Found my leak now I have a question.

[1handyhubby]

Hey gang, I have to be honest here. We were so enamored with this Host camper and the fact that it was only 3 years old I didn't look as closely as I should have. After our first trip I noticed some dripping at the rear of the camper. I thought it was coming from the sewer hose. After I unloaded the basement I saw some staining I hadn't noticed before. I crawled under the camper and started looking at everything. Something had been leaking for a while and there is some minor rotting. I crawled into the basement and took out a (bulkhead?) exposing the grey water tank. The pipe coming from the kitchen sink and dropping down into he tank has no tail piece. It butts up to the tank and was sealed around the outside. I twisted the pipe and found the seal broken and water has been leaking out for some time and has been wicking all over and causing lamination problems. What product would y'all recommend to seal this? I'm thinking it will need to be a silicone type and put on a heavy bead. I have a 20 second video but not sure if I can post it. Anyhoo..... thanks in advance.

[JoeChiOhki]

If its an ABS plastic tank, you can use ABS cement to reattach the inlet flange.

Judging by the yellow I'm seeing from your pictures, that's a low grade ABS cement. The top of the tank will need to be sanded where the flange attached and a new flange will need to be purchased and properly glued on.

The tank will need to be dropped for the flange to be installed a new elbow put in place.

My recommendation is to use a short stub pipe and a rubber clamp boot between the tank and the line to reduce any flexing being levered directly against the tank fitting.

Polyproylene tanks are generally the ones that have the fittings spun on.

Guide for Gluing tank fittings for ABS tanks

For Polyproylene, you can also use compression fit grommets that will go into the open and form a tight seal without the need of spin-welding.

RV Tank Fittings Guides

[1handyhubby]

I put that block and strap at the tail were it connects to the flex hose because when the kitchen slides out the hose pulls the tail laterally. I'm leaving the wall off so I can monitor the connection during the next couple of trips. I hadn't thought about road vibration etc. time will tell. Thanks for your 2 cents.

[RickW]

just a $0.02 thought,

In the second photo, the pipe is rigidly fastened with pipe strap to the top block. If the tank top moves (thermal, road vibration, etc) the tank joint may pull apart again. The original flex joint might have been designed to be back at the hose coupling.

If you believe the tank top can move, consider loosening that pipe strap and line with soft pipe insulation.

[jimh406]

Good luck!

[1handyhubby]

I called Host, sent them pictures and was told I was screwed. Not the help I was hoping for. They did give me the name of a guy who could pull the tank and fix it right. In the mean time, I cleaned everything the best I could, secured the pipe with a little downward pressure so it will not move even if bumped and sealed it with Big Stretch caulk. It takes 2 weeks to cure, sticks to just about anything and will stretch if moved. I took a 1 1/2" piece of ABS pipe and cut it in half and then sealed it with the caulk a week ago as a test. It worked well so as long as it sticks to the tank it should solve the problem. Fingers crossed.

[1handyhubby]

Niftypkg- are you talking about Big Stretch elastomeric sealer? This is something I was looking for temporarily until I can take the tank out and fix it properly. Have you ever tried to peel it off? Thanks

[niftypkg]

I have used a sealant called STRETCH to seal seams on the outside of the camper. It really is very flexible. when dry it stretches like a rubber band.The supplier claims it will adhere to Plastics
• Lexan®* •Acrylic Sheet
• Plexiglass • PVC • Fiberglass
• Urethane • Vinyl •Polycarbonate
• Polystyrene • Nylon

[1handyhubby]

Thank you, I'll take a look tomorrow.

[mike_kellie]

Mine has an access panel in the base of the shower pan. Held by 4 screws it reveals the "p trap" and vent for drain. Very easy to get to but you need to close the door to the bath. I noticed a little water spilling out my rear storage yesterday when I lifted the Jack's and the trucked squatted. It had to be related to the shower somehow. The black plastic fitting at the p trap was lose! Just fixed it 3 hours ago.

[1handyhubby]

I was laying in bed last night wondering why this happened and I had 2 thoughts. First I thought the previous owner had something in the basement that shifted and hit the pipe causing it to snap. The other thought was "Is there a strain on the pipe when the kitchen slides in and out?" I crawled into the basement and put my hand on the end of the ABS waste pipe where it connects to the flex hose that goes up to the sink. I had my wife open the slide and as it reached full extension there was a lateral pull to the right. If the connection was weak it could have been an issue. I may never know. To clarify, the pipe was directly over the opening and at first glance appeared to look fine. I would guess that most of the water went in to the tank and maybe 20% leaked. I twisted the pipe to get a visual of the bottom. Removing the tank would involve disconnecting the shower drain and I'm unsure how to get to it. I'm handy but that will be a big undertaking. I'll have a better idea after I talk to Host.

[whizbang]

Glueing won't do. You need a solid connection to the gray tank, and probably a flexible connection to the drain line.

I would recommend removing the gray tank and replacing/reinstalling a new flange and elbow.

After you reinstall the tank, replace a couple feet of the black ABS pipe with flexible rubber hose so it won't vibrate apart again.

You have a great camper, but there is no easy fix. Do it right and solve the problem properly. Good luck.

[trail-explorer]

I'd say it broke because something has shifted inside the camper. the fact that the pipe is at a sideways angle in relation to the tank is compounding the problem.

[jimh406]

I wouldn't try to fix it without taking it out. I'd also think about what kind of movement caused it to pull/break before trying to fix it. Any glue etc you put on would have to come off for a real fix.

[joeshmoe]

Need to get a better look to see the top of the tank and inspect to see what caused it to shift or move .