2020 View plumbing leaks

[crah]

My 2020 view has been in for warranty for 8 weeks for exterior body sealant repair(a whole different story that a will share on a different thread) Warranty work was a terrible experience both from Winnebago directly and the dealer. They were bickering back and forth on hours required and never did the work in 8 weeks.

Anyways I demanded my coach back, and now I have a decent water leak that I tracked to 4 different fittings. Under the shower there is a tiny access panel. My leaks are coming from 3 tee fittings under the shower and (1) 90 degree fitting behind the hot water. All the leaks are not from the pex piping. These fitting have a couple of pex pipes, and some type of white tubing connected to the T. The pex connections are all fine. It is the white flexible tubing that is using a pex crimp that is all leaking. In positive the tubing is not compatible with pex crimps and winnebago should issue a recall in this. I'm attaching some pictures and hope others don't run into this issue. The location is almost impossible to get to without removing the entire shower pan. I'll probably fix this myself so I don't lose my rv for another 2 months.

[Morich]

Looks like you have it figured but one other thought might/ might not be involved.
How is the water pressure where used and it leaks? There are places where the water pressure can be too high if near mountains, etc. where the water storage is up high compared to the RV level.
A quick check with a pressure gauge or adding a regulator might get you a much quicker/easier fix.
Just looking for an alternate and easy way out!

[crah]

Originally Posted by Morich

Looks like you have it figured but one other thought might/ might not be involved.
How is the water pressure where used and it leaks? There are places where the water pressure can be too high if near mountains, etc. where the water storage is up high compared to the RV level.
A quick check with a pressure gauge or adding a regulator might get you a much quicker/easier fix.
Just looking for an alternate and easy way out!

I have always used a pressure regulator for every Rv I've had. This is my 4th one.

In the 10 months I had it, I think I've had full hookups once. I typically drycamp. I've never seen a pex crimp on a flexible rubber/plastic tubing. Definitely not compatible. Looks like winnebago used the flexible tubing in all the hard to reach areas but regular pex everywhere else. I sure hope this was limited to certain year coaches. I've never seen this flex tubing with pex crimps in any other rv.

[rprochnow]

With our 2021 View 24D, we ran into a water leak problem a month ago at the beginning of a 3500 mile road trip.

We spotted the leak after our first RV park night - and was lucky to find a Winnebago service dealership on our route that could get us in immediately.

They confirmed one of the fittings was leaking. But when they started working on that fitting, leaks started springing up on other fittings in that area - evidently the fittings weren't snug enough to take much "tugging" before they came loose.

They ended up replacing all of the connectors.

Unfortunately, the connector furthest up inside that compartment is very difficult to reach - and they didn't get it completely tight.

We drove away from the dealership and stopped at a rest are about 2 hours out - and noticed water coming out from underneath - a lot of water. Evidently when we turned on the watger pump and pressurized the water lines, the fitting came completely loose, spraying water everywhere underneath, including into the auto transfer switch (which failed a day later).

We returned to the dealership -and they were able to get that fitting attached properly - and (at least so far) we haven't seen any leaks.

Unfortunately, the ATS went out a day later - preventing us from using shore power - and we ended up boondocking over the weekend. It's pretty much impossible to find anyone to do any quick RV service in Phoenix. It took us hours on the phone to find someone - plus Amazon was able to send us a replacement overnight - and we were able to get the ATS replaced and get back to our vacation.

So, please be aware that if you are seeing leaks - be careful not to let a small leak become a much larger leak, since water sprayed into the electrical compartment can get into the ATS and damage it...

The service techs weren't sure what caused the water leak. One theory was a faulty pressure regulator - so we replaced that. But in 6 months of ownership, I think we only tried running water in "normal" mode connected to shore water once and that was with a pressure regulator on the line. Otherwise, we only have the shore water run in "fill" mode into the tank - and that doesn't go through the interior water lines.

The other possibility is we had loose connections at the factory - and it took months of use (with a rougher than normal ride due to tire balance issues caused by tire sealant installed by our dealer) to loosen the water line fittings, and start causing the leaks.

[Morich]

Originally Posted by crah

I have always used a pressure regulator for every Rv I've had. This is my 4th one.

In the 10 months I had it, I think I've had full hookups once. I typically drycamp. I've never seen a pex crimp on a flexible rubber/plastic tubing. Definitely not compatible. Looks like winnebago used the flexible tubing in all the hard to reach areas but regular pex everywhere else. I sure hope this was limited to certain year coaches. I've never seen this flex tubing with pex crimps in any other rv.

Sounds like you have found the problem then and it will need to be replaced or repaired.

[crah]

Mine is a 24D floor plan as well but a 2020. I'm sure the plumbing is identical. Because the 24D floor plan has the water tank in the slide, winnebago used a flexible white hose from the water pump back towards all the fittings that sit below the shower aka above the transfer switch area as well. They used pex cinch connectors to the white flexible tubing to the pex plastic fitting. None of that stuff is compatible with each other. I'm shocked Winnebago would do this. I just found another leak under the bathroom sink and they have that same white flexible tubing. They used the blue and red pex tubing for most of it, but a few places have these white flexible tubing with pex cinch connectors. I'm sure there will be future problems with many people. I sure hope Winnebago reads these forums.

[rprochnow]

The Winnebago service that fixed our leak made a comment about the fittings Winnebago used - and said they ended up replacing all of the fittings.

Most of the fittings are fairly easy to reach - there is one fitting that is very far up inside the wall - and that was the fitting the service tech had difficulty getting completely tight.

When they replaced the fitting, evidently there is some tape the factory places on the water lines - and that tape got inside the replaced fitting - and prevented the fitting from making a solid connection. Once they realized that, they removed the tape and the connection was solid.

Because that fitting is so far up inside the wall - it was pretty difficult for the tech to reach and work on.

This is an area Winnebago should review - and make manufacturing changes, if needed, to reduce the risk of water leaks (especially for any connections that are difficult to reach after factory).

[crah]

Originally Posted by rprochnow

The Winnebago service that fixed our leak made a comment about the fittings Winnebago used - and said they ended up replacing all of the fittings.

Most of the fittings are fairly easy to reach - there is one fitting that is very far up inside the wall - and that was the fitting the service tech had difficulty getting completely tight.

When they replaced the fitting, evidently there is some tape the factory places on the water lines - and that tape got inside the replaced fitting - and prevented the fitting from making a solid connection. Once they realized that, they removed the tape and the connection was solid.

Because that fitting is so far up inside the wall - it was pretty difficult for the tech to reach and work on.

This is an area Winnebago should review - and make manufacturing changes, if needed, to reduce the risk of water leaks (especially for any connections that are difficult to reach after factory).

I hope they got all your fittings. If you look at the pictures I posted, those pictures are from under the shower. There are 2 screws you can remove to get a tiny access. There are 3 T connectors that have the white hose in question. Only 1 of the Ts you can get from below.

Also if you look at the picture I have behind the shower valve, they used the exact same fitting. My hot water side was dripping slightly. I think I found most of them on the 24d floor plan. There are a couple more in the exterior storage under the floor of the closet storage as well as under the bath sink and kitchen sink. The pex fittings and cince clamp is meant for pex type tubing only. The white hose compresses too easy and will expand and contract with temp drastically. That type of hose is typically only used at the water pumps and connected via barbed fittings with a hose clamp. I'm still in shock what Winnebago was thinking. That 1 year warranty is practically useless as many will discover these problems after 1 year. I hope everyone throughly checks for these leaks. Many will start out with a tiny drips that will be hard to catch. Only reason I caught mine was that I discovered water near the corner of the slide, and I tracked it back to the back of the shower valve and under the shower pan.

[Skip Stone]

The timing of this post is perfect. My wife and I just spent three days at Oscar Scherer state park. On Friday evening after we finished showering, I noticed water leaging under the wall that separates the bathroom and the murphy bed.
At first I thought it was propably due to overspraying or opening the shower door.

Then, on Saturday and Sunday the leak and presence of water significantly increased, to the point where we placed towels to capture the water. I purchased the 2020 View D from the original owner in early October, and hopeful it's still under warranty.

I will contact Winnebago tomorrow. We are grateful for the timely post and the fact that we aren't on the road for several weeks. I guess we need to be prepared not to have the View for several weeks ......

Skip

[crah]

Originally Posted by Skip Stone

The timing of this post is perfect. My wife and I just spent three days at Oscar Scherer state park. On Friday evening after we finished showering, I noticed water leaging under the wall that separates the bathroom and the murphy bed.
At first I thought it was propably due to overspraying or opening the shower door.

Then, on Saturday and Sunday the leak and presence of water significantly increased, to the point where we placed towels to capture the water. I purchased the 2020 View D from the original owner in early October, and hopeful it's still under warranty.


I will contact Winnebago tomorrow. We are grateful for the timely post and the fact that we aren't on the road for several weeks. I guess we need to be prepared not to have the View for several weeks ......

Skip

I would definitely get it in for warranty repair. This falls under defective material/workmanship. I just spent 6 hours completely removing the entire shower. There are so many of this white hose. I discovered the hose is also poor quality and varied slightly in thickness. It is way oversized for a pex connection. Either though mine is under warranty, I need to get this fixed right away. That's why I'm doing the repair now. I'm replacing every bit of the white hose I can get access to. All the connections were loose. I urge anyone with a 2020/21 View to check their water lines. If your water pump runs every once in a while, you likely have a small leak. Luckily most of the connectors are above the wet bay so most leaks will go there. There are other connectors that will leak into the coach as well.

[barney]

My 2019 24D has the same white hose and pinch clamps. These clamps are made for PEX, not flexible vinyl hose. I had one leak, under the bathroom sink. I replaced the pinch clamp with two standard hose clamps and have been good. Winnebago used the cheapest, easiest way to do these connections. They should have used PEX throughout. This is the stuff of a class action lawsuit.

[crah]

Originally Posted by barney

My 2019 24D has the same white hose and pinch clamps. These clamps are made for PEX, not flexible vinyl hose. I had one leak, under the bathroom sink. I replaced the pinch clamp with two standard hose clamps and have been good. Winnebago used the cheapest, easiest way to do these connections. They should have used PEX throughout. This is the stuff of a class action lawsuit.

I'm surprised more people haven't complained about this. I'm glad mine happened at home and not on the road. I discovered a big puddle outside which lead to this finding.

I urge everyone that has a leak to contact Winnebago to get it fixed whether its out of warranty or not. That hose is going to leak sometime in the future.

[rprochnow]

Spoke too soon...

Noticed yesterday water leaking from the rear of our 24D again.

Left the water pump off overnight - and no leak.

Turned on the water pump this morning, and waiting to see if the leak returns - which would confirm the repairs to the pressurized interior lines done a month ago by a Winnebago dealer didn't hold - and will need to be serviced again.

NOTE that if the small leak turns into a big leak, check your electrical compartment to see if any of the water got back there - and if it does, you ATS could be damaged by water getting inside. That cost us over $300 to do an ATS replacement in the middle of our vacation...

[lenore]

Originally Posted by crah

Mine is a 24D floor plan as well but a 2020. I'm sure the plumbing is identical. Because the 24D floor plan has the water tank in the slide, winnebago used a flexible white hose from the water pump back towards all the fittings that sit below the shower aka above the transfer switch area as well. They used pex cinch connectors to the white flexible tubing to the pex plastic fitting. None of that stuff is compatible with each other. I'm shocked Winnebago would do this. I just found another leak under the bathroom sink and they have that same white flexible tubing. They used the blue and red pex tubing for most of it, but a few places have these white flexible tubing with pex cinch connectors. I'm sure there will be future problems with many people. I sure hope Winnebago reads these forums.

Showing up on the Vita and Porto mh also, yes the pex clamps should not be used on the white hoses...

[crah]

I've reported this to Winnebago directly and they are checking into it. Not sure how it got through their quality control as the white hose is not even remotely compatible with pex as the hose is way oversized and also not fit for that application. See picture of how oversized this hose is to a pex connector.

I'm fortunate that I can tackle this work my self. It's tedious work and I've put quite a bit of hours into it. I don't think most owners would rip their shower apart on the new RV.

[rprochnow]

When we had the water leak fixed (3 times) last month, we were just starting our two week vacation, so no time was available for extended testing prior to our departure (we did two false starts on our departure, returning after we found water leaking again after resuming our trip).

When I go to the service dealership next week, this time I'll plan to stay for hours or overnight with the water pump on and the lines pressurized, to ensure the leak really is fixed.

I've also reported this issue to Winnebago - not only are they covering the water leak repairs - they are also going to reimburse us for the ATS failure, caused by the water leak. If they are using incompatible connections - that's something they should fix.

Of course, that won't help existing customers with the potential for future water leaks...

[Skip Stone]

Crah,
Did you contact Winnebago at 800-537-1885? I’m concerned with my warranty soon to expire of future leaks after initial repairs.
Thanks, Skip

[crah]

Originally Posted by Skip Stone

Crah,
Did you contact Winnebago at 800-537-1885? I’m concerned with my warranty soon to expire of future leaks after initial repairs.
Thanks, Skip

Skip,

I have a warranty rep at Winnebago that I contact directly due to a long history of the exterior sealant all failing/cracking and leaving giant cracks where water gets in. It hasn'n a pleasant experience unfortunately and they didn't fix it after having it for over eight weeks. You can call the customer service number directly.
641-585-3535. I think/hope my experience is out of the norm as Winnebago is supposed to be the better of the bunch on customer service.

I still like my 2020 View and I think Winnebago should do the right thing and make a recall for plumbing as well as the exterior sealant. I have a long winded post I'm preparing for the exterior sealant failure but stopping myself because I don't want to be bashing Winnebago. This happens to be limited to certain employees only and not a reflection of Winnebago.

Like all manufacturers, they all run into issue. It's how they handle the issues that seperate them. Hopefully they make it up.

For anyone with sealant problems on the roof or the exterior body, make sure you get it inspected by an authorized dealer every 6 months otherwise they will void your warranty even if the install was defective lol. Read the fine print.

[rprochnow]

I've notified both Winnebago and our purchasing dealership (Lichtsinn) about the ongoing water leak issues, before I take our View back to the nearby dealership that started working on the leaks last month.

By the time I reach the nearby dealer for service next week, our View will be slightly over the 15000 mile first year warranty mileage. Since this issue began while the vehicle was warranty, and both Winnebago and Lichtsinn are aware of the issue, we shouldn't have any difficulty getting the work next week covered by Winnebago.

I've also asked Lichtsinn to inspect the water repairs when we bring our View back to Iowa the spring for our first annual maintenance - and the list of warranty issues we've already reported.

So far, Winnebago and Lichtsinn have been very helpful with issues we've encountered, and would be surprised if they don't continue to support us on this problem until it is really fixed...

[crah]

I would think even if you are out of warranty, Winnebago would take care of this as the install is not made for that application. Seems it goes back to at least 2019 models of certain coaches. Unfortunately water leaks that trickle slowly are hard to identify the source or even know it is happening. Many of these leaks will just go down into the subfloor and find the path of least resistance. Anyone with this white hose and a pex fitting/clamp combo should really inspect for leaks of any type. Hate to see rotted out floors when it can be avoided.