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Old 05-11-2023, 05:21 PM   #1
Muhldeer
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Unhappy Plumbing Access

I have a 2021 Montana 3813MS that has leaky (talking old faithful geiser level) flex pipes in the under belly. The problem is the leaking area is too far for me to reach from the basement, and too far from the access panel inside the door, or the cabinet where the water heater is located. I am too large to fit between the supports. How then, do I get to the pipes to replace them? Do I have to cut holes in the membrane underneath? I fear that the tanks are right there as well. Thanks for any assistance you may be able to suggest.
 
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Old 05-11-2023, 05:43 PM   #2
Daryles
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Any chance you can find a neighbors skinny kid?
Seriously, our last house had a Jacuzzi jetted tub. It had a leak. We found a plumber, he had to be in his 70s. He was about 5' and skinny as a stick.
He crawled into the access panel at the end of the tub (only his boots were sticking out) and put epoxy on the plumbing fixing the leak.
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Old 05-11-2023, 08:09 PM   #3
Lee-CI
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One could drop the Coloplast instead of cutting it for access to the plumbing. Lot of work if you are uncomfortable cutting it open for access. If you do drop it down, recommend putting it back up with self tapping screws.
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Old 05-12-2023, 03:27 PM   #4
Cbrez
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You may as well drop the coroplast to get to the leak. No fun for sure, but I’d rather do that than cut and patch it. Besides, you probably have water sitting on top of the Coroplast and may have mold issues down the road if you don’t get it dried out.
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Old 05-21-2023, 01:14 PM   #5
bcrvman
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muhldeer View Post
I have a 2021 Montana 3813MS that has leaky (talking old faithful geiser level) flex pipes in the under belly. The problem is the leaking area is too far for me to reach from the basement, and too far from the access panel inside the door, or the cabinet where the water heater is located. I am too large to fit between the supports. How then, do I get to the pipes to replace them? Do I have to cut holes in the membrane underneath? I fear that the tanks are right there as well. Thanks for any assistance you may be able to suggest.
Cut 3 sided access flaps in the coroplast with the hinge to the wind. Use a knife like any of the following so you don't cut a tank, but unless you are careful you could still catch a wire. Just keep the interior leading edge as close and parallel to the coroplast as possible. https://amz.run/6hvO https://amz.run/6hvT
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Old 05-22-2023, 09:03 PM   #6
BiggarView
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We're having same issue on our 2020 3813, I determined the leak was coming from the shower drain which has come loose from the pipe that goes to the gray tank though water flow (98% is going down the drain) is not a lot but it is a sign of future problems if not addressed.. Our RV dealer said we will have to cut into the coroplast and then cut through the main floor in the "crawl space" that as you say is inaccessible through the kitchen or the front door or the basement. Our plan is to open the coroplast to inspect for the best route. Then cut a rectangular "trap door" if you will (about 18-20" wide and 12-15" across) in the crawl space floor near the shower drain pipe to provide the access from under the RV. Hopefully we do not have any frame or other items blocking access) Once addressed I will screw two strips of wood longer than the length of the rectangle cutout so that it will rest on the floor when replaced. It can be screwed from under the floor to the strips to hold it there. then the coroplast can be resealed. The tricky part will be making sure the pex tubing for the shower is not in the way of the cuts as it lays on the crawl floor but it appears, from inside the RV at least, there is room to make the cut safely just have to use extra care.

For now I silicon caulked the shower drain to stop the shower water from leaking around the outside of the drain pipe, which is working as "band-aid fix" until the repair is made I have a shallow clear storage bin finagled under the shower elbow pipe with some fabric wrapped around it to act as a wick which then will draw any water into the bin which I put a towel in to absorb the water and allow it to evaporate. So far no issues. Not perfect or preferred but it works for now.

Lack of access, to this item is IMHO, a design flaw in the 3813/12 and the 3810/11 models. It was also a compromise to provide the extra bathroom headroom that we like about the plan but which could have be addressed in the design phase.
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Old 05-22-2023, 11:53 PM   #7
LeftOverParts
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BiggarView, have you considered going through the middle, lower doors of your hutch? That back wall is probably 1/8” ply. Thinking there are a couple ways to look behind that panel to decide if it’s worth cutting through: 1) feel around to make sure there isn’t a stud and then drill a 1/2” hole and use a borescope that connects to a laptop or smart phone - they’re around $40 from Amazon. You could look at the pipes, studs, wiring, etc. 2) check if any sections of the back wall of your basement are removable so you can see into that crawl space behind the hutch to see if the stud layout behind the hutch would give you room to reach the pipes.

We have the 3231CK but in case helpful, here’s a picture of that back wall taken through one of the back access panels in the basement. Your stud layout might be different but your hutch would be on the other side whereas that item in the middle is the back of the stove and the panels on the left and right are the back wall of the cabinets. Shower floor is partially visible.

Good luck which ever way you decide to tackle the leak!
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