'05 Classic with shower leak

[dkottum]

Kelvin it would be easier for us to follow and advise if you could keep it on one thread only.

doug k

[KJRitchie]

I know and I apologize but I figured not everyone would go to the Classic forums if they have a Flying Cloud or International and this issue affects them too. I hoping to get more responses.

Thanks

Kelvin

[flynmike]

Kelvin

I bought my '05 Classic in May of '06...very slightly used. Since that summer I've done all the stuff to the shower you've talked about. I get water under the wood below the front of the shower and I also have water drip from the belly pan but only sometimes! I also get water in the outside compartment where the water connection and tank flushing connections are.

The dealership in Los Banos California worked on it, did some calking and changed out a valve in the water heater area. I thought that was the problem but it still leaks.

A few years ago when I had the Airstream at Inland RV for some other work I asked them to see if they could find any shower leaks...no luck...they couldn't find anything. I had the Airstream at C & G in Bellflower Ca and asked them to take a look for any leaks related to the shower and they re-caulked all the usual stuff. It seems to be O.K. for a while but I was wrong and it's still leaking.

I contacted Timeless Travel Trailers in Denver and asked for an estimate to have my shower removed and have them re-plumb and install one of their stainless steel showers...about $5000 if memory serves me...I'm still thinking about it.

I've had this Airstream 7 years this month and I'm sick of the shower situation. I REALLY love the layout of this trailer and it's a perfect size for me. I haven't decided for sure when but at some point I'm probably going to need the back half of the trailer rebuilt. I'm sure there will be some rot but short of ripping the bathroom and bedroom apart and starting over and doing in RIGHT, I don't know what else to do. I'm pretty handy and I can't find it, three different respected Airstream shops can't find it....to say I'm a little frustrated is an understatement!

I could buy another 30' Classic just like this one and it might not leak but I've got this one "tweaked" just the way I like it and I'm sure having a do over would be tons less than buying a new one.....o.k. I feel better now (taking deep breaths).

I'll continue to watch these shower postings hoping to hear something new.

Mike

[dkottum]

Why don't you guys start eliminating possible leak locations one at a time. Start with a shower curtain on a compression bar over the door, so the entire door area does not get wet.

If it still leaks, seal the drain entirely not just the plug, with some plastic and tape, and take a shower. The water will pool inside the stall, but it will hold a lot before spilling over.

If it still leaks remove and seal or somehow cover the control handle and cover. Same with the shower head where it exits the wall.

If it still leaks, look carefully for cracks in the seal where the two stall pieces, and cracks in the stall itself.

If it still leaks, gain access to the drain under the stall, then the in-wall plumbing for the water supply.

Eliminate all possible sources, no matter how unlikely it seems. Take the easy ones first.

doug k

[KJRitchie]

I've recaulked the the seam of the shower stall when I did my first repair because I thought it might be prudent.

I will try your tips this weekend on shower repair part deux. My plan of attack.

1. Remove bedroom furnace vent to gain access to shower drain P trap. Remove the access panel in the closet to the back of the faucet.
2. Check for moisture around the shower frame/hallway floor intersection with my meter and paper towels as a starting reference before I start troubleshooting.
3. Plug up the show pan and fill it up part way and see if I see any leaking from the shower P trap from the furnance vent hole. Check the paper towel for moisture wicking under the frame/floor intersection. I'm confident its not leaking but who knows.
4. Spray the shower stall all around but not on the door. Spray the faucet, shower head holding rod and towel rack. This should simulate a shower curtain scenario.

If there is no evidence of water leaking onto the floor then the issue is with the door frame/shower stall seal.
1. Spray the lower area of the door where it opens while closed and check the paper towels below on the frame/floor. I'll spray on the fiberglass stall so it redirects against the plastic flashing. I'll want to spray for at least a minute.
2. Spray the lower area of the door on the hinge side on the fiberglass stall. Check the paper towels on the floor.
3. Spray the corners directly.

I remember when I first noticed this issue just spraying the lower hinge threshold area resulted in a good stream of water along the hallway floor. After the first repair its a slow seep of a leak but its still a leak to get fixed. Not visably noticeable.

I can't be without my shower. Its one of my favorite things about an RV.

Kelvin

[dkottum]

Kelvin, I would zero in on this area first: "I remember when I first noticed this issue just spraying the lower hinge threshold area resulted in a good stream of water along the hallway floor. After the first repair its a slow seep of a leak but its still a leak to get fixed. Not visably noticeable."

doug k

[KJRitchie]

However, this past weekend it was noticing the paper towels picking up moisture at the opposite end of the shower where the floor and frame meet. Maybe the water is runnning down form the hinge side slowly.

I've caulked that lower hinge area so much, I'm ready to but a new tube of caulk. I can't believe its still leaking. Its almost like the water is running up hill to find a spot to get through.

Mike, if you are getting some external leaking from the belly pan maybe its the check valve for the black water flush. I had mine break the first time I used it and water pour out the belly pan in the area where the water hook up/black tank flush hookups are located.

Crazy problem.

Kelvin

[dkottum]

Kelvin, you may have more than one shower leak. Maybe you fixed the stall leak, but there is another at the shower control valve, or the drain, or both, for example.

I think you have to consider this may not be the original shower stall, a new one was installed and never checked or used. That would account for the new sticker inside. Would be good to check the plumbing, as well as drain and control seals to see if they are there and not leaking.

doug k

[flynmike]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

Mike, if you are getting some external leaking from the belly pan maybe its the check valve for the black water flush. I had mine break the first time I used it and water pour out the belly pan in the area where the water hook up/black tank flush hookups are located.

Crazy problem.

Kelvin

It never leaks when I use tank flush. It ONLY leaks when the shower is used. I'm going check on the P-trap and if time permits I'm going to take the door frame apart and check for the gap you had.
Mike

[KJRitchie]

I'm working on my shower this Memorial Day weekend. First I pulled the furnace vent out of the shower wall in the bedroom so I could see the shower drain and P trap. I put the shower drain plug in and filled the shower pan with an inch of water then pulled the plug. Yep, I've got a leak there too. I could see water runner down from the show drain. It drips on the top of the holding tank. So I unscrewed the P trap and found there is a rubber washer between the P trap female fitting and the metal shower drain male fitting. I tried to find a replacement at Home Depot and Lowes with no luck. I found a 1 1/2" inside diameter washer but the outside diameter wasn't as larger but it was thicker. I installed that and tested as above but it leaked worse. I tried some clear caulk and it leaked, I tried both washers and it leaked. I noticed the the P trap piece has some play and maybe the washer isn't getting positioned correctly so after all this experimenting I went back to the original washer and reversed it. When tightening up the P trap female fitting I jiggled the P trap to make sure the washer settled in correctly. Slowly tightened the fitting until it was finger tight. Ran the shower sprayer on the drain hole. No leaks!, then filled the shower pan with water and pulled the pull and not leaks. I'll go back tomorrow to test it one more time before buttoning up the furnace vent.

Kelvin

[Morgan guy]

I too have been fighting the leaks below the door of my shower. I replaced the vinyl seal at the bottom. Still leaks. I went to a glass supplier and purchased an aluminum (anodized bronze like the shower door) drip diverter and attached it to the bottom of the door trim with double stick tape. It still leaked. I then realized water was coming through the foam of the double stick tape, so I caulked all along the top. Leaks are only at the hinge end now. I caulked the gap at the hinge end between the door and frame. Still getting leaks at the hinge end. I now see that the vinyl strip barely touches the bottom of the door and is apparently allowing water between the seal and door. I have now ordered a new seal that is about 1/4" taller and hope that is the end of this quest. Will post again after that fix is done.
Ron

[KJRitchie]

I've been working on my shower door leaks at the same time the P trap leak. I've got all the vertical flashing caulked but believe the threshold is where my leaks are after the first repair attempt. The foam I sprayed to fill the voice between the fiberglass shower enclosure and the wood frame didn't work out. I can't see how it can be water proof so I clean it all out. I then used the three screws that secure the plastic flashing below the threshold and screwed them in through the fiberglass to hold the enclosure edge closer to the wood frame. Then I ran a heavy bead of caulk into the void. I waited an hour and applied a 2nd bead of caulk in the void. I let it set overnight and today I removed the screws. The caulking held except for a few spots so I applied another heavy bead and worked it in and then installed the plastic flash before it could set. The plastic flash should have been set so the top of it is flush with the wood frame but the AS factory failed. I then ran a couple beads of caulk with a hour wait in between so there is no gap between the plastic flashing and the wood fame. Tomorrow, I will lay butyl tape on the threshold then screw on the threshold. The gap between the top of the plastic flash and the metal thresh hold will be filled in with a bead of caulk and smoothed out. I'll try to take some photos before I finish the job. I'll let it sit overnight then test on Monday. Hopefully, the P trap isn't leaking and neither is the shower door at the hinge, threshold or open end framing. I'm not sure I'd be able to pull it apart if it did. I think I'd have to order all new plastic flashing from AS to redo the door again.

Kelvin

[KJRitchie]

I went our today to storage and tried out the shower. Still leaking on the hinge side and I could see water seeping out from the open side and running along the threshold/frame edge. The water in my AS is processed.

Third time is charm they say. I took off the shower door and the hinge side frame. Much harder to take off since all the caulking I did in the previous repair.

This time I'm going to leave the shower door and frame off and test it before installing the fame and door. If it doesn't leak without the door it won't leak with the door.

The issue seems to be with my plastic flashing on the hinge side. The plastic flashing bulges out in a few places. Also where the two shower enclosure pieces fit together there is a chunk of the enclosure that has broken off which would allow water to pour through it if the caulking wasn't done right.

Between the shower enclosure and the wood frame is a gap. The gap is wider on the lower enclosure. I used some of the butyl tap to fill the gap. Two pieces together to fill the gap of the lower enclosure and one piece on the upper enclosure. I worked the butyl in with a screw driver. The gap from the broken piece of fiberglass is filled. Then I fitted the plastic flashing. So far so good. I attached the plastic hinge side flashing with the screws applying caulk to the underside and screwed it down. I filled the remaining small gap between the flashing and the wood frame with caulk but there is butyl behind it. Now the shower rough opening is completely sealed. I applied caulking on the flashing and then used 4 plastic clamps on the bulges. Hopefully this kitchen/bath adhesive caulk will glue the flashing down so there are no bulges.

If water is able to get under the flashing the caulking and butyl should prevent water from leaking between the fiberglass enclosure and the wood frame to the floor.

The other side seems to be water tight. The plastic flashing has no bulges and the edges are sealed. I'm going to leave it alone. I've applied extra caulking around the threshold. I stretched the clear plastic threshold barrier and glued it at each end with clear caulking. Sealed the intersection of the vertical framing with the threshold. Applied another bead of clear caulking on the vertical framing and flashing.

I'm letting it sit overnight and will test tomorrow.

Gave the P trap a little more hand tightening. Ran the shower head on the drain. Seems good to go but I would like to find a new washer and buy a few spares. Where to get them?

Kelvin

[KJRitchie]

I took a few photos of my shower repair. First is the P trap. The shower drain is somewhat accessible through the furnace vent opening in the bedroom. Here is a photo showing my P trap. The metal drain has a nut with a rubber washer. I was not able to get a tool in the opening. I could get my hand on the plastic P trap and unscrew it. Between the P trap flange and the metal drain flange is a flat rubber washer. Where the leak seems to come from is the P trap flange and not the metal drain from around the shower drain hole. If it was leaking there I wouldn't be able to service the leak without figuring out how to take the wood bathroom shower wall down. I tried to take it down by removing the covered screws but I still couldn't pull it out.

Luckily, reversing the flat washer and jiggling the fittings while tightening seems to have cured the leak.

Kelvin

[KJRitchie]

I checked the shower faucet fittings and there was no evidence of leaks. I ran the shower with the hot water also and nothing appears to be leaking here.

[KJRitchie]

When I started the repairs I tested for moisture with my moisture meter. Very handy tool.

I found my first repair had a bad caulking job between the threshold plate and the plastic flashing that rests on the fiberglass enclosure edge next to the wood frame. So I ripped it up and sealed the void between the enclosure flashing and the wood frame. I laid some butyl tape on top of the threshold edge before screw down the metal threshold.

However when I tested the shower it stlll leaked so I took out the shower door again.

[Bluto]

I've been following your posts on this thread and I wonder if talking to the service people at Jackson Center might be a help? You know they have seen it all, I'm sure. Maybe they could offer a cure.

[KJRitchie]

I removed the shower door and the C channels on the hinge side. The other side of the shower seems to be water tight when I tested so I concentrated on the hinge area.

After the parts were removed you can see gap between the lower part of the shower enclosure and the wood frame is greater than the upper section. The plastic trip fits over the shower enclosure lip but there is still a big gap. I ended up filling the voids with the butyl tape. I used two strips together for the wider gaps. Then I caulked the the seam between the installed plastic flashing and the wood frame.

Notice a big chunk of fiberglass that is missing on the first photo. The plastic flashing edge buckles and allow water to pour in. The last photo shows my attempt to glue the flashing edge down with the adhesive caulk using small clamps.

The next and final morning I still found some additional caulking was needed. I decided that because the hinge side was fully sealed it was OK to reinstall the shower door. The gap between the enclosure and the wood frame is completely sealed from halfway down to the bottom. There is no buckling of the plastic flashing from halfway to the top and the caulking seems sound. A thin bead of clear caulking is used on the C channel seams.

I will have to wait until we go out this weekend to test out the shower again.

If I have to pull the shower door out again I think I'll have to order new plastic flashing from Airstream. Getting the current flashing off will be difficult without breaking the flashing due to all the caulking.

Kelvin

[KJRitchie]

Originally Posted by Bluto

I've been following your posts on this thread and I wonder if talking to the service people at Jackson Center might be a help? You know they have seen it all, I'm sure. Maybe they could offer a cure.

I never thought to do this. They may have been able to give me some tips of what type of repair or materials to use but without photos I think it would be hard for them to give accurate advise.

The key to fixing the leaking is to seal the gap between the shower enclosure and the wood frame. The plastic flashing was supposed to do this but it doesn't take much for water to find a way through. When I first pulled out my shower door there was little caulk used.

If your plastic flashing is not buckled in any way a simple bead of caulk between the edge of the caulk and the fiberglass enclosure and the metal C channel and the plastic flash maybe only what you need.

I purchased a small mirror so I could inspect the flashing edge.

Kelvin

[KJRitchie]

Wow, took out the AS this weekend and we took showers and no leaks. Why couldn't AS do this when they built it, after all they run the trailer shell under a water test, they could at least test the shower for water leaks before shipping.

Kelvin