Crack in gray tank

**YWORRYDOG** · 09-24-2010, 08:57 AM

Just got back, and was able to find the leak in the gray tank. It has a 6" crack in the bottom in the center of one of the "support groves". The tank flexes a lot.

I Plan to repair the crack with Eternabond tape, and make support rods to fit in the groves and turnbuckle the ends to the floor braces to stop the flexing.

Any better ideas?

**Northwoods** · 09-24-2010, 11:45 AM

Hi, We had our 'first' tank fail under the warranty and it was replaced by our dealer. The second one had Leak # 1 repaired by Ken (DH). That failed and was repaired a second time this summer using the same method as Repair #1. He used fiber glass strips for the repair as we have used on our canoes. It has withstood two long trips to the Current River and to Estes Park, CO. It's a frustrating type of repair. Our neighbor had a pneumatic lift that made all of the difference in the world. Ken pulled it up on our wedge shaped ramps, using our John Deere tractor, then jacked it up with the lift and chocked it up with a variety of blocks. He has a little wheeled mechanics bed that our youngest son had made many years ago for 4-H. Lying on his back, with his grass trimming face mask on, he crossed his fingers, said a prayer and I think a few unmentionable words and applied the patch. Needless to say, he was very pleased with the result after those two trips. We had about resigned ourselves to not using the tank at all if the repair did not work. Good luck. Replacement of the tank is not an easy do-it-yourself undertaking. Olga and Ken

Wavery · 09-24-2010, 04:19 PM

The tank is made of ABS plastic. It chemically welds with ABS cement and ABS shavings mixed in.

F/G will hold for awhile but eventually fail. The F/G is just depending on the polyester or epoxy resin adhering to the ABS which it may do for awhile. Over time and vibration the adhesion will let go. Resin does not adhere well to ABS.

Some people just buy MEK and a piece of ABS plastic pipe. Cut the ABS pipe several times with a sawsall or hacksaw until you have a nice pile of shavings. Mix it with MEK or ABS Cement (either work). There have been some here that have used F/G mesh drywall tape to help hold the muck together. I don't see the need but it reportedly works well.

The MEK or ABS cement melt the ABS shavings and the surface of the tank when the patch is applied. Then the whole thing hardens and become like one piece. It does not depend on adhesive adhesion (like resins or glues), it actually "Welds" itself together.

**YWORRYDOG** · 09-24-2010, 04:30 PM

Thanks Wayne I like that idea. I will give it a go that way.

Wavery · 09-24-2010, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YWORRYDOG

Thanks Wayne I like that idea. I will give it a go that way.

Do a "Search" on here for "holding tank repair" or "MEK tank" or something like that. There have been a few people that have done that repair.

Gene Colorado · 09-24-2010, 07:45 PM

Hi,
My full tank split suddenly from the drain to opposite corner while I was having dinner. It shook the whole camper! I think it broke because the weld on the angle iron that holds it up failed. I got a new tank from Trailmanor and other parts to plum it back together. It is not an easy job. The bathroom tub has to be removed and some of the skin under the trailer remove to get to the plumbing. The tank has to be cut back in pieces and removed so that you can saw off the two drain lines coming to it. Then new short sections of pipe have to added or replace to reconnect up the new tank. I could say a lot more on this but I will end with, if you plan on doing this I might be able give you some pointers

Good Luck,

Gene

**YWORRYDOG** · 09-25-2010, 03:51 PM

I did Wayne's fix today. I had marked where the water was leaking a few days ago and wanted it to dry until today.

I drilled very small holes at the ends of the crack, used cleaner, then ABS cement. did a few coats, and then covered with the MEK and ABS saw dust mixture. I let it all dry well and did a test......It didn't leak!...where I repaired it, BUT..there was a smaller crack that continued and could not be seen. Now that the big one is patched, water was dripping a little further along where I had not done a patch. Now I get to do it again in a few days...The fun never ends!

Wavery · 09-25-2010, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YWORRYDOG

I did Wayne's fix today. I had marked where the water was leaking a few days ago and wanted it to dry until today.

I drilled very small holes at the ends of the crack, used cleaner, then ABS cement. did a few coats, and then covered with the MEK and ABS saw dust mixture. I let it all dry well and did a test......It didn't leak!...where I repaired it, BUT..there was a smaller crack that continued and could not be seen. Now that the big one is patched, water was dripping a little further along where I had not done a patch. Now I get to do it again in a few days...The fun never ends!

Did you try the F/G dry-wall tape?

It sounds like your tank may be in for a catastrophic failure. It's good that you caught it when you did. I'd reinforce the heck out of that thing if it were me.

09-26-2010, 01:18 PM

To avoid these failures I suppose it's a good idea to completely drain the waste tanks before getting back on the road. Hopefully that will do it.

I've had a problem with a broken pipe support causing problems, but nothing like the whole tank splitting open.

Mr. Adventure · 09-28-2010, 06:30 AM

I'v heard of tank failures before, so I did a Google search about RV tanks failing. This thread is far from alone in the industry. Generally, it's a good idea to not carry a lot of water in the gray tank because the trailer has a stiff suspension with very little give and water is not compressible, leaving the tank and it's mountings to oppose the trailer's airborne intentions as it goes over bumps.

A second good reason, of course, is that 30 gallons of gray water is about 250# that you don't need to carry any further than the nearest disposal station.