We have yet to find a good reason for why this seems to be true, it seems to be one of the industry’s great mysteries. While we can’t solve that problem today, we think we may have found a small slice of how to fix part of the problem. Replacing those terrible plastic RV faucets!

We all know there are some amazing residential plumbing fixture companies out there that make some very durable and high end stuff. We installed a Moen Motionsense Kitchen Faucet in our rig a little over a year ago and it has been flawless and shows zero signs of wear after 12+ months even though we regularly subject it to terribly hard water. Thats great, but that faucet was over $350.00 which is not worth the expense to the average RV’er (in our opinion).

Amazon is flooded with Chinese made alternatives and we’ve tried a few but the vast majority were either poorly made internally or had issues with the finish over time making them not worth the trouble.  Don’t take our word for it, just look at the reviews closely and you’ll see what we are talking out.

Enter AOSGYA, a company founded in 2015 but with a factory that has over 40 years of plumbing specific, manufacturing experience. We don’t know this for sure, but after examining their products closely, we are fairly certain the company either currently or previously manufactured components for other top brands including Delta Faucets. Now before you read too much further, be careful as AOSGYA also makes cheaper plastic component faucets so stick to the stuff that is $75-$120 if you want the quality of what we discuss in the video. Ok enough disclaimers, let’s talk about AOSGYA.

AOSGYA claims to have taken that 40+ years of industry experience and expertise and launched a line of consumer direct products that are substantially higher in quality than the majority of their Chinese made counterparts. From the limited amount of products we’ve tested, they do in fact seem to make some very good kitchen & bathroom faucets available on Amazon with free Prime shipping for between $65-$130.

Not only are they extremely well made for the price point, they are CUPC Certified and Certified Lead Free. Not bad for the price point and better quality than anything we’ve seen so far in this price point.

If you are looking for the best, stick with Moen, Kohler and others carried by specialty plumbing supplies stores. If you are looking for a good quality, aggressively priced alternative to the plastic components made for the RV industry, we think this is a great option at an excellent value.

Where to Purchase?

AOSGYA kitchen and bathroom faucets are available for purchase on Amazon. The majority of the kitchen faucets available include free Amazon Prime shipping for Prime members and also have discount codes for an additional 5-15% off depending on the model at the time of this post (early 2019). Links for some of their popular models are available below or you can browse their amazon home page here.

Click on the images above for direct amazon links.

What do you think?

What are your thoughts? Would you rather spend a few dollars more and go with a name brand faucet from Moen, Kohler, Delta or another brand? Are you happy with your RV faucets as is and don’t think its much of a big deal in the first place? We would to hear from you in the comment section below.

The post Ditch That Plastic RV Faucet For Under $99? appeared first on LivinLite.net.

In this video we go over some of the improvements we’ve made over the years and also give a brief tutorial on how to cut and crimp plastic plumbing pipe commonly referred to as PEX. Below is a complete list of the materials used in our video should you wish to use or build any of these solutions featured in our video for yourself!

Upgrade #1 – Clear Sewer Elbow – You know when we got into RV’ing this seemed to be one of the most controversial purchases for us. It sounds silly but we were thinking.. why would one want to see what is coming out of there, lets just leave that up to mystery! Turns out you absolutely want that visual indicator as its one of the only ways you can tell if you’re done dumping your tanks, and also the status of your tank rinse if you are looking to do a more thorough cleaning. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it and be happy you made this small, inexpensive upgrade. The clear elbow is available in 45, 90 and straight angles. Amazon links below.

• Camco Clear 45 Degree: https://amzn.to/2jywTE8
• Camco Clear 90 Degree: https://amzn.to/2JXpaup
• Camco Clear Straight: https://amzn.to/2JUXhDt

Upgrade #2 – Sewer Cap With Garden Hose Fitting – You wouldn’t think this would be that big of a deal but these are great. First, if you are on private property and you want to drain your grey water in your garden beds or somewhere else that gravity will allow (make sure to always dump where permitted by law) this can be a great way to keep your tanks from filling up without having to find a sewer clean out. You CANNOT dump your black tank or sewage through this device, but grey water will drain just fine as long as you have gravity on your side.

• Camco Sewer Cap with Garden Hose Attachment: https://amzn.to/2HW7KBQ
• Sewer Cap with Garden Hose (CLEAR MODEL): https://amzn.to/2FQqz3r

Upgrade #3 – Portable Macertator – If you are looking to learn more about our portable macerator that makes dumping long distances through a garden hose (including your black tank!) a breeze please check out our full article here.

Upgrade #4 – Hose Upgrade – We first got this idea after looking at the wet bay of a 2017 Entegra Cornerstone which had a coil hose in the wet bay. We thought, wow thats a really smart idea because the crappy white shower head that comes with just about every RV is too short and lets face it, you never use it for an actual shower! We found a 10 ft RV specific model which is in the links below, but wanted something longer so we could wash our windshield and also use as a hose for when we were not hooked up (boondocking). This would allow us to use our onboard water in our tanks outside and would give us a lot more flexibility. Love this upgrade!

• 50 Foot Coiled Garden Hose for Wet Bay https://amzn.to/2jkqJHu
• 25 Foot Coild Garden Hose for Wet Bay https://amzn.to/2wlcEmI
• 15 Foot Coiled Garden Hose for Wet Bay (we have the 50 ft version but this 15 ft is great for folks who don’t need as much length. https://amzn.to/2JDk1rt
• Shower Head to Standard Garden Hose Adapter (1/2 female pipe thread to male garden hose thread – amazon description is wrong but its correct fitting, see reviews/comments)  https://amzn.to/2w3EqE6

Update 5/5/2018: Wet Bay Hose Extension Improvement: Jack Bowden, a Livinlite follower had a great idea to release stress on the nylon fitting near the hose outlet in many RV wet bays. He installed a small, insulated, automotive fitting to hold the hose from pulling on the outlet fitting. Picture above. What a great idea!!

Upgrade #5 – Sea Level II Tank Monitoring System – We admit we were totally spoiled with the Sea Level Tank Monitoring System as it came pre-installed on our 2015 Entegra Coach. We kept hearing people say that they didn’t know how much fresh water, grey water or black water they had (or didn’t have) and we started to quickly realize the system we had was not what came installed in a lot of other coaches. If you are thinking of doing any one upgrade to your coach that will give you the biggest bang for your buck, while making RV life MUCH easier, this is a great one to consider! Make sure to checkout the video above from our friends Pau Hana Travels if you have any questions about the installation. They also have a full article link here.

 Materials List (amazon links)

• Camping Travel Chair – Great for Working on Your RV in Low Spaces – https://amzn.to/2HH3WQT
• Valterra – 45° Clearview Adapter with 3″ Bay Lug – https://amzn.to/2FyVKk0
• Sewer Cap with Garden Hose Adapter Connection – https://amzn.to/2jkeRoX
• 50 Foot coiled Garden Hose for Wet bay https://amzn.to/2jkqJHu
• 15 Foot Coiled Garden Hose for Wet Bay (we have the 50 ft version but this 15 ft is great for folks who don’t need as much length. https://amzn.to/2JDk1rt
• Shower Head to Standard Garden Hose Adapter (1/2 female pipe thread to male garden hose thread – amazon description is wrong but its correct fitting, see reviews/comments)  https://amzn.to/2w3EqE6
• Flojet Twist-on Portable Macerator – https://amzn.to/2JGFJLe
• Sea Level Tank Monitoring System – https://amzn.to/2w0kTV1
• Hose Power Reel 50 Ft – https://amzn.to/2jl6YzO
• Pex Portable Crimping Tool – (Half the price of SharkBite branded tool and does same thing with crimp rings included) https://amzn.to/2rcPCJy
• Additional 1/2 Rings if needed – https://amzn.to/2KrfVDP
• Portable PEX Cutting Tool – https://amzn.to/2FwRXn0
• Pex Pipe (Home Depot will be cheaper if you just need a few feet) https://amzn.to/2jl28CJ
• Hose Trigger with Threaded End for Hose Extending: https://amzn.to/2HJxBsI Multi Pack Available here: https://amzn.to/2JHiC2W
• 90 Degree Pex Fittings (lower qty options at Home Depot) https://amzn.to/2HFyzub
• T Junction Pex Fitting (lower qty options at Home Depot) https://amzn.to/2JHgE2I
• 1/2 Ball Valve (2 pack) – Couldn’t find on Amazon – Home Depot Link: https://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-Plastic-PEX-Barb-x-Barb-Ball-Valve-2-Pack-24606A2/206133153
• Double Check Value Back flow Preventer (Vacuum Breaker) – https://amzn.to/2Ku5Wh0

The post 5 DIY Wet Bay Upgrades + Pex Crimping Explained appeared first on LivinLite.net.

In this video we replace the cool, harsh white LED lights installed by Entegra with dimmable warm white LED lights that are much easier on the eyes.

Materials List – Amazon Links

• Dimmable LED Recessed Lights (2 pack) $13.00 or Bigger Projects (6 pack) $30.00
• LED Dimmer Switch – $29.95
• Heat Shrink or Automotive Grade Electrical Tape – Under $10.00 – Best to buy at auto parts/retailer locally
• Soldering Kit (good or cheap) or Wire Connector Terminals & Crimper – Various prices, see links
• Wire – 2 pair LED Wire, 30FT – $8.00
• 2″ hole saw & Cordless Drill – Great hole saw hit for $10.00, also great drill but use what you have!
• Moving Blankets & Safety Glasses – These safety glasses actually rock, but in this video i’m wearing cycling glasses that double as my safety’s since they come with 5 lenses. Oh also don’t buy a moving blanket from amazon, find an old sheet!

Wiring Diagram

(note: the dimmer comes pre wired with a black, white, and red wire – match up the colors to the diagram below)

Questions?

No questions to big or too small. Just ask.. What do you have to loose? Ask below in the comments section. That is where we can reply and also show other people answers to duplicate questions. Thanks and see you on the road!

The post Dimmable LED Install – Natural Light in your RV appeared first on LivinLite.net.