Dealership tech drove screw into my fresh water tank!

There was certainly some lack of pride in work once I opened the underbelly. Wires everywhere, none bundled up. Screws poking out, etc. For example...

1. Why not use pre-set threaded inserts to attach the coroplast instead of just zipping self-taping metal screws in?
2. Why not put the wiring in a protected jacket instead of just leaving it laying around in the "crawl space"?

Its a sad state of affairs in the RV industry that..

1-We buy new units for big money knowing there will 99% be problems with our new RV.
2-When said problems occur, we are scared to take in for repairs cause they may cause a bigger or new problem. :S

Its all a lack of training or caring, by both the manufacturers and dealers.
They could fix it like the auto manufacturers did back about 20 years ago when they realized making better products assured future sales

DavinD wrote:
...I'm wondering if they'll file a warranty claim because the trailer is still under warranty.

Yep

I dropped it off today. I gave them 2 choices.

1. Plastic Weld it (which is what they wanted to do) AND give me a written 5 year warranty that their repair would not leak.

2. Replace the tank

They chose to do option 2. I was blown away that they would rather spend more money to replace the tank than give me a piece a paper that says they'll guarantee their work for 5 years.

I'm wondering if they'll file a warranty claim because the trailer is still under warranty.

This is why I do most of my own repairs and installations. I see this a lot working in the marine industry. While there are some very good RV techs out there with many years of experience, this business appears to attract a lot of transients, and I would bet, if it's similar to the marine world, there are more jobs than competent people to fill them. I'm constantly seeing boat mechanics rotate from one shop to the next. I'm thinking that if this train of thought were incorrect, we would not see as many "Gilligan" posts as we do. If a guy is pushed harder than he thinks he should be, he goes down the road to another shop, and the cycle continues.

I bet they back the screw out, put some goop on it, and re-screw it. Good luck.

If it is just a standard screw hole and the only one. The BEST fix is simple and will not leak. You drill out the hole to 3/8 inch and install a standard rubber Monitor tank sending unit. THAT will permanently seal the hole and fix the problem. Eternabond, while good stuff will NOT seal most tanks and is NOT designed to handle the flexing and the pressure from liquids. Doug

I feel your pain - sometimes simple repairs end up being a major PIA.

well your in a pickle jar, there not gonna replace it with out a fight ,and that,s gonna take months or yrs, call your insurance company see what they say? and talk to the dealer get his opinion,, then find a different dealer to fix it, I would not let them fix it, the post about eternabond repair is possibly the best idea.

The issue I have with the suggestions to "patch" it is that the hole is in the part of the tank that sits on top of my frame (which is why they tried to attach the coroplast there). It would be difficult (at best) to get to, and would likely rub off over time.