One of the most frustrating things for an RVer is having to deal with a water leak underneath the RV in the underbelly area! And if you didn’t know, this is a dreaded repair for any RV technician. From sewer leaks, dump valve cable failures, water lines, waste tank, grey tank, fresh water tanks, and the hundreds of fittings all leak at any time due to use and wear and tear from traveling.
As you will see in the pictures, there is a mess of wires and plumbing that we have to contend with when trying to pin point the leak. Underbelly leak repairs can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
There are several contributing factors that can cause an underbelly leak:
- Supply lines could have been improperly ran and not secured into place.
- Road vibration and flex causing wear and tear/rubbing underneath the unit.
- Normal use from water pump causes vibration.
- Improper use by not using a water pressure regulator.
Why is this repair such a nightmare?
- On average there are 200+ water line connections throughout the unit.
- Heat ducting and electrical wiring are often in the way.
- In most cases, we also have to pull LP lines, power/manual leveling jacks and/or Styrofoam around pipes in order to inspect an area and make repairs.
If you are experiencing a leak, there is some helpful information that you can provide that will save your technician some time which hopefully help save your pocketbook:
- Is the leak black, gray or fresh water?
- Is the leak hot or cold water?
- Was the tank overfilled or is it a drain valve leak?
Knowing this information will help locate the leak faster!
Finally, should you end up in a position of needing an underbelly leak repair; whether it is you or an RV technician, this is your excellent opportunity to do the following while having the underbelly removed:
- Add additional insulation.
- Additional spray foam where needed. This will help seal off any penetration from the floor to the house which will help reduce the interior heat or cooling loss. In addition, this will also help reduce the path of entry for pests, rodents and dust/dirt.
- Secure all water lines and electrical wiring that is floating around to help prevent future leaks.
- Secure and retape all heat ducts and piping.
If you are doing these repairs yourself, here are some links to items you’ll need to complete the job: