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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 53,303
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 53,303 |
Member, Clan of the Border Rats
-- “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”- Mark Twain
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,300
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,300 |
Before patching a crack, drill a small hole at the very end of the crack. That will keep it from cracking further.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,441
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,441 |
Couple of 5 gal water jugs will work also. Of course no shower if you have one.
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6,001
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6,001 |
Any of the quality two-part epoxies will work. Stop-drill the crack as RC directed, rough with 80 grit sandpaper, and clean the area lightly but thoroughly with a non-residue solvent i.e. toluol, acetone, or MEK.
Devcon, JB Weld would both work fine, or 3M Structural 2-part Adhesive if you can find it. I buy 3M products when I can, even in tape. Their products do exactly what they say they will do.
Do not try to speed cure or use prior to full cure, and it will outlast you.
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 113
Campfire Member
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 113 |
Thanks for all the replies. I have a few months to figure it out before I use the pop-up again. I did contact a local RV place and they wanna charge me 125 dollars an hour for the repair. They would do the plastic weld. The guy said RV water tank repair is fairly common.
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 113
Campfire Member
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 113 |
Phil,
What do you suppose made the crack? Perhaps some stress from the camper being older and more prone to flexing while underway? Any sort of repair from a plastic weld to some patch or JB Weld, even a replacement tank may not be able to last long if there's flexing involved on a regular basis.
A true (professionally done, the entire thickness of the crack, not just a plastic outer 'bandaid') plastic weld would work but it, and most any repair mentioned requires the removal of the tank anyway so you might as well replace the tank at that point and save on labor. Plastic eventually gets brittle. Even if you have to use a somewhat smaller tank and re-plumb a few hoses, especially if you have the flexing, this could be a longer lasting fix albeit, at the sacrifice of a few gallons capacity.
My pop-up is 9 years old (2002) and has been garaged when not in use. I'm thinking that the crack is from stress. I've had the 20 gallon tank full and I've taken the pop-up on some pretty nasty Arizona backroads. Your post has got me thinking about just going new.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 17,042
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 17,042 |
Any of the quality two-part epoxies will work. Stop-drill the crack as RC directed, rough with 80 grit sandpaper, and clean the area lightly but thoroughly with a non-residue solvent i.e. toluol, acetone, or MEK.
Devcon, JB Weld would both work fine, or 3M Structural 2-part Adhesive if you can find it. I buy 3M products when I can, even in tape. Their products do exactly what they say they will do.
Do not try to speed cure or use prior to full cure, and it will outlast you. I would do that first, I've used the slower drying 2 part marine blue epoxy found at Home Depot, though I haven't seen it there lately. Anyway I use it for different applications on my bassboat in the bilge and livewells, I bang the crap out of my boat on waves... no problems with releaks after multiple years. May have to order marine tex if it's not at HD in the paint/epoxy/glue section. Around 5 bucks if it is, put on thick, just let dry a couple days before adding water. Kent
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 17,289
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 17,289 |
One word of caution.
Not all epoxies will bond to all types of plastic. If it's the type of plastic that can welded that's your bet for a permanent repair.
If you choose to use any type of advesive, glue, goop - whatever, do a test patch on an undamaged area to see if it sticks. After it cures make sure you can't peel or scrap it off.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 6,428
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 6,428 |
While you're drilling the holes at the ends of the crack I would put a few more, depending on the length of the crack, spaced out along in the crack. It'll make the product you use a little more structurally sound.
Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other the person to die ......
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
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