Leak near fresh water tank

[sambeasley]

We are full time and have a 2015 27 ft Flying Cloud. We recently went back on the road after the holidays and I found that there seems to be a leak somewhere next to the fresh water tank. We are using it bc of cold temperatures right now. Please see pictures of the leak. It is not intruding into the living space at all but I do find a drip outside inside the wheel wells plug in side where the tank is. I don’t see any pipes leaking that I see from the inside as well.

Would anyone know what this could be from?

Thank you for your help and thoughts in advance.

[majorairhead]

Check your freshwater inlet valve. Inside. Possible leak between skins. See if you can reach it from inside, feel the insulation, see if it's wet, or if you can see water drips on it from inside the trailer.

And/or take the screws out from outside and see if you can pull it out far enough to see if it's leaking.

[sambeasley]

Okay thank you for the suggestion with check the fresh water inlet from the inside. Will def try and see if I can reach and feel around. Thank you!

[GCinSC2]

Also look at the water tank drain hose. Pretty sure It uses hose clamps on barbed fittings. It’s not under pressure just a tank drain hose. Possible access panel under pan at tank drain valve.

[sambeasley]

I just took a hard look again and noticed that the normal water inlet insulation between the skins was wet. Not so much the fresh water tank inlet from what I could see. So that may be the reason.

[sambeasley]

Thanks will also take a look at the drain hose.

[albret]

I have had the spin welds going in to and out of the fresh water tank leak. If you have water in the fresh water tank and the water level is going down without using the water...but water dripping from the area of the connections, you might have a crack in the weld. The only way to fix it is to drop the tank and replace the fitting with another spin weld fitting. Costly......it cost me $975. When you travel down the highway and the water in the tank moves back and forth the pressure can create the leak in the fitting. Good luck.

[delrossa]

This an increasingly common problem. When the hot water tank heats the water, the water in the system expands enough to push water pass the seals in the regulator.
Easy fix. Order from an Airstream dealer and add getting the gasket kit because the gasket/seal doesn’t come with the new valve.
I suggest while you are waiting for parts, pull the regulator out of the wall cavity so the leak is outside.
Get a plastic sandwich bag and tape the top of the bag over the hole in the side of the Airstream to keep out the rain.

[majorairhead]

Yes, I said freshwater, but meant city water inlet. That sounds like it may be the issue here.

[sambeasley]

Yeah but it’s weird bc we weren’t hooked up to city water at the time. I noticed it before but thought it was just condensation. Can it still drip from city inlet without it being hooked up? Thanks again everyone!

[majorairhead]

Originally Posted by sambeasley

Yeah but it’s weird bc we weren’t hooked up to city water at the time. I noticed it before but thought it was just condensation. Can it still drip from city inlet without it being hooked up? Thanks again everyone!

Yes, it can still leak without being hooked up to city water. The plumbing system is under pressure even when just using the on board pump and water. This causes the leak at the water pressure valve just the same.

[Piggy Bank]

Following...good info

[Native143]

Originally Posted by sambeasley

I just took a hard look again and noticed that the normal water inlet insulation between the skins was wet. Not so much the fresh water tank inlet from what I could see. So that may be the reason.

Most likely the water inlet valve leaks. Easy fix. Just unscrew the outside four screws , pull it off, hang onto the hose on the inside, unscrew it put a new inlet valve in screw it all back together. I did it. Understand it happens every couple years. Plastic is brittle

[One Smith]

Originally Posted by Native143

Most likely the water inlet valve leaks. Easy fix. Just unscrew the outside four screws , pull it off, hang onto the hose on the inside, unscrew it put a new inlet valve in screw it all back together. I did it. Understand it happens every couple years. Plastic is brittle

We’re having the same issue. We already felt under the kitchen sink and it is wet along one of the pvc pipes. Hard to actually see. We will have to remove the 2 drawers in front of the pipe and can’t figure out how to do that!


Any suggestions?

[One Smith]

For now we have filled our freshwater tank and disconnected city water. Hope to see no leak outside in the a.m. if we do it must be something else.

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by One Smith

For now we have filled our freshwater tank and disconnected city water. Hope to see no leak outside in the a.m. if we do it must be something else.

If your city inlet is the culprit, you might still have a leak when using the fresh tank instead. The pump keeps the system pressurized and therefore there is water forced up into the city water valve.

[delrossa]

The problem you are having stems from the hot water heater. When you heat cold water it expands. The closed system has nowhere for the pressure to go and blows out through the city water regulator.
To help alleviate this, when you turn on the hot water heater, every so often open a faucet to release the pressure.
The way I fixed it was to install a accumulator in the system. The accumulator can be placed anywhere on the pressure side of the pump.
When the water expands the accumulator takes the increased pressure hopefully saving the regulator.
Remove the 4 screws holding the city water inlet and pull the regulator out of the trailer.
I would leave the regulator outside u til you can replace it. Take a small plastic bag and cover the top of the hole in the side of the trailer leaving the bottom open so the insulation can dry.
I would order the regulator and gasket kit from an Airstream dealer so that you get both the regulator and gasket. The gasket will not come with a new regulator.
Easy fix.

[Estepm]

Is the 3x6 panel on bottom of fresh water tank near drain valve attached directly to tank with gasket or sealant.

[GammaDog]

Originally Posted by Estepm

Is the 3x6 panel on bottom of fresh water tank near drain valve attached directly to tank with gasket or sealant.

In my experience, the best way to address the hole left by tank penetration is to use air conditioning ductwork “S” cleat on both sides and the back of the opening and a cut a galvanized steel or heavy gauge aluminum sheet cover. The cleat forms a channel for the cover to slide in. A single screw will secure the cover if you want. Murphy’s law says you’ll need to access that area again one day. If… I mean, when… you do, the cover slides out.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-F...CS60/100170140

[Redbarron55]

Check this thread from long ago.

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f44...-new-post.html

It may apply to your rig or not.