Dear RV Doctor, this may be a common problem other owners of older trailers are facing. We bought a second-hand fiberglass Burro trailer which we are very happy with but would like to upgrade the trailer to include a toilet and shower with a black and grey water system. The manufacturer has gone out of business so we have called the two other competitors of small fiberglass trailers, Scamp and Casita to see if they could retrofit the toilet and shower. They stated they would not be able to do so. Do you know of anyone who does custom retrofitting or where we can buy supplies and obtain information to do it ourselves?

--Frank Balaam, Globe, AZ

Frank, though difficult, retrofitting an existing RV can be accomplished in many cases. The problem with the smaller units is space limitations, especially when installing plumbing vents and drains as well as the holding tanks. It would require a thorough inspection to determine if such additions are even possible on your unit. Try to find companies that specialize in RV modifications, commonly referred to as RV decorators. Also contact van converters for their opinion as well. Most any competent, full service RV repair facility should also be able to evaluate your situation. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any RV decorators in your area. All the parts and supplies, however, should be easy to gather from sources including Camping World, Home Depot, Lowe’s and standard RV accessory stores. The holding tanks and RV toilet can be purchased at a Camping World store or independent RV supply house, but common ABS drain and vent piping as well as all the fittings and solvents are available at any of the home improvement stores.

-Gary Bunzer
Send your troubleshooting questions to Gary at gbunzer@cox.net and be sure to visit the RV Doctor on the web at www.rvdoctor.com to find other articles and pertinent information.
Questions of general interest may appear in a future issue. Due to the heavy volume of mail received, personal replies are not possible. All effort is made to ensure the correctness of Gary’s responses; however, not all answers will apply in every instance. Some situations may mandate a visual inspection and further hands-on testing. If you choose to follow these instructions, make sure that neither personal nor product safety will be compromised. If you do not feel comfortable performing a procedure, call your local RV service facility and schedule an appointment or visit Camping World Supercenters nationwide.

Check out the television show RV Roadtrips, hosted by the RV Doctor. It airs Friday evenings at 10:00 PM ET/PT on the DIY Network.

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