2002 LT Freedom gray water tank leak

[Pantex]

It appears that I have a crack in the gray water tank on my 2002 Leisure Travel Freedom van. Has anyone replaced one of these tanks; are they still available? Can the tank be patched? The local rv shop says it can't be patched, but I like a challenge.

Thanks

[<<B-Guy>>]

Originally Posted by Pantex

It appears that I have a crack in the gray water tank on my 2002 Leisure Travel Freedom van. Has anyone replaced one of these tanks; are they still available? Can the tank be patched? The local rv shop says it can't be patched, but I like a challenge.

Thanks

Sorry not to be able to give specific info however ..... It is true that some plastics such as polyethylene don't take well to gluing etc. But these days there are many new adhesives available and hot air welding could also be an option.

Not sure where you live and what local resources you may have but I would certainly do some checking around for local folks with this expertise in plastic welding and repair before just taking the word of one local RV shop.

I have to admit that hot air welding requires some experience! I experimented with it with a Harbor Freight plastic welding ptfit using 110V "compressed air on some plastic scraps just to see what I could do - without a great deal of success, very easy just to melt holes in the plastic if you are not experienced!

You might do a search and look at some youtube videos for more info.

Is the crack visible without dropping the tank?

One good thing is that you re not trying to repair a container that has to resist significant pressure!

Good luck with it.

Brian.

[Pantex]

I talked to the fellow that I bought the van from and he had a couple of suggestions. It had rained the morning that I bought the van so I didn’t see the leak until I got home.

Thanks for the reply.

[Doneworking]

Pantex, I have had good success with a kind of Rube Goldberg approach that is cheap to try. Take a look at this:

https://www.amazon.com/TotalPond-Pon...ner+repair+kit

Home Depot and Lowes both sell pond supplies and the ones here carry these patches as I recall. It is a cheap thing to try. You just need to clean the area super clean and rough it up a bit with some sandpaper and stick it on there. Make sure you mash it down real good so that it cures with as much contact as possible.

It has to cure for a day or so and there may be some plastics it won't work on but what the heck, for ten bucks you can give it a shot.

I have used this stuff for years for all sorts of non pond related repairs. I actually put a piece neatly shaped on the bumper cover of my Roadtrek (which is plastic of some sort) I put it on both corners to protect them a little in case I got to close to something ( I did and covered up a small crack with it) Given the dark color of the plastic and the fact that the repair stuff is matte black, it actually looked nice and like it was intended to be there.

[booster]

Be aware that if you try to use adhesives on the tank, and it doesn't hold, you may have issues with getting it heat welded later because of contamination in the weld area. The worst is when there is a deep crack and some sealer or adhesive gets down in it so far it is hard to grind or clean out.

[henknoordermeer]

Possible DIY repair:
Step #1 : Prevent further cracking by tracing the crack(s) and drilling a small hole at the end of each crack. This prevents further stress build-up so that in the event your repair is not a full structural repair but more a patch preventing leaks, will not eventually be undone by further cracking.

Step #2 : Stop the leak. This could be done in multiple way i think, and the best / easiest / cheapest way could depend on the location of the crack.
- Is the crack in an easy to reach and flat area (not over corners or bends), you could try to stop the leak by patching it with a gasket material (silicone) and a cap (sheet metal or plastic sheet). You could ensure the plate doesnt come off in case the sylicone or glue wouldnt hold anymore by drilling some small holes through the plate or cap and tank on the perimeter of the cap. You can use some self tapping screws to finish it. Drilling the holes slightly larger on the cap will ensure that you actually tighten the cap to the tank.
Best way to ensure you dont push all the sealant out from between the tank and cap is to apply the sealant, place the cap on it, and slightly screw it down, wait for it to dry a little and then fully tighten the screws.. This method is also done to seal transmission and oil pans and head gaskets on engines that are under a lot of heat stress (expansion, cooling etc), I am pretty confident it would work also on a tank.
(One note: The tank should not flex to much in the area either or it may break the seal. )

[Pantex]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I haven’t located the leak. Looks like I will have to remove some of the insulation on the tank to find it. Fortunately it’s just a small drip.

[ThunderAce]

Please join the FB Group Leisure Travel Freedom Widebody and share this experience.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2374...?ref=bookmarks

Maybe someone there has good info and even if not, sharing is caring!

[TatraDog]

Pantex,

I remember reading once that someone used ETERNABOND Tape to repair a holding tank. It might work. Here is the description for it from Amazon:

3" x 50' Foot Contin ROLL of authentic Eternabond repair tape.
Bonds to surfaces and stops leaks.
Use on: EPDM, TPO, most PVC, CSPE/Hypalon, CPE, SBS, APP modifieds, asphalt BURs, coal tar BURs, all metal roofs, tiles, shingle, aluminum, galvanized steel, gypsum board, wood, polyethylene, propylene, polystyrene, fiberglass, brick, concrete, masonry, OSB, etc. Seals roof tears, seams, flashings, copings, skylights, gutters, and much more.
This tape is made to withstand all weather and will flex, expand and contract in all conditions.

[gksmith]

Pantex (or others) - Has the gray water tank leak problem been solved? I seem to have the same problem on the same vehicle--2002 Leisure Travel Freedom. I have not checked underneath yet, but wetness occurs under the van when it stands, but it is not odiferous like black water would be.

[gksmith]

I thought I would report my experience with a leaking gray water tank in response to the OP's query, even though this is not very timely. It turned out that I had a fairly major leak. When I got to a site where water was plentiful, I run a hose into my kitchen sink. And a pencil size stream ran out of the gray water tank. Naturally this was quite concerning. I took the B to a RV repair service and the technician successfully welded the hole shut. I don't know what the tank material is, but at least on 2002 Leisure Travel Freedom coaches, leaks can be repaired via welding. I've used it for a couple months and 5,000 miles since, so I am very relieved and pleased.

[Bruceper]

It would have been plastic welding, which is a fancy way of saying they melted the plastic around the hole to seal it up.

Plastic can be added, but it typically is not because the plastic that is being added must be very similar to the existing plastic. I suppose if you went to an RV mechanic they would probably have plastics similar to fresh, grey, or black tanks.