sewer cap

[mel davis]

i own a 1999 27' sunline solaris, i lost the cap to the back bumper that holds the sewer line. its an odd size and having a hard time replacing it. ant suggestions ??

[partimcmpr]

What size is your bumper? Most are 4 inches. I did a quick search and have found no mention of other sizes.

David

[Steve Collins]

Originally Posted by mel davis

i own a 1999 27' sunline solaris, i lost the cap to the back bumper that holds the sewer line. its an odd size and having a hard time replacing it. ant suggestions ??

That rubber bumper cap is available at any RV shop. There was generally only one size bumper that Sunline (and every other manufacturer) used: 4"x4". My '99 has it. The bumper cap is a industry standard, and certainly not Sunline specific.

The only reason it might be an odd size is if a previous owner had an unusual sized piece of tube stock put on there to replace the original. If you could post a picture of the other cap that you still have, perhaps someone could help you locate a source.

Just a suggestion here. I long ago stopped keeping old stinky slinky in the square metal bumper. Why, you ask? Simple. Reach your hand inside that bumper and feel the walls. I bet they are all a bit rusty. Rust is just like sand paper. Sliding your thin walled plastic sewer hose in and out of there will drastically shorten its lifespan.

The only thing I keep in my bumper now is extra cribbing: 4"x4" pressure treated wood cut to 11" lengths. When I lost one of the rubber bumper caps, it was a good excuse to switch to 1/4" eye bolts held in place with wing nuts. That way more air circulates thru the bumper, letting the wood dry faster if it gets wet. Here's how it looks:


We keep the sewer hose and anything else related to its use in a small plastic tote box which rides in the bed of the pickup truck. Other folks have those plastic pipe storage units that fasten to the bumper for the sewer hose. Some are store bought and others are home brew, but the result is about the same. Either way, the sewer hose is not subjected to the abrasive effects of that rusty bumper.

Same for using the sewer hose. I try not to let the hose lay directly on the concrete of the dump station. Instead, I put the lid from the storage tote on the concrete, and lay the hose on the lid. Again, preventing (or at least delaying) the cumulative abrasive effects of the hose moving across the concrete.

[Sunline Fan]

Here's my solution:



All that is is a plastic wire tie that goes through the hole in the bumper and the hole in the center of the cap. When the tie is tight enough, it serves as a hinge. If you really wanted to step it up, use a black tie.

I'll admit the EXACT original style bumper caps are very hard to find. I'm talking about the ones with the pins on the sides to hold it in. So far, I've only found one dealer that carries them. The ones without the pins are available almost anywhere and will be fine if you plan on doing the tie trick. Otherwise, nothing will hold it in and it will fall out.

Jon

[mel davis]

thanks for the reply's, and good ideas. i will use one of them for sure because the cap that i have measures 4 1/8 outside which would be the measurement of the inside of the bumper. probably steve is right, its a different bumper than the original, but i dont know where they may have found caps for it. anyway i will go with one of your ideas, unless i find a cap for this one.
Thanks
Mel

[Steve Collins]

Originally Posted by mel davis

thanks for the reply's, and good ideas. i will use one of them for sure because the cap that i have measures 4 1/8 outside which would be the measurement of the inside of the bumper. probably steve is right, its a different bumper than the original, but i dont know where they may have found caps for it. anyway i will go with one of your ideas, unless i find a cap for this one.

Mel, Interestingly enough, my bumper actually measures 4 1/8" by 4 1/8" inside dimensions. The cap that I have measures 4"x4".

If your current cap is a really tight fit, perhaps the standard caps will work.