Fuzion 342 Questions

[98silvz71]

We bought a used 2014 Fuzion 342 from a nice couple that took good care of it. Basically we got it in almost new condition since they weren't able to use it very much. However, we have used it a couple of times and have noticed a couple of things that are kind of annoying and I was hoping someone could help me figure out how to fix them.

1) We stay in a lot of state and national parks with no water so we use our tank. First our pump is really loud, I was going to look at how it was mounted but I haven't done that yet. What I am worried about mainly is that when we go to use the sink and only want cold water, the hot water will run through the faucet first. You have to turn the faucet on full to get it to over power the hot water. Also when we use the kitchen or bathroom sink, it can take a little bit before the pump kicks on, but barely touch the toilet flush and it comes on instantly. Any ideas or someone had problems like this?

2) Our Dometic fridge has the fan on the back. It is really loud, like a high pitched whine, so bad that we can hear it inside while watching tv or listening to music. I am guessing I need to pull the fridge and replace it. Anyone have a good recommendation for a quieter fan that matches or betters the specs of the stock one?

3) Our water heater is a 12gal Suburban model with the elec and DSI gas. Our gas switch is inside on the command center, but the electric is outside on the water heater, is there a kit or what do I need to do to be able to switch it on inside. I have an extra spot on the command center that I could get a switch wired up to if necessary. Just wasn't sure how to get it done.

4) Fuel station, has anyone ever added a longer hose to the fuel station. I used it for the first time and couldn't believe there was only about 5' of hose. Is there some sort of filter that can be added to pre-filter the fuel before it hits the pump? Or if there is one where is it located?

Sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance for any ideas.

[98silvz71]

I wanted to close this out with what I found out when I got in the belly of the camper. First the floor had been replaced at one point below the water heater/water hookup/pump area. The dealership that did the work didn't do that great of a job when it came down to finishing the work. The pump was only screwed down to the floor on 1 side, the other side was actually off the floor. They also screwed it down right under the 2 water lines that ran to the back of the camper. So the pump was vibrating them. I made my own flex hose kit and moved the pump away from the pipes. A lot quieter now but the test will be in a couple of weeks how it performs when we stay at a national park with only electric. Also one of the screws in the head of the pump vibrated out and is stripped so eventually we will need a new pump anyway.

The fridge fan has actually gotten somewhat quieter. I couldn't hear it as much this last weekend at the lake. The sound of it is still noticeable but not as bad. I will wait and see what happens after we store it this winter.

Haven't figured anything out on the water heater, it does have brass check valves with the plastic check valve inside. Not sure if I can replumb the camper to eliminate the need for them. I figure it really only needs the one side of them for when you bypass the water heater. But we never put antifreeze in, we only blow air through our campers.

Didn't do any work on the fuel station.
Longer Fuel Hose for Toyhauler


But I did find this forum where someone else did exactly what I would like to do so we can extend our hose.

[98silvz71]

Dusty R wrote:
I like adding a 1 or 2 gallon pressure tank to the water system.

Shurflo has a 1 gallon tank you can add and a quiet hose kit with fittings you can get to help. I looked it up after you said this. I am wondering about a variable pump instead of adding all this other stuff to it.

[98silvz71]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Don't know how yours is wired, directly into or uses a plug, but if you can tap into electric line going to the water heater (before that rocker arm switch), you can run the wire anywhere you want in the camper. Then go to your local RV parts store or dealership and have them get you a new interior switch used for water heaters. Install it anywhere you want inside the camper. The problem will be finding a way to path the wire so it's hidden and going through walls may be an interesting challenge.

I added switches to the main house lights in my new 5er. This was the first modification I did. The house lights switch are located behind a door panel with all the other switches, and very high up. I tapped into the wiring and ran 2 new wires and located a new switch (2 of them) in a lower, more convienent location. However, in order to do so, I had to remove the microwave and remove part of the interior of a couple cabinets, and drill holes inside the cabinets to locate the new switches. End result is, I can use either switch, but the original has to be turned on all the time for the new second switch to work on-off. (Not in a series). It works. I got the new switches from my local RV dealership that sold Keystone RV's.

I also re-ran the wire and a switch for the bathroom lights. I had to get a second switch, and just left the original one in the bathroom there, dead, (removing would have left a hole), and the new one is now in a good location, and works just fine.

So you, you can double switch your water heater. I advise getting the right one from your RV parts store and take the time to route the wire wherever you want to put it. FYI... routing wires in RV ... you REALLY have to get creative. Wall are not like they are in houses!

Actually I think I am very lucky. I might only have to do some small fishing of wires. Our water heater and other things are all in a small crawl space under the bathroom/tv cabinets. I haven't got in it far enough yet to see if I can find the wiring to the elec. side of the water heater but I am going to try today. We bought the camper with some other residents (mice) in it and I am trying to get them evicted asap. So I will be in the crawl space to see how I can work on the water heater and maybe look at the pump.

[DutchmenSport]

double posted - delete please.

[DutchmenSport]

Don't know how yours is wired, directly into or uses a plug, but if you can tap into electric line going to the water heater (before that rocker arm switch), you can run the wire anywhere you want in the camper. Then go to your local RV parts store or dealership and have them get you a new interior switch used for water heaters. Install it anywhere you want inside the camper. The problem will be finding a way to path the wire so it's hidden and going through walls may be an interesting challenge.

I added switches to the main house lights in my new 5er. This was the first modification I did. The house lights switch are located behind a door panel with all the other switches, and very high up. I tapped into the wiring and ran 2 new wires and located a new switch (2 of them) in a lower, more convienent location. However, in order to do so, I had to remove the microwave and remove part of the interior of a couple cabinets, and drill holes inside the cabinets to locate the new switches. End result is, I can use either switch, but the original has to be turned on all the time for the new second switch to work on-off. (Not in a series). It works. I got the new switches from my local RV dealership that sold Keystone RV's.

I also re-ran the wire and a switch for the bathroom lights. I had to get a second switch, and just left the original one in the bathroom there, dead, (removing would have left a hole), and the new one is now in a good location, and works just fine.

So you, you can double switch your water heater. I advise getting the right one from your RV parts store and take the time to route the wire wherever you want to put it. FYI... routing wires in RV ... you REALLY have to get creative. Wall are not like they are in houses!

[98silvz71]

BFL13 wrote:
On the hot and cold water issue, check that the by- pass valve set up for winterizing has been put back the right way around.

I already tried that. I was hoping it was the issue but it didn't help any. This is the one that has the central hookup area with all the valves and what not in one area. I tried to look at them from the back but they are hooked up so weird. We were trying to add a whole camper filter and I didn't have time to really look at it too long. Now I will make the time.

On the electric hot water, you can control the on/off from inside with the circuit breaker for the HW. Actually, with ours it shared with the microwave so it had a three way MW/off/HW switch.

The HW was plugged onto a wall receptacle that went to that switch and the circuit breaker. If you don't want to use the circuit breaker as a switch, just un-plug and plug in. Or else use a power bar that has its own switch that might come out where you can reach it better.

I'm afraid to do it that way with the breaker and forget it. I was wanting to use a lighted switch so that I can see it on from the command center, it has a frosted glass door that you can see the lights through. I have been known to forget it from time to time but I don't normally drain the water heater until the end of the season so at least there is something in there.

[98silvz71]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Water pump: They are all loud. You just have to get use to it. Actually, water pumps run very, very, very quiet. If you were pull the pump and turn it on, you'd barely hear it run, or hum. What you are hearing is the vibrations amplified through your camper's plumbing. There have been countless posts on this forum site for ways to quiet the system down. But the one that seemed to work the best was the guy who addatched a bunch of garden hose from the output of the pump to the trailer's system. All the pumps vibrations when through the garden hose and by the time the vibrations reached the end of the hose, there was no vibration. He said it ran very quiet. That was probably the best fix I've ever heard of.

This is the first one that we have ever had that has been this loud. I'm not really impressed with the performance so I was wondering about getting a better one to upgrade to and mount it better/try some different plumbing like the hose setup. I wondered if anyone has used a variable pump before and if you liked it.

About your hot water faucet.... the problem is not the plumbing, the problem is the faucet. You just have to turn the faucet on more. Change the faucet or remove it completely, and you'll have tons of water.

I should have made this more clear. It's not a supply problem from the house or anything. It's while we are using the pump from the tank and it's all the faucets in the camper. Our outdoor one, the kitchen, and the bathroom ones. Also when we use the shower on the pump after the pressure drops on the cold side it scalds the **** out of you because it seems like the water heater is holding pressure longer. Like a check valve sticking... We haven't actually stayed in a full hookup campground yet, just state/national parks where there is only electric service.

No help or suggestions on the refrigerator.

All water heaters are installed with a rocker arm on-off switch at the water heater (outside). Some RV manufacturers on some models will double switch them with a second switch inside the camper. They are on a series, which means both switches have to be on in order for the water heater to be on. The rocker arm on the water heater is a safety feature, so if the water heater is drained, it can be turned off right there, so if the switch is accidentally flipped on inside the camper, the electric heating element will not turn on with an empty tank and immediately burn out and be ruined.

I know how and why they work, I just wasn't sure if they had a kit already available for the install of an interior switch. My parents Cameo has a regular 120v wall switch in the bathroom next to the gas switch. My in-laws camper has theres next to the water heater inside. Our old camper was gas only so we haven't had an electric one of our own.

No comment of your fuel station. I've never had one.

[BFL13]

On the hot and cold water issue, check that the by- pass valve set up for winterizing has been put back the right way around.

On the electric hot water, you can control the on/off from inside with the circuit breaker for the HW. Actually, with ours it shared with the microwave so it had a three way MW/off/HW switch.

The HW was plugged onto a wall receptacle that went to that switch and the circuit breaker. If you don't want to use the circuit breaker as a switch, just un-plug and plug in. Or else use a power bar that has its own switch that might come out where you can reach it better.

[Dusty_R]

I like adding a 1 or 2 gallon pressure tank to the water system.

[DutchmenSport]

Water pump: They are all loud. You just have to get use to it. Actually, water pumps run very, very, very quiet. If you were pull the pump and turn it on, you'd barely hear it run, or hum. What you are hearing is the vibrations amplified through your camper's plumbing. There have been countless posts on this forum site for ways to quiet the system down. But the one that seemed to work the best was the guy who addatched a bunch of garden hose from the output of the pump to the trailer's system. All the pumps vibrations when through the garden hose and by the time the vibrations reached the end of the hose, there was no vibration. He said it ran very quiet. That was probably the best fix I've ever heard of.

About your hot water faucet.... the problem is not the plumbing, the problem is the faucet. You just have to turn the faucet on more. Change the faucet or remove it completely, and you'll have tons of water.

No help or suggestions on the refrigerator.

All water heaters are installed with a rocker arm on-off switch at the water heater (outside). Some RV manufacturers on some models will double switch them with a second switch inside the camper. They are on a series, which means both switches have to be on in order for the water heater to be on. The rocker arm on the water heater is a safety feature, so if the water heater is drained, it can be turned off right there, so if the switch is accidently flipped on inside the camper, the electric heating element will not turn on with an empty tank and immediately burn out and be ruinied.

No comment of your fuel station. I've never had one.