Dear RV Shrink:
It’s jump or swim around here. I need your help. I feel like I am married to Jacques Cousteau. We have had a water leak for almost two years. My husband refuses to have someone else solve his problems. We did stop at the Winnebago factory last year on the way home, but they were too busy to look at it. He then bought a cable with a camera on the end to explore the nooks and crannies of our rig where the holding tank is situated. That device turned out to be a joke and he sent it back to Amazon.
Yesterday he came in with a big grin on his face and said, “Eureka, I found the leak!” Although the leak seemed to be coming from the top of the tank, it actually turned out to be a small crack in the tank just at the top edge. This crack location made it look like the water was coming over the top edge of the tank like a waterfall. I felt relief until I realized that now he is on to the discovery phase of the fix. You might say he is fixated.
Should I just let him do his thing or have him committed? —Donna in Dripping Springs
Dear Dripping:
It seems like a long time to have a water problem. I hope it has not caused more problems than you currently have. There is an old adage, “Penny wise and pound foolish.” Letting a problem go too long might cost you more than just aggravation in the long run. Glad you finally discovered the cause.
I know that Winnebago roto-molds their own tanks. I believe they use low density polyethylene. About the only way to repair them is plastic welding. Your husband can attempt it himself inexpensively by purchasing poly welding sticks of the same material as the tank. It can be melted with a soldering iron. I have also seen a new product called “TAD poly weld” that claims it will adhere to, and seal, polyethylene.
Your other choice would be to have the tank replaced, which in most cases involves more labor costs than material. Hopefully one of the cheap fixes work.
I would wait until the work was complete before having your husband committed. —Keep Smilin’, Richard Mallery a.k.a. Dr. R.V. Shrink
##RVT770
