Help with Bigfoot TC Faucet Replacement

[DnC]

I would like to replace bath sink and shower faucets in my 2001 25C10.6 BF TC. However, I am having trouble getting access to the underside (or backside) of these faucets in order to replace them.

It appears that access to the bath sink faucet requires removal of a white plastic pedestal that extends from the floor up to the bottom edge of the sink. (See attached pic.) It is very simple to remove 2 screws that attach a flange on the sink to the top of the pedestal (those screws are under the buttons shown in the pic). However, the pedestal is seems to be very firmly attached, in some concealed way, even after screws are removed. Can anyone tell me the secret for removing the pedestal? Given the age of this TC, I really don't want to break an irreplaceable part.



Also, what is the best way to access the backside of the shower to replace the shower faucet? I have looked at removing the exterior shower, which is in the right vicinity of the bath shower, but I am reluctant to do that given that it may or may not provide the needed access.

Please note that I have contacted BF by phone and by email without response to date. I have also searched everywhere I could think of without success. I did find reference to something called "JaysNest" that may have described removing a BF TC pedestal at some point in time. Unfortunately, "JaysNest" is now a domain that is simply listed for sale.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[covered_wagon]

ab257 wrote:
On my Host Yukon wet bath there is no way to access the bathroom sink faucet without cutting an access hole in the sink fiberglass skirt. Guess the builders thought the faucet would last forever.

That is why they make deck plates. Made by Beckson they are watertight when the access plate is screwed back in. Come in different sizes for small or large areas, I installed 4 total on my camper. Two are in the shower.

When not used they become yearly inspection plates to find leaks.

[ab257]

On my Host Yukon wet bath there is no way to access the bathroom sink faucet without cutting an access hole in the sink fiberglass skirt. Guess the builders thought the faucet would last forever.

[RamblinAnne]

wow.. thank you for posting this!! I am about to replace my bathroom sink faucet and I can already tell that you've saved me a great deal of headache and wasted time. And possibly even broken parts as I tend to yank on things when I get frustrated. THANK YOU!!

Also.. Jay's Nest is a great resource. Good to know he replaced with a single knob faucet. I was hoping to do the same with a nice modern fixture and a swivel spout. Can't wait!

[joeshmoe]

You just had to have a new faucet, eh? :S:B

[AnEv942]

perseverance
So... after all that, where solving the 'how the heck' riddle proved to be an accomplishment in itself- I assume you've got your faucets changed? Pics?

I did find the reference to JaysNest (no capitals) article you mentioned removing the pedestal..One good picture of the pedestal attachment and what you were up against. Might have helped-well identifying the pedestal not coming off...
older site- he no longer owns the bigfoot but has left pages up. There are a few other projects on his Bigfoot 25C10.6.
http://www.jaysnest.net/camper_stuff.htm

[DnC]

Yes AnEv942, that appears to be exactly what was done, and I was just as surprised as you! And yes, there was "access" to plumbing by removing door frames on the outside of this TC. Keep in mind, however, that this is a liberal use of the term "access" because I had to work, by feel, using one arm, near limits of my reach. I do consider myself lucky because I happened to have the exterior shower option, which has never used, but it did provide a relatively large opening for "access". All things considered, it sure would have been easier (and far more logical) to have simply designed a removable pedestal. Maybe newer stuff is better, but maybe all of this is just part of the RV experience.

BTW, I purposely listed the make, year, and model of this TC in the original post with the hope that search engines will allow others to find this kind of specific information more easily.

[54suds]

on a 9'6 I think there are several outside access doors that removing their frame will allow acces to the plumbing on the 9'6

[AnEv942]

Hokey Smoke...

So Pedestal is installed then sink set on top, then plumbed? Or walls built around it-cant imagine factory going thru that, wow...

[bigfootford]

I would not want to think about a faucet replacement on the 9.6... A fully formed bathroom bottom to roof... Probably the only way to reach the plumbing for the faucet is to cut a hole in the side of the camper in that area.

Jim

[54suds]

Been there /done that :B

[GoinThisAway]

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.

[DnC]

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!

[DnC]

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.

[AnEv942]

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.