Has anyone replaced their under trailer frame mounted 40 gallon fresh water tank? I bought my 08 25 ft Salem used and first time I used it I noticed a drip near the drain plug but it stopped and didn't leak on my second trip. Now I filled it up and it's got a pretty good drip going, so I will have to fix it when I get back. But looking closely at the leak, it looks like it has been repaired and is leaking above the drain plug and not the plug its self. I suspect it had a low hanging drain valve that got ripped off and then was repaired and now there is just a plug there. I can tell the tank had been out before since there's a unpainted weld. Anyhow, has any one replaced their under belly tank ? and if so, where did you find one. It looks like a pretty straight forward job, with a small amount of welding on the cross support. Thanks!

Haven’t, but if it looks straightforward to you then it likely is. The googler says there’s all shapes and sizes of tanks available. I’ve “replaced” the tanks in our old TC. Not with new, but rebuilt the structure and support around them. Basically removed save for disconnecting the top side connections. It’s just a handyman project. Nothing technical or structural about it I’d imagine.

LITEPHIL wrote:...I can tell the tank had been out before since there's a unpainted weld. Anyhow, has any one replaced their under belly tank ? and if so, where did you find one. It looks like a pretty straight forward job, with a small amount of welding on the cross support. Thanks!You answered your own question.Typical RV construction the tanks are dropped in before the floor is installed, the walls are installed over the floor and the roof installed on top of the walls.Tank is at the very bottom of the entire pile and after the fact removal means you will have to cut and remove the steel cross members that the tank was installed on top of.There are some specialized plastic tank builders out there that with careful measurements should be able to make you a replacement tank. Pricey and depending on size may require truck shipping.Here is one that I bookmarked many yrs ago when I was considering a from scratch trailer build.. RONCO-PLASTICS Ended up finding a donor trailer that I rebuilt instead of starting from scratch so I can't attest to how good they are.You could also try finding someone local to you that does plastic tank repairs. The best way to repair them is using a plastic welding technique. Plastic welding as implied means the plastic is heated then a filler material is added which adds and reinforces the welded areas. Might even wish to consider additional plastic reinforcement around the affected area in case of spider cracks that can't be seen.

there,s also shops that can weld plastic.

I believe it's a standard size and hangs from the frame of the trailer. I want to get an exact replacement. Guess I should have made that clear that I want to replace it since it looks to have been repaired before. Don't want a custom tank just a replacement tank. My 2007 Forest River toy hauler had an identical set up and I remember the drain hung pretty low on that trailer. My question is, has anyone replaced their underbelly tank and if so, where did you find it? If it's $1,000 I'll repair it but if it's $250-300 I'll buy a new one.Thanks!

I would suggest you go the plastic welding route for simplicity. An alternative would be going to http://www.ameri-kart.com for a new tank. Your tank may have numbers written on it that identify the manufacturer and tank model.

Leaking fresh water tank | Good Sam Community

ralph_day
Explorer
Sep 26, 2022
Speaking of fw tanks...I was filling with water before setting up camp and couldn't get the water to go in as usual...it burped and splashed back like never before. You could feel air being forced out the inlet past the hose. Hmmm. Crawled under the coach and found the overflow tube, sure enough a mud dauber wasp had plugged it. An ignition key for the truck (old school) was the right size to dig the mud out. Filled fine after that. I guess that's another thing to check when readying the coach for travel.

As water goes in air is forced out the overflow tube, unless it's plugged.
JRscooby
Explorer II
Sep 20, 2022
I dropped the tank cut a hand-sized hole in the top so could use glue on the inside of crack. Then patched the hole on the top well enough that nothing could fall in.
opnspaces
Navigator II
Sep 20, 2022
LITEPHIL wrote:
Sorry for not getting back sooner but I wanted to make a trip and make sure my repair was sound. My spin weld guy flaked out on me so I contacted a RV dealer near by that was recommended and he welded it for me. $200! I wanted a new tank but I guess they repair them all the time as some had advised me here.Little pricey but what isn't these days?
Thank you for the help!

$200 is a bit steep. But if it continues to hold it will be money well spent.
ktmrfs
Explorer II
Sep 20, 2022
LITEPHIL wrote:
Sorry for not getting back sooner but I wanted to make a trip and make sure my repair was sound. My spin weld guy flaked out on me so I contacted a RV dealer near by that was recommended and he welded it for me. $200! I wanted a new tank but I guess they repair them all the time as some had advised me here.Little pricey but what isn't these days?
Thank you for the help!

the vast majority of plastic fresh water tanks are a material that is easy and best fixed by spin welding. Holds up great. In fact in these tanks most of the fitting that aren't molded in are spin welded at the factory. Most repair shops that do spin weld repair have an assortment of spin weld patches on hand. Basically the patch or fitting is spun against the tank and friction melts the junction, stop, let it cool and it's welded together.

For black/grey tanks, most are ABS which again is easy to fix, but instead of spin welding, solvent welding is done. Basically either use ABS glue on small cracks or use abs sheet material to bridge the break and solvent weld.
LITEPHIL
Explorer
Sep 19, 2022
Sorry for not getting back sooner but I wanted to make a trip and make sure my repair was sound. My spin weld guy flaked out on me so I contacted a RV dealer near by that was recommended and he welded it for me. $200! I wanted a new tank but I guess they repair them all the time as some had advised me here.Little pricey but what isn't these days?
Thank you for the help!
Sjm9911
Explorer
Jul 29, 2022
Yup , was going to mention that was an option. Good luck and tell us how it turns out.
LITEPHIL
Explorer
Jul 29, 2022
Sorry to not get back about this sooner. I have a guy that has a place that will spin weld it for $150 if I take the tank out. I have another trip to the mountains next week, so I will pull the tank when I get back. Thank you all
Baja_Man
Explorer
Jul 18, 2022
I repaired my FW tank a few years ago on a TH I owned. Previous owner tried to use silicone to repair....wrong! Removing the silicone took longer than the repair! I used a plastic repair tool I purchased from Harbor Freight; it worked perfect! It's like soldering plastic. Just take your time, go slow, and it does work. Never had a leak again!

HF Plastic Welding Tool
Lantley
Nomad
Jul 10, 2022
I was able to find the exact tank for my 2012 trailer. I purchased the unit new to my dismay the tank had already been repaired once by the factory or dealer prior to me aquiring the trailer.
I ordered the tank on line and swappede it out with the leaking tank.
I consider it a 7 job on a scale of 1-10.
No too difficult but you do have to remove underbelly and wrestle old tank out and new tank in but it's doable.
Contact manufacture or decent dealer to inquire about replacement tank.
LITEPHIL
Explorer
Jul 10, 2022
Taking off for the mountains for the week, so I investigate more when I get back but thank you

Forum Discussion

Leaking fresh water tank

About Travel Trailer Group

Related Content

Water leak from fresh water tank

Fresh water leak help

Fresh Water Tank Leak

Fresh water tank leak

fresh water tank