'85 Water Tank Leak

[nickcrowhurst]

Joe, I prefer to use the lower plug, as it removes more of the water. My plug is in perfect condition, and I have removed and replaced it about ten times for winterizing and maintenance. It's also a lot faster when carrying out the sanitizing preocess as recommended by Airstream, with repeated filling and flushing of the tank after chlorinating the system. If the bolt head is a good snug fit, it should not distort the plastic. If the access cover were to foul the later replacement, I would fit draught excluder self-adhesive tape round the hatch to lift it off the head. Have a great trip. Nick.

[66Overlander]

I bought a bolt to use as a tool and pulled the clean out plug today and it looks fine, so I should be able to use it to drain the tank in the future. I also bought the Permatex Plastic Tank Repair kit, but now it's too cold outside to do anything and rain is predicted.

Hopefully the weather will get better by the weekend, so I can get the trailer out of my driveway before my Homeowners Association assesses me a fine. They "served" me notice today and were sure to highlight the Bylaws stating that they have the power to assess a fine. They got the date the trailer first showed up in my driveway wrong (they said the trailer was there earlier than it was). They didn't have the decency to include a name or phone number on the notice for me to explain my situation. In fact, I haven't got any communication from them for over a year, other than my dues notice, so I don't even know who to call. Such a fine Association.

[66Overlander]

Well I went for it today. I used the Permatex kit (actually two of them). First I tried to make the repair such that I could remove the plug and replace it with the spud at a later time if I wanted to. Due to the limited space I just ended up making a mess and it became clear the plug would never come out. About that time the resin hardened up. So back to the store for another kit. This time I glassed right over the plug - it ain't coming out now. After time to cure, I filled the tank and the repair held. So far I haven't got the cleanout plug to seal properly. I did find a flush replacement cleanout plug that will allow the bottom panel to go back on. I found it at one of three Ace Hardwares I visited today. It's the right diameter and black in color, but the threads don't taper as significantly as the original plug. That original plug has started to show some cracks, so I don't think I will ever get a good seal with it. I think with a little finesse with teflon tape or teflon paste and I should be able to get a good seal with the new plug, but I'm not worried about it until the tank is flushed and sanitized and ready for the final seal.

I also fixed a few other minor things today. Today was a good day. Tomorrow I tackle the water pump and a few other minor items. So far (knock on wood) we look good to be road ready for the Indy 500 Rally. Of course there will still be things to do after the rally like touching up paint on the tongue and bumper. But I hope to have all the systems working for the trip.

[stinkytwinky]

Here is the link to a great explaination of PP and PE and the adhesive you mentioned.

[stinkytwinky]

Well here it is the answer you have all been waiting for. The Ellsworth Adhesive mentioned earlier in this thread can and will repair the plastic tanks in the airstream line. We have a 30 gallon nose mounted fresh water tank and it was cracked around the filler neck. I was able to repair it and I will let all know how well the long term holding power is. Remember to ask for the plunger and mixer tip 10:1 when ordering their product. They did not charge me for this sample (one full container of their product). You might not have the same luck, but it is worth a try.


If you have a plasic tank repair this is the product to use. It is easy and clean (you do not have to touch the product it comes with a mixing tip) Just point and squeeze.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Stinkytwinky

You said that you do not need to touch the product.

Does that material have any "toxic" ingredients?

If so, it will contaminate the water in the tank.

There are materials that can be used to fix plastic tanks. However, most of them are not safe to use for a "water tank".

Additionally, the older tanks had a tendency to crack because of the materials used back them. Once they start cracking, or so it seems, they don't quit.

Todays tanks, so far, have stood the test of time. This is true for fresh water, black water as well as gray water tanks.

Andy

[Stefrobrts]

I disagree. A well repaired tank can last for years without further problem. Mine did, until I had to redo the repair this year. Likewise, products that are toxic when applied are not necessarily toxic when they dry, many are inert at that point. Also, most crack repairs involve adding material to the outside of the tank to hold the crack closed, not to actually contain the water - the water will have little to no contact with the product when finished. Considering the expense of replacing the tank, and getting one that will exactly fit in the tight spot where the tank sits without modifying furniture, I think it's worth a try.

Thanks for the report back on Ellsworth, Stinky. I might be getting more of that myself if I find my welded crack has opened up again.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Steph.

My point was to alert those that may not be aware of potential toxic problems that a patch could cause.

Normally, a crack in a plastic tank can be repaired by simple plastic welding the crack. Harbor Freight has that tool for about $20.00. Then if desired. a patch can be added to cover the plastic weld.

However, again, some of the old tanks were made with plastic that hardened in time, making it prone to crack somemore.

This is especially true with the black water tanks from about 1975 and older.

Water tanks from 1969 and older have been somewhat of a problem. From 1964 to 1967 Airstream went through 3 different tanks before they hit pay dirt.

Essentially then, repairing the old tanks can be done, as you have done, but new cracks, in time, once again could appear.

Unfortunately, as with most anything, quantity dictates prices. If a few of a old part, such as a tank are made, that's one price. If a hundred or so are made, that quickly becomes a different matter. Considering how many parts are still in demand, for the older trailers, a company would have to have almost unlimited resources, to stock hundreds of each old part.

But, in spite of less than ideal circumstances with many replacement parts, the "Airstream Way of Life", continues to grow, year after year, especially with the vintage models.

You Steph, are one of it's strongest positive supporters, in more ways than one

Andy

[stinkytwinky]

For those of you who would like I will try and get the MSDS they sent with the product in an online format format for all to view. Until then you might be able to acquire that information from Ellsworth. I for one feel that if the pp and pe are good enough to use for drinking water and this product is designed specifically for the repair of pp and pe why would it be harmful. I know that last statement will spark a few debates, but lets wait and see what the MSDS has to say when I post it. My crack is high enough it will hardly ever touch water anyways.

Also, a side note, "they" say it is bad to drink out of a garden hose, however I have lived to 36 so far and I drank from a garden hose many times when I was younger (I didn't know any better then). If we all got freaked out about every little thing that "could" harm us we would need to "cleans" the Earth.

Gotta do some work today, I will write later.

[stinkytwinky]

Hey Driftwood that fix with DP 8005 did not hold. It may hold in a different area not under so much stress, but I hadn't even put the filler tube on and it broke inward again. I might mention that the DP 8005 still is as hard as a rock, however the bond with one side is gone. Well I guess a new tank is in order. I might list this in the classifieds section for a cheap price and maybe some ambitious individual will attempt to fix it. I cannot afford to keep trying to fix it and at $121 for a new one I cannot complain.

[66Overlander]

Well, we got one trip out of our "repaired" fresh water tank back in May. As you may remember, I used the Permatex "Plastic Tank Repair Kit" to fix a crack in the tank before that trip.

Today we were preparing for our next trip and the tank began leaking worse than ever. I'm not sure if the fix failed, or if we have developed a second unrelated leak, but in any case, more water is leaking now than there was originally. I can't figure out where the water is coming from this time. Looks like this trip will have to be with an empty tank relying on "city water" where possible.

I may have to call in the Cavalry on this one. I think it will be time to replace the tank upon our return home. The two questions to be answered are:

1. Is a "drop in" replacement fresh water tank for a 1985 25' Sovereign available from Airstream or another source? (I know there are places that will custom make a tank to your dimensions, but I hope a correct replacement is available, instead of going the custom route. It seems like that should present less challenges and I certainly don't want to loose the gauge sense points.)

2. Is this a "do it yourself" type of repair, or should I ante up the bucks to have it done at the Airstream Factory or somewhere else? It looks like the tank can be dropped from below, but it is likely heavy and awkward for one person to handle and I'd probably have to get the trailer up some distance off the ground to give me room to work. I also wonder of I can easily get to the hose and gauge connections. Oh yeah, and do all of this without getting my Home Owners Association tied back up in knots.

At a minumum, a call to the factory may be in order to at least price out the options (at least they are close enough to consider as a repair option).

Any advice?

Joe

[66Overlander]

Trying anything to get this message to show up in the "Recent Posts". If it does show up this time, please look to my most recent reply to see if you can offer any advice. Thanks.