Stuff is breaking. - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

hilltool · 03-14-2015, 10:59 AM

Been on the road for two weeks in Florida. Beats wisconsin so I can't complain. But the 14 yr old trailer is developing some predictable wearing out stuff. For one, something broke on top of shower faucet and I had to quit using water system as water shoots straight up from where shower hose attached. Busted fitting. I will replace whole unit it when I get home and install shuoff valves also.
In addition, possibly related, the shower pan flooded and I noticed water leaking from underneath trailer in that spot. Wouldlike to remove it and inspect when I get home. Anyone ever remove one ? And the the thing that rotates the antenna sheared off. So I need to replace that stuff.

Thoughts or links on any of this appreciated. We are licking our wounds at daughter's house in Marietta, ga before heading north on Monday. Hopefully the frozen north will prove to be less frozen when we get back. Learned a lot doing this trip. Despite issues, had a great time and the trailer performed pretty well.

Rick

JackandJanet · 03-14-2015, 12:47 PM

Hi Rick -

I think, rather than remove the shower pan (which probably means removing the toilet as well), I'd just check and renew the caulking around the edge of the pan and possibly at the base of the toilet.

Unless you have a crack in the pan, I can't see any other point where it would be leaking.

- Jack

hilltool · 03-14-2015, 05:16 PM

Thanks , Jack.

My fear was more how wet it got under there. I may have left water running over night and it filled up the gray then flooded into the pan then over flowed? Pan was filled but floor wasn't wet. Maybe back pressure caused leakage around shower drain.Don't know for sure just know when I went to empty the gray tank there was water leaking out where the floor meets the frame under neath. I guess I can just run a fan from the underside but I didn't know if there was a panel on side of pan I could remove and see. It's a long story.

However, having the trailer hooked into direct pressure for all those days certainly stressed the system even though I was using a check down valve. Live and learn . On the other hand, having a sewer dump five feet from the trailer did come in handy when it happened.

JackandJanet · 03-14-2015, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilltool

Thanks , Jack.

My fear was more how wet it got under there. I may have left water running over night and it filled up the gray then flooded into the pan then over flowed? Pan was filled but floor wasn't wet. Maybe back pressure caused leakage around shower drain.Don't know for sure just know when I went to empty the gray tank there was water leaking out where the floor meets the frame under neath. I guess I can just run a fan from the underside but I didn't know if there was a panel on side of pan I could remove and see. It's a long story.

However, having the trailer hooked into direct pressure for all those days certainly stressed the system even though I was using a check down valve. Live and learn . On the other hand, having a sewer dump five feet from the trailer did come in handy when it happened.

Hi again Rick -

In my trailer, I can take off the panel right under the entrance into the bathroom. I think there are maybe three screws (max) holding it on. I did this when I was trying to decide how to route the wires from the solar panels down into the bottom of the trailer. With that panel off, I could see under most of the shower pan. It was an easy remove/replace. (But I also determined it would not be practical to route the wires this way.)

If you have a similar setup. it would give you additional access to direct a fan in there to assist in drying things out.

- Jack

Wrascal · 03-14-2015, 10:28 PM

No sure if this applies to your example but when my HiLo gray tank got full it backed up into the shower pan. Not once, but twice.

EDIT guess I should have read to the end ... as you already deduced that.

JIM L · 03-15-2015, 01:55 PM

Hi Rick
I have had all of these problems so will add my two cents. On my HiLo I had the water leak at the top of the faucet. On top of the faucet there is a backflow preventer valve and the shower hose screws onto it. The valve is only aprox 1" long. If it fails it can spray water. Its cheap and just screws in. As you know if the tank fills up it will fill the shower pan. These tanks are not that strong and if you travel with full or partially full tanks, gray or black water the water sloshing around can flex the top of the tank and crack the tank where the drain line connects to it. I have had this happen on two RVs. When you get a chance fill the grey tank until it just begins to flow into the pan. If water leaks onto the ground then you have a crack in the tank. If needed add more water to the pan to see if it leaks. If water has frozen in the drain trap it could be the leak. I have repaired these cracks with ABS cement and fiberglass cloth and had no more problems. If you do have cracks, and the tank is easy to remove this is the best way to repair it. If you do have to remove the pan , remove the trim strips from the top of the pan and those on the side panel. Unscrew the drain to disconnect it from the drain line and the pan will come out. On my HiLo the tank was not going to be easy to remove so I enlarged the hole in the floor where the drain line goes thru so I could get my hand to spread the ABS cement and fiberglass cloth and then sealed the hole back up when I finished. Hope you do not have these cracks but the repairs were not as difficult as the writeup. If you do have to make this repair and need more info lets talk on the phone. Easier than typing. J&R also stocks new tanks.

hilltool · 03-15-2015, 09:53 PM

Thanks Jim. I was looking closer today and got a better lay of the land. I'm still on the road so won't be able to check things until I get hem. It looks like I will have to replace the faucet/ shower assembly right away as I can't seem to pressurize the system until I do so, including blowing the lines. Pita. Hopefully it won't get too cld for too long when I get home ---- maybe a couple nights below 30 but rising to above freezing during the day. Tried to push antifreeze back through it but wasn't able to do so. I may have turned the bypass valves the wrong way and sent the antifreeze into the hotwTer heater. I basically had a gallon disappear on me. I'll figure it out but thanks for the advice.

JackandJanet · 03-15-2015, 11:54 PM

Valves should be vertical for bypass, Rick.

You probably have some drain valves in the lines too. They could be opened, along with the sink faucets to purge the lines and prevent freezing damage until you can get antifreeze in them.

You could just pour some antifreeze into the sinks to fill the traps if the temperatures look like they could be problematic.

- Jack

hilltool · 03-16-2015, 10:13 PM

Thanks. On mine one is vertical and one is horizontal. Usually I keep track by the seasons- but I may have set the bypass when I shut off the water so I wouldn't have to do it later and then forgot. So- I will open the drain valves and top off the traps with antifreeze and I might even get new faucet installed by Saturday night when lows are supposed to be intwenties again. If I can figure away to plug the hole in the faucet I can blow the lines again. Epoxy or super glue may work seeing I need to trash it anyway or just disconnecting the lines and putting in a couple of plugs. Should be close to putting 3k on it on this trip by the time I'm done. Nice trip but I'm sick of driving.

misfit429 · 03-17-2015, 10:26 AM

Hi Rick. A little input on your antenna issue. If the aluminum hex shaft that sticks through the ceiling has stripped or broken you won't be able to fix it. If you have to replace the antenna I would suggest one called the "Jack". It is a small wedge shaped antenna that stick up about a foot off your roof. It is HD ready and has it's own amplifier and signal strength meter. I replaced my old Wineguard with one of these and it works great. They sell one that mounts directly to top of trailer or a head that goes on the Wineguard mast. Get the one that mounts directly to the top and just replace it all. They are cheaper on Ebay than at the trailer supply places. Paid about $100 for mine. Just read the description and make sure it's the entire antenna and not just the head assembly. Easy to install also. Just follow the directions for cable hookup and use a good sealant under it when you screw it to the roof.

hilltool · 03-18-2015, 01:50 PM

General update.

Pulled in last night around 5:00 pm after another day of nine hours of driving and driving into a 15-20 mph wind all day. Dropped the trailer and then went back oVer this mornng and bought a new faucet and installed it. Biggest challenge was having to use various props in place of an extra set of hands......like somebody to hold the faucet in place n the shower while I attached the water lines from under the kitchen sink. A telescoping snow brush/ scraper worked fine( how many of you got one of those.) ?

Anyway- that did the trick. With a clear head got my bypass valve situation figured out and then ran another gallon of antifreeze Into the system. I will wait to tackle the flooded floor and antenna issue and shutoff valves for when she warms up a bit but for now I'm good to go for any below freezing nights. Probably overkill by why risk it, eh? In general it was a great time and the trailer pulled great every day. In the pecking order of rv-ing snowbirds I realize we were just above Casitas and tent trailers..... But so what, right? Thanks for everyone's advice.

Rick