low road clearance

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I lost the plumbing on my 88 Casita Liberty by going into a parking lot in Mitchell S.D. Serves me right for seeing the Corn Palace, I guess. The P-trap on the shower lost its bottom and the drain broke off the sink at floor level, while the gray water drain fell in front of the tire and was run over.
What can be done to improve the clearance? I have 13" radial tires. Will 14" rims fit? Is it possible to mount a small gray water tank under there somewhere when reinstalling the p- trap and drains?
Anyone seen after market tanks small enough to fit under the Casita?
Plumbingless in Illinois.
Sam

[Legacy Posts]

Well, Sam, this must have been our week. As I did the same thing the other day. I am aware of the minimal clearance and have had mine raised (obviously not enough) so I am usually extremely careful, but this one blindsided me.

I have an '89 Spirit. Different floor plan, different plumbing layout, but similar problems.

You may or may not be able to use 14'' tires. It really depends on the clearance you have. If your tire is completely centered in the wheel well, then you can. Mine wasn't so I had to wait to get an new axle before I put on the 14's. What you can do (what I did initially) is upgrade your tires from the 175/13s to a 185/13s. I had to order mine from Goodyear and they were quite a bit more. A much more substantial tire that adds a little height. Worth the cost? I dunno, probably not.

You don't need to get a new axle like I did to raise it. You can take it and have it raised and have 14'' tires put on for less money than a new axle.

Gray water tank ....

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That's something I'm currently working on. Casita told me that they had tried it but the newer ones are configured differently and it wouldn't work on these older units. However, I believe it can be done. I just haven't gotten the designed finalized yet.

Since you have the Liberty all of your plumbing is close by, so I think that it would be easier for you to come up with something. You can order the holding tank itself on line to specific measurements. They have a calculator that allows you to find out the capacity based on your measurements. Click here to try it out

I have often thought the Liberty's layout would be much easier to design a gray water tank for.

In the meantime, I am going to use a rubber 'P' trap and a rubber connector to attach it to the broken pipe. Also going to buy extra one so the next time I can just unclamp it and replace. This is a temporary, but extremely effective fix.

Also am considering raising my trailer a couple more inches.

BTW: If I'm not mistaken you need a 'P' trap even with the gray tank. You'll also need an in-line valve to close the shower drain off from the tank when not in use.

Check the plumbing department in a hardware or home improvement store for the rubber 'P' traps.

[Legacy Posts]

As a side note, you may want to inspect your fiberglass floor under the trailer closely.

I repaired my plumbing the evening I got home. It worked very well, and once I pieced together the parts I needed, the repair was quite easy.

I decided to double check it in the daylight hours and discovered that the impact had caused a couple of cracks in the fiberglass around the drain.

I took it apart (easy when it is rubber and is held on by clamps) and am in the process of repairing the fiberglass.

Since it's underneath, the structure is more important than the cosmetic look, so that's not a worry. Just kind of hard working with that stuff overhead. (yes, I'm using a mask and a fan to move fumes away from me)

Hopefully, yours isn't cracked. I just wanted to make you aware that it could have happened.