Waste water leaking from belly pan

A few days after dumping the tanks we noticed an odor in the bathroom and found liquid dripping from the underside where the drainpipes penetrate the bottom cover. I drained all the tanks and flushed the black tank, and the odor went away, and the dripping slowed quite a bit and stopped by morning. My black tank was fairly full when I dumped it, so maybe one of the connections at the top maybe leaking.
Does anyone have any input before I start tearing into this thing?

Hi fox575,

Welcome to the posting side of the forum.

The only thing I could think is that the vent pipe has been found loose a couple of times. You don't have your unit model listed. Maybe if you post what unit you have some of the others may have an idea about the leak also.

Jim M

Thanks, Jim. I did look at the vent pipe connection and it looked okay, but the drain from the toilette is resting hard against the flooring just above the tank and could be putting a side load on the fitting. I guess I'll open up the hole in the floor and see if I can a better look at the joint before I start tearing things apart.
I didn't see a way to put in the data like you have under your posting. My rig is a 2011 big Horn 3185 RL?

Joel

Fox575,

Welcome to the Heartland Family. Sorry to hear that you are having the issues you are describing. Unfortunately without being able to get in there and see exactly what is going on, it could be just about any connection in your black tank configuration, or a crack in your tank or one of your pipes. The reality is that the bottom skin is going to have to come off in order to be able to visually see what and where it is leaking. There are quite a few threads on the forum that deal with this issue and there have been several different reasons that there have been leaks, many of which have been simple fixes once the belly cover has been removed and the area exposed. If it is not something that you are comfortable doing, look for a reputable repair facility in your area to take it too.

As far as the information below your post that would contain your trailer and tow vehicle information that is just a signature edit in order to see that. Below is a picture that shows you how to do that. Just click the settings in your upper right hand corner of the HOC page and then click the edit signature on the left, once you are in the settings screen.

Thanks, Rod. We just have one more month here in Mesa before heading home, so if it only leaks when the tank Is full I might try to get by until I get home. One of my neighbors here in the park said his tank split because it is only braced in the middle and can get over stressed when full.

Joel

We had the same problem and it was crack in the grey water tank right where the valve nipple connected to the tank. We had to have the tank replaced and have had no problems since. Hope this helps.

Hi fox575,

I notice you're in Colorado. If you have tank heating pads, it's possible to burn a hole in the tank if you have the tank heaters on with no water in the tank. I managed to do this on our first ski trip to Breckenridge. Patched the holes and replaced the heating pad. Now we make sure there's always water in the tank when the heating pads are on.

Because of the unpleasant smell, I assumed that it was the black tank that was leaking, but after reading your comments, I'm inclined to think its the grey tank.
Does anyone know if Heartland will replace them out of warranty?
Neil, it sounds like your leak was in the lower part of the tank. I think mine is on top since it didn't leak until it was nearly full.
BTW, I don't have the tank heaters, but it sounds like a good solution for camping in the mountains.
Thanks for everyone's input.

Joel

Here's an update on my leaking tank problem. I pulled the bathroom grey tank out today and found that, what looks like a polypropylene plug in the top of the tank, had a pulled free along one edge. It looks like it was put in with adhesive that obviously failed, probably due to tank flexing. It may have been that way for quite some time, but I didn't become aware of it until I let the tank get completely full. The best solution I could find was marine epoxy which I applied liberally around the junction of the tank and the plug.

They did replace ours under warranty. In fact, we were in Branson, Mo and found a repair guy. He ordered it but it was taking way too long to get it and we needed to get on the road, so the repair guy called the factory and they agreed to send it back a RV repair dealer of our choice in CA. When we got home, we had it repaired. The guy in Branson put a silicone patch on it and it lasted the rest of our trip which was about 2 more months.