Rupturerd water line, water everywhere!!

[Boomer485]

Aarrrrgghhh. Yesterday while setting my Sunny up I had one of those incidents.



Evidently last winter, even though I blew my water lines out, one quietly ruptured. Yesterday after I hooked her up to the water line, and turned it on and checked inside I had cold water in bathroom and kitchen, but none from the hot water line. I knew it wouldn't be hot as the heater isn't turned on, but there should be flow right? Wrong.


Could hear water running, found carpet wet in hall way and bedroom. Ran out and turned water off, and watched excess water run out of the trailer along the side. Cant put what I said in here.



Opened the storage area under the bed. Soaking wet. Removed an access panel that goes into bathroom. Wet.



Took the throw rugs outside and hung them up, plus other assorted items that were wet. Opened the windows that I have screens on. One in living room by door, front window by sink, window next to back door, and window over bed. At dark as it was quite warm, I closed the windows and turned on the AC. This morning, reopened the windows and turned the AC off. It has been in the 90's and very windy so progress has been made in drying things out. Just what I needed, one more problem.



Now to find broken hose, and hope it is in an accessible area to fix it. Will wait until things are dry before we move to that joyous task.

[JohnB]

Ah, that feeling of, oh NO, its wet!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH

Yes, I too have experienced that as well (3 times and counting) as others here on the forum.

Fortunately ours was not to the degree of yours in water volume. The first time, I had a tank sprayer wand down the toilet rinsing the tank out and the plastic shut off valve exploded inside the bathroom...AHHHHHHH It may have only been 2 to 3 gallons of water all over, but in a camper, it feels like a 1,000... We moped that one up real quick and came out OK.

Then we had a water pump fitting leak, the cone gasket on the pipe out of the pump was cracked and when we filled up the fresh tank and turned on the pump, water starts flying in all directions under the sink cabinet. I thought it took a real long time for the pressure to build, once I saw the water running down the floor from under the cabinet, the oh NO, AHHHHHHH
seeing water of flowing across the floor in the camper that bad feeling set in. That event we were right there and mopped it all up and came out OK.

The last time was about a year ago. Was vacuuming the carpet near the slide on my hand and knees with a Dirt Devil and come to find the carpet was soaked. What???? We were out camping with it. The window on the slide had the frame drains pinched tight and water was sneaking in the window seal of a slider window and could not get out. So during the night the water built up in the window channel and overflowed into the camper while we slept through the storm. And that year it was doing monsoon rains about every other day/night. This one got me. It had happened several times before we found we even had a problem. Tried to dry it out and thought I figured out the leak was a slide seal, but nope it was not the slide seal. Next time we were out, our grandson was sleeping on the couch in the slide and it rained that night. Amazingly, the covers and him never got wet or did he notice anything. But I did, oh NO, it's wet again....AHHHHHHH This one was not good. Had to take the slide floor apart and the slide wall to get all the wet out of it. Took 3 weeks with a fan blowing to try and dry out the 1" thick slide floor. Then rebuilt it all and "fixed" the window drains. Errrrrr.

I feel for you. One thing to check, did the water work it's way down under the floor and into the insulation under the floor. Don't know if your vintage Sunline has the metal bottom cover or a the black plastic cover, the black plastic covers do not let the water get out very well they are sealed up so good. The older metal ones usually have some tiny cracks or hole to let some of the water to get out.

A moisture meter can scan up from the bottom on the black plastic ones and you can see on the meter if the water made its way down there. If it did, lets talk on how to cut open the plastic, get all the old wet insulation out and let it dry out. Then how to seal it all back up. If it is down there, it is a need to get it dried out or come 2 weeks plus nature being wet that long will start to fester and grow mold and rot.

Here is a link on a moisture meter that will do a good job for you. They are about $45 now and anyone owning a camper, should have one in their tool box. Sooner or later you will use it. https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f...per-17613.html

Hope this all comes out OK without too much issue. Ask away for any help you need.

John

[johnnybgood]

Yeah, things like that aren’t much fun.

Like John said....get some fans to speed up the drying process.

[jim44646]

I'm an expert at flooding my sonline. First thing open bottom membrane when doing so cut in the center of a floor joist. Easier to staple back up. Remove all wet insolation, it's like a sponge will never dry. You'll need a putty knife to remove insolation from between floor and frame.nif you can take a tarp and make a skirt around affected area and put an electric heater in there. Use a moisture meter to determine when floor is dry, be a few days. Cut new insolation. Staple up membrane and tape seams.

[Boomer485]

John,


I ordered the General pin-less moisture meter. Thanks for the great idea. Will begin testing. In the meantime on the hot days have had windows open and fan blowing. Have not cut open the bottom membrane yet. On the list. Water just POURED out one the side by the tires and sort of by the bathroom. So I am assuming it ran between the wall and the floor, under carriage. Oh joy. Thanks, Bruce

[Boomer485]

Thanks! I have four fans blowing their little hearts out. Wife is thinking now would be the time to replace the carpet with something like Pergo. I am going to check out Lumber Liquidators or Home Depot. I get a military discount there. Thanks again! Bruce

[Boomer485]

Hi Jim,


I am going to have to jack her up so I can get under her. I am just to dam fat to fit easily, but this sounds like an absolute must do. Darn it. Thanks for the excellent how to and advice. I really need it. Thanks again, Bruce