I contacted Fairview Services at Fairviewfittings.ca about my cracked hoses because Escape told me to contact the manufacturer.
I asked if the cracks were ok and I asked if they had specifications for the minimum radius their hose can be bent. They ignored whether the cracks are ok.
They did however responded to me and to Toronto Sales with a sketch showing hoses with different combinations of fitting for different hose configurations. Hand drawn on it was an indication that 8" radius is the tightest bend but there was nothing to indicate what hose they were referencing. I asked for more clarification.
Either it is faulty hose or it is installed with too tight of bend. The only way to know which is to get the manufacturer to provide installation instructions that include the minimum radius.
It would be nice to get this resolved so Escape quits installing hoses that break.
I have been corresponding with Fairview and yesterday I received these 2 emails from them. Today I received new thermoplastic hoses. They look like they will work.
The important part of all this is that FairviewFittings says that the rubber 14C12M14QCC hose can be bent as tight as a 4" radius and the thermoplastic version can be bent as tight as a 2 1/2" radius.
My existing rubber hoses are bent to about 2 1/2" or 2" radius. I suspect that is why they cracked. Now to get Escape Trailers to do something so this doesn't keep happening. It looks like this has been going on for at least a few years.
I am impressed that they sent these from eastern Canada yesterday an I got them in Washington this afternoon.
I've had that type of line last so much longer than that. This current situation is nothing short of bizarre and completely unacceptable. At some point I hope Fairview is held accountable for this inferior product.
The first time that I replaced a hard plumbed hot water tank I had a lot of wiggle and jiggle to get things lined up. Then a plumber friend told me to put a loop in the line. It gives much more flexibility and eliminates the tight bend in close quarters. My lines are OK but if I have to replace them I'll be using a loop. I don't like tight bends at the best of times.
Ron
Great advice.....
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Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
That's about how my hoses look, too, on the 2012. Hmm, it looks to me like making them longer or shorter would not alleviate the sharpness of the bend, unless they were made long enough to create a huge loop (and maybe stress at the fitting from the weight of the hose hanging down?). Maybe replacing with thermoplastic hoses is the best bet.
__________________ Losing weight puts one at much greater risk of becoming thin.
Maybe replacing with thermoplastic hoses is the best bet.
The Fairview thermoplastic hose is this part number: 14TC12M14QCC
I don't know if they are better but assume Fairview is correct that their thermoplastic hose can be bent with 2.5" radius.
The only time I have bought propane hose, the supplier gave me the minimum radius it can be bent. That was when I added a propane quick connect to the trailer.
Would it help to install 90 degree fittings pointing forward on each side of the switchover valve?
I received this from Fairview (see attached .pdf). It isn't the same propane hose that we use but it shows options for fittings. Yes, I think a 90° fitting would work but I don't know if the hose would need to be longer and then conflict with the propane cover.
There are alternate manufacturers that people on this forum have been using to replace the Fariview propane hose. Any quality hose if installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations should work and might be easier to source.
I mainly hope that Escape takes care of the problem so in the future people don't have to keep figuring out what to do. To this end, I have been hassling Fairview and Escape to see if they get tired of the hassle and take care of the problem. I was sort of thinking maybe others would go after Fairview for new hoses and eventually Fairview will get after Escape to either use the correct hose or amend their installation instructions concerning the allowable bend radius.
It was expensive for Fairview to overnight express hoses to me from Ontario, Canada to Washington State. If they are faced with this a few times then I think they might do something about it. When I communicated with Escape they were quick to help me with a referral to Fairview complete with phone number, etc.
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,259
When I bought a hose this spring, I bought a MrHeater. “Made from components sourced from the USA And other countries”. Assembled in the USA.
Iowa Dave
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Dave
The Fairview thermoplastic hose is this part number: 14TC12M14QCC
I don't know if they are better but assume Fairview is correct that their thermoplastic hose can be bent with 2.5" radius.
The only time I have bought propane hose, the supplier gave me the minimum radius it can be bent. That was when I added a propane quick connect to the trailer.
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the information. I checked the hose assemblies on our 21 NE today. We picked the trailer up in May 2022. The hoses are both cracked. I've checked both fairviewfittings.ca and fairviewfittings.com. Neither site lists the hose assembly you describe, 14TC12M14QCC.
There is a 12-inch-long rubber pigtail, item # 14C12MI4QCC 1/4 ID, 1/4 MI X 1-5/16 ACME, 12". MI refers to the 1/4 inch male inverted flare fitting.
The only thermoplastic assembly listed that is close to 12 inches in length is item #
I4TC18MP4QCC 1/4 LPG TP TYPE I ASSY;1/4MPTXQCC;18IN. MP refers to the 1/4 inch male pipe (tapered) fitting. 18 refers to the length of the assembly. There is no 12-inch-long thermoplastic assembly with an inverted flare fitting listed in the online catalog.
Is it possible that your hose is not listed in the catalog and that the part number is 14TC12MI4QCC, not 14TC12M14QCC?
... Is it possible that your hose is not listed in the catalog and that the part number is 14TC12MI4QCC, not 14TC12M14QCC?
Cheers,
Darrell
Yes, it is quite possible I mixed up I and 1. Here is a picture of the hose. You can barely make out the part number. It looks like maybe 2 of the I's were miss labeled as 1's by me.
Thanks for the quick response, Bob. I've contacted both Escape and Fairview Fittings. I'd like to get this matter settled ASAP as we're heading to the rally next week.
Thanks for the quick response, Bob. I've contacted both Escape and Fairview Fittings. I'd like to get this matter settled ASAP as we're heading to the rally next week.
Best,
Darrell
Darrell, I brought it to Escapes attention with emails but haven't heard anything from them except to contact Fairview. I did receive new thermoplastic hoses overnight from Fariview in Ontario. I hope they work.
I was tempted to buy new hoses and be done with it but then I decided that I have time (retired) to hassle Escape and Fairview. I was hoping that somehow Escape could be convinced to fix this problem so future buyers don't have to deal with it. The hoses they have been using is causing a lot of unnecessary inconvenience, wasted time and $ replacing them. Kinda leaves a sour taste.
I bought some new replacements from MB Sturgis here is St. Louis while I waited for Escape's response. They claim to be a North American Manufacturer.
Both the Green Screw Head and the Black Hose on the MB Sturgis hoses do not indicate a Country of Origin and only list MB Sturgis on them. The Fairview Green Screw Head says Made in India and the Black Hose does not list any brand or Country of Origin on them.
Having only purchased our Escape in Late Oct '22, Escape not only sent me two new Fairview hoses but also the entire Fairview valve assembly. They said they buy them as an assembly from Fairview and could not break up the assembly so they sent me the whole thing.
We'll see how these MB Sturgis hoses hold up over time.
Thanks for the information. I checked the hose assemblies on our 21 NE today. We picked the trailer up in May 2022. The hoses are both cracked...
Cheers,
Darrell
Wow, you aren't kidding about the cracks! Those hoses look terrible! Far worse than mine, which AFAIK are the 11 year old originals.
__________________ Losing weight puts one at much greater risk of becoming thin.
I pulled the sacrificial anode out of my heater - good news is after over a few years of not using the water heater no need to replace anode. It is perfectly good. Then shoved a home boy water hose-wand into the opening, to hose out sediment/deposits that might be in there. Here’s a small sample. I assume this is "sediment". After many water hose power flushes I was amazed by the amount that flushed out.
__________________ Myron "A billion here, a billion there...add it all up and before you know it you're talking real money." Everett Dirkson
After many water hose power flushes I was amazed by the amount that flushed out.
Not particularly endorsing this video, just passing it along because we’ve watched it recently and noted its relevance to the subject of water heater tank deposits. We haven’t done it yet, but we might try this method of hot water tank cleaning at some point.
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