ISSUES WITH A NEWLY PURCHASED (USED) TRAVEL TRAILER

[easytoplease195]

A LADY FRIEND JUST PURCHASED A 1990 SIERRA BY COBRA TRAVEL TRAILER TO RESIDE IN WHILE WORKING ON A NEW CONSTRUCTION JOB. THE GUY JUST PUT 5 NEW TIRES/WHEELS ON IT AND IT HAS A NEW FABRIC ON THE ROLL-OUT AWNING. HE PULLED IT UP TO A SITE I OWN AND PLACED IT WHERE SHE WANTED IT POSITIONED AND I GOT THE POWER HOOKED UP TODAY AND EVERYTHING WITH THAT SEEMS TO BE FINE INCLUDING THE AIR CONDITIONER. THE BIG THING THUS FAR IS THE WATER. WE HOOKED THAT UP, TURNING THE PRESSURE ON SLOWLY, AND SHE COMES BACK OUTSIDE AND SAYS IT'S LEAKING. IT WAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON SO I'LL HAVE TO TRY AND FIND ALL THE LEAKS IN THE MORNING BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A LEAK AT THE TOILET, DEFINITELY UNDER THE BATHROOM SINK AND WATER HAD RUN OUT FROM UNDER THE COMBO TUB/SHOWER. I'M NOT SURE IF THE WATER COMING OUT OF THE TUB/SHOWER WAS ACTUALLY FROM IT OR FROM WATER THAT MAY HAVE BEEN LEAKING FROM UNDER THE SINK. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR FIXING THESE LEAKY PROBLEMS? IT APPEARS TO BE POLYBUTYLENE PIPE BUT I HAVEN'T LOOKED ON THE PIPE YET TO VERIFY THIS. WILL DO FIRST THING IN THE AM.

ANOTHER ISSUE IS THERE IS A LEAK OR THREE IN THE ROOF. THESE LEAKS APPEAR TO BE FAIRLY NEW BECAUSE THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE MUCH DISCOLORATION ON THE CEILING. I DID CLIMB UP A LADDER AND LOOKED AT THE ROOF BEFORE SHE PURCHASED IT AND I DID SEE A CRACK IN THE ROOF COATING AT THE LOCATION OF ONE OF THE LEAKS. IT LOOKED LIKE THIS ROOF HAD A LOT OF APPLICATIONS, OVER THE YEARS, OF ROOF COATINGS. WOULD THE BEST PROCEDURE BE TO SILICONE ALL VISIBLE PROBLEM AREAS THEN COAT WITH A ROOF COATING LIKE HENRY 287 SOLARFLEX ROOF COATING?

ANY HELP/ASSISTANCE WITH ME FIXING THESE PROBLEMS FOR MY FRIEND IS, AND WILL BE, GREATLY APPRECIATED.
THANKS

[easytoplease195]

Sorry guys for taking so long to get back. I LUCKED OUT !! Found the hot water supply line was half screwed off and only other leak was the toilet valve that had previously been replaced because there was an older valve in a drawer. The person that replaced the valve appears to have cracked and tried fixing it with what appeared to be the old type brown looking Permatex Gasket Sealer. I purchased a new one and escaped redoing a bunch of leaks..Thanks for the help.

[westend]

myredracer wrote:
If checking the water system, if water leaks onto the floor, you should get it up immediately as it can cause some significant damage like MDF "wood" which soaks up water.

As said above, it sounds like it may not have been winterized.

I would doubt it is PEX that has cracked. It's more likely to be a fitting somewhere. Fittings, like elbows for example, can be in hard to get at locations too. I would leave a faucet open when you first turn the water on so that the lines do not get full pressure then when it looks okay, turn the faucet off. I would start by looking for fittings under dinette seating, under sinks, hot water tank, etc. and see if they look okay. Some can be hidden inside a vanity cabinet and you can pry off the luan plywood in some cases which is just held in place by thin small staples and easily pulled out.

The toilet valve could be leaking or it could be the fitting attaching to the toilet. The braided hose may have split.

The faucets all have a swivel adapter that connects the PEX to the faucets. These could possibly be damaged.

The P-traps under sinks and the tub/shower could be damaged if water was left in them over the winter. Easy to check the ones under sinks. Their should be an access cover of some sort for access to the one under the tub/shower.

I would get a couple of friends or family to act as spotters as you slowly turn the water on and look for leaks. When you think you have got it all fixed up, I would recommend getting a regulator with a pressure gauge on it. Pressurize the system and see if the pressure holds. I would leave it overnight too. You *could* buy a gauge and fittings from HD and mount the gauge inside somewhere on a cold water line so that you can also monitor CG pressure.

Gil,
He may or may not have PEX, MDF, swivel fittings, braided hoses, etc.. Otherwise your advice is spot on.
Haven't heard back from the OP and we may not as this is a goodwill gesture for someone else and I know how slow that can go.

[myredracer]

If checking the water system, if water leaks onto the floor, you should get it up immediately as it can cause some significant damage like MDF "wood" which soaks up water.

As said above, it sounds like it may not have been winterized.

I would doubt it is PEX that has cracked. It's more likely to be a fitting somewhere. Fittings, like elbows for example, can be in hard to get at locations too. I would leave a faucet open when you first turn the water on so that the lines do not get full pressure then when it looks okay, turn the faucet off. I would start by looking for fittings under dinette seating, under sinks, hot water tank, etc. and see if they look okay. Some can be hidden inside a vanity cabinet and you can pry off the luan plywood in some cases which is just held in place by thin small staples and easily pulled out.

The toilet valve could be leaking or it could be the fitting attaching to the toilet. The braided hose may have split.

The faucets all have a swivel adapter that connects the PEX to the faucets. These could possibly be damaged.

The P-traps under sinks and the tub/shower could be damaged if water was left in them over the winter. Easy to check the ones under sinks. Their should be an access cover of some sort for access to the one under the tub/shower.

I would get a couple of friends or family to act as spotters as you slowly turn the water on and look for leaks. When you think you have got it all fixed up, I would recommend getting a regulator with a pressure gauge on it. Pressurize the system and see if the pressure holds. I would leave it overnight too. You *could* buy a gauge and fittings from HD and mount the gauge inside somewhere on a cold water line so that you can also monitor CG pressure.

[JJBIRISH]

1990… the first thing is to determine if it has a rubber or metal roof… to know what material would work best…

It would be a COMPLETE waste of money to use the HIGH PRICED Eternabond on a poorly or incorrectly coater roof…

for the tape to work it needs to be applied to the virgin roof material, around the edges of the tape (although it can be used over an already sealed joint), otherwise it is no better than the old sealer under it…

If the coating is the wrong material or not adhered well you might have a hard time finding and fixing a leak… this is why coating the whole roof is a bad idea, no terrible idea, to begin with unless it is necessary to get a few more years out of it…

Multiple layers of coating is always suspicious… I guessing a new roof or constant care and maintenance is in the future for this trailer…

I hope I am wrong…

[westend]

easytoplease1955 wrote:
Sorry westend about the caps and ty for the reply. Does the pipe give much problems or is it normally the fittings and how expensive are the sharkbites? Also, do you think Lowes or HomeDepot may have them?

Well, almost everyone has dropped polybutylene pipe and gone to another type, mostly PEX. The PB pipe does tend to slip out of fittings but freezing will break it like any other. Visual inspection is enough to diagnose the cause of leaks.
Yes, IMO, Sharkbite fittings are expensive but you'll have to weigh the price against ease of use, quantity, and the cost of a PEX crimper. You can also use Flairit fittings as a substitute. HD or Lowes should have everything you need.

[BarneyS]

easytoplease1955 wrote:
I looked at the eternabond on graingers website and man they are proud of that stuff. Very high dollar. Any other places you suggest I check for the eternabond because I hear it is really super good stuff?

This is the place that I have purchased my Eternabond tape from. They have about the best prices. I have done all the seams on the roof of my trailer and also keep a roll on hand for emergencies.
Barney

[B_O__Plenty]

Don't use silicon on the roof. It won't stick and will cause more problems.
Use some self leveling caulk available from an RV dealer.

B.O.

[gbopp]

easytoplease1955 wrote:
I looked at the eternabond on graingers website and man they are proud of that stuff. Very high dollar. Any other places you suggest I check for the eternabond because I hear it is really super good stuff?

Do a search, check Amazon, Ebay, etc.
No, it's not cheap but, it's a one time repair. Just follow the prep instructions and you will be pleased with it's performance.

[nomad297]

keymastr wrote:
be sure you use a pressure reducer on the water inlet or you can blow the lines off. City water pressure is too strong for an RV in most cases.

Not true.

Bruce

[easytoplease195]

I looked at the eternabond on graingers website and man they are proud of that stuff. Very high dollar. Any other places you suggest I check for the eternabond because I hear it is really super good stuff?

[gbopp]

For roof leaks/repairs consider using Dicor Self Leveling caulk and/or Eternabond.
They're both great products.

[easytoplease195]

Sorry westend about the caps and ty for the reply. Does the pipe give much problems or is it normally the fittings and how expensive are the sharkbites? Also, do you think Lowes or HomeDepot may have them?

[keymastr]

be sure you use a pressure reducer on the water inlet or you can blow the lines off. City water pressure is too strong for an RV in most cases.

[GENECOP]

Someone probably did not winterize....the pex pipe is easy to work with, if you do not have crimping tools just use sharkbite or similar fittings to make repairs....as far as the roof if the roof had not already been coated in the wrong material I would suggest Dicor products....if its already an abortion up there just use any residential products, silicone, tar, spray rubber...just clean and seal it up..