My tent trailer fresh water tank sprung a leak over the holiday weekend. It's a small quarter inch crack on a 90% angle on the water tank.

What's the best way to repair? I've done a search on the internet, but I am looking for advice from people that have already attempted the repair. The tank would be an absolute bitch to take off so I would prefer to fix it in its installed position under the trailer.

I keep reading that plastic welding is the prefered fix and that glues don't work well.


Thanks,

Phil

You want to do the job "one time", then replace.


Go to the RV store, buy something made out of the same plastic, cut it, then practice welding that, before you try the tank.

Bucket under the tank at camp ground?

That plastic is really thin. Your going to need additional material to add at the crack.
Best of luck

Not trying to hijack the thread, but I have a tank question too. How long does it take for the pump to prime and start waterflow? I've only used it once, but couldn't get it to pump, but could hear the pump running. Any ideas? Thanks.

number of years ago i had an airstream that had spent the winter up in the white mountains and one of the copper waterlines had cracked. It would have been a nightmare to replace the line. I pounded the crack somewhat back into shape and put a patch around it, and given it was a copper line used a copper epoxy glue and glued the snot out of it. It held for years. I have used that copper epoxy on copper joints around the house for outdoor spigots, i hate to sweat solder. I would probably try to think of something to plug the whole, plastic if a plastic tank then epoxy the snot out of it. a lot of it would depend on what the tank is made out of. I have used the JB Weld line of products on some things with success.

Marine Tex for "glue"?

There is a product made specifically for RV tank repair. It's like epoxy. Can't think of the name. I've used it successfully. Try an RV parts/service shop.

i have read that jb stik weld works well for situations like this, plus it sets up in like 3-5 minutes here is a link to the product.... http://jbweld.net/products/jbstik.php

I fixed the same problem with the stuff they call Shoe Goop or Plumbers Goop, think its all the same goop, but it works if you degrease the area to be sealed. Its a non pressure leak, so it should be permanent, and it flexes to boot. I stop drilled the ends of the split on mine to keep the crack from running.

Goop is pretty good stuff, find it a lowes or home depot.

I've had good luck with ordinary JB Weld on various plastics, but for this application there i's a marine version of JB Weld which is formulated to hold up better in wet conditions, and I think I would go with that..

I have a 400 gallon water tank I set on a pallet and the weight of the water broke the tank on the corners of the pallet. Two L shaped breaks . I bought the tank welder and it fixed the breaks and they hold very well. I have welded other plastics on my 6 wheeler. The kit comes with extra weld strips the are fiber and work to add plastic to the tank.

Some (all?) body shops have plastic welders that are used on plastic car bumpers. That might be an option.

Mine in my travel trailer will run for a few minutes until the hot water tank gets full, then the pump can build up pressure and shut off.

Mine prime instantly, if it keeps runnng, maybe a water line is broke or off the pump. You did winterize for this last two week winter we had? Remember that 2 weeks of cold.

JG, hook it up to city water hose or a well hose, let it pressure up, so all lines are full as well as the HWH, leave it pressured up and look for leaks.

I drilled through a PVC line in my house (when I was hanging my Oryx mount!) years ago. Dumb stunt.

I went to the local spa shop, bought the fiberglass repair putty they use on hot tubs, followed the instructions (and made a support wrap by holding a latex surgical glove over the patch and duct taping it tightly) to result in a water-tight repair.

The flexing of the tank as you drive may complicate life, but any repair is worth trying. Is that "quarter inch crack" a width or a length measurement? The mention of a 90 degree angle has me worried already.

Good luck.

Checked it out and couldn't find any leaks. I just hear the pump running when I trip the switch but no water. It's like it won't prime itself. Appreciate the help.

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.

Take compressed air and try blowing back through it.

Just hearing the water pump kick on does not mean the impeller is spinning. I would disconnect the outflow side of the pump with the hose in a pail or water jug and verify that your impeller is indead spinning and pumping water. Not much to taking the whole pump out and cleaning the insides. Just did one in less than 20 minutes. Tom

TOXIC CHIT

.....bad idea.

GTC

this

better,....

Link: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1382308

Before patching a crack, drill a small hole at the very end of the crack. That will keep it from cracking further.

Couple of 5 gal water jugs will work also. Of course no shower if you have one.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.