Leaks are no fun at all! Particularly when the source is not obvious, and you were preparing to travel the next day!
Discovery
Step one is finding the source of the leak! In this instance, the source was not immediately obvious. The water in the basement was scattered all over the place, almost like the leak was bad enough to spray all over. Knowing the leak only happened when running the black tank flush was the key.
Once we discovered the source was the check valve (vacuum breaker) for the black tank flush, fixing it was the easy part.
Black Tank Flush Check Valve Replacement
Luckily, Tara remembered our friends' video where they had this same issue and discovered a secret panel behind the shower! The part is cheap and easy to replace. Be sure to secure the water lines before removing the valve. You do not want the lines to drop down behind the wall!
Water Leak Fallout
The trouble with an easy-to-fix leak in an RV is finding and repairing the water damage from the leak. The last time we had a bad leak, we had to replace all of our underbelly insulation. Stagnant water and moisture, growing mold, is NOT something anyone wants!
So, the belly HAD to be dropped to assess the damage. Luckily, this leak was slow and had an exit through some 3/8″ holes we made in the coroplast for our last leak. That allowed the water to drain, and our insulation stayed nice and dry! Dropping the coroplast and buttoning it back up is the most difficult part of replacing the insulation, but at least I didn't have to drive to Lowes.
Lessons Learned
Don't leave the RV when flushing the black tank. And, if you do, don't silence your leak detection system!
Our Ring Alarm system did notify us as soon as a leak was detected, but we were recording for 2 hours in the cabin with our phones on do-not-disturb. Bad move!
DO drill some small holes in the low points of the underbelly coroplast. This saved us from more work by letting the slow leak drain out of the RV.
Related 🎥
- Water Leak and SMOKING Power Cord!: youtu.be/E2iEX8hewMk…
- Propane Leak and Stove Issues FIXED!: youtu.be/jmGUVWCJ4Is…
- RV Security System by Ring!: youtu.be/f-cWvMqnU9g…
Links 🔗
- Enjoy The Journey (Tom and Cherie) (Same Leak): youtu.be/oxcnTSTHMJI…
Products 🛒
- RecPro RV Vacuum Breaker Check Valve: amzn.to/3QsxSUq…
- NEBO SLYDE 500 Lumen USB Rechargeable LED Flashlight: amzn.to/3bWGx2f…
- Wireless Endoscope: amzn.to/3bRyHqO…
