The reason you don't have a leak is because you have yet to find it.

[ddavis662]

Well, going on my 5th leak to repair in the 2016 Lacrosse. 2 from rain and 3 from plumbing.
While trying to locate the 4th leak that was coming from behind the shower wall, I found a 5th leak that was leaking between the shower basin and trap.
The RV dealers mobile repairman was going to 4 days to repair the cold water leak to the shower, so like always I repaired it myself at my own cost.
To me, it's not worth dealing with the manufactures 1 year warranty
With the luck that I'm having with this Lacrosse, I figured oneday I will need to get in this wall again. So I cut out the corner of the wall and covered it with a air vent.
Home Depot only had white vents. I'm not worried about the color.

[ddavis662]

Oh.... And this wasn't the original camper that I was going to buy. They found that it had water damage, when they were prepping it for my purchase.
So luckily they had 2 models on the lot.

[KenHwy61]

I share you same attitude about skipping the dealer and fixing myself. I like your access panel idea. Makes future servicing so much easier! I went as far as putting in easily removable 4 foot sections of coroplast sheets as my underbelly cover. Not sure in your case but a lot of plumbing leaks are from incorrectly using braided tubing on pex fiittings. This is common in RVs but would never pass a house plumbing inspection.

[Iwannacamp]

This concerns me... as a future buyer. I am never gonna get finished looking for water leaks. I assume this reinforced vinyl tubing is good with the sinch type clamps. Looks like they put 2 clamps on and it sill leaked. How did you repair? Or was this after the repair. I think the best thing to do is drain system. install valve in supply to pump/check valve. Install tee/fitting. Pressure test with air to 50 PSIG for a couple days and hope nothing shakes loose on the road.

[ddavis662]

Originally Posted by KenHwy61

I share you same attitude about skipping the dealer and fixing myself. I like your access panel idea. Makes future servicing so much easier! I went as far as putting in easily removable 4 foot sections of coroplast sheets as my underbelly cover. Not sure in your case but a lot of plumbing leaks are from incorrectly using braided tubing on pex fiittings. This is common in RVs but would never pass a house plumbing inspection.

Glad someone feels the way I do about having a dealer do repair work. When I bought this Lacrosse, I told the finance manager I wanted no part in that rip off of extended warranty that that they had suckered me out of a year earlier when I bought the 2015 Cougar for my elderly parents to live in. I went as far as to tell them, that i ought to get a prorated refund on that warranty.
Yea, the main cause of this leak was because the pex tubing is too long and the braiding tubing is too short for the flexing to the shower faucet.
If I have issues again, I'll cut the pex off at the base and run all braided to the faucet.
Sounds like you have an contingency plan, with your sections of coroplast, if things go south.

[ddavis662]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

This concerns me... as a future buyer. I am never gonna get finished looking for water leaks. I assume this reinforced vinyl tubing is good with the sinch type clamps. Looks like they put 2 clamps on and it sill leaked. How did you repair? Or was this after the repair. I think the best thing to do is drain system. install valve in supply to pump/check valve. Install tee/fitting. Pressure test with air to 50 PSIG for a couple days and hope nothing shakes loose on the road.

The thing that has saved me the most in the finding of these 4 leaks, is that when I set my camper up, I accidentally set it up with the front being higher than the rear. It's not enough to notice or feel, but luckily the water from the leaks flow towards the rear, instead of just pooling.
The reason for this 4th leak was due to the braided tubing is to short, causing it crimped and eventually failed.

[ddavis662]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

This concerns me... as a future buyer. I am never gonna get finished looking for water leaks. I assume this reinforced vinyl tubing is good with the sinch type clamps. Looks like they put 2 clamps on and it sill leaked. How did you repair? Or was this after the repair. I think the best thing to do is drain system. install valve in supply to pump/check valve. Install tee/fitting. Pressure test with air to 50 PSIG for a couple days and hope nothing shakes loose on the road.

Oops! I was rambling on and didn't fully answer your question.
I repaired the leak by cutting the crimped fitting with a dremel tool, then using regular pipe clamps I put on a new section of braided tubing.
I couldn't see any way of getting a crimping tool in the tight in closed area. The regular pipe clamps tightened easy since I was able to use a wrench.

[Iwannacamp]

Originally Posted by ddavis662

Oops! I was rambling on and didn't fully answer your question.
I repaired the leak by cutting the crimped fitting with a dremel tool, then using regular pipe clamps I put on a new section of braided tubing.
I couldn't see any way of getting a crimping tool in the tight in closed area. The regular pipe clamps tightened easy since I was able to use a wrench.

Lol. I would ramble too if my new trailer leaked....or even an old one. I am one of the ones who allows no showering in the RV. No bath house better get the sponge out or use outside shower. I bought a shower tent and was going to extend hose to somewhere else except beside the trailer.

Thanks for the answers.


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[ddavis662]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

Lol. I would ramble too if my new trailer leaked....or even an old one. I am one of the ones who allows no showering in the RV. No bath house better get the sponge out or use outside shower. I bought a shower tent and was going to extend hose to somewhere else except beside the trailer.

Thanks for the answers.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

That's funny!
Having my own shower and toilet was the reason I bought the 07 Orbit back in 07 when my son and I were traveling around going to mtn bike races.
Then after trading the Orbit in for the bigger 2012 Rockwood. It wasn't long after that, that I started living/traveling in it fulltime.
The 2012 Rockwood was in excellent shape when I traded in for this Lacrosse.
I wanted to move up to 50amps with 2 AC unis and the full size fridge.
The Orbit had a major rainwater and drain leak in it. I could never figure out truly where the rain was coming from.
The Rockwood had 1 minor leak around the skylight, I caught it right at the beginning and fixed it by putting down a wider bead of self leveling caulk.

[ddavis662]

It worries me that we have yet to find the leak(s) in the 2015 Cougar that mom and dad is living in.
When it's found, my mom will be sure to remind me how great life was back in their old money pit farm house back in Mississippi, in place of me trying to provide a simpler, less maintenance way of living here in central Texas AKA God's country.

[ddavis662]

Here is 1 of 3 fans that I had blowing air down into the under belly, through a hole that was cut in the floor under the shower basin.

[KenHwy61]

Nice idea! I did something similar for two reasons: If I needed ventilation to help dry out or to blow warm air from the camper to help keep things warm. I put small vents in the floor at the front and rear to keep the air flowing through. I wired it to a thermostat that turns on just above freezing.

[ddavis662]

Originally Posted by KenHwy61

Nice idea! I did something similar for two reasons: If I needed ventilation to help dry out or to blow warm air from the camper to help keep things warm. I put small vents in the floor at the front and rear to keep the air flowing through. I wired it to a thermostat that turns on just above freezing.

That is a great idea/invention!
Exspecially if one uses electric space heaters instead of the propane furnace.