Forum Discussion

Canyon-Cruiser's avatar
Aug 07, 2013

OK guys, check your nuts!

Seriously though, camping the other weekend I took a shower and when I finished there was water coming out from under the shower base. I put towels down to dry it up and more came out. Left towels down (just in case) for the trip home. When we got home and checked they were soaked. I had drained the water from the low point drain before we left to come home so I was wondering "where is all this coming from?". When I opened the access panel on the shower base, the cutout in the floor for the drain trap was wet with a little water still in it. Well, I dried that up and poured some water down the drain. Sure enough, almost as much come out from around the drain flange as was going down it. I removed the trap to dry the water up and started to tighten the flange nut. Yep! It was finger tight only. I used a pair of large channel locks and slowly, due to lack of space, tightened the nut until I squeezed the plumbers putty out the sides. Yes, they had put plumbers putty around the drain but never tightened the drain flange nut to seal it. After that I also checked the drain and water supply line nuts on the sinks also. They were not leaking but were far from tight.

So, check your nuts! (flange nuts that is) :)
  • I had a similar problem, but it was on a water supply pipe under my bathroom sink. Last time out, I noticed a small puddle on the floor at the base of the cabinet. I had thought someone just didn't place a towel on the floor following their shower. No issues for the next short while. Then we moved to another park and the same issue happened again on the first night. I had a look under my cabinet and could see water dripping from the compression sitting for the sink faucet.

    As it turns out it would only leak when I first fired up the water heater. I guess heating of the water caused any air pockets in the pipes to expand and create some pressure. I would experience a leak until we opened the tap and then in would go away.

    I tightened up the compression fitting and haven't had an issue since.
  • My mechanic buddy in NY that used to do all my repair work often told me the problem was due to the "nut loose behind the wheel".
  • gmw photos wrote:
    yep, and I don't know how your brand is designed, but my Funfinder ( crusier rv ) has the aluminum stud wall system. These wall sections are bolted down thru the floor, and then thru the outriggers of the main chassis frame. After about 3000 miles of towing, I laid down under the trailer with a ratchet with extension and socket, and was able to snug up every single one of those bolts around the perimeter of the underside. Makes sense, some of that stuff probably settles in with time and use.
    It's a good opportunity while under there to look everything over for being tight. I also found a run of wiring that passed thru a hole in a frame outrigger, and it should have had a grommet to keep from possible chafing thru the insulation of the wires, so that got fixed too.
    This just goes to support my feeling about RV's in general: "some assembly required".

    They should have used nylock nuts.
  • I had the same problem a couple of weeks ago. The problem is that they don't install the rubber gasket between the tub and the nut as well. The putty and gasket work together to keep things from sealing.
  • Well, it's your own fault for buying a used, 20yr old trailer. If you'd have purchased a new one, you would have gotten a well built and crafted quality unit that had undergone a rigorous quality control inspection before it ever left the manufacturing line.

    Then the dealer would do their inspection to make sure nothing happened during transport.

    And of course, your pre-delivery inspection/dealer prep would have found any last minute tidbits, ensuring you received the best quality product in near perfect working condition.

    ...Uhm...wait. This is the "camper" forum and you do have a new camper? Okay, then scratch all of the above. They just shrink wrap them and figure as soon as they can get someone to pay for them, they will let the customer do the quality inspection and handle it under "warranty" which is cheaper than having an actual QC person at the factory!

    ***
    But seriously, glad you found the problem(s) before it caused any serious damage. New campers really are a******shoot now a days. Best to put it through its paces sooner rather than later and carry a tool kit most of the first season.

    To any manufacturers reading this post: Yes, this is exactly the way most of us see rv quality control these days. Take some pride in your work!
  • And then there was the first time I used the built-in black tank flusher, DW was screaming that there was water all over the bathroom. Yup, the nuts were not tightened.
  • yep, and I don't know how your brand is designed, but my Funfinder ( crusier rv ) has the aluminum stud wall system. These wall sections are bolted down thru the floor, and then thru the outriggers of the main chassis frame. After about 3000 miles of towing, I laid down under the trailer with a ratchet with extension and socket, and was able to snug up every single one of those bolts around the perimeter of the underside. Makes sense, some of that stuff probably settles in with time and use.
    It's a good opportunity while under there to look everything over for being tight. I also found a run of wiring that passed thru a hole in a frame outrigger, and it should have had a grommet to keep from possible chafing thru the insulation of the wires, so that got fixed too.
    This just goes to support my feeling about RV's in general: "some assembly required".
  • And you think that is the only loose nut.....HA!

    Check all sink plumbing, water line fittings and lug nuts.

    Them folks at the factory get paid to 'produce' not necessary to do it right....just do it.