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Topic: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others (Read 746 times) previous topic - next topic

Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Just came from Foretravel where they fixed a water leak that was perplexing me. Here's the history. I removed the panels in my utility bay to expose the waste valves and give the area a general cleaning. I also removed the aluminum L-channel to which the panel was attached. When I removed one of the screws holding the L-channel to the compartment ceiling, water came out of the hole! What? Turns out that the screw had been screwed into a a length of structural square steel tubing that runs across the coach. That meant that the water was coming from inside that tubing. The first photo shows the panel (old rig but same setup) and the second photo shows the location of the leak.

Every area I could inspect was dry. Just the water coming from the structural tubing but how did it get in there? It appeared that the tubing ran to the other side in the general area of the shower. I looked and looked and finally gave up the hunt.

At Foretravel, I told the tech that I thought the leak was coming from the shower drain. He told me he had seen this leak before. He cut the wheel well material, folded it down and cut away the insulation, thus exposing the shower P-trap. And there it was! Ran the shower and watched the water dripping. It would drip from the P-trap, into the hard insulation and make its way into the structural tubing. Once there it would remain trapped or exit through a screw hole or exit through the edge of the wheel well (photo with the three yellow arrows).

The last photo shows the P-trap. My theory is that laying the coach down on those duals puts pressure on the P-trap and eventually loosens it. The tech told me that the frame stop is designed to prevent that from happening but my coach (also our 320) had depressions in all the wheel wells caused by the coach resting on the tires.

Anyhow, if you have an old one and you can't find a leak, this could be it.

I've changed my leveling technique btw. Now, I raise the coach all the way up and level down.
jor







93 225
95 300
97 270
99 320

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #1 –
Okay, my 94 U300SE probably has this issue - it's a slow leak associated with the shower.  But 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 Butler
1994 U300 40'

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #2 –
Quote from: techcfo –
Okay, my 94 U300SE probably has this issue - it's a slow leak associated with the shower.  But 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!
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
Dave and Nancy Abel
'00 U320 36' WTFE  Build #5669
'10 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
Livingston, TX  SKP's Fulltiming

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #3 –
Hi Larry,
  On my 1997  coach that is the fresh water tank overflow. If the tank is really full water can slosh around enough to have some come out. It helps to extend the line closer to the ground to avoid any water getting to the bulkhead.
Raymond
Raymond & Babette Jordan
1997 U 320
1998 Ford Explorer XLT

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #4 –
Jor,

Thanks for the heads up.  The PO of my coach had a leak in that compartment, but it was at the water connection which was replaced.  The one you had fixed if left unaddressed looks like it could certainly lead to bulk head issues.  Don't want it wet in there for any reason.  I've done the the rear bulkhead repair but I'll examine that area more closely after hearing about this problem. 

P.S. I always fill my fresh water tank half full. and then shut off the city water supply. I never let my coach rest on the tires.  I have scuff marks on the wheel wells but that was due to the PO not airing up properly before taking off!

Thanks,

Jerry aka Murph
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Jerry and Cindy Maddux
1993 U300/36WTBI DD6v92TA
build 4271  "Miss Lou"
1995 suzuki sidekick 4x4 toad
Gulfport, Ms

"Pride of Ownership"

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #5 –
Everyone should have a few of these $9 Harbor Freight water alarms in strategic places. We have them all over the place and It has saved us several times from incurring water damage.

Water Overflow Alarm

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Barry & Cindy –
Everyone should have a few of these $9 Harbor Freight water alarms in strategic places. We have them all over the place and It has saved us several times from incurring water damage.

Water Overflow Alarm

Thanks for the reminder Barry.  I'm going to HF tomorrow.  Should three be enough?  One under the kitchen sink, one under the bathroom lavatory close to the water fill valve and one in the wet bay. 

Jerry
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Jerry and Cindy Maddux
1993 U300/36WTBI DD6v92TA
build 4271  "Miss Lou"
1995 suzuki sidekick 4x4 toad
Gulfport, Ms

"Pride of Ownership"

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #7 –
If by in the wet bay, you mean behind the wall where the waste pipes, utility compartment faucet, city water inlet, etc. for sure! Water in there from whatever source could remain hidden for quite awhile. In ours, I left off a plastic grill and can reach behind that wall to feel if there is any water present... which I do fairly often.
Don
Quote from: coastprt –
Thanks for the reminder Barry.  I'm going to HF tomorrow.  Should three be enough?  One under the kitchen sink, one under the bathroom lavatory close to the water fill valve and one in the wet bay. 

Jerry
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Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #8 –
Better you don't ask me how many times we have bought Harbor Freight water alarms. FYI a few of our magazines have 20 or 25% off HF coupons that make the water alarms a steal.

Wherever we have a leak, no matter how small, we put in an alarm, one-time time leak is enough for us. And spending $7 to prevent water damage, is cheap protection.

We have these alarms behind toilet, under toilet at a plumbing connection, under kitchen sink to catch water filter drips, on bottom corner of bottom step under hinge for rain intrusion, behind refrigerator for rain or self-defrost pan spills, near black & gray tank valves, under water manifold, near water pump, and a few spares in the spare parts box. And they make nice give-aways for RV friends who have had leaks.

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #9 –
Barry,
That makes me chuckle. ;D
We have one on bay floor between water pump and water manifold and another behind the toilet (not on the floor, but inside on the bottom of the toilet where we have had a leak).
The one by the water pump has gone off a couple times; it gives off a kind of feeble sound that is hard to hear and we have both had our ear against the floor and all the walls trying to figure out WHERE that sound is coming from! ::)
All that said, thanks for the  post and we will be getting a few more of these from HF.
BTW, we just had to pull the toilet to install a new seat and cover. While doing that we tested the water alarm; sure enough the battery was toast! So, if you have these, figure on changing the batteries at the same time you do the smoke detectors.
Dick
Dick, '03 U320 40' Tag, 2 slides, Coach #6075
Full Timers
2009 Honda CR-V
 

Re: Potential Fresh Water Leak in 95 U-300 & Others

Reply #10 –
Dick,

We also could not hear the water pump water alarm from in the coach. A long time ago we drilled a hole from water bay ceiling up into our closet and from closet have run a few wires & cables to kitchen area. So it was no big thing to cut the Harbor Freight water alarm wires and put the sounder up in the living area and water sensor in water pump area. Then later I needed a 2nd sensor near water manifold, so we spliced a second sensor to the water pump sensor, so now two sensor are on guard for H2O and if either one senses any deadly water the single alarm in the coach puts us into action. No more ear on the floor. (Except to try to figure out if one of the bay's smoke detector battery is low or is it the smoke detector under the coach near our sub-woofer or. . .).

Now you both have a new way to stop having to crawl around on the floor.