We have a shower base that is cracked and leaking. We have tried to epoxy the crack and it worked for a couple of months and now it is leaking again. Any quick fixes out there without having to pull the thing out or reinforce the support? It is in a Jayco Optimum motorhome. Thanks Maz
oldbobsbus said
06:41 PM Dec 15, 2013
Have you been to Jayco and asked them what solution they recommend...There is no doubt in my mine they would have had this problem in other units..
martio said
07:44 PM Dec 15, 2013
Not sure if this might be a suitable solution. But highly flexible waterproof membranes available from tiling stores( preferable or hardware store). Apply thin reinforcing tape across crack and apply membrane to recommended thickness. Apply a tape around bottom of base as low as possible to peel off later and leave a neat finished edge. May require popping out waste grate so membrane can be continued into waste pipe then reinstall grate. Some colours are available in different brands such as white , blue green. A non slip grated shower mat cut to size covering the taped membrane line, so the different floor finish is mostly covered and not too visual. Not ideal but if the crack has occurred through the base flexing due to body weight or motion flexing it will probably keep doing so with minor epoxy or fibrelass repairs.
Olley46 said
07:49 PM Dec 15, 2013
Hi 2abreast
Just a thought you could try putting plastic sheeting around the floor and duck tape it to the walls ,just until you can get it fixed properly ,keep off the crack if you know where it is so it dosent grab the plastic just a thought.
lance C
PeterInSa said
07:58 PM Dec 15, 2013
Hi 2abrest,
I replaced the floor on a friends campervan, it was a similar floor to that installed in some caravans, the plastic like substance was around 2 or 3 mm thick. The problem came about becasue the floor was not put down correctlly and supported, so walking on it caused the cracks. I had to remove the built in cassette toilet to take the floor out and put the new one in.
I would suggest you call Jayco but also follow up with caravan parts suppliers.
Peter
Aus-Kiwi said
10:49 PM Dec 16, 2013
Sounds like it needs more flooring support ?? From under van ??
PeterInSa said
09:49 AM Dec 17, 2013
Re Flooring support.
The Plastic floor on the underside was not level, ie there was an indentation around the plug hole, and not enough of the wooden floor was taken out, so the plastic around the plug hole was raised with no support. Stand in this area while showering helped to make the crack.
Around the ouside edge of the floor was a 60mm horizontal section that then dropped down ( about 70mm) to the floor, standing on this horizontal section, put pressure on the plastic floor that had no support so cracks appeared.
The floor had the option of 2 plug holes, the second one was not used, but the wooden floor was not set up to allow the platic to seat correctly and so the plastic floor was not supported.
Peter
brian said
11:03 AM Dec 17, 2013
A complaint to Jayco should be the first item on your agenda.
They have a legislated duty of care to ensure that their product is fit for purpose, which this clearly is not.
If you attempt repairs yourself you may well forfeit any relief that you have at law.
Existing consumer protection laws extend well beyond warranty expiry dates for things that just should not have happened to a product.
Vanderee said
12:15 PM Dec 22, 2013
THE ONLY LONG TERM SOLUTION (Retired engineer)
I had the same problem in the motor home. Two part epoxy kept cracking and leaking. In the end I got
fed up and got 3 fibre glass kits with matting from Bunnings. Just follow instructions.
I sanded (course) the whole floor and applied it, brush on apply matting, brush over again.
about 4 cm up the wall as well which gives more strength. I ran a fan for the fumes though.
This stuff cures very quick, and took about an hour all up. Use gloves and face mask though !!
Three days later; lightly sanded (fine, to remove the gloss ) the new floor and painted it with a matching
coulor Auto" acrylic" car paint, spray can; from Supa Cheap. Must be acrylic car paint not just oil base !
One mist coat, let dry then two final heavier paint coats. We used the shower 12 hours later, no problem.
I masked off with tape,still looks like new 4 years later. Solid as a rock. Did not remove the floor drain.
I placed a tight fit removable plastic tube in the drain hole and fibre glassed around it.
(A lot of stuff does not work as it's supposed to )
The motor home repair shop quoted me $350. to do the same job. Ha ha.... it's easy done.
Fiber glass ;; nothing beats it.
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:19:43 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:22:46 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:25:56 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:28:16 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:33:28 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:37:36 PM
george57 said
08:50 AM Dec 28, 2013
Hi,
Had the same problem and I also re-fibreglassed the floor as described by Vanderee, except I used an epoxy paint to finish off as I consider it a more durable finish . Floor no longer flexes under weight, and no cracking....
Cheers,
George
2abreast said
03:51 PM Apr 11, 2014
Thanks for all the replies.... Still have the problem and planning what to do
Two Strays said
07:20 PM Apr 18, 2014
Hello All
I have seen and heard of shower bases in Jayco caravans cracking and subsequently leaking. The theory is the shower modules are made of plastic and not UV treated. With the sun shining through the skylight/fan vents it causes the showerbases to deteriate.
We have a shower base that is cracked and leaking. We have tried to epoxy the crack and it worked for a couple of months and now it is leaking again. Any quick fixes out there without having to pull the thing out or reinforce the support? It is in a Jayco Optimum motorhome. Thanks Maz
Not sure if this might be a suitable solution. But highly flexible waterproof membranes available from tiling stores( preferable or hardware store). Apply thin reinforcing tape across crack and apply membrane to recommended thickness. Apply a tape around bottom of base as low as possible to peel off later and leave a neat finished edge. May require popping out waste grate so membrane can be continued into waste pipe then reinstall grate. Some colours are available in different brands such as white , blue green. A non slip grated shower mat cut to size covering the taped membrane line, so the different floor finish is mostly covered and not too visual. Not ideal but if the crack has occurred through the base flexing due to body weight or motion flexing it will probably keep doing so with minor epoxy or fibrelass repairs.
Hi 2abreast
Just a thought you could try putting plastic sheeting around the floor and duck tape it to the walls ,just until you can get it fixed properly ,keep off the crack if you know where it is so it dosent grab the plastic just a thought.
lance C
I replaced the floor on a friends campervan, it was a similar floor to that installed in some caravans, the plastic like substance was around 2 or 3 mm thick. The problem came about becasue the floor was not put down correctlly and supported, so walking on it caused the cracks. I had to remove the built in cassette toilet to take the floor out and put the new one in.
I would suggest you call Jayco but also follow up with caravan parts suppliers.
Peter
The Plastic floor on the underside was not level, ie there was an indentation around the plug hole, and not enough of the wooden floor was taken out, so the plastic around the plug hole was raised with no support. Stand in this area while showering helped to make the crack.
Around the ouside edge of the floor was a 60mm horizontal section that then dropped down ( about 70mm) to the floor, standing on this horizontal section, put pressure on the plastic floor that had no support so cracks appeared.
The floor had the option of 2 plug holes, the second one was not used, but the wooden floor was not set up to allow the platic to seat correctly and so the plastic floor was not supported.
Peter
A complaint to Jayco should be the first item on your agenda.
They have a legislated duty of care to ensure that their product is fit for purpose, which this clearly is not.
If you attempt repairs yourself you may well forfeit any relief that you have at law.
Existing consumer protection laws extend well beyond warranty expiry dates for things that just should not have happened to a product.
THE ONLY LONG TERM SOLUTION (Retired engineer)
I had the same problem in the motor home. Two part epoxy kept cracking and leaking. In the end I got
fed up and got 3 fibre glass kits with matting from Bunnings. Just follow instructions.
I sanded (course) the whole floor and applied it, brush on apply matting, brush over again.
about 4 cm up the wall as well which gives more strength. I ran a fan for the fumes though.
This stuff cures very quick, and took about an hour all up. Use gloves and face mask though !!
Three days later; lightly sanded (fine, to remove the gloss ) the new floor and painted it with a matching
coulor Auto" acrylic" car paint, spray can; from Supa Cheap. Must be acrylic car paint not just oil base !
One mist coat, let dry then two final heavier paint coats. We used the shower 12 hours later, no problem.
I masked off with tape,still looks like new 4 years later. Solid as a rock. Did not remove the floor drain.
I placed a tight fit removable plastic tube in the drain hole and fibre glassed around it.
(A lot of stuff does not work as it's supposed to )
The motor home repair shop quoted me $350. to do the same job. Ha ha.... it's easy done.
Fiber glass ;; nothing beats it.
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:19:43 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:22:46 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:25:56 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:28:16 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:33:28 PM
-- Edited by Vanderee on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 12:37:36 PM
Had the same problem and I also re-fibreglassed the floor as described by Vanderee, except I used an epoxy paint to finish off as I consider it a more durable finish . Floor no longer flexes under weight, and no cracking....
Cheers,
George
Thanks for all the replies.... Still have the problem and planning what to do
Hello All
I have seen and heard of shower bases in Jayco caravans cracking and subsequently leaking. The theory is the shower modules are made of plastic and not UV treated. With the sun shining through the skylight/fan vents it causes the showerbases to deteriate.
Best of luck with the fix
Cheers all