Leaking Shower

SimchaSabre · 09-18-2012, 03:35 PM

We've noticed in the last couple of camper uses, water leaking between the shower and the floor. (30"x50" rectabgluar shower). It seemed worse this weekend trip but we were also slightly leaning away from the shower. We can't know for sure if it's been doing this since March when we took delivery and just now seeing it because of levling.

Any ideas where it might be coming from? My best guess is leak by the floor drain...and that can't be an easy fix.,..looks to me that would require removing the entire sohower.

donnap1 · 09-18-2012, 03:45 PM

We also took delivery of our trailer in March and we just started having a problem with a leaky shower also. Ours seems to be coming from the pipe under the shower. Any ideas how to fix, we tried tightening the pipes, also put on some pipe thread tape and neither helped.

kenandterry · 09-18-2012, 03:58 PM

To check and see if it actually is leaking from the floor drain, fill the tub with a couple of inches of water from ANOTHER source......not the showerhead of the shower itself.

This isolates the source as to whether it's leaking from the water lines feeding the shower, or the drain system. You may also have to stand in the tub to see if flexing the floor causes a leak from the floor drain. This may take awhile. Some models have an access door to the underside of the drain while the shower is still in position.

If no leaks testing this way, then run the water using the showerhead, but capture ALL the water in a separate standalone tub.......like a large Tupperware rubber tub. This will again isolate the feed from the drain system. Again, some models have an access door located in the wall, just underneath the taps while the shower is still in position.

Hope this works!!!!!

SimchaSabre · 09-18-2012, 04:00 PM

So far..all we have done is wiped it dry with a towel. We plan on taking the unit is at theend of the season for a small warranty list and plan to add this itme to it. We just were curious if others hadthe same problem and what the root cause is.

What model do u have??

SimchaSabre · 09-18-2012, 04:03 PM

Thanks Kenandterry,

Good trouble shooting suggestions. I will do both. I'm sure the findings will help the dealer when I bring it in!

SimchaSabre · 09-21-2012, 05:29 AM

More data on leak

We observe something that concerns us when we were cleaning the shower yesterday. The drain area of the shower floor can acutally flex up and down about an inch. In other words...if you press down on the drain it will actually depress about an inch. Unless I'm missing something, I don't see and good plumbing scenario that would allow that much movement with rigid plumbing.

Any thoughts or simular observations?? Can the drain be removed (uncrewed) from above. or are we talking about either complete shower floor removal or digging up from the basement roof.??

We haven't done the source elimination trouble shooting yet to confirm if the leak is cause by fawcet plumbing or drain yet, but < im thinking I may have found the source.

kenandterry · 09-21-2012, 04:06 PM

I'm no plumber, but that kind of movement at the drain is NOT design intent!!

Pretty sure you've found your source for the water, and according to your signature information, your rig is brand new and still under warranty. Let them figure out the repair method when you show them your drain movement.

timarti · 09-21-2012, 04:13 PM

We had a shower leak when the trailer was not level. Turned out to be water spraying/collecting in the corner at the bottom of the glass panels. Not enough caulking, so a leak. An easy fix!

SimchaSabre · 09-22-2012, 01:15 AM

I talked to the service tech at the dealer today. Based on my observations, he is pretty sure the cause of the leak is floor drain separation from the trap...probably from as bad solvent weld.

Most of the water is making it into the trap, so we decided to continue with our fall camping plans. (3 more weekend outings between now and end of Oct.) We were planning on taking it in at the end of the season anyway so they can taking care of a number of other warrantry issues.

I'm sure the dealer will resolve this problem as they have with the other mfg defects that we've encountered since picked up in Mar. It's just a little dissapointing though. This is our 4th camper and we've had more issues with it in the first 6 months, than we've had in the previous 25 years. Just hope that if anything else goes wrong, it will happen in the next 1.5 yrs while still on warranty.

Thanks all for the info.

SimchaSabre · 10-26-2012, 12:41 PM

We are now thinking that this leak is NOT drain related and this is why we think that:

We wanted to rule out shower door "leak by", so we've been very careful to avoid water contact with the door...and since then....no leaks....Untill last night. I decided to test it and ran lots of water against the door and leak leak was back.

We have a rectangular shower with a 3 section by-pass sliding door. The bottom of the outer most section is where the water is coming from.

It looks like there is just not enough volume of the trough to contain the water untill it makes its way to the weep holes that are provided.

So my question now is to others with this type of shower...do you see a simular thing?? and if so what can be done about it??

rookiecamper · 10-26-2012, 07:09 PM

We have a 2013 34 tbok with the same shower and have experienced the same issues as well. It seems to be worse if we are leaning toward the shower doors. I am gonna try to add some more caulking to help. In the mean time we have just been using a towel or rug to catch the water for now.

ret2006 · 10-27-2012, 05:44 AM

We have a 2012 31-RETS with the same type leak on the left of the shower, the panel facing the sink cabinet. Water looked like it was coming from under the glass frame where it meet the plastic base. I added a bead of silicone but it will still leak if the shower head is directed against the left glass panel, so we are just careful not to aim it that direction. I may try adding some more silicone to the sides but for now I am not going to worry about it.

jsk · 10-27-2012, 07:33 AM

We also have water that escapes in the same place. I added some silicone but no help. I am thinkikng of adding and modifying the drain holes in the base that the doors slide in. It always leaks on sink end of the door and never the other end. We also have a minimum amount of flex in the shower floor but not around the drain. Please pass along any findings and learnings.

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