Bathroom sink cabinet problem

Siebrands · 01-27-2016, 04:03 PM

My 2007 Winnebago Aspect 29' has a metal plate attached to the rear wall in the cabinet under the bathroom sink. The plate has 4 nuts near each corner [I don't think they connect to anything] and 2 small screws in 2 corners. The plate is glued tightly to the wall and will not move away no matter how hard I try to get it loose. I checked the plumbing diagram on Winnebago's site, but I see no plumbing anywhere near the plate, i.e. behind the wall. I'm getting lots of moisture [condensation?] on and around that plate, making everything wet in the cabinet. There are no leaks in the sink plumbing nor in either the hot or cold water lines. Any idea what that platte is for or why condensation would be collecting on and around it? Why would Winnebago put a metal plate in a bathroom wall under the sink unless it had a purpose?

Ranger Smith · 01-27-2016, 04:44 PM

Is it possible that something is mounted on the outside that the plate is there for.

Siebrands · 01-28-2016, 10:42 AM

I thought not. However, when I looked at the rear of my coach, I obviously looked at my spare tire attached there. Where it's attached is a plate that fits the dimensions of the plate under my cabinet. Right now, I'm thinking that perhaps this exterior plate is not properly caulked. So I'll remove the tire to access the plate and give it a good caulk. Many thanks for your suggestion!

JBP · 01-30-2016, 10:23 AM

Let us know what you find. I have hey Cambria 27K so I would be very interested in knowing the outcome.

cbeierl · 01-30-2016, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siebrands

I thought not. However, when I looked at the rear of my coach, I obviously looked at my spare tire attached there. Where it's attached is a plate that fits the dimensions of the plate under my cabinet. Right now, I'm thinking that perhaps this exterior plate is not properly caulked. So I'll remove the tire to access the plate and give it a good caulk. Many thanks for your suggestion!

Page 30 of the Parts Catalog for your coach shows the spare tire mounting and the plate with four studs on it that supports it from the inside (155344-01-02B EA BRACKET/SUPPORT - SPARE TIRE - E-COATED).

Siebrands · 01-31-2016, 08:42 PM

Will do.

Siebrands · 01-31-2016, 08:44 PM

Thanks, Chris. I'll make a note of that.

cbeierl · 01-31-2016, 09:04 PM

I suspect that your condensation problem may be because the plate is cold due to its direct connection to the similar plate on the outside via the four studs. Perhaps some insulation applied to the inside plate would avoid the condensation.

Siebrands · 02-03-2016, 03:50 PM

This morning, the cabinet floor was slightly damp and a bit of condensation was on the inner plate within the cabinet. I've removed the cabinet floor, cabinet sides, checked the connections, looked under the shower, and checked the roof for leaks. No luck in finding a source of the moisture. Unless something else comes in to view, I can only conclude it's the condensation from the inner plate, because it's connected to the outer plate. I'm not sure what possible insulation I could put on the inner plate that would stop the condensation or seal the condensation from the cabinet floor. Any suggestions?

cbeierl · 02-03-2016, 08:15 PM

Spray foam might be best, but it might get messy... If I were to try it I'd make a rectangular "fence" (maybe 3/4" high) from cardboard wrapped in plastic wrap a bit larger than the plate and tape it to the wall so it surrounds the plate to contain the foam. Then I'd carefully spray the expanding foam over the plate to fill up the frame. When dry it can be sawed off even with the top of the fence. You could also cut off/round off all of the edges to get rid of the sharp corners. (I would cover things below the plate with a plastic drop cloth to catch any foam that escapes.)

Alternatively, you could use some rigid foam insulation shaped to fit over the plate and against the wall.

You should be able to paint the foam when you're done (either style).

Either way the goal is to insulate all surfaces of the plate from the inside air, thus eliminating the condensation problem.

cbeierl · 02-03-2016, 08:19 PM

Btw, if you do decide to try the spray foam I'd recommend trying it out first with a test setup of "frame" attached to a piece of cardboard (instead of the wall & plate). This will give you a chance to see how it behaves and if it really looks do-able before you commit to it in place in the coach.

Siebrands · 02-06-2016, 11:38 AM

Thanks, Chris. B/4 I go that route, I'm going to try one more option. I'm going to disconnect my cold water fitting under the cabinet, use some plumbers goop on the male parts, reconnect them and see if that helps. Maybe I'm missing a leaky connection.