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Thumperpull's avatar
Thumperpull
Explorer
Jan 08, 2014

Frozen broken water pipe

Hey Guys
A friend down on the Texas coast got a surprise with the recent cold weather and returned to his home, a 2006 Trail-Lite TT, to find that a pipe had broken inside the trailer somewhere and flooded one end of the trailer. Of course the foor is soaked and the floor deck has started to warp. He would like to find the location of the leak. Are there any plumbing diagrams available? The insurance policy says that freezing is not a covered event. He is looking for suggestions as to how to handle it. Naturally he is attempting to dry things out with fans etc. but he is wondering if replacing part of the floor is even possible. Any thoughts from you guys? This is his full-time home.
  • Looks like he could find the leak by removing the covering underneath the trailer and crawl under it and take a look?

    Anyway I hate to hear that anyone has that dilemma. Hopefully this will remind him to turn the water off to the trailer next time when he leaves it especially for long periods of time.

    I should also mention that the water heater should be turned off when the water is shut off to the trailer.
  • R-Vision was owned by Monaco, before Monaco sold out. I called them about something on mine, and they said that they did not have a lot on the old Company's product. But he was able to answer my question.
  • R Vision....2700 South Napanee, Elkhart, Indiana

    877 - 252- 4666
  • If that is a R-Vision Trail-Lite, I believe the Manufacturer is no longer in Business. But there are a million of them on the road and a separate RV forum for them online.
  • I have a 2007 Trail lite Crossover TX189QB. The water lines from the outside come in and go under the cabinets, along the floor, and to the front under the bed. The water heater is located there.

    I think I would back trace from the water heater to the outside input.
  • No diagrams.

    If fiberglass batting is used under the floor it will hold water for a long time and rot the wood. Everything must be opened up, insulation removed, and dried.
  • He'll need to pull some of the the floor up to find the leak, replace the insulation and to dry out the area under the floor. Yes, it can be replaced - it's probably plywood or more likely OSB type flooring. He will need to make the cuts with repair in mind - for example on top of the floor joists to have something to nail (or screw) back to. The floor covering (likely vinyl) will have to be replaced. The most difficult areas will be where the damaged areas crosses under a wall or appliance.
    Since it is a "new leak" and has not had a chance to rot the wood, he may be able to dry the area completely after removal of the insulation and not have to replace floor joists, etc. Of course, any wood that is swollen or damaged will need to be replaced. This is not a time to scrimp on cutting the wood out - he needs to get access to allow proper inspection, replacement and drying.
    Good luck, but it is repairable. I doubt you'll find a pumbing diagram.
  • I've never seen a plumbing diagram for a TT. I think it shouldn't be too difficult to find all the above floor lines. With 2 people, one to turn on and off the water, and the other to look, the busted section shouldn't take too long to find. Then a Sharkbite can take care of it, usually. That is the best scenario. It just goes downhill from there.
    Good luck to your friend.
  • With this recent COLD snap, you will find that other trailers will have this same problem. If i was down there, and had been watching the weather forecast, i would have taken precautions regarding frozen water lines. Education can be expensive some times. Our FD responded to 53 broken sprinkler lines yesterday. When they put these sprinkler pipes in, they take precautions, but i guess not enough, so when it gets to -20 with a wind chill of -45, these things happen.
    Drying out the camper is a #1 priority, then wait an see what needs repair or replacement, as for schematics of the water lines, your best bet is the trailer MFG,