Water leaking under shower area

MMouse · 07-26-2021, 02:02 PM

Well, we finished our first weekend trip and loved the 1800BH! Everything worked as expected, and great practice for us. With one exception that I’m hoping isn’t a terribly tough fix. I noticed the morning we were leaving a large wet spot on the ground, and that water was steadily dripping out from the undercarriage right below where the shower is. With the insulation I can’t tell from where, but it was coming out of multiple screw hole areas which makes me think there’s some sort of puddle? Yikes. Before I start cutting, or let it sit for 4 weeks till the dealer can see me, wondering if anyone has suggestions or has had similar issues?

Wyatt · 07-26-2021, 02:23 PM

Can you get to under the shower pan and check the fittings? A lot of folks find loose connections there.

Morich · 07-26-2021, 05:25 PM

I've not looked at trailers for some time but assuming the shower is built much the same, there is often a raised part at the front of the shower pan with some form of cover and lots of open space under the part you stand on. Anything there that look like it might be pried off to get access?

Another idea to look over is that the faucet can often be removed to get a look at the pressure lines to see if there is an oozing leak there.

I would wait to cut from underneath as there may be less trouble looking/fixing from above the floor.

backtrack15 · 07-26-2021, 05:44 PM

You could pull the access panel to the left of the furnace and reach in with your phone and take photos looking toward the rear from under the furnace. Otherwise you could try removing the heater vent in the bathroom to look under the shower. These might reveal the source of the water.

MMouse · 07-27-2021, 09:14 AM

Awesome thanks all. I didn’t realize I could get under the shower floor area, but it is raised and after some googling it looks like there should be an access panel somewhere so I’m going to give that a go today. The heater and furnace access areas are a great idea too. I’m wondering if I should make a 2 inch slit in the insulation just to let whatever needs to drain, drain. If I do this any tips for product to seal it back up? Maybe I’ll stick a fan under there for a few days to dry it out.

backtrack15 · 07-27-2021, 09:34 AM

Here is what I know:
(1) You can definitely look toward the rear from under the furnace after removing the little panel to the left of the furnace. I have used my phone to do this and I have also used an endoscope. I was just curious what was back there. It is a good vantage point for the plumbing that goes up to the shower.
(2)The shower floor is supported by a collection of short 2x4s.
(3) The main hot and cold water lines run along the side wall under the shower and then turn to go across the back of the trailer behind the toilet. These are there for the shower, toilet (cold line), exterior shower, city-water connection (cold line), and low-point drains.
(4) The shower drain includes a simple trap and the drain piping drops into the grey tank after coming forward toward the bathroom doorway. IIRC, there is a small opening in the floor under the trap (to make vertical space for the trap).
(5) There is also the single furnace duct to the bathroom that runs under the shower floor. If you can remove that vent in the bathroom, this is probably a good vantage point for the fittings on the water lines back in the corner.

You could likely seal any cut with black duct-tape initially. They do sell special tape for sealing cuts in the coroplast. It might work for the fabric as well.

I don't know what sort of weather conditions you were experiencing (e.g., rain or hot weather requiring AC usage). It is also possible that the water came from the roof or sidewall. So don't forget to think about that, especially if no source is obvious under the shower.

Morich · 07-27-2021, 10:00 AM

Since it is somewhat difficult/iffy to get the bottom sealed well to stay long term, I tend to not want to cut it but might go for a small hole like a nail if you can feel a spot where there is a large amount of water standing.

Depending where you are, the heat of summer has a good chance of drying it whether open or not---assuming you are not adding more with leaking!

EDIT:\
Cancel that last thought as I tend to think of the "frying pan" where I live and now see you may have far different weather! Even my water bottle goes dry in less than an hour!

MMouse · 07-27-2021, 10:23 AM

Thanks! Yes… we’re hot and humid right now in the pnw but at least it’s better than rainy season. Need to get it fixed before then! It’s been dry for weeks so it definitely came from the interior. No water hookups, we were running from the fresh water tank. I’ll post with what I find from going under the shower pan, maybe it’s a loose something rather snd an easy fix. Fingers crossed and thanks again for the help! I’m doing this solo and an immensely grateful for the shared experience!

MMouse · 07-31-2021, 04:29 PM

I took the vent cap off opposite the shower faucet wall, and then looked under the drain pan as well. No moisture. I stuck a finger under the coroplast as well underneath (there was already a small hole)… no moisture. I turned the shower on and looked again reaching around the fresh water hoses and felt a drip drip drip behind the faucet wall so I took the water handle part off the shower wall and turned the shower on again, snd this is where it’s dripping from (see picture). Question now is could this little drip have been leaking somehow all the way externally to the ground under the shower?
And then for fixing it- just plumbers tape around the threads and reattach?

MMouse · 07-31-2021, 04:49 PM

Awesome advice on the furnace vent, and adding endoscope to the Amazon cart now!

Bones2003 · 07-31-2021, 08:11 PM

MMouse, plumbers tape might work but there is a special shaped rubber seal in that fitting that sometimes go bad or get deformed. Here is one link to the Flair-It Swivel Seal fitting seal. I'm sure if you do a search you can find other sources. I once bought a whole new fitting from Ace hardware and just took the seal from it to replace a damaged one.

https://www.amazon.com/Flair-It-0643.../dp/B00TFNV1TM

backtrack15 · 08-01-2021, 06:38 AM

That definitely could have been the source for your exterior leak. It looks like it would drip constantly with the water pump turned on. If it ran across the floor to the side of the trailer, it could then get through the gap between the wall and the floor. Congrats on finding this. Hopefully this solves your problem completely.

Morich · 08-01-2021, 08:10 AM

Agree that type has a seal and that may lead to a change. Rather than take the fitting totally off to add tape, it may be as simple as turning it a bit tighter! Just a bit and not so much muscle that it cracks but a bit more may compress the seal just enough!
One of the nasty things about plastic fitting is that they swell and "move" more when hot water heats and cools them. That moving around can work to loosen things just enough to get the drip.
I find this is common on plastic things like P-traps, so now put them back together with silicone on the rings which hold them. The silicone is easy enough to break loose when removing things but holds for the normal use.

Bcborn · 06-20-2022, 11:06 PM

I had the same leak in my 2017 Micro Minnie 2106FBS but was the outside shower.

I replaced the outside shower, city water elbow and both in the inside shower with better units. I put a dog of plumbers putty on the threads so the nut no longer vibrates loose.

The rubber seal in the Shark Bite Swivel is so much better than the light Flair-it seal.