[N/A] I'm always turning something easy into ...

gkainz

gkainz

Final Approach
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Feb 23, 2005
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Arvada, CO
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Greg Kainz
I'm always turning something easy into something difficult, it seems. Since there's a wealth of experience and knowledge here that expands well beyond aviation, I should have posted here first.

I added additional batteries in our new 5th wheel trailer recently, each in their own vented battery box. The original box is vented to an outside vent via a 2" ID hose, looks like a vacuum cleaner hose. I want to tap into that vent with the other two boxes using a 2" OD 45º Y fitting. So, box 3 taps into vent tube for box 2, which taps into original vent tube.

Silly me, thinking these fittings ought to be common, heads down to Home Despot, whereby I draw blank stares by the orange apron when cornered in the pipe section.

So, any suggestions on where to find 2" ID fittings?
 
One could always try an RV place...

Or, just be prepared to measure - try fitings / pipe that is close to the desired size and hope for the best. Pipe is usually spec'd by the inside diameter so a 2" chunk of pipe is likely to fit - use a short chunk of pipe to connect to each end of the Y fitting. But there are different wall thicknesses so just keep trying 'til you run out of stuff. Then you can try a real hardware store.
 
Geoff - All the local RV places that I called around here just have the hose (in bulk) and bulkhead vent fitting. That's where I got the hose and battery boxes.

Gary - that would work well, all I have to do is buy a pipe notcher and upgrade to a really nice TIG welder to turn out some Y fittings! :)

Dave - pool and spa place was my first choice - no luck on Y fittings. They did recommend a couple of plumbing supply places.

Think maybe scat tubing for airplane heater hoses, breather hoses, etc .??? of course, aviation hose fittings would be 10x RV fittings which are 10X household hardware.
 
Does it have to be a "Y" fitting? If this is just a battery vent, could it work with a "T" fitting? Maybe the side branches could be a saddle type connector? But then again, it you have space constraints a "Y" might wok better.
 
A T might work ... the pool and spa place had some Ts. That may be my next best choice.
 
around here the most available sources of such fittings are pvc and steel - I'm sure youve thought of/tried that and are aware of the various id/od s available in each
 
gkainz said:
A T might work ... the pool and spa place had some Ts. That may be my next best choice.
Click to expand...

Look, stop messing around shopping for something that might fit. Obviously we need a complete design study and specialty product development. I mean if one battery needs a 2" hose then three batteries obviously need a much bigger hose. Just imagine the volume of gases that might be generated during high power discharges! Think of the children! (we need a tongue-in-cheek smilie)
 
Pipe a new manifold out of PVC and be done with it, forget using the chintziest thing you can't find anyway. In the RV and boat maint market, if it's cheap and hard to find, you're better off replacing it with cheap and common to find. If the RV shop doesn't have it, forget it.
 
Well I'm going to go ahead and recommend:

duct tape

It solves everything. Half my truck is made out of duct tape.
 
Henning said:
Pipe a new manifold out of PVC and be done with it, forget using the chintziest thing you can't find anyway. In the RV and boat maint market, if it's cheap and hard to find, you're better off replacing it with cheap and common to find. If the RV shop doesn't have it, forget it.
Click to expand...

+1

If the hardware stores don't have it, forget it. Rebuild from scratch using common materials from the hardware store. Use RV specific hardware ONLY when you have no other choice. RV specific stuff is designed specifically to give you as much grief and expense as possible while doing it with the cheapest materials they can get away with.

Well I'm going to go ahead and recommend:
duct tape
It solves everything.
Click to expand...

:nono:
BUNK! Duct tape is complete total garbage when used in the RV world. Under ideal conditions, it's good for about a month then you have to replace it. If you pull out of your driveway it won't make it to the stop sign at the end of the street.

<--- Fulltimer
 
fgcason said:
+1

If the hardware stores don't have it, forget it. Rebuild from scratch using common materials from the hardware store. Use RV specific hardware ONLY when you have no other choice. RV specific stuff is designed specifically to give you as much grief and expense as possible while doing it with the cheapest materials they can get away with.
Click to expand...


Yep, the factory builds them as cheap as possible, even the million dollar ones. Yachts are as bad if not worse. a $40MM yacht is no more than a trailer house in a $500,000 hull with high dollar laminates and appointments.
 
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