RE: Coleman Bayside Galley Problems

[pcasey250]

 
I opened the camper to get ready for our first trip of the year and found that the plastic strapping that goes around the galley had separated.  I looked closer and the upper layer of the particle board around the sink had separated from the lower layer.  When we got to the campground and hooked up the water, I noticed that water was leaking from around the faucet.
 My guess is that the whole unit would have to be replaced. Has anyone faced this problem?? THanks

[Ab Diver]

 pcasey250
Wow, bummer-- yup, particleboard and water make a bad combination. That s the bad news. If you have one of the plastic mixer faucets, they can leak, crack, or just wear out. The good news is that this *can* be fixed. I haven t had this water problem with my pop-up(s), but I ve had to work on my galley cabinet, and I *have* made my own countertops for other things. It s not that hard to do, really. Take the faucet out, and (if it s the plastic variety) round-file it and replace it with a good metal " laundry"  or " bar"  style faucet for about 30 bucks. Carefully remove the cabinet top from the cabinet. Get a piece of scrap countertop from a cabinet shop (or have them make you a new replacement), or make your own from MDO (medium density overlay), or a good cabinet grade plywood. You could use MDF, but it s heavier.
 
 Use the old top as a template. If making your own, you should apply laminate to *both* sides using contact cement, and that puppy won t ever swell or warp again. Same for around the edges, or you can use edging made especially for that purpose. Seal the edges of the top if you use plastic edging. Drill holes for the faucet, cut out the sink opening, and put the cabinet back together. Seal all the new openings so the top doesn t absorb water. Install the faucet (and pressure test for leaks [] ). Install the sink, and caulk around the lip.
 
 Yeah, it sounds daunting, but it s not really that hard.
 
 What year is your pop-up? Perhaps a member with the same year has worked on their Bayside and can tell you where the staples, screws, and other fasteners are located on your style of cabinet. It s always better to " properly"  disassemble something[] than to use " brute force" [].

[sure2rain]

 pcasey250
Had a very similar problem. When opening the camper up after the first winter, my sink faucet also leaked. Of course I didn t discover the leaks until our first CO. I did notice a fair amount of water on the floor but never imagined the faucets were the culprit. I ordered a replacement faucet from rvworkshop.com It is better made than the original. It has brass nipples compared to the plastic/nylon of the original. You can also get similar replacements at Lowes or Home Depot. It wasn t too difficult to replace. I did end up taking the entire sink out (held in with four screws and metal strips) as I wasn t able to get my hands behind the sink to loosen the faucet. Entire project took about an hour.
 I am currently working on replacing my countertop as I just don t like the particle board with the edge banding. Seems the edge banding is always falling out. Plus the one corner is cracking.
 

[pcasey250]

 pcasey250
Thankls guys. Before trying to fix myself, I am going to look for my Coleman warranty.  It is a 2000 so I was hoping it would be covered.