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Topic ClosedModel 180 Shower Leaking
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DavMar View Drop Down
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Posts: 592 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Model 180 Shower Leaking
    Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 6:48pm

A couple days ago I decided to de-winterize my 180 and check out all the systems to make sure everything is in working order when the wife and I head out next week with the camper. I inserted the anode rod back into the hot water heater then hooked up into the city water connection filling up the heater and made sure water was flowing and flushing out all the faucets. I went from there to checking out the propane function of the water heater and the refrigerator. As I was standing outside visually inspecting the water heater and refrigerator I noticed water dripping down at a location before the Black/Grey water dump valves, strange I thought. Sliding under the trailer I see the water is dripping out of the split plastic wire conduit, yikes not good! Luckily there is no spliced or connected wires where the water was dripping out of the conduit and I finally traced the source to the shower. After removing the inspection panel sure enough, I see a large pool of water on the floor. The only thing I can surmise is that the water was leaking from the shower floor drain flange which only has some type of calk putty. I tried to get a pair of channel lock pliers on the drain fitting to tighten it up but there is just no way in that small of a space. I ended up cleaning up the old putty off the flange and re-caulking it with silicon caulk. After that I checked it and could feel only the slightest weep of water so using one finger dab of silicon calk at a time I smeared it around the outside of the fittings under the shower floor which I know is less then ideal but hey so far it stopped the leak! I also reinforced the shower floor with some additional blocks of wood to help stop flexing of the floor.

My question is what tool you can use to tighten up this shower floor flange because there is about zero room to work under the floor through the access inspection opening? It also seems that the only way to properly repair the plumbing for the shower drain is to have the shower completely removed or am I wrong about that?
Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog.
2017 Rpod 180
2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4
Lexington, NC
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furpod View Drop Down
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Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 7:19pm
A) All those plumbing connections should be done hand tight only.
B) The "putty stuff" you found, is plumbers putty. it is the proper thing to use there. Silicone WILL be a problem in the future.
C) Many of owners have found the need to reinforce the floor. Good move.
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DavMar View Drop Down
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Posts: 592 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 7:44pm
furpod,
Thanks for the suggestions. As much as I tried I couldn't hand tighten the flange nut to stop the leaking so I went to the silicone. I don't understand why they didn't use some type of rubber gasket under the flange or if there is I can't see it. I wish there was some way that one could expand the access inspection opening so you wouldn't have to be so much of a Chinese contortionist to work on the plumbing. 
Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog.
2017 Rpod 180
2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4
Lexington, NC
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 8:19pm
There is, or should be, a gasket.  It's very easy to get it twisted.  Take it totally apart, and put it back together.  You might need a new gasket -- or a gasket.

TT
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PilotPodder View Drop Down
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Posts: 305 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 8:40pm
DavMar are you still under warranty? Says you have a 2017. 
Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — My RPod YouTube Videos
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DavMar View Drop Down
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Posts: 592 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 9:19pm
Originally posted by PilotPodder

DavMar are you still under warranty? Says you have a 2017. 


Yes, the Pod is a 2017 model and in a month will be a year old.

I suppose I can put some type of warranty claim with my dealer but then I'm sure they are going to want to have the Pod. Which at this time of year means I'll be lucky to see it back by the middle of the summer!

I don't see how I can "take it all apart" as Tars Tarkas helpfully suggested when I can't even get enough force with my hand to tighten the flange nut. The more I think about the more I'm thinking that there has to be a better solution as to this problem and it may, just may, mean rebuilding the entire shower but I hope not! Cry
Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog.
2017 Rpod 180
2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4
Lexington, NC
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 9:38pm
I haven't looked under there in a good while.  I'm assuming there's a p-trap.  It might help to search Google images for p-trap to see an exploded view of what you're dealing with.  Furpod is right about hand-tight. 

Sounds like you're sure it's leaking at the joint, but since you said you were de-winterizing, did the trap have antifreeze in it?  It could be that the trap itself has a crack in it if it froze.

TT
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 8:08am
Originally posted by DavMar

furpod,
Thanks for the suggestions. As much as I tried I couldn't hand tighten the flange nut to stop the leaking so I went to the silicone. I don't understand why they didn't use some type of rubber gasket under the flange or if there is I can't see it. I wish there was some way that one could expand the access inspection opening so you wouldn't have to be so much of a Chinese contortionist to work on the plumbing. 


You can expand it, some owners have.. you will have to buy a new, larger grill at Lowes etc, for like $9.. They are in the heat and a/c section..

EDIT.. Go buy a larger grill before you enlarge the space... they come in a range of "standard" sizes and shapes, you want to try to find one before, so you know your constraints for the new cut out.
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jimandclare View Drop Down
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Posts: 96 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 3:37pm
DavMar
On my 178 here is a larger access panel on the outside wall below the bathroom door to get to the plumbing fixtures. There are 2 vertical trim pieces below the door that cover the joints in the wall material. If you remove those along with the baseboard trim piece you'll see the panel. Just carefully pry it off of the wall studs to reveal a larger opening to work in. Hope this helps you out.
Jim & Clare
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DavMar View Drop Down
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Posts: 592 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 7:39pm

First of all, I want to thank everyone who has responded to my questions on this thread I posted. It means allot to me to have so many in our community to respond, again thanks!

After spending some time online doing some research on this shower leaking problem it seems I’m not the first one nor will be the last to have this problem develop. I wish as Jim and Clair has in there 178 that I too had this access panel, other then the one on the shower pan, so I can get to the shower drain plumbing but alias not so on my 180 model. As far as I can tell after I put a drop light in the shower access hole to help my poor eye sight and felt all around the plumbing with my hand. That the there are no problems with the trap and associated plumbing other then the drain flange (or what ever the proper name for this fitting is?). I verified this after I used the silicon caulk on the drain flange on the shower floor and the underside where it’s nut is located by running water in the shower and then by looking and feeling if there was still a leak.

I will agree that its less then ideal to do what I did with this silicon caulk to stop the leak and I look at my fix at best to be a patch job to get us by for now. The solution to me, since there is no way I have the strength in my hand or a tool that can grab this flange nut to tighten or loosen it to replace the plumber caulk is to first eliminate what is causing the drain flange to fail and leak. Which from my observation and research is from the flexing of the shower floor when my over weight frame steps inside it and also vibration from traveling down the road. Right now, I’m thinking the solution is (no not for me to lose weight though I will agree it would be good to shed a pound or two) is to remove the shower floor and then replace the 3/8” plywood underfloor with 3/4” plywood with substantial bracing. Of course, the drain flange will have to be removed and a proper gasket and plumber putty installed. All of this is well above my pay grade right now so I contacted an independent RV shop who I have confidence can repair my problem. Even better they can file a warranty claim with Forest River but I bet it will be a cold day in Hell before they pay it. My dealership is great but they are totally swamped and as I said in a previous post I don’t want to wait till the middle of summer or later to get my Pod back.

Thanks, I’ll let everyone know how it turns out!

Dave
Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog.
2017 Rpod 180
2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4
Lexington, NC
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