Maybe Trap under shower is leaking

[Gary Wolfer]

98 Patriot Monticello
I have water leaking from the trap or somewhere in the wall getting the wood floor under the shower wet. So much so it has been soaking the floor under the drawers under the bedroom closet that backs up to the shower stall. There is a 5" access hole in the closet next to the exterior wall with a wood plate covering it (by the floor of the closet) And of course there is an access plate in the closet for the shower head. Behind the left drawer (after pulling the drawer out) there are two openings one next to the wall which is access for wiring and plumbing. then there is another 5" hole lined up with the sewer drain but so much abs pipe in the way I cannot reach the trap. On the outside of the coach there is another shower access exterior door but there is more abs and water lines secured to the floor and no way to get to the trap either.

Under the trap there is about a 6" hole in the floor (They had to cut a hole in the floor because the trap is below the floor level.) I figured there must be a plate under the trap so it could be fixed if it was leaking. I have an obsticle it is the inner fender. I had a bolt in the center of the inner fender and when I turned the nut the bolt turned as well so I had to cut the bolt off with my sawzall. The bolt went clear thru the floor and was spinning under the shower. Of course I could not get to it either. There were two nuts and bolts on the front and rear of the inner fender so I took them off. I pulled off the inner fender and there was a sheet of 1/2" white insulation covered in plastic. I pulled the insulation out and was expecting to see a plate over the hole they drilled below the trap. NADA. They covered the hole with a full sheet of insulation that is thruout the whole coach. No access to the trap at all from anywhere so I measured thru the outside shower inspection door to the center of the hole then got underneath and marked close as I could to the center then tapped the insulation with a hammer and it was hollow right where I measured. I drilled a small 1/8" hole thru the insulation and the water started draining out then I drilled two more holes and water was still running out of all 3 when I was finished. Now after the floor drys out I will be able to look above the drivers and see if it is the shower drain and if it does not leak I will wait for the next rain storm that should be next week to see if it is coming from somewhere else. At least water is not trapped anymore and before I put it back together I will carve out the insulation to open the hole below the trap and put a tin plate below so I can access the trap later. This thread I started to ask for help and finished the thread with my own answer hope it helps others. (when that hole filled with water it started running under the closet and started to get the carpet wet in the bedroom.  I cannot believe they did not leave access to the trap.

[Fred Brooks]

       Hi Gary,
 Darn Engineers, They never get to repair or deal with their creations. It is difficult at best trying to determine where the water is coming from. Once it dries out, cover the shower drain inside with something that will allow you to fill the shower pan about 1 inch. Observe from the outside access while someone removes the shower drain cover you fabricated. It is not uncommon for the putty between the pan and drain to dry out and crumble when the coach is 16 years old. If that is the case, you'll see water leaking above the p-trap. Another source on older coaches is the cone washer on the shower fixture on tha "hot side" . Constant temperature changes on the cone washer compromises the seal over time.
     Regards, Fred

[Gary Wolfer]

Thanks Fred
I have been plagued with leaks since I  bought this coach. The roof leaked but I fixed it with a coat of dicor and air conditioning gaskets. The girard awning is a disaster. It does not close all the way across and leaks down the wall and accumulates down one side of a window. The egress window in the bedroom is leaking and getting worse. I am not sure if it comes from the window or above. I have been in touch with Dave Root in Bend and am going thru some suggestions like sealing the window with silicone or lexel first before removing the window and resealing. It might be coming from a bove as well. I do most of my work myself so it is a work in progress. I live on the Oregon coast so it is a good testing ground. At least I have a temporary fix til I find the answer under the shower and I will have access to the trap when I am done.

[Les Brandt]

I agree with Fred. It's likely the trap or the shower control.
One other thing might be the plumbing venting that exits the roof. A poor seal could allow water from rain to run down the pipe to the floor area.

Just a thought.

[Gary Wolfer]

It is dry now after draining the water off. I have checked the holes I drilled every day since I did it and no moisture at the holes, The floor under the shower is dry now. We may get some rain towards the end of the week. I think the shower drain and trap are ok but I will tape a piece of blue paper shop towel over the holes I drilled under the trap and make sure before it rains because I cannot see the bottom of the trap.