.

One thing that I wish I had done in the beginning was to replace all three of these parts at one time - the city water inlet, electrical hatch, and gray water evacuation port.  It would have been simpler to have done it this way.  But, as I said, this is a work in progress.  We are learning as we go.

Get our there and enjoy your camper.  Don't get hung up on little things.  It's okay to do the work a little along the way.  This makes camping both affordable and enjoyable.  Have a great weekend!  We can't wait for our next camping adventure.  When we return, we have a few more updates to do.  Stay tuned!

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