Gray water leaking into underbelly - help!

tcoxcsr · 08-05-2020, 12:49 PM

We have 2008 Passport 245RB. Second owner, purchased from a friend three years ago.

Last weekend we noticed very little gray water draining when we dumped at the site, yet we found the shower had water backed up. Then when dumping for our final, my husband noticed a lake under our trailer, and the underbelly was severely sagging.

. Fortunately it appeared to be gray. We drilled a relief hole, but now we need to drop the underbelly to find and fix the source of the leak.

So what would you suggest be the first place to check? I've read the P-trap could be cracked, the tank itself could be cracked. We've had the underlayment down before to fix the soft floor issue that seem so common in this trailer, so we know to do that to check under there. But from memory, my husband doesn't remember seeing any plumbing hardware visible back there because of the tanks. I'm thinking we're going to have to drop the tanks to get to the shower drain hardware.

With the volume of water we had, and the amount of dishes I didn't do, I'm assuming the source of the water was the shower. We haven't seen an access panel to get under the shower to check. In fact, when we wanted to change out the shower controls and everyone said there is a panel to access it, we coudlnt' find one and were eventually told by Keystone that we'd have to dismantle the whole shower to change it out -- so that's not happening.

So any advice? And if you can direct me to where I could find a schematic for the floorplan of my trailer, I'd be eternally grateful.

Slapshoot · 08-06-2020, 10:19 AM

We had this happen in our 5th wheel. The drain had come off of the shower and needed to be reattached. You might want to check that. The tech ended up putting a “T” brace under the shower as the floor of the shower flexed too much.

**chuckster57** · 08-06-2020, 10:30 AM

Welcome to the forum

First off, you won’t find any schematics. I would start by dropping the underbelly and then run the faucets and shower one at a time. That way you can hopefully pinpoint the leak, and then plan your repair.

Roscommon48 · 08-06-2020, 10:44 AM

start with dropping the bottom and looking for where the water is coming from. Until that time we all can only guess.

tcoxcsr · 08-07-2020, 06:51 PM

Soooo dropped the underbelly, and there is a crack in the grey tank. Husband started to drill to stop the spread, and it cracked bigger. We have a crescent shaped crack at this point. He wants to try to ABS weld it. I feel like we’re trying to sew a spiderweb, as all the plastic has become brittle (it was previously stored in the desert sun) and we’ve been replacing it. I’m looking up tank suppliers, but without a model number, that’s difficult. Any ideas? Also, there were no straps, just a ledge that the tank appears to rest on each side. Is that normal? I thought all tanks had straps.

tcoxcsr · 08-07-2020, 06:53 PM

I need to haul it up to Modesto and have you work on it!

**chuckster57** · 08-07-2020, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcoxcsr

I need to haul it up to Modesto and have you work on it!

You couldn’t afford my rates.

There should be a brand/number/ dimensions molded into the tank. Probably on the top.

**sourdough** · 08-07-2020, 07:04 PM

OP do your homework and get proficient in RV repair. I had my galley grey tank develop a leak. Hole in the top. Replacement was $3100 by dealer (extended warranty coverage).

tcoxcsr · 08-07-2020, 08:40 PM

Well, thanks. We’ve restored an aging trailer, done our own fixes. Husband has built airplanes you all fly in, rebuilt motors, etc., so he’s pretty handy. We weren’t sure about this one, so thought we’d ask for advice and learn from others how may have had this issue.

**flybouy** · 08-08-2020, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcoxcsr

Well, thanks. We’ve restored an aging trailer, done our own fixes. Husband has built airplanes you all fly in, rebuilt motors, etc., so he’s pretty handy. We weren’t sure about this one, so thought we’d ask for advice and learn from others how may have had this issue.

Believe me, he's not working on "aircraft quality" material here. Anyone with a similar issue would replace a tank that looks like that. You say it's brittle so that will not be the only area on that tank that's brittle. Unless the trailer has been upside down I doubt it's from the sun. Dry air certainly, so I would be giving the other tanks a very close inspection as well. The only difference between the black and the gray tank is what drains into them. They will be the same material, age, exposure.

**sourdough** · 08-08-2020, 06:26 AM

With the tank in that shape and that brittle I would not think about spending time to repair it - it, and the others, are just going to crack again. You mentioned you couldn't find a source for a tank. Since you don't know how big they are (gal.) I would take the measurements and order new ones. Here is a link to one source;

https://www.plastic-mart.com/categor...-holding-tanks

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