Another slow water leak

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Another slow water leak

August 29, 2014, 03:02:01 pm

On June 25, 2013, jor posted "Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others, and it helped me identify a slow-dripping leak in my very similar coach. But before I tear the darn thing apart, I'd like to better understand the problem. There's another (?) wet place ahead of the bulkhead in front of the right rear wheel well, above the black water tank. There's a green-and-white flexible tube, about 2" in diameter, connected to something to the rear, and it's a little wet. I can't tell where the other end is, and I don't know what the tube is or does. Any help or advice? Thanks in advance!

Larry

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #1 – August 29, 2014, 03:08:05 pm

Howdy Larry, At least on my coach, that green-and-white flexible tube is the fresh water tank overflow and it exits through the bulkhead at the RR wheel well. Several years ago, I re-routed this overflow through the bay and out the bottom of coach. It seems this overflow may contribute to the bulkhead issues on some of our coaches.
Good Luck, Dave A

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #2 – August 29, 2014, 03:13:06 pm

Hi Larry,
On my 1997 coach that tubing is the fresh water tank overflow. When tank is full water can move around enough to push some out the hose. It helps to extend this hose closer to the ground. This will let the fresh water stay away from the bulkhead.
Raymond

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #3 – August 29, 2014, 03:43:50 pm

Dave, Nancy, Raymond - THANK YOU THANK YOU! We have been connected to city water for several days, and I suspect that the fill valve didn't seat properly and was admitting some fresh water into a full tank. What appeared to be a plumbing leak was just a full tank spilling, drip by drip, out through the overflow. Again, sincere thanks - and thanks to all who maintain and participate in this invaluable forum!

Larry

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #4 – August 29, 2014, 04:08:40 pm

I had a small leak where the overflow hose connected to the top of the fresh water tank when the tank was full from a hose clamp that was not tight enough. While I had the panel off I diverted the overflow hose through the floor of the bay using a new hose.

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #5 – August 30, 2014, 07:36:58 am

Felix,
What size is the overflow hose? Looks like 1 1/2 but I havn't measured yet.
thanks

David do you know?

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #6 – August 30, 2014, 10:12:07 am

Howdy Elliot,
Yes, its 1 1/2". I couldn't find the green/white hose, but did find some flexible hose at a big box store that worked very well. I used a 1" schedule 40 or 80 (can't remember) nipple for the "through the hull" fitting. Attached a couple of photos.
Good Luck, Dave A

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #7 – August 30, 2014, 11:56:07 am

I did basically the same as Dave. Use a strong magnet to make sure I did not drill trough metal tubing in the floor

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #8 – August 30, 2014, 01:06:41 pm

Following up on the good work of Dave & Nancy Abel, we found that RV dealers may carry the green & white hose in different diameters because it a common RV water fill hose. Love that screen under the coach to keep critters from finding their way up to our precious water and what a good idea to use a solid short piece of (electrical?) PVC to go through floor.

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #9 – August 30, 2014, 09:56:47 pm

Does overflow water from filling the tank cause bulkhead problems? What happens when the coach is driven in the rain?

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #10 – August 30, 2014, 10:01:09 pm

YES, water in the wet bay will work its way down into the bulkhead area. It has nowhere else to escape. DRY is your friend!

Rain is on the OUTSIDE/below the basement/bulkhead area. Yes, a small amount can migrate around the serrated head of the Rolok bolts if they are not protected with undercoating.

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #11 – August 30, 2014, 11:17:33 pm

Can't stop the rain which splashes up, but you can stop the fresh water tank overflowing down.

Rain is sometimes, overflow is every time we fill to overflowing and every time we drive off sloshing a near full tank.

When the bulkhead gets wet and stays wet, rusting may result. Anything you can do to keep it dryer, will help you and your coach.

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #12 – August 31, 2014, 03:54:45 am

Quote from: wolfe10 – August 30, 2014, 10:01:09 pm

YES, water in the wet bay will work its way down into the bulkhead area. It has nowhere else to escape. DRY is your friend!

Rain is on the OUTSIDE/below the basement/bulkhead area. Yes, a small amount can migrate around the serrated head of the Rolok bolts if they are not protected with undercoating.

I'm not trying to be dense, but just want to clarify. When driving in the rain, the rear tires fling water everywhere--in the exact same place that the fresh water overflow dumps. How is this any different?

Are you saying the fresh water overflow leaks water INSIDE the wet bay as well?

I do plan on moving the location or extending my overflow so it doesn't run down the bulkhead at some point. I just don't like drilling more holes.

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #13 – August 31, 2014, 08:44:24 am

Yes, it is water INSIDE the wet bay that is most harmful.

And, with an hours labor, a wire brush, half a can of undercoating and some tape (to mask off the head of the Roloks) you can keep water from migrating in along the bolt threads. Been there done that.

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #14 – August 31, 2014, 01:52:46 pm

The way I see it, the rear bulkhead can have two main pathways for the incursion of water which can ultimately result in rust jacking, broken bolts and separation. 1. Wet bay leaks. 2. Water from rear wheels or over flow getting between the sheet metal bulkhead and the 3X3X1/4" angle iron which joins the rear heavy framing to the basement framework, or works it's way under the Rolok bolt head.
The first of these can damage the integrity of the bulkhead joint in one of two ways. 1. It can work its way into the bulkhead joint between the 1/8" transverse frame member and the other side of the sheet metal which separates the basement from the open to the elements area in front of the dualies. 2. And I think this is the most dangerous and insidious path to destruction, leaking into the insulation and plywood that occupies the space between the basement framing. The reason I think the most dangerous is not just because this is what happened to our coach, but because the water stays in contact with the metal framework and never dries. On ours, the plywood (2 pieces of ¾" plywood glued together and glued to the basement floor skin, framing, and underbelly skin) was so wet and deteriorated that I could scoop most of it out with a scraper. Some of the metal was so thin that I could penetrate it with a dull screw driver. The threads of the Roloks were unrecognizable and just looked like rusty nails. I won't go into much detail as I posted fairly extensively while doing this repair. Suffice it to say that I replaced and augmented most of the steel under the utility bay area over the course of nearly two years. Wet bay leaks only damage the steel framing if the area has uncaulked penetrations or there is a failure or improper application of the caulking applied at the factory during the build. Obviously, the caulking that you can get to should be scrutinized and inspected regularly, but there is much caulking that is inaccessible without disassembly of the wet bay. In my opinion, it is at least worth taking the utility bay cover off to inspect the area under the waste piping and city water inlet, particularly if you have had evidence of leaks.
The above is what I believe was the issue on our coach when we bought it. There was virtually no rust on the under carriage or obvious separation upon initial inspection (or I would have been much more diligent in my inspection).
However, positioning the coach in our back yard required some maneuvering over uneven ground and I believe that is when the separation first became visible to casual inspection. Most of the Rolok bolts were probably already broken or weakened to the point of failure before this point, but after there was only one intact and hole it was in was stripped, probably on installation.
Of course, all of the above Is just my two cents, but keep in mind it took me two years to save it up...

Don

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #15 – August 31, 2014, 10:13:37 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – August 30, 2014, 10:01:09 pm

YES, water in the wet bay will work its way down into the bulkhead area. It has nowhere else to escape. DRY is your friend!

Rain is on the OUTSIDE/below the basement/bulkhead area. Yes, a small amount can migrate around the serrated head of the Rolok bolts if they are not protected with undercoating.

Did you just paint the undercoating over top of the Rolok boats and the steel angle?

I never noticed any water inside my wet bay on either sides, but I'll continue to do inspections. I have a feeling road salt is the true killer of FT's

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #16 – August 31, 2014, 10:24:54 pm

Krishna, you can buy spray cans of undercoating at HF. works well.

Richard B

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #17 – August 31, 2014, 10:33:39 pm

It may well be the killer of some Foretravels, but it played no part in the damage in our coach... There was no evidence of current or past water in the wet bays when we took delivery of our coach. The evidence wasn't visible until I peeled up the skin on the basement floor under the fresh water tank. Here are a few pictures of what I found when I did... and in case you are interested, a link to one of the many threads about the the damage and repair that I did.
Before, During, After
Don

Quote from: krush – August 31, 2014, 10:13:37 pm

Did you just paint the undercoating over top of the Rolok boats and the steel angle?

I never noticed any water inside my wet bay on either sides, but I'll continue to do inspections. I have a feeling road salt is the true killer of FT's

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #18 – September 01, 2014, 01:12:27 am

Krush, darn spell check!

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #19 – September 01, 2014, 08:32:55 am

Quote from: krush – August 31, 2014, 10:13:37 pm

Did you just paint the undercoating over top of the Rolok boats and the steel angle?

I wire brushed (wire wheel on drill) the angle, Roloks and lightly cleaned the light tin piece. Cleaned the area well with paint thinner. Masked it off, going onto the fiberglass bottom by 1/4" or so. Masked off above the 1/4" angle beam. Masked off the heads of the Roloks so that I could check torque annually. Then used spray undercoating. This does a very good job of waterproofed the area.

Re: Another slow water leak

Reply #20 – September 01, 2014, 09:55:56 pm

Thanks for the explanation.

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