Kevin,
Thanks for the answer.
Near our converter box, behind the central vac, there are the cold and hot water lines that tee off. The connector on the cold water was brass, but the one on the hot water line was plastic. Two connectors literally side-by-side, one good, the other cheap plastic. The elbow joints seem to be a random mix of cheap plastic and brass.
We had a major leak last summer behind the universal docking center that was the result of one of the plastic fittings in the hot water bypass valve. Literally everything in the basement was soaked and we were camping in Squamish, BC where there are no RV dealers or service centers. For the price difference between brass fittings and cheap crappy plastic, Heartland should only use brass.
I would like to officially recommend the following to Heartland:
1) There should be shutoff valves for the washer plumbing someplace accessible, such as under the sink in our Bighorn 3055RL near where the plumbing tees off. This way we don't have to winterize/de-winterize those lines when they're not in use (which for us will likely be "never"). Furthermore, there is a potential safety issue if a child were to open the hot water valve in the front closet: they could be scalded.
2) Heartland should abolish the use of plastic PEX fittings altogether. A little research (search this forum) will show that almost any plumbing problem can be traced back to the seemingly random use of plastic elbow joints or plastic "T" connectors. Charge $100 more for the trailer and put it in the brochure and dealer training materials that Heartland only uses brass connectors, vs. the competition that uses plastic connectors which are a major source of leaks. That would have been a comparison point for us, and a definite plus for Heartland.
Thanks for listening.
Chris
