Repair Fiberglass Holding Tank

[WhiffyWinnie68]

Sent: 4/9/2006

Yesterday, my husband pulled our Winnie up on his lift ramps and due to low brake fluid he didn't stop but rolled off the ramps!  And...yes the ramp punched a big tear in the fiberglass holding tank.  Has anybody ever had any experience repairing one?  Are there special products he should use or not use.  Appreciate any tips.  Great way to start the camping season huh?  Rig is 1968 Winnie.  Thanks for reading!

[Oz]

Sent: 4/9/2006

If it is fiberglass, you can use common fiberglass repair kits found at Wal-Mart, the kind with the mesh cloth and 2 part resin, just follow the instructions and be sure the patch covers the entire damage.  Remove any broken pieces or small bits which may have come off or which are weak.

- Sob

[Oz]

Sent: 4/9/2006

Oh, and BTW, your husband gets this year's first "Here's your sign" award for smooth moves. 

       I have a whole display case full myself. 

If the this is the worst you have to deal with this season, and it was self-inflicted, you're going to have a GREAT camping experience!

- UnsikableSob

[Lefty]

Sent: 4/9/2006

And believe me... Sob is an expert on rolling on ramps!! He also is the "inhouse" authority on converting Winne's into house-boat's!!
                                                                  Lefty

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 6/25/2006

You can repair an RV tank for a WHILE with fiberglass repair resin and fibers/sheets.  The problem is time.

We repaired our blackwater tank over a year ago...this was taking EVERY precaution, empty tank, cleaned and dry surfaces...and it STILL came up leaking a year later...

We did it "right"...but the "right" way is to replace the tank with a MODERN material...

Kev

[camperguynj]

Sent: 6/26/2006
 
I had great success with repairing the black hole in the fiberglass blackwater tank that the PO forgot to mention ... along with the broken waste valve (Hey, I bought in the deep freeze of winter and I am an admitted moron) (Mtgs - Tuesdays 7:00pm - Fellowship Hall)

Some tips from my experience:
Fiberglass kits mentioned can also be purchased at the large adult toy store with the orange logo - paint department
The hole I patched was around 6" along with a 8" crack running off it. - I ended up needing more hardener than came with the kit.  (Yes, I followed the mixing instructions carefully)
Clean, clean & clean again the area to be patched
Lay out EVERYTHING ahead of time including the things you will need within reach when you are under the 'bago
Limit handling of dry fiberglass sheets as they fray like the dickens
Wear rubber gloves, protective eye-ware and yes, a hat.
Use a disposable pie pan or margarine container to mix the resin
Working time is VERY short- Mix in small batches
Apply wet resin around hole, then lay up cloth patch
Apply at the edges first, feather out beyond the fiberglass cloth ... then apply the remainder to the rest of the cloth patch
Work in a well ventilated area ... with a respirator if possible
Apply more coats than the directions state
Finish with adding more brake fluid to avoid over shooting the length of a ramp.

[tcactyl]

Sent: 6/27/2006

I have been following the thread on repairing plastic holding tanks and I beg to differ from the common view. The tanks beneath my 79 chieftain are of a polymer composition...no doubt rotation or injection molded ...certainly not GRP (glass reinforced plastic) which incidentally you would repair using epoxy adhesive. Polyester is not the way to repair a GRP tank, it is ideally a moulding resin only..not an adhesive .
Henceforth I've deduced the materials used in our RV's are made of either HDPE (high density polyethylene) or PP (polypropylene) both easily plastic welded where you get vehicle fenders repaired. (pardon me for living in the UK)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_welding

check it out dudes :-)...hope that was helpful ?

[camperguynj]

Sent: 6/28/2006

I agree fully with you that a fiberglass patch kit is not the way to go on repairing a polymer/injection molded type tank.

Whiffie's, like mine, is a 1968 and the tank is fiberglass.  My guess is that Winnebago adapted the polymer type tanks at a later date.  When that was,  I wouldn't know.

If my post misled anyone to believe they could use this method of patching a polymer type tank please accept my apologies. 

I read with interest that HOPE and PP can be plastic welded.  It certainly beats the alternative of removing and installing a new tank.  Which is what led me to try the patch first in my situation.

[Oldbag373861]

Sent: 7/5/2006

I have not yet had to mend my holding tank. But I did have to repair my windshield washer tank a week or so ago. I think that is polypropylene. First I attempted to weld it using a hot table knife and strips off an old Tupperware container. Still leaked. Tried again. Still leaked. Then I remembered that someone on this site had recommended hot glue. So I heated up the old glue gun and let her have it. She hasn't leaked yet!
Might work on a PP holding tank as well.

[brians1969]

Sent: 7/5/2006

Loctite makes a special adhesive for polyethylene and plastics. I used it on my water tank and haven't had a problem since.
brian

[numby]

Sent: 7/5/2006

you can buy a repair kit from local RV dealer... about 5.00 its a sticky patch you peel the back and apply.. lifetime warranty... numby