Help with Bigfoot TC Faucet Replacement

Wow, DnC. Bigfoot really made you work for that upgrade. Lucky for us, the faucets on our 10.4 are easier to access. The kitchen and bathroom sink faucets are decent single levers but the shower faucet isn't so that's on my list of planned upgrades. Your info should be useful to other 10.6 owners though.

The short story: bath sink faucet removal/replacement can be accomplished by removing the exterior shower box AND shower faucet removal/replacement can be accomplished by removing a panel that is behind the dinette back-rest cushion (that shares the shower wall in the subject Bigfoot TC model). Details are provided below with the hope that it might help those poor souls that might face this task some where down the road.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to lift the pedestal up (per suggestions). As indicated earlier, it was also impossible to pull the pedestal away from the walls. So, I decided to bite the bullet and pull the exterior shower box. When I did, I was able to see a portion of the pedestal backside, and I found it was attached directly to the walls by means of 6 screws that were driven from inside the pedestal! Only 3 of those screws were actually visible, while the other 3 were located by feel. Given the "geography" and the limited access, it was very clear that Bigfoot never anticipated removal of this pedestal.

However, using a mirror and a flashlight, I was able to see the sink faucet and flange nuts. Luckily, I was also able to put one arm through the exterior shower box hole and reach them, although they were near the end of my reach. Of course, it turned out that the faucet nuts were too tight to remove by hand (although I could turn the flange nuts). After a trip to Home Depot for a basin wrench, I managed to find a single wrench position on each nut with enough room to get about 1/8 of a turn at a time. With a good dose of patience (and a quite a bit of cussing), I was finally able to remove the old faucet.

The shower faucet and flange nuts could also be seen using a mirror and a flashlight through the exterior shower box hole. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no way that I could reach the nuts, but I found that I could just barely get a grip on them with the basin wrench fully extended (and some trickery holding the jaw open with string until it felt like I was in the right spot). I'm pretty sure that I could have removed the nuts through the exterior shower box hole (given enough time and a lot more cussing), but I knew that there was no way that I would ever be able to start nuts on the new faucet from this position outside the TC.

By then, I was discouraged, tired, and ready to give up for the day, but for some reason I went inside the TC and started pulling the dinette apart. I really got lucky when I found a panel, attached by screws, that was behind the dinette back-rest cushion on the wall common with the shower stall. I really wasn’t expecting that removing the panel would be helpful, but to my surprise that was exactly what was needed to access the backside of the shower faucet.

Had I known all of the above, it would not have been that big of a job. However, I found nothing on line and didn’t get any support from Bigfoot until I was all done. Maybe the next guy will have a better shot at this.

Happy Trails!

Actually, lifting up so that a tab can clear some kind of channel (attached to the wall) would be a very logical way to secure the pedestal. Thanks so much to both of you for this suggestion (it has certainly been driving me crazy!). I will check tomorrow AM and post what I find.

Only came across this thread..replacing shower valve-doesn't show the sink http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26879629.cfm.

Lifting the pedestal up into sink would be my first thought also-certainly cant go down, at least pulling down and out looks like an accident. I would think bottom or sides captured some how but just guessing? Surely there's other bigfoot owners who've dealt with sink pedestal unless it just wasn't that common of a fixture. Or by choice or luck never had to mess with it.

Have you tried lifting the pedestal up after the screws are out, there may be a lip molded on the back side that slips into a channel. Just a thought.

I'm sure the lower portion comes off; I just haven't been able to figure out "how". As posted, it is quite firmly attached even after removing the 2 screws at the top of the lower portion (or pedestal). I'm guessing it snaps into place, but I can't free it pulling by hand. I really think it would be best to know how it is attached before I go after it with tools.

looks like the lower portion comes off thereby giving you access to the faucet shank nuts.