The weather is warming up here in Portland Oregon so I filled the fresh water holding tank on my brand new Lance 855S for the first time one week ago. As it is new, I threw in a tablespoon of granular chlorine to disinfect the tank. The camper has been on my truck and driving around for the past week as sort of a shakedown test and to slosh the chlorine water around in the tank. This weekend I took it off the truck and when I did so, water ran out of the truck bed and from under the camper and it smelled of chlorine. I checked the low-point drain valves and they are closed. So, it appears that the fresh water tank has a leak ... heavy sigh. It has to be the fresh tank as the grey tank only has a little bit of antifreeze in it. What must be done to access the tank? I hate the idea of some RV service dude ripping into my new rig. Can I do this work myself? Any thoughts or advice greatly appreciated.

Is the 855S a basement or nonbasement model?

Nothing. The dealer has to access it if its a brand new camper.

All the sloshing around may have resulted in the fill point releasing some water. Is it still "leaking" once removed from the truck? And if so, I agree with Whizbang. While it's good to get to know your camper, don't hesitate to hold the dealer accountable.

dadwolf2 wrote:Is the 855S a basement or nonbasement model?I have never heard of a basement in a truck camper so I am unsure how to answer. There certainly is no way to access the stuff under the floor through a door.

Gripnriprod wrote:All the sloshing around may have resulted in the fill point releasing some water. Is it still "leaking" once removed from the truck? And if so, I agree with Whizbang. While it's good to get to know your camper, don't hesitate to hold the dealer accountable.It stopped dripping after being off the truck for a day. I put it back on the truck tonight and as I raised it up and tilted it nose up, water ran out of the back corners of the lowest points at the rear. More than a gallon ended up on the driveway. I bought the camper from a dealer in Tacoma which is a 3 hour drive (one way). Their service department did not impress me so the combination of time, distance, and my lack of trust for service from them (or most any RV dealer) makes me want to fix it myself if I can. I am fearless when it comes to fixing RVs. They are much easier to work on than most other mechanical things. I have done extensive repair work on my 5th wheel, inside and out. I was hoping to learn how much stuff has to come off to get to the tanks. I am assuming it is from the bottom but maybe the side panels are removable?

Fresh water tank leaking in new Lance 855S | Good Sam Community

jimh406
Explorer III
Mar 20, 2014
OBSPowerstroke wrote:
Yeah, the RV business is a lot different than car business; the dealers in the RV industry are usually one step away from bankruptcy due to poor business practices like this.

I wouldn't hold up all car dealers/manufacturers as the standard to reach considering car manufacturers and dealers go bankrupt and get bailouts ... just saying. :)

That being said, I believe Lance will make this right.
OBSPowerstroke
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
Mike Stanbro wrote:
Yeah, we'll I called Curtis Trailers and they told me that I would have to sign an agreement that I would pay the difference between what Lance pays them for the job and what they decide to charge for it. "The RV business is different than the car business. We can charge what we want for warranty work". I'm not making this up. I really dislike most RV dealers and this is only one of the many reasons why.

That's a bunch of BS. I bet a call directly from Lance to their service center would change their tune quite a bit. What good is a "nationwide" warranty if you have to go back to the selling dealer to get it repaired? What happens if you're across the country and something happens?

If I was one of these manufacturers I'd be telling these dealers that a condition of them selling my product is that they have to be willing to honor any and all warranty work and charge the same rates for repairs to customers and non-customers alike.

Yeah, the RV business is a lot different than car business; the dealers in the RV industry are usually one step away from bankruptcy due to poor business practices like this.
nycsteve
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
Personally I'de try to check fittings myself. It might be just a matter of some tightening of a clamp. I've dropped the bottom panel on my Lance, it's easy and self explanatory. The reason was a dripping knfe valve on the black tank dump. It wasnt closing totallt due to TP wedged in . But having the bottom off allowed an inspection of all visable. In my case all was in order. But at least I know that for sure. Seems quality control in the newer Lances isnt as good as it used to be. For that reason alone ,take a look.
Mike_Stanbro
Explorer II
Mar 20, 2014
OBSPowerstroke wrote:
You don't necessarily have to go back to the dealer you purchased from for service. Curtis Trailers sells Lance products, and they have two locations in the Portland area; one on the east side of Portland and one on the west side of Beaverton.

Yeah, we'll I called Curtis Trailers and they told me that I would have to sign an agreement that I would pay the difference between what Lance pays them for the job and what they decide to charge for it. "The RV business is different than the car business. We can charge what we want for warranty work". I'm not making this up. I really dislike most RV dealers and this is only one of the many reasons why.
ckwjl
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
If the fresh water tank in your 855s is like my 2012 1050s, you can gain access to the monitor panel probes and the inlets for the tank drain and pump connection by removing he driver’s side plastic battery tray. It won’t provide you with a lot of room to make repairs but you can at least conduct a preliminary assessment without removing the camper’s bottom panel.
jdcellarmod
Explorer
Mar 19, 2014
Hi Mike,

I have a 2014 855S. I opened the bottom of my camper because I want to change the water level sensors for all of my tanks. On the bottom, take out the screws up front and about 1/2 to 2/3 back on each side. Be careful as the bottom is just thin plywood. I plan on replacing the plywood with something non wood. I found the front support bracket that holds up the fresh water tank connected on only one side. Took care of that. Up front on the tank are the connections for the drain and the pump connection. Good luck. PM me if I can help further.

Jeff D.
Roamer28
Explorer
Mar 19, 2014
Sorry to hear, I had water leak in my brand new 14 855 as it turned out one of the connections to the water heater was cracked and leaking, they are plastic the bottom line presses right up to a black PVC line no foreignness in flex You may want to check that out. Dealer replaced both connections to metal to avoid further damage. Had to remove water heater and reinstall to do this of course at no charge.
JumboJet
Explorer
Mar 19, 2014
I was involved with an extensive repair to a 1999 TC where a screw had just barely penetrated the drain line between the tank and the drain valve. The tiny, tiny leak over a 6 year period caused major damage.
SP1
Explorer
Mar 19, 2014
Call Lance in Lancaster and describe your situation. They may point you to a solution you can handle or direct you back to a dealer for analysis. If the latter, you could suggest a local dealer for convenience to you.

The good news is that you caught the problem.

See you out there,
sleepy
Explorer
Mar 19, 2014
Have you nade any modifications... like a bumperon the front of your new camper to keep it back from the of the bed behind the cab of your truck.

I have seen several instances where the owner makes a modification like this and put lag screws into the fresh water tank.

It is a very labor intensive repair, very expensive,

No matter what the cause... form a good relationship with a dealer for the two years it is ubder warrenty... to allow someone else to work on it voids your warrenty.

I really don't understamd your thinking.

You own a new camper that you don't seem to know much about

... but seem to insist that you can do the work on it.

best of luck...

BTW... you might want to avoid powdered chlorine... it will leave residuals in the tank... liquid house hold bleach won't... sodium hypochlorite.