Leaking Sink and Toilet

[CampingFam22]

Hi all,

I'm new to posting in any RV forums, so excuse me if I miss any pertinent info!

My family has a 2019 Keystone Springdale 1800BH. We bought it brand new and use it a few times a year for family vacations or long weekends. We live in a cold climate, but my husband always winterizes it using the antifreeze method.

When using it in 2021, we noticed the kitchen sink was leaking at the base of the fixture when it was turned on. It didn't matter if we were hooked up to city water or using the water pump.

Around the same time, we also started having trouble with the toilet. If the water pump was on or it was connected to city water, it would start to slowly fill with fresh water until it finally overflowed.

I'm not sure if the issues are related, but it discouraged us this past year from even using our travel trailer over tent camping, as a sink and toilet are two of the biggest benefits of RV camping.

I know we'll likely need to pull things apart to see what the issues are, but our travel trailer is so small that it doesn't even have an "under sink" to look at the plumbing. Everything is sealed up. My husband is really handy, but before tearing everything apart, I'm just wondering if anyone has any insight or may be able to point us in the right direction. We'll take things apart as necessary (and will probably need to to diagnose the issues), but would hate to pull the cabinetry apart if it's as simple as replacing something in the sink fixture.

Thanks in advance!

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by CampingFam22

Hi all,

I'm new to posting in any RV forums, so excuse me if I miss any pertinent info!

My family has a 2019 Keystone Springdale 1800BH. We bought it brand new and use it a few times a year for family vacations or long weekends. We live in a cold climate, but my husband always winterizes it using the antifreeze method.

When using it in 2021, we noticed the kitchen sink was leaking at the base of the fixture when it was turned on. It didn't matter if we were hooked up to city water or using the water pump.

Around the same time, we also started having trouble with the toilet. If the water pump was on or it was connected to city water, it would start to slowly fill with fresh water until it finally overflowed.

I'm not sure if the issues are related, but it discouraged us this past year from even using our travel trailer over tent camping, as a sink and toilet are two of the biggest benefits of RV camping.

I know we'll likely need to pull things apart to see what the issues are, but our travel trailer is so small that it doesn't even have an "under sink" to look at the plumbing. Everything is sealed up. My husband is really handy, but before tearing everything apart, I'm just wondering if anyone has any insight or may be able to point us in the right direction. We'll take things apart as necessary (and will probably need to to diagnose the issues), but would hate to pull the cabinetry apart if it's as simple as replacing something in the sink fixture.

Thanks in advance!

The problem under the sink... not sure what you mean when you refer to a fixture. Are you referring to plumbing pipes, sink itself or water hoses?

The problem with the toilet... same issue. Are you saying the toilet fills on its own with depressing the pedal? Does it keep filling after you let loose of the foot pedal? A little clarification would sure help as there are folks on here who are very sharp at helping to diagnose a plumbing problem (actual RV techs and such).

[CampingFam22]

Thanks for the guidance!

As far as the sink goes, it's leaking at the seal where the countertop meets the base of the faucet fixture. This is when the faucet knobs are turned on (doesn't matter hot or cold knob). My assumption is that's coming from under the sink, but without ripping up the cabinetry (which seems inevitable at this point), I'm not totally sure of the source.

Regarding the toilet, it slowly fills with fresh water on it's own without depressing the pedal. Once the pedal is fully pressed, it it flushes normally and releases the accumulated water to the black tank.

[jasin1]

at first i thought high water pressure if your not using a regulator but you said it happens on pump also …i’m leaning towards it froze and messed up the seal or valve on the toilet and possibly cracked the plastic faucet body as well. even though you said your husband winterized ..he possibly didn’t get it 100%

[sourdough]

I would say they both froze. If you didn't open the faucet or put antifreeze in the system, or if you did and you didn't get the toilet drained/winterized properly they will crack. Pop that faucet off and check the innards, I bet you find a cracked valve in it.

[JRTJH]

From your description, it sounds like freeze damage. One of the symptoms of a freeze damaged flush valve is "water filling the bowl from a leaking valve".
The toilet flush valve has a "dimple" on the side of the valve body that "bulges out" if the valve has been damaged by freezing. I'd check your valve to see if that bulge is present. The only repair is to replace the valve. I've included a part of the toilet manual that shows what to look for.

As for the faucet leaking "between the sink and the faucet base", that also sounds like freeze damage from a split/broken faucet body. The faucet valve stems screw into the faucet water mixing body. If there is any water in the faucet, those "screw in fixtures in the faucet water body (inside the chrome part) can split and then when water is turned on, it leaks into the chrome faucet space (around the water body) and then seeps out on the sink surface and onto the countertop.

Here are two photos of the faucet looking at it from below and another of the actual "water body" that mixes hot and cold together to flow from the spigot. The valve stems screw into each end of the water body, that is probably what is leaking if you're getting water seeping out from under the faucet body and onto the sink/countertop.

[NH_Bulldog]

I agree that it is likely freeze damage. In my climate, I use compressed air to get all the water out of the system then use the water pump to pump antifreeze through the system and all fixtures. The toilet valve is like $15 and 5 minutes to replace. The kitchen faucet should be accessible behind the panel between the drawers and fridge. Since you have two known issues, I would also check the tub/shower faucet since that is buried in the wall and there is no access so if it’s leaking, you won’t know until you have serious water damage