Greetings Earthlings
Please have a look at the attached photos. You are looking at the exit piping system at the underbelly rear of a 24'
1959 Tradewind from the roadside. Towards the right is the bumper and towards the left is the wheel and single axle. This is what the previous owner left me.
The white stuff is plumbing putty. It is wrapped with electrical tape on either end to create a "seal", and the plumbing putty itself is reinforcing a heavy-duty trash-bag that is serving as the pipe. That's why you see a sag in the "pipe" - it's actually a trash bag.
I removed this atrocity, and happily found the reason for this post (2nd picture). The previous owner apparently wanted to use the "trash-bag pipe method" so badly that he cut a half-moon right through the chassis so he could fit the bath/sink drainage pipe into his system.
I'll spare you my griping about this horrid affair. I just want to know what I should do from here. I want to replace the old 9 gallon black water tank with a 16 gallon tank, but I am now concerned about the structural integrity of the chassis. It still looks strong, but what future happy surprises lurk on the road if I travel with a loaded trailer? Planning to upgrade 20 gallon fresh water tank in front to 32 gallons. Grey water will be ~10 gallon external Blue Boy via umbilical cord when parked.
Has anyone seen this before? Am I headed to the welder? Please help me.
Thanks.
p.s. In case anyone wants to duplicate the "trash-bag pipe method", follow these simple steps
1. throw away all pipes
2. wrap heavy-duty trash bag around two end-caps good and tight now
3. use electrical tape to hold it in place on either end cap
4. slather $200 of plumbing putty all over trash bag - this will provide valuable structure and strength
5. re-electrical tape the end caps so that everything is good and sealed.
6. poop away