RV Shower Leak

[lmyers59]

I'm a newbie (or whatever it may be called) - I just purchased a new-to-me 2013 Winnebago Aspect, that only had 4200 miles on it so I don't think it was used much at all. I have never owned a motor home, or travel trailer even, before and am trying to figure out all I need to know before going on a trip. I started looking at all the water "things" last night and when I turned on the shower it immediately started leaking - I didn't have it on but a few seconds and I believe ALL the water came out on the floor. It also leaked under the bin below where the shower is (and appears it has done that before). Is there something I should've done prior to turning on the shower? Is there something I can check and/or do to fix this problem?

Any advice is very much appreciated! Thank you! Tom

[Lv2Roam2]

:welcome:

Tom
Some first thoughts:
- Get a LED flashlight and a small mirror and get a look at everything under the shower you can
- Gain access through the bin you described as possible
- Take a look at the wall of any adjoining cabinets - is there some sort of a wiring or plumbing chase that will help you get a look
- Consider renting a video set-up to get into some tight spaces to help (before cutting access holes)
- Check to see if the drain is seated in plumber's putty or something similar - may even be worthwhile to take the drain apart and see if its cracked (or even connected)
- Sometimes you can intentionally have someone pour a little water in the drain while you're below - can help with figuring out if the leak is 'high' in the drain system or 'low' (you also described some likely previous leaks - look for staining that can indicate the same)

Also give some thought to contacting the selling dealer - will they stand behind the product and help with repairs.

Let us know how it's going - I'm sure they'll be others who can contribute ideas.

[jpspaz]

Congrats on your new motorhome. I don't think you did anything wrong but the first thing you need to figure out is where the leak is coming from so it can be fixed. Then you can worry about any water damage as you say it looks like it has happened before. I am not really clear on what you mean when you say ALL the water came out. Maybe you can explain it better and any pictures would help.

[Pepper2]

After soaking up the water I would fill a pitcher with water from another source and pour it down the drain. If water seeps out again, you have a drain problem. If not, it's probably the connections at the back side of the faucet. Good luck!

[boba1106]

I would also check to make sure your gray tank is empty if full it will overflow in the shower

[lmyers59]

Thank you to everyone who responded. We checked under the shower basin and there wasn't anything wet, so it apparently is something before it gets there - thinking maybe Pepper2 may be right - it may be the connections on the back side of the shower as it appears the leaking is back behind the shower (between the shower and the refrigerator wall. I found a mobile RV tech that is coming tomorrow to take a look at it.

It had water in the line already when I started checking everything so I'm wondering if something may have frozen and cracked while in storage. We bought it from an individual, not a dealer (a widow who lost her husband unexpectedly before they traveled much in this RV - he passed away before winter of 2014 & wouldn't have winterized the RV & I'm sure his wife didn't think to do it either).

Thanks again for all the help!
Tom & Lesa

[RTegarini]

Some years back, I had a similar problem that took me some time to diagnose. In my case, it turned out to be a cracked elbow fitting, one of the water supply lines, to the shower handles. -RT

[Gormleys]

First off, welcome to iRV. Here you will learn a lot to help fill in your lack of experience.'

I will bet that you are correct and the MH was not winterized. When your tech arrives, make sure that you mention that and have him check out all of your water systems for any other potential problems. The water heater comes to mind.

Good luck!