Flooded trailer

[Mastiff_mama]

My neighbour camper just got back from running some errands and found the water running inside her trailer. Water is everywhere !!! She has mopped it up but what else can we do to help out here? She is crying her eyes out. The trailer is a newer Kodiak
Thanks

[Bumpyroad]

hddecker wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

robsouth wrote:
Reminder, when leaving the campground, turn the water off at the post connection. Only takes a few seconds and avoids these types of problems.

I put a gate valve (IIRC) on my water hookup and only takes a one second 90 degree twist to turn it off.
bumpy

I think you mean a ball valve, bumpy.

you are no doubt right. I had a 50-50 chance of guessing it right. 🙂
old age produced the IIRC. 🙂
bumpy

[pappcam]

rockhillmanor wrote:
Sure doesn't help the owner of the flooded RV but all these water lines in RV's are just plastic tubing with tiny crimps holding them together. They sure are not your water pipes like in your stick and built homes!

Add the fact that if you don't have a water pressure regulator in line the insane pressure that some of these wells pump out at CG's you're looking for an accident to happen.

x2 I shut off water at spigot every time I leave the RV unattended. I seen my share of waterfalls coming out the sides of RV's at CG's from the seasonal RV'er who leaves their water connection on when they are not there. 😞

Even after the clean up of this RV have them buy a small dehumidifer from a local box store. They will be mildly surprised just how much moisture is still in the RV as the dehumidifier continues to suck it out.

Trailers usually have plastic pex tubing and connectors which is quite prevalent in house plumbing.

[SprinklerMan]

This topic has me thinking . I am an Irrigation contractor the valves I use have been proven for years under various conditions. They are low voltage and can work up to 125 psi . I am wondering if one of these valves installed right at the point of entry would work . Then a simple switch and a small plug in transformer , when you leave the camper simply turn off the electric to the valve and it closes .

[hddecker]

Bumpyroad wrote:

robsouth wrote:
Reminder, when leaving the campground, turn the water off at the post connection. Only takes a few seconds and avoids these types of problems.

I put a gate valve (IIRC) on my water hookup and only takes a one second 90 degree twist to turn it off.
bumpy

I think you mean a ball valve, bumpy.

[DavidP]

I too shut the water off when leaving the trailer for any amount of time. I use a 1/4 turn hose bibb ball valve between the regulator and CG hose bibb.

http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-58248-Garden-Y-Connector-Shut-Off/dp/B000YDVRH8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1408641547&sr=8-4&keywords=ball+valve+hose+bib

[myredracer]

Very sorry to hear about something like this. Unfortunately, this is something that can cause a total loss. RV horror story

There is no time to lose, *if* there is any time to salvage this.

I'd use a hair dryer to try and dry it up where cabinetry sits directly on the floor.

There can be water inside cabinets that you can't see or access. If there are any inaccessible cavities, pull the luan plywood up to gain access. It's only held in place by little staples. Under a bathroom vanity cabinet is an example. If there is a blank panel at the bottom of a cabinet (pantry for example), push it inwards to gain access.

There may be an access cover to the shower/tub p-trap which should be removed.

Check the pass-through for water too.

Take plywood or OSB covers off dinette seating to get to chack for water.

If there is an enclosed underbelly, I would pull it out and clean up underneath. If there is insulation in there, it could have gotten wet and you don't want water trapped and sitting in there.

Turn the furnace on and get it heated up. Go to a hardware store and get a big portable fan or two and drive the moisture out.

Those alarms are a nice idea but won't help if nobody is there. There was a post here recently where the CG supply went down and the RV owners forgot that they had left a faucet on. They went out for a while and during that time, the CG water system got turned back on. I installed a master shut-off valve under our kitchen sink for times when we go out.

[Tequila]

another example of why I never use the city hookup, I only use my tank and the pump. I switch off the pump on my way out, its by the door.

[lushy]

Another tip mentioned in a previous post here was to buy water alarm(s) and place them near sinks, showers, toilet, or pump areas. It's a cheap insurance policy that may save you money and heartache in the future. But as mentioned, always turn off the water or pump whenever leaving.

[xteacher]

Been there, done that! Years ago, we drove our new camper through a torrential rain storm on the way to a campground and stopped for a break and gas. I decided to check on the camper and found that water was running down the floor of the camper like a river! Fortunately, our camper was still under warranty. Turns out a major slide seal was completely missing (must have been made on a Monday or Friday...). All lower cabinets and dinette panels warped/peeled and had to be replaced, as well as the carpet. Make sure the underbelly is removed, if there is one, and dry out the underside, too. I'd worry about the subfloor rotting.

Definitely get insurance involved, if the camper isn't under warranty.

[Community Alumni]

I would not try to dry a trailer out with heat only. The additional heat promotes the growth of mold and mildew. There's a chance that the additional heat can actually raise the humidity level higher than exhaust fans can remove it turning the trailer into a little greenhouse. Extract as much as you can visibly see first with anything (towels, shop vac, etc). If you live in a drier climate then the atmosphere can do the majority of work for you. Just open the windows to get the air moving. You can aid this with fans. The moisture will wick up into the drier air and get carried away with the airflow. If you're in a humid climate then a dehumidifier/fans would probably be best. Keep the doors and windows closed or the dehumidifier will be working against the outside air to dry the trailer.

There's also a cool/heat cycling method that works really well. First turn on the A/C to cool down the trailer. When the warm moist air inside hits the A/C coils it will condense and the moisture will get dumped outside. Once the air cools down, it can no longer hold much moisture. This isn't a good thing since there still probably still tons of water in the in the floor. Once it get really chilly, turn the heat back on to warm the trailer back up to 75-80 or so. Since warm air can hold lots of moisture, any remaining moisture will easily reenter the air. Turn the A/C back on to run this air through it. Once again the moisture will condense on the coils and dump outside. Depending on how bad the situation, you may have to do this multiple times. It's basically the same operations dehumidifier without needing one.

Whatever you do, make sure you pick up a hygrometer to monitor the moisture levels on the inside. You can get them pretty much any where and for cheap.

[BurbMan]

Oasisbob wrote:
sO SAD. cHECK WITH INSURANCE. bE SURE all WATER DAMAGE IS REPAIRED. sO SORRY.

Fun fact: Using the "shift" key with "caps lock" on actually produces a lower case letter.....

[beemerphile1]

Many RVs have fiberglass insulation under the floor and then a protective plastic membrane. That membrane will hold water in the insulation and rot the floor.

To prevent this the membrane must be cut open and water removed. The best preventive measure would be to remove all the insulation and then replace with new after the RV is dry.

[rockhillmanor]

Sure doesn't help the owner of the flooded RV but all these water lines in RV's are just plastic tubing with tiny crimps holding them together. They sure are not your water pipes like in your stick and built homes!

Add the fact that if you don't have a water pressure regulator in line the insane pressure that some of these wells pump out at CG's you're looking for an accident to happen.

x2 I shut off water at spigot every time I leave the RV unattended. I seen my share of waterfalls coming out the sides of RV's at CG's from the seasonal RV'er who leaves their water connection on when they are not there. 😞

Even after the clean up of this RV have them buy a small dehumidifer from a local box store. They will be mildly surprised just how much moisture is still in the RV as the dehumidifier continues to suck it out.

[fla-gypsy]

Has the source of the leak been identified?