Fresh water pipe

Hi everyone........and I'd like to announce that i've only very recently joined this forum so I hope this early question to you all is in keeping with the etiquette of the site.
Quite simply, we've just noticed that the fresh water pipe on our 1996 VW T4 Trident has come adrift at the point where it enters the fresh water tank itself.
I've removed the small jubilee clip that was still attached to the dangling end of water pipe.
Our local dealer has just completed our annual habitation checks and has quoted me "in excess of £100" to get a new fresh water pipe fitted.......as he says the existing one is now "fragile with age".
That amount of money seemed a little on the steep side so I was wondering 2 things:
1. is it relatively easy for me to attempt the replacement myself (assuming I have the appropriate spares to do so)?
2. Is there something like a Haynes Manual which can be bought to also aid me in this and more routine repairs on the vehicle?

Any help from anyone out there will be more than gratefully received........and the identification of the specific spare parts needed will be equally welcomed.
Many thanks in anticipation of all help forwarded to me.......

Sharpey

It probably depends a bit on which pipe you are referring to. There are two main pipes on the tank (inlet, for filling, and outlet, to services) and you don't say which you mean.

The inlet can, to be frank, be a bit of a barsteward to replace, and the ribbed pipe does (in my experience) become fragile with age - the thinner sections between the ribs can become very easy to tear. The job depends very much on what you find, but I think I would rather pay someone £100 to do it on our Trooper!

The outlet on the other hand ~should~ be a smooth walled food-grade thick walled plastic pipe, and I've never known this type to become fragile. It tends to get stiffer and harder to work with as it gets old, but not so much so that it needs replacing. I would DIY that myself no problem - dip the end of the tube in very hot water just before installing and it should expand a bit and become much more pliable.

The above is not intended as "gospel" - just what I have found on the vans that I've worked on!

Is the spigot that the pipe attaches to, still there or has that broken. If so it probably means dropping the tank to get access to fit new spigot, £100 seems about right.