Community Forums

Mbl Cndo · 09-07-2007, 02:59 PM

I like the intent of the electric hose retractor on our HR, but all I'm finding are more problems than benefits. While it does retract, it tends to draw it in too tight, bunches up, and has actually kinked the hose. The other issue is pulling it out. Sometimes it won't pull out. I can't be the only one having problems with this feature. Any suggestions on coping with these hose woes?

Mbl Cndo · 09-07-2007, 02:59 PM

I like the intent of the electric hose retractor on our HR, but all I'm finding are more problems than benefits. While it does retract, it tends to draw it in too tight, bunches up, and has actually kinked the hose. The other issue is pulling it out. Sometimes it won't pull out. I can't be the only one having problems with this feature. Any suggestions on coping with these hose woes?

MonacoMama · 09-07-2007, 03:18 PM

Are you talking about the water hose...as our electric is not going to kink no matter what...

Get out a flashlight and check to see if it is rolling in straight or heading up towards the top. It should head straight in but you may sometimes have to guide it to get it distributed correctly.

Robin_M · 09-07-2007, 04:28 PM

MblCndo,

I agree with you. In theory it's a useful concept, but in practice I find that hose reel feature is just not ready for prime time. It's sometimes more trouble than it's worth. I'd rather have a fixed input, where I can keep a filter and regulator attached semi-permenently, and just attached a hose that I can roll up around my arm (which is easier than trying to get it rolled up on the electric reel). What concerns me is what do we do when the bushing on the reel starts leaking? You can't even get to the thing to fix it.

Mbl Cndo · 09-07-2007, 04:28 PM

Yeppers, "MM", it's the uncooperative water hose...

ronboc · 09-08-2007, 03:09 AM

Does the hose retract OVER the reel or UNDER the reel (kinda like your cord-reel)? My coach came with both reels installed the wrong way, and I suspect yours may be the same too.

The water one did want to kink and get bound up when trying to come in/out from that little slot that was cut in the plastic panel too. So when I turned the hose-reel around, I also cut the hole to almost the size of the reel-face.

It wasn't a major job, just time-consuming. Cool thing is that I didn't have to worry about pipe length, I knew it was also going to be a couple inches too short too (story of my life...) so I just went to a home-improvement store and got a piece of pipe and some inline-connectors. Works a LOT better now!

Ron

Robin_M · 09-08-2007, 04:34 AM

Ron,

How did you get to the reel to turn it around? I'd imagine you'd have to remove the entire plastic face panel. How big a job is that with all those fittings coming through it and all the stuff attached to it? Looking at that thing, it seems as though I'd have to take a weeks vacation off work to tackle that job.

itsrip · 09-08-2007, 06:21 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">OVER the reel </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
is it suppose to go over or under rip

Mbl Cndo · 09-08-2007, 06:40 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ronboc:
Does the hose retract OVER the reel or UNDER the reel (kinda like your cord-reel)?
Ron </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Over/top of the reel. Cutting a larger opening would likely help inasmuch as I could better direct where the hose lays. As it stands, I'm thinking of modifying the feature and bypass the real altogether.

ronboc · 09-08-2007, 01:03 PM

Robin –
Yes, I did have to remove that big plastic panel to get to the hose-reel. Actually, it's not that tuff of a job, just takes a bit of time to disconnect all of the plumbing and electrical connections. Once the panel was out of the way, it was quite easy to get to the hose-reel. 4 bolts and the plumbing-connection and it was also out. Once reversed, the bolt-holes matched-up and all I needed was an additional piece of plastic pipe and a couple pipe-connectors. Access is a bit tight, but can be done with patience.
After the reel-reversal and panel-reinstall, that silly slot in the panel obviously didn't match up anymore so I got out the Dremel (you listening, ˜Bama???) and cut a nice big hole that pretty-much matched the overall size of the area that the hose will travel when going in or out. I also dressed the hole edges with some of that black flex-tube often used on electrical cables to minimize chaffing, etc.
No more kink or twist problems, I only have to feed it in evenly (I think the reel still moves too fast for the hose to want to follow) but it's a small price to pay.

Itsrip –
Sorry, I wasn't too clear in my description - the hose is supposed to spool in/out OVER the reel when looking at it from the outside. From the factory, mine spooled from UNDER the reel which meant it would do its coiling and laying-up from the back-side - A sure-fire way to get it kinked and bound-up (which it did more than once).

Mbl Cndo –
Hmmm, sounds like yours was installed correctly for a change, I understand a lot weren't. Glad to hear it.
Eliminating the reel altogether was also my first thought but I figured that since I'd paid for it, darn it, I was going to USE it! Besides, I wasn't sure where I was going to store any extra hose, space is already at a premium in/under the coach. A couple conversations with the folks at TDI (the mfgr for the reels) and I realized it could/would get better with a little help.
I never did like that itty-bitty hole/slot either; even if the hose did wind correctly, it was barely large enough to feed the hose in/out manually. With the power-reel, it would always kink or grab.
Be interested to hear what you decide to do.

Ron

Phrog Driver · 09-08-2007, 03:08 PM

Had a similar problem with the hose reel. The hose kept going off the reel on the left side. A Camp Wildwood tech covered almost all of the the horizontal hose slot with a piece of plexiglass leaving a small hole on the extreme right side of the slot. Have not had a problem with the water hose since the fix. That said...mine reels from the bottom. I generally use a cloth around the hose when reeling it in to clean the hose and provide a little tension.