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Shamrox425's avatar
Shamrox425
Explorer
Apr 06, 2014

Help needed - Busted black water pipe backing into garage

Hey all, new travel camper owner here. I just bought one of those retro campers, and backing it into my garage I was so worried about clearing the top of the garage, I completely forgot the black water pipe that sticks out about 5 inches on the side. It caught on the side of the garage and cracked. Luckily the tank is only 5 gal and nearly empty other than a lot of some green chemical. I let the whole thing drain for a day before I got started on attempting to fix it.

I'm having a hell of a time getting the bottom red panel off, but wanted to make sure that is something I had to do to fix this. Maybe there was an easier way of replacing the black pipe that is cracked? I attached some pictures, and would really appreciate any advice/tips to get me going in the right direction. I was quoted $300 to by a mobile rv repair business to fix it, but I'd really like to do it myself and learn something if possible. Thanks in advance.




  • Bob_Olallawa's avatar
    Bob_Olallawa
    Explorer
    Apr 06, 2014
    As long as there is enough good pipe sticking out of the tank to glue a coupler to, it is a very easy no leak fix. Cut the pipe clean it up glue on a new coupler, glue in a new piece of pipe, glue in in the knife valve, another piece of pipe and glue an end adaptor back in place. Like said above, set it up so the end adaptor is next to the side of the rig not sticking out to be hit again.
  • rockhillmanor's avatar
    rockhillmanor
    Explorer
    Apr 06, 2014
    I've had a few broken sewer pipes in my RV'ing life. They seem so easy to fix. I too researched how to fix it. Decided against it and called repair. Leaking sewage at any time is not something you ever want to mess with.

    Here to tell you that all the info I got on how to do a DIY? Was all wrong. The way the repair guy did it was totally different and his way "insured" it would never leak. He had all the parts on board for the fix. Seeing as they see 'a lot' of these types of repairs!

    Homemade install patches almost always leak. Up to you if you don't mind that down the road traveling when it springs a leak.

    IMHO...trust me $300 is a VERY GOOD price to have mobile RV repair it.

    If it were my RV I'd pay to have it done. Just saying.
  • midnightsadie's avatar
    midnightsadie
    Explorer II
    Apr 06, 2014
    on your repair keep the pipe as close to the side wall as possible could be your not the first to have broken this pipe.
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Apr 06, 2014
    It looks like you can cut the black pipe inboard of the siding wall. You should be able to slide a new piece of pipe onto a repair coupling, inboard, and then attach the final drain coupling to the exposed new pipe. All of this can be done without removing the red siding piece.

    I don't understand why the drain hose connector is 5" out from the wall. It could be flush or nearly so and that would prevent just the kind of thing that happened.

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