I have a Leak but can't tell where it's coming from.

[DanJayne]

We own a 2012 Winnebago Sightseer 33c. There is water leaking down on the front step from below the floor. I have attached a picture, the red circle is where the water is coming out below the silver metal piece and the arrows show where it runs down and ends up. I have removed the carpet from this area as it was getting wet. I have checked below all sinks and the shower and everything is dry on that level. I have narrowed it down to water draining to the gray tank or from the gray tank because when we run our portable clothes washer, I run a hose through the window directly to the washing machine so no interior water supply is being used and it still leaks after the water drains into the shower. It also leaks after we shower. My real question is how do I access this area? I know there is an access on the other side inside of a bay that shows the gray tank but the view is limited and I cannot see the other side by the stairs. I am feeling that the floor is getting soft in this area. Is there a way to access the area without cutting into the floor or do I need to do that? Thanks for any helpful advice.

 

[bcoldpro]

We own a 2012 Winnebago Sightseer 33c. There is water leaking down on the front step from below the floor. I have attached a picture, the red circle is where the water is coming out below the silver metal piece and the arrows show where it runs down and ends up. I have removed the carpet from this area as it was getting wet. I have checked below all sinks and the shower and everything is dry on that level. I have narrowed it down to water draining to the gray tank or from the gray tank because when we run our portable clothes washer, I run a hose through the window directly to the washing machine so no interior water supply is being used and it still leaks after the water drains into the shower. It also leaks after we shower. My real question is how do I access this area? I know there is an access on the other side inside of a bay that shows the gray tank but the view is limited and I cannot see the other side by the stairs. I am feeling that the floor is getting soft in this area. Is there a way to access the area without cutting into the floor or do I need to do that? Thanks for any helpful advice.

I had an issue with water leaking from the bottom of my fresh water tank into the galley area of my rig. I didn't see the water leaking from the bottom of my rig because it had been raining. The water collected onto a carpet runner and by the time I discovered the leak now I have a soft spot in front of the sink area.

Here is where the water was leaking from, there is a vacuum device attached to the bottom of the fresh water tank with a spin on cap containing a water filter. Mine had vibrated loose and was draining water.
It is at the bottom of my fresh water tank adjacent to the water pump. Good luck!

 

[DanJayne]

I had an issue with water leaking from the bottom of my fresh water tank into the galley area of my rig. I didn't see the water leaking from the bottom of my rig because it had been raining. The water collected onto a carpet runner and by the time I discovered the leak now I have a soft spot in front of the sink area.

Here is where the water was leaking from, there is a vacuum device attached to the bottom of the fresh water tank with a spin on cap containing a water filter. Mine had vibrated loose and was draining water.
It is at the bottom of my fresh water tank adjacent to the water pump. Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestion. I checked my fresh water tank and it doesn’t have that valve that I could see. My leak still occurs even when the fresh water tank is empty. The search continues….

 

[Morich]

I like a good mystery! Or since it is near Easter, perhaps a good hunt for clues?
So I need a bit of help to check my understanding of where things are in your RV.
We have a couple places to help sort what we have in parts and plumbing.
Plumbing diagrams here:

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/Files/Winnebago/Resources/Diagram/2012/12_d33c_plumb.pdf

Does this look correct?

Then we have a really neat "interactive parts catalog" where we can do all kinds of great looking for details as we can zoom, scroll, and turn it all around:

Parts Catalog

Same view but in a different way?

If it seems to be drain, more likely than supply, I might think of two things first before broken pipes, etc. Your RV seems to have mostly more trustworthy glued joints on many of the drain connections, but traps have fittings that can work loose.
One is under the shower and I think of drain leaks that show above the floor as not the fittings on the tanks as those are below the floor?

They messed up the drawing and I'm pretty sure the purple pipe goes into the green one, but is the fitting tight to not leak? Is there an access panel on the shower base that might come off to look?
But there are also three hidden spots which can leak at times if they stick open! They are often called air admittance valves and meant to relieve suctions when we drain water but they can stick open at times. They are also often hidden if we are not aware of exactly where to look!
Any chance you can find an opening or cover, often high up and in a wall space where we don't see them? When you mention washer, does it tend to pump water out pretty fast so that it might force water up to one of these to dribble water down inside the wall until it reaches the floor to sneak along to come out at the steps?

Maybe give one near the sink a look?

At times, I have had trouble with water coming out at the floor but changing spots when we move from one site to a different site with the RV setting at a different angle. To chase those I have used toilet tissue or paper towels as they show different when they have been wet! Kind of like looking for footprints?

It's a trek at times so I will wish you luck on the chase. Shout back if there are more info or questions! These drawings are not always as good as they might be and my reading of them is always something to verify before trusting!

 

[DanJayne]

Sorry for the slow response, but we are traveling from Texas up to Ohio. We are full-time RVers . When we get to Ohio, we will be there at least a month so I will have some time to really dig into this. As for the vents underneath the sink, I have replaced the two in the bathroom and the one under the kitchen sink all within the past year, so I don’t believe that those are the issue. I will double check however to make sure there’s no moisture down under there. There is an access underneath the shower. I will have to dig into that as well, as I strongly suspect it is a drainage issue. I will update the thread hopefully next week after I have some more time to inspect, thank you for all advice.

 

[Morich]

No problem on the delay. I'm retired too and that means we do things when it fits as we may be too busy right now!!!
We may have spent too long when having to do things on somebody else's schedule?

A thought that you may consider? If you find it is a leak near the trap under the shower, there may be something worth considering.
As a lng term DIY landlord, I found plastic traps are kind of prone to working loose. I think it may be the changes in size when we run hot and then cold water? For whatever reason, I found it worthwhile to add a bit of silicone caulk to the threads of the trap as I put them back together. My thought is that it might help stop the fitting from turning but the caulk is soft enough to not bother when I DID need to get one loose!
Since under the shower is never a fun place to get to it, I might consider doing the best I could to not have to do it ever again!!

Lazy guys like me have to work hard to avoid working twice!

 

[DanJayne]

No problem on the delay. I'm retired too and that means we do things when it fits as we may be too busy right now!!!
We may have spent too long when having to do things on somebody else's schedule?

A thought that you may consider? If you find it is a leak near the trap under the shower, there may be something worth considering.
As a lng term DIY landlord, I found plastic traps are kind of prone to working loose. I think it may be the changes in size when we run hot and then cold water? For whatever reason, I found it worthwhile to add a bit of silicone caulk to the threads of the trap as I put them back together. My thought is that it might help stop the fitting from turning but the caulk is soft enough to not bother when I DID need to get one loose!
Since under the shower is never a fun place to get to it, I might consider doing the best I could to not have to do it ever again!!

Lazy guys like me have to work hard to avoid working twice!

Ok I believe the problem is solved. After getting situated I reevaluated the whole scenario. I was pretty certain it was a drainage issue so I’m a little embarrassed to say it wasn’t. After reaching behind the toilet to feel the water supply line I felt water. I did a little research on toilets and found a common problem on my model was the valve in back often goes bad. Since it was 13 years old I decided to replace the whole toilet instead of just that part as I would have still had to remove the toilet for the job. I upgraded the same brand, newer model and also the taller version (since we are aging and low toilets are not fun ). It’s been 4 days and no more water leak.. Thank you for your input, it’s always helpful to have someone else give their perspective. Thankfully it was a fairly simple fix.

 

[Morich]

Any day it gets fixed is a good day. Now go play!