Dumba$$

[Kober]

In prepping for a long trip I crawled under the RV and saw some screw that had popped through the thermal cover down there, causing the cover to sag in places. The small washers originally installed at the factory had ripped though and I replaced them with bigger ones.

Toward the rear of the RV was the lowest, biggest sag and I saw only one hole where I surmised the washer had also worked its way through but when I felt with my finger there was only a hole in the crossmember, no screw. I slipped a fender washer through a screw and installed it. No more sag but - water!

Water rushing out in a few places of the thermal cover. I cut a 5 inch square hole through the cover where I had placed the new screw only to discover with a flashlight that I had screwed through the crossmember and into the fresh water tank.

Any idea how to fix this? Is there some sort of plug that will keep my 136 gallons of freshwater in?

Draining the tank now ...

[railrode1]

Drain tank. Squirt hot glue in the hole.

[Charlie_D_]

Bill S. wrote:
Looks like you have a temporary fix for your trip. When you are ready to do a permanent repair, a number of solutions have been offered here, but I didn't see this one. You'll need access to the damaged area, which may or may not mean dropping to tank, but once you do, this product may be a good alternative, although I do like that JB Waterproof repair product.
Tank repair

Says it won't work for Polyethylene which is what most water tanks are made of. If black, probably ABS. I have seen some new products on shelves that say they will repair Polyethylene but have not used them.

[Bobbo]

mobeewan wrote:

Bobbo wrote:
While this can't help you, you have helped me. I am preparing to screw some stuff to the floor of my RV in one of the closets. The water heater is in that closet and the water lines come up out of the floor. I have bought this Phone/Computer Endoscope so I can look under the floor before drilling to locate the water lines.

You might give a review of it when you use it. I'm looking at something similar, but I haven't purchased it yet.

I bought a Ryobi TEK4 inspection camera about 3 years ago since I already had a Ryobi TEK4 screw/drill driver that used the same battery. The camera works okay for what I've used it for so far but but it's a bit awkward and the cable is a bit short. You have to twist on the camera as you flex it to keep the camera orientation on the screen. It looks like later versions have a skinnier camera and thinner flexible cable.

A brief review of the new USB Endoscope camera for my Android phone/laptop computer is HERE.

[mobeewan]

Bobbo wrote:
While this can't help you, you have helped me. I am preparing to screw some stuff to the floor of my RV in one of the closets. The water heater is in that closet and the water lines come up out of the floor. I have bought this Phone/Computer Endoscope so I can look under the floor before drilling to locate the water lines.

You might give a review of it when you use it. I'm looking at something similar, but I haven't purchased it yet.

I bought a Ryobi TEK4 inspection camera about 3 years ago since I already had a Ryobi TEK4 screw/drill driver that used the same battery. The camera works okay for what I've used it for so far but but it's a bit awkward and the cable is a bit short. You have to twist on the camera as you flex it to keep the camera orientation on the screen. It looks like later versions have a skinnier camera and thinner flexible cable.

[Bobbo]

While this can't help you, you have helped me. I am preparing to screw some stuff to the floor of my RV in one of the closets. The water heater is in that closet and the water lines come up out of the floor. I have bought this Phone/Computer Endoscope so I can look under the floor before drilling to locate the water lines.

[Bill_S_1]

Looks like you have a temporary fix for your trip. When you are ready to do a permanent repair, a number of solutions have been offered here, but I didn't see this one. You'll need access to the damaged area, which may or may not mean dropping to tank, but once you do, this product may be a good alternative, although I do like that JB Waterproof repair product.
Tank repair

[mobeewan]

If you can support the tank and remove a supporting angle you could then move the tank enough to allow the flex seal tape to be wrapped around the bottom corner of the tank for a temporary fix.

All three tanks on my trailer have 2 angles supporting them running from the left I beam to the right I beam.

One angle is bolted in place the other is welded in place.

[Old_Islander]

Kober wrote:
Water rushing out in a few places of the thermal cover. I cut a 5 inch square hole through the cover where I had placed the new screw only to discover with a flashlight that I had screwed through the crossmember and into the fresh water tank.

This won't make you feel any better, but I've done lots of things more "dumba$$" than that over the years. (once forgot the key to my ATV and burnt out the electrical system trying to hotwire it... 🐵 It takes a big man to admit to their 'whoopsie'... Hope the fix is relatively easy, without removing the tank. My bet is, that wouldn't be a trivial task... Let us know how it goes....

[Kober]

So after 24 hours the wood dowel has reduced the leak down to about 20 drops per minute, ie. 2 galls a day.

[Kober]

bucky wrote:
The cross member appears to also hold the tank laterally. If that is the case you are probably dealing with an edge leak that is not flat. That is going to greatly complicate things.
Is the cross member bolted or welded in place at the frame rails? Bolted makes things easy, welded not so much.
Good luck with it.

Can't tell because I have not removed the thermal cover down there.

[bucky]

The cross member appears to also hold the tank laterally. If that is the case you are probably dealing with an edge leak that is not flat. That is going to greatly complicate things.
Is the cross member bolted or welded in place at the frame rails? Bolted makes things easy, welded not so much.
Good luck with it.

[Kober]

Well nuts would be the ideal solution except that the hole is at a corner and I would have to drill a much larger hole which means I would most likely destroy part of the vertical wall of the tank.

Taking a page off the golf tee idea I went to Ace and bought a 1/4" wood dowel and hammered it into the hole. It has reduced the flow to just a few drops and I'm hoping that as the wood swells it will completely plug the hole for the time being. Upon my return at the end of next month I will be forced to bite the sour apple and drop the tank for a permanent fix.

[path1]

dougrainer wrote:

path1 wrote:
I'd try a "well nut" first.

The problem with using a well nut is, you cannot get a well nut to install THRU the metal support. He would have to pull the yank to install the well nut. Which he may have to do. Doug

Doug is correct. I was concentrated on the actual leak and forgot about metal support piece.

[bighatnohorse]

Roadpilot wrote:
I'm not familiar with well nuts, but looking at the pictures, it looks like it acts like a rivet. As you tighten the screw the end in the tank flares out which would seal the tank from the inside. This would allow it to work even with the brace under the tank.

That is correct.
I've used well nuts to attach solar panels to the camper roof.