Community Forums

wfcentral · 08-13-2016, 09:21 PM

We just bought a 2016 KZ Vision v22BHS. The sewer pipe seemed to hang a bit low. The metal support that holds it has three holes and it is on the hole that puts the pipe LOWEST to the ground. I asked the dealer if they could raise it before we took it and they said it would put a strain on the pipes and possibly break them / cause a leak. They said it came all the way from Illinois to Texas with no issues.

We took the trailer on a 2,600 mile trip. It was nerve wracking always watching in the mirror as we entered and exited gas stations with bumps and slopes. It always missed by 1-2 inches. One time it got within 1/2 inch and I thought for sure it was going to hit.

Well - apparently, somewhere on the last 100 miles it must have scraped. You can see in the photo I'm uploading that the sewer cap got scraped (the scraped part was facing DOWN before I removed it - I just put it on differently when I got done dumping tanks).

Before putting the trailer away I tried to raise the pipe myself by taking the screw out of the metal support. I was not able to push it up because all the plumbing is indeed holding it at that spot. To push it up would be putting a lot of strain on the pipes and possibly break them loose from the tanks.

QUESTIONS

- is this common?

- should I make the dealer redo the plumbing to get it higher?

- is there any other solution - like putting a brace around it?

Mr_D · 08-13-2016, 09:35 PM

I doubt very much you can make the dealer change it for no charge since it came that way form the factory.

wfcentral · 08-14-2016, 06:20 AM

okay - let's change that question to...

should I...

a. just be careful driving - most travel trailers are that way

b. pay someone to fix it

c. fix it yourself - it's not that difficult... just take the pipes apart and rebuild them at a better angle with more ground clearance.

Macrosill · 08-14-2016, 07:03 AM

I would take some measurements and more photos. Then contact the manufacturer and see if they will authorize the needed adjustments under warranty. They may conclude it was installed wrong or maybe make a good faith offer to help pay for the adjustments.

If not then buy some ABS if you can get it in your area and change it yourself if you are handy. If you are not very handy then I would pay the dealer to change it.

I would not want to pull into a campground and find my waste lines are missing.

Macrosill · 08-14-2016, 07:05 AM

double post, sry

lynnmor · 08-14-2016, 08:12 AM

C, fix it yourself, the dealer won't do it right anyway.

Lowe's should have ABS fittings, but the 3" might be a problem. After you find a source for parts, get out the hacksaw and do it right.

Melvo · 08-14-2016, 09:21 AM

We had a small TT about the size of yours that I was concerned about the low hanging dump pipe. It looked like a real mess to try to redo the pipe so I went to Tracktor supply and got two heavy duty wheels and added them to the rear frame just behind the stabilizers. Some of the exits from gas stations have a real slope to get in and out and this saved scraping several time. This was only a 21' TT but probably would not work for a long TT but did the job for us.

lynnmor · 08-14-2016, 11:59 AM

If you put wheels on the rear, they could take an extreme load and tweak the frame.

**Spdracr39** · 08-16-2016, 08:04 AM

I vote skip the hassle and fix it yourself. It's the only way to make sure it is done in a timely fashion and to your liking.

timetogo · 08-16-2016, 10:39 AM

I'd raise it. Are all KZ's that low?

MBirch · 08-16-2016, 11:16 AM

I have a KZ Vision V23BHS and noticed the pipes were low when I picked it up. We just finished a 6,500 mile trip. I'll have to see if there was any damage.

wfcentral · 08-16-2016, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timetogo

I'd raise it. Are all KZ's that low?

I stopped by the dealer yesterday and took a look at two other KZ-Visions and they were both mounted that way.

I also went back to the service department to talk about options and on the way there I saw the exact same trailer I have sitting in the repair yard. I walked over to measure the distance on their sewer pipe and guess what - the cap was missing and the bottom of their black tank pipe looked like it scraped the road - so, looks like they hit bad enough to yank off the cap.

wfcentral · 08-16-2016, 12:33 PM

Just got back from taking photos underneath so I can figure out how to attack this - wanted to get some feedback before I start sawing parts off.

It looks like I could fix the black tank line easy by sawing out a 2-3 inch section in the middle of the pipe and using a connector to join them together - I'm a bit leery of breaking it loose from the tank for fear I might crack the tank. The only issue would be figuring out how to alter the gray tank line so it will match up. This would effectively move the entire valve assembly back and up a few inches.

See photos below.

lynnmor · 08-16-2016, 03:25 PM

I would add a couple of 45 degree fittings to each pipe. They can form a swivel so that each pipe has less slope and can be moved up to the frame. That steep slope isn't needed and the cap doesn't have to be perfectly square to the trailer.