Water leak at bathroom door area

[joseph lamb]

Good evening ,

We just bought a 1972 21 foot AS Globtrotter .

the previous owner said he did not hook it up to city water because it has a small leak .

Well , I hooked it up and found two faucets leaking badly so I replaced both .

I left the water pressure on aftyer that for a few hours and our floor is soaked at the bathroom door area , the original carpet is soaked .like you dumped agallon of water back there .

So far I have not found anything but I would guess it is coming from
the drivers side area . There was no leak at the kitchen sink area .

I have no idea even where to start , to analize this problem .

Any areas you know of that are COMMON problems ???

thank you for the assist

[carmanahwoo]

Hello Joseph.

I won't be of great help to you but I wanted you to know that I just found the same in my 1975 Trade Wind Land Yacht.

I can only think that the water is coming from a leak where the tps for the showers connect to the main water intake. It would be helpful to have a diagram of the plumbing on our trailers.

I went out and took a picture of the bellypan (its night at the moment). It looks a little "round". I am hoping that it is not filled with water. I might drill a whole in the morning to see if I am right. Trust me, I do not want to be right. Bellypan scare me...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/famillehuskies/9221042174/

Ghislain

[RM66caravel]

Okay there could be several causes for your problems such as a frozen (previous winters) pipes that split a valve problem or something simple. Is it a rear bath? If so the water lines traverse the trailer and would be an easy fix. Ghislain get confortable with that belly pan you will open it at least once so don't be too apprehensive. Since copper was used in construction of your airstream and they have seen a few winters, it is more than likely there will be a few issues. The plumbing is run on the inside (on top the floor not in belly pan) it makes problems easier to locate. Did you manage to get he owners Manual ? If not then follow the water line from the tank to pump to hot water heater and to the toilet sink and shower then to kitchen sink. It will not be that difficult then at your local hardware store pick up some pex and shark bites and ask the plumbing sales assistant if you do not know how to use them they will show you. I talk down to NO one just do not know your comfort level. Keep us informed.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by joseph lamb

the previous owner said he did not hook it up to city water because it has a small leak .

So, it does not leak when not hooked up to city water and the the water pump is on?

If it only leaks on city water. I would check the water pressure relief valve. If it leaks you can get a new one from Home Depot, or take it out. It's not that necessary. You can also add a city water pressure regulator on the outside city water inlet. It's takes up very little room.

[carmanahwoo]

Good morning.

Thank you for your responses.

Update:

I opened up the panel under my shower tub (yes, it is a rear bath). Here is a picture of what I found:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/famillehuskies/9227351993/

The pipes are dry and they don't look like they are the culprit. I checked the valves at the end of those pipes and they look fine as well.

If I thought it possible, I would say that the water is seeping through the floor. Is it possible?

It is possible that the damage was caused by frozen pipes. Although my dad had the problem a few years back and had it fixed.

After thinking about it, I am more scared by the rivets than by the belly pan. I have no idea how to drill them out and how to replace them. I know I will have to know soon enough so now is a good time. Yuk!

I am thinking that the leak could also come from the toilet. I will change the donut this week and see if I find anything interesting.

Following your instructions, I will find all the pipes and draw myself a diagram. I do have a copy of the owner manual but it is not helpful. I will probably have to buy a copy of the service manual from Airstream.

I will also buy myself a water pressure regulator. I will inspect the water pressure relief valve (if I find it).

I did not check if it leaks when using the water pump. I don't even know how to make it work. I assume that I would have to fill my water tanks and then unplugged the city water. Would it start on its own once I turn a tap on? Is there a switch I have to turn on before?

Thank you for your answers. I will keep you posted.
Ghislain

[Lumatic]

I don't think water seeking through the floor is likely.

RV toilets often leak from the base. Not so much the donut.

The water pressure relief valve is brass and should be near the water heater. Also the check valve which separates the city water inlet from the rest of the plumbing when the water pump is used. There is a switch in your control panel to turn the water pump on. There are 2 outlets on the pressure relief valve. One is open, the other capped. It is the cap that ussually leaks. If it is leaking you should see some corrrosion and discoloration and water stains uncerneath it. If your city water pressure is over 75 psi it is designed to leak.

[carmanahwoo]

Okay finally here's an update.


I found five Leaks in my pipes. This weekend I'm replacing all copper pipes by Plastic tubing. The toilet seems fine but I will replace the donut in any case.

I do have some pictures to show you but I forgot them at home. There's a leak under the water heater. Easy to repair but I'm worried about the water heater itself.

There is also a small leak in the pipe return from the sink in the kitchen. That should be fairly easy to repair.

While I'm at it this weekend I will also redo all the piping for the propane system. When I say I, I mean I'm hiring someone to do it. At the same time he will look at all the propane Appliances to make sure they're all in working order.

Thank you all for your good advice I will have an almost new trailer next week. I'll also post pictures.

Have a great weekend.
Ghislain

[carmanahwoo]

[carmanahwoo]

Okay. Here is the lowdown.

We found out that the trailer had still water in its pipes during one winter and And the water froze. My dad had a friend fix it. However the pipes diameter Got enlarged by the frozen water. My dad's friend could not find the right size pipes to fix the leak. He ended up sliding a smaller one in the old pipes and solder the resulting mismatch.

Because of the proximity of the bath, He had a hard time soldering without melting the bath.

My repair magician Used that special kind of asbestos That kept the bath safe While he used silver to solder the pipes that he machined to be exactly the right size. Nice clean job.



We also found the leaks in the other areas but they were easier to repair. The pvc pipe ended-up being almost ripped out.



So I have been back for two days now and I have yet to try the water system. I think I'm a little scared. I'll try to be brave tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Thank you for your support
Ghislain

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by carmanahwoo

My repair magician Used that special kind of asbestos That kept the bath safe While he used silver to solder the pipes that he machined to be exactly the right size.

Special kind of asbestos? There's only one kind of asbestos. You probably mean asbestos cloth welding blankets. Asbestos is a hazardous material that requires special handling and personal protective gear and is not something you want to mess with.

For non-commercial use, you're better off with Nomex, which is a fire-retardant material chemically similar to Kevlar. Available from Fisher Scientific and others. Nomex Fire Blanket - Fisher Scientific

[RM66caravel]

I say if you can afford it pull the copper and replace it with pex or cpvc which can still be damaged but not as easy or unforgiving as copper! And best yet you can do it yourself! If I can do it you can do it better!
Cliff