We ran over a fallen limb which caused my rear passenger side tire to teplode. In doing so it damaged my wheel well skirt and snapped off my two fresh water PEX type drain lines located behind the tire. The two fresh water pipes run from drivers side through floor and exit through the exterior bottom. Both pipes were bent forward and the exterior floor covering was also torn a bit. I gently turned the pipes to their original vertical position. How do I fasten new valves onto these pipes? I have never worked with PEX. Do you think the coupling inside the floor will leak since I rotated them back to vertical? Thans

Give your insurance agent a call and let him fix it for you.

You can cut them off square and buy a couple of shark bite type slip on valves at Lowes or Home Depot. This is quick and easy.

Everything you need is at Home Depot or Lowes.Replacement pipe, fittings, valves, everything.

gwalter wrote:You can cut them off square and buy a couple of shark bite type slip on valves at Lowes or Home Depot. This is quick and easy.x2. PEX is a great product and easy to use.

Unlikely that the fittings would be damaged from a little twisting. The ones in RV's typically have a barb and screw down compression ring, so there's a little bit of play for rotating without compromising the seal.I prefer the copper compression collar fittings to the screw-on Flair-it type, and have a mix of both in our coach, and lots of PEX in our home from remodeling products. I'll never sweat another copper pipe if I can help it. Invest in a good crimping tool that looks like a bolt cutter if you're planning to re-do fittings.

PEX PIPE? | Good Sam Community

Rick_Jay
Explorer II
Aug 16, 2019
Another vote for the Sharkbite type connections. The neat thing about these connectors is you can rotate the pipes AFTER they've been connected, which can sometimes aid in the installation. Just make sure you push the pipes together so they complete seat in the connector.

Also, they sell a special tool for cutting the pex pipe cleanly. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you pick up this tool. It makes cutting an easy job and the ends are nice and true. The Sharkbite connectors require that the end be square and in good shape, no scratches on the OUTSIDE of the tube, or else it will leak.

While you're done at the hardware store, pickup a couple of spare shut-off valves so that IF you should ever have another pex leak, you can cut the pipe and quickly isolate that section of the plumbing and keep the rest of your rigs water system functional until you can get it fixed. Cheap insurance.

Oh, and I AM HANDY and I STILL USE the Sharkbite type connectors. They're just easier. :) I didn't trust them at first, but I'll be danged, they work very well. No issues at all, and I've had some on my rig now for 13 years.

Good Luck,

~Rick
Oasisbob
Explorer
Aug 17, 2019
Some of the reviews on the "Sharkbite" couplers were not favorable so I ordered a set of valves from Amazon and borrowed a crimper from a neighbot. Set of 2 brass valves were only $12.95. Arrives Tuesday. Hopeing I did not compromise any other pipe fittings. I have learned alot on Youtube. Waiting to put it all into practive and see. Thanks
TechWriter
Explorer
Aug 17, 2019
Oasisbob wrote:
Some of the reviews on the "Sharkbite" couplers were not favorable . . . I have learned alot on Youtube.

If you learned from YouTube that Shark Bite connectors are bad, then you went down the wrong rabbit hole.

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