Leaking fresh water tank

[Wesair]

I have a 2015, 25' Flying cloud with a dripping fresh water tank. There is a small hole (about 2mm) on the passenger's side at the front of the tank that constantly drips water. It looks like it is intentionally placed there but I haven't had a leak in the past. Can anyone tell me what it's function is and what should I do with it? What material works the best to seal it up? Thanks

[pcskier]

Can you post a pic? Something above that tank pan is leaking into the pan and coming out through that opening, so you need to find the source of the leak, not seal up the hole in the pan--the water will just start leaking out somewhere else.

This could be many sources...leak in the tank; leak in a fitting somewhere above the tank, such as the water pump or relating fitting, or other sources. Does this happen with the pump on only? Or when pump off and depressurized as well? Also on City water? If fresh tank is empty?

Will need to do some troubleshooting to help you with this one...and a pic would definitely help too.

[GMFL]

Belly pan/ tank shroud is not the tank. It’s a cover. Tank is polypropylene and located inside the shroud. The drip you have could be a tank leak or just a plumbing leak.
Questions...
Does it leak all the time or only when connected to city water or pump on?

Read my blog post as it’s a good place to start. Even though mine is a 23D it contains many photos of what the heck is going on inside your Airstream.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/blog...lacement-2929/
http://www.airforums.com/forums/blog...t-part-2-2930/

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by pcskier

Can you post a pic? Something above that tank pan is leaking and coming out through that opening, so you need to find the source of the leak, not seal up the hole in the pan that you can see.

Pics would help..

[Wesair]

Thanks for the quick replies. I didn't realize that the tank was actually covered by the pan! It is good to know and it also means that I have more investigation to do. The job just got considerably bigger and I don't think I'm up for dropping the plan plus it doesn't help that I'm 1000 miles from home. I will let you know what I come up with. Thanks again.

[FishByFly]

AC condensate? Just a question.

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by Wesair

Thanks for the quick replies. I didn't realize that the tank was actually covered by the pan! It is good to know and it also means that I have more investigation to do. The job just got considerably bigger and I don't think I'm up for dropping the plan plus it doesn't help that I'm 1000 miles from home. I will let you know what I come up with. Thanks again.

Just make sure you don’t seal that “drip hole” as you will be doing nothing more than hiding the problem.

[ROBERT CROSS]

^
👍

Plus if you fill compleatly up the tube it may 'weep' 'til it reaches the lower vent connection....AMHIK.🤔

Bob
🇺🇸

[Loden]

I had the same problem and if it is occurring when the system is unpressurized it is likely the place where the hose interacts with the tank. Our dealer in Buda TX told us that they had a flurry of those in the past couple of years. They applied an epoxy to make a seal around the connection point to save me the cost of a water tank replacement. It has held up for about a year now without a problem. If that did not work I would have had to replace the tank.

[cazual6]

Are you connected to CITY water? If so, you may have a blocked or defective check valve. Happened to me. I'm having dealer install a sharkbite check valve between fresh water tank and pump.

[Mike1997]

My fresh water tank has a vent on the top right corner. Its not visible from side or bottom but if its on a rack, you can see it with a flashlight. I discovered it while filling my tank and it started to run out the bottom. Thought my fill line was busted but it was the overflow vent just doing its job.

[prairieschooner]

Use some food coloring and take some pics!! DO NOT USE YELLOW!

[drew05]

We had a similar problem with our tank last year. I took Trixie back to JC for a new tank. The drain fitting bung had a small crack that would leak when pressure from a full tank pressed against the fitting.
After repairs, the tank leaked again, and another trip to JC. Apparently this time, both the fill tube and the vent tube were not seated or sealed properly.
You can easily check the fill and vent tubes from inside the trailer. Under the refrigerator open the door and remove the inner panel. Look around the water pump and you should see an access hole that is right over the fresh water tank. Have someone fill your tank slowly and look for any leaks. If your lucky you will see a leak (or two). It's not a difficult fix, but it is a tight area. If this isn't your problem, then I think you will need to drop the tank for inspection and repair (and/or possible replacement).
Good Luck!

[telcoman]

most likely cause is around a sensor or fitting

[Stinson.mr]

Take a look topside near your pump with a flashlight you may well discover your problem without touching the pan.

[Wesair]

Thanks for your suggestions. Since the original post I took it into an RV repair place and he believes all of the fittings are solid and that there is a leak in the tank. He didn't take off the belly pan so I'm not totally convince. I've now returned home, ordered a new tank (less than $200), purchased a motorcycle jack to lower and lift the tank (less than $100), and will take it all apart next week. I'll try and take pictures along the way. Thanks.

[lsbrodsky]

I will be interested in your progress. With the same trailer and same problem, I paid real money to my dealer to do the job. 11 weeks later they were finished. The delay was two-fold. First, just the wait time for dealer service, then they had the wrong tank and had to wait for one to arrive. Then more dealer wait time.
Larry

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Wesair

Thanks for your suggestions. Since the original post I took it into an RV repair place and he believes all of the fittings are solid and that there is a leak in the tank. He didn't take off the belly pan so I'm not totally convince. I've now returned home, ordered a new tank (less than $200), purchased a motorcycle jack to lower and lift the tank (less than $100), and will take it all apart next week. I'll try and take pictures along the way.
Thanks.

How long does it take to drain and how much...empty?

He didn't take the tank cover off, how did he confirm it was the tank and not one of the fittings or clamps?
Will the entire tank drain?
Was it filled a couple gallons at a time to determine when the leak starts.
My GT was leaking, as soon as I put two gallons in, it started, was it a hole in the bottom?...No, it was the drain valve, also on the bottom.

Bob
🇺🇸

[mythbuster88]

Well I have spent many days under the trailer working on the water tank.

I'll bet a beer the tank is OK.

On mine the weak link was the cheepo connection between the tank and the tank drain valve.
After that there was a pin hole in the very thin hose to used to fill the tank.

Be very careful not to overtighten the bolts holding the pan as they will strip. Use hand tools. Do not use a power tool there. Mine were all stripped from the factory or from the dealer.

This is a good time to replace the high density foam insulation as Airstream just tosses some random pieces in the tank housing for insulation.

[GMFL]

PM me if you have any questions.... I’ve been there.

Biggest thing to note is you probably WILL have to lift the trailer approx 5 1/2” to get the old tank out. Mine sat between the axles.
I jacked mine and placed the tires on 6x6 boards.
Also make sure you remove the bottom drain plug in tank. Just draining it normal leaves a lot of water still in the tank.