#2 gray water tank crack

[wesley1963]

Like a couple of other posters, we got a crack in the gray water tank. Noticed the water seeping out near the sewer connection and cut a slit in the underbelly. We left it alone for it to drain as we were meeting with HOC member BobbyA. I talked to him about the leak and being such the great person that he is, he came over to help. Thinking that it was possibly the same problem he had, we started taking down the underbelly, searching for the source of the water. All tank valves were intact and dry. We saw that on our model, the black water and the #1 gray are stacked, and the #2 is under the kitchen floor. He suggested that DW fill the #2 tank, and sure enough, the crack let us know where it was. Bobby had some ABS "weld" that he brought over. Gave it a try yesterday, covering a small area with it. Filled the tank up today and had water seeping this time instead of spraying. I applied some more today and will see if that does the trick.

Oh, did I mention that a hydraulic line was hit when I cut the slit? That's another post.

Wes

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Wes, is there any way of determining what may have caused the crack? Any way to prevent it for other owners? Thanks!

 

[RollingHome]

Wes, When you say BobbyA brought ABS Weld... I "assume" you mean ABS cement. This info is good to know for us all. I would not have thought 1 or 2 surface applications would have sealed the tank permanently. Did you just wait for the leak to dry and apply or did you wipe the area with acetone or cleaner or ??? Hopefully I and others won't go thru what happened to you. But having the exact details of the succesful repair you made may make it a one time fix as opposed to a many time frustrating ordeal for others. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ncrebel8]

I would love some follow up on fixing this also. havent had a problem with my gray tanks yet, but i have got a leak from the fresh water tank. Havent pulled everything down to try and fix it, but we did look from the side and it appears to have split.

 

[Birchwood]

I had leak on the top third of my black water tank and also tried the ABS weld.An RV repairman performed
the work but the patch didn't adhere to the plactic tank.In the end we replaced the tank.These tanks don't
have thick walls and lots of flexing occurs as water is added.The tanks are not expensive but 5 hours
to replace.Good luck

 

[wesley1963]

Wes, is there any way of determining what may have caused the crack? Any way to prevent it for other owners? Thanks!

It appears that the strap is too tight and caused the tank to buckle at the seam where the crack is. I'll try to get a better picture of it today.

 

[wesley1963]

Wes, When you say BobbyA brought ABS Weld... I "assume" you mean ABS cement. This info is good to know for us all. I would not have thought 1 or 2 surface applications would have sealed the tank permanently. Did you just wait for the leak to dry and apply or did you wipe the area with acetone or cleaner or ??? Hopefully I and others won't go thru what happened to you. But having the exact details of the succesful repair you made may make it a one time fix as opposed to a many time frustrating ordeal for others. Thanks for sharing.

You are correct, it is ABS cement. The surface was cleaned with acetone beforehand. I only applied a small amount, not knowing if it would work at all. The surprising part (at least to me) is how well the cement adheres to most any surface. Getting ready for another application this morning.

 

[slmayor]

There's another product out there that we've had good luck with here at the shop. It's called Sonic Bond. A couple part system and fairly easy to apply. It's good for temporary patches, although I'd still replace a cracked tank when convenient. We've used it quite a bit when the owner wants to delay the big job until after a trip. Should be about $25 to $35 depending on where you find it.

 

[wesley1963]

I had leak on the top third of my black water tank and also tried the ABS weld.An RV repairman performed
the work but the patch didn't adhere to the plactic tank.In the end we replaced the tank.These tanks don't
have thick walls and lots of flexing occurs as water is added.The tanks are not expensive but 5 hours
to replace.Good luck

I am really hoping this stops the leak, but after reading other posts I guess I won't get my hopes up too high. Were the straps on your black water tank supporting the mid part of the tank? I see mine is way to the drain side. Just wondered if everyone's straps are like that or is this another concern while the bottom is off.

 

[Willym]

Just a thought. I also expect that Eternabond tape might make a good repair on flatter surfaces. It could also be reinforced with some mesh tape of the type used for drywall joints.

 

[caissiel]

Its true the both tanks one on top of the other puts a lot of pressure on the bottom tank. The angle is way to small and I had to reinforce it by attaching it to the main bean next to it. It was bending so much that I could not reinstall the corroplast before I reinforced the angle, and the 2 tanks were empty. I always was going to replace the angle sometime, now it will be next summer.

 

[57chevyconvt]

I have made repairs to ABS tanks using ABS cement and fiberglass cloth (like is used in repairing boats) and many appliations of the ABS cement to build some body for strength. This is combination of chemical and mechanical bond. Therefore sanding to roughen the surface and acetone for cleaning is needed prior to attempting the repair. Good luck. This is not a job for the faint hearted.

 

[wdk450]

Maybe this is a good test for the miracle spray sealer stuff on TV they used to seal the bottom of a rowboat fitted with a screen door. (Ha Ha!)

I have made repairs to ABS tanks using ABS cement and fiberglass cloth (like is used in repairing boats) and many appliations of the ABS cement to build some body for strength. This is combination of chemical and mechanical bond. Therefore sanding to roughen the surface and acetone for cleaning is needed prior to attempting the repair. Good luck. This is not a job for the faint hearted.

 

[57chevyconvt]

Bill,
You just might have the solution! My brother-in-law wanted to use this stuff to recoat his EPDM rubber roof, i.e, until I told him that there was no screen wire on the roof. He shrugged his shoulders and walk off saying something, not sure what he said.

 

[GOTTOYS]

Eternabond, a readily available sealant tape for roof repairs is advertised as working to repair holding tanks. I think they even carry it in a small repair kit at some Wally Worlds....Don

 

[wesley1963]

I have put 5 coats of ABS cement on the crack, each application covering the previous and then some, making it larger and larger. My back is hurting like *&^$ after having my 11th surgery, so I think the tank filling will wait until we come back from a cruise (Nov. 7). I'll be certain to post the results then. Wish me luck!

 

[RollingHome]

Good Luck on the cruise

 

[wesley1963]

Good Luck on the cruise

LMAO My back isn't THAT bad!!

 

[Bobby A]

Maybe this is a good test for the miracle spray sealer stuff on TV they used to seal the bottom of a rowboat fitted with a screen door. (Ha Ha!)

Lets hope this ABS cement will work for Wes, I also seen a commercial yesterday on a product called Flex seal, not sure if its the same product your refering to. I called and told Wes about it, it could be another option if his fix doesn't work. I also have a call to this Flex seal and asked them if there product bonds to ABS plastic. Although the products looks impressive it does not say anything about ABS plastic speciafically. I will post back if and when the company responds to my question.

 

[57chevyconvt]

ABS cement alone will not do the job. It must have some fiber glass or plastic mat for reinforcment to withstand the flexing. Have not tried it myself, but I believe that some aluminum screen wire for reinforcement would work well.