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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> RV Maintenance and Technical Tips -> Emergency - flooded. What to do?
Post Info TOPIC: Emergency - flooded. What to do?
cherylbrv


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Emergency - flooded. What to do?
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So the serviceman came today to replace the solonoid valve but discovered that wasn't the problem -- it was a pinhole leak in the ice maker water line.  He pulled out the frig and replaced the clear tubing (as an aside, he also fixed the door which kept coming off the track.  Total cost was $100, which was my warranty deductible which even included the onsite service call.  I highly recommend Wholesale Warranties!)

Fast forward to 4:00 in the morning when Mitch heard a strange sound, like a s&b toilet flushing.  He got up and discovered water gushing out from under the frig, and there was about 3" of water in the kitchen, which also completely SOAKED all of the carpet in the living room, and also got into the floor vents.

I guess my bottom line questions are:

1) is there any way to expedite getting the water out of the carpet?  Patting it with towels isn't really working

2) what should we expect when the carpet dries?  Will it be completely ruined and need replacing? 

 

Who else has experienced something like this?  I need the assurance we're not alone here.

Thanks!



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Cheryl B. in her new RV

(well, not new any more! Full timing since 6/25/14)

2008 DRV MS 36TKBS3 (the CoW: Castle on Wheels), 2005 Ford F550 hauler (the Bull)

My blog is http://mitcheryl-rv-journey.blogspot.com/

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Diana and Jim


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One possibility might be going to the grocery store and renting a carpet cleaning machine to suck the water out. Then run the air conditioner fan on constant. I hope your days start to go more smoothly.
Diana (and Jim)

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Gannet


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Go buy an inexpensive wet/dry shop-vac. Some are pretty small. This will be $30-50. Also a fan.

Good luck!

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SnowGypsy


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I agree with Gannet. We have a tiny wet/dry shop-vac that takes up very little room and is very strong. Running the A/C and an extra fan should really help. It is hard to tell what the damage might be until the floor dries. If it is OSB and the sealing isn't in good shape, it may swell but we have plywood very wet that dried just fine without damage other than water-spotting. Getting it dry so that it doesn't mold is your best bet to begin with. I'm so sorry this happened as I can imagine your horror at finding this after thinking your issues with the frig were over.

Looked at some construction photos on the DRV website and it looks like the floor is plywood with other layers underneath of insulation, etc.  



-- Edited by SnowGypsy on Friday 12th of September 2014 06:35:02 AM

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The Junkman


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x3 shopvac and a fan..

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GENECOP


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Get a good size wet vac with some power.....set up some fans after.....then shampoo and deodorize carpets....should return to normal. Carpet is really not the concern, it's the underlayment....good luck.

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Dog Folks


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Personally, I would pay a professional company that provides water extraction.

They have the equipment, and knowledge to do a much better job than rental units.

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Lonney Wade


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Cherly, get a truck mount carpet cleaner to come in and do the floor, my son did that for 10 years, it has very very strong vacuum, will dry in about 3 hours. We have had this done in the basement a few times, it sucks all the way to the wood, it sucks that hard.
A rental can't even come close to a truck mount.
I'm so sorry for your flood....
Lonney



-- Edited by Lonney Wade on Friday 12th of September 2014 09:41:21 AM

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cherylbrv


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Result was that RV repair place not only came back to fix the problem (tech admitted it wasn't connected tightly enough), but they also arranged for a disaster recovery company to come out with the big guns (huge vacuum, humidifier and giant fans) at their expense. We are happy campers. Just hope there isn't damage under the carpet. Tech thinks the vinyl that covers the rest of the floor (or is it tile or linoleum?) is under there. That would be good. Is there any way to find out without removing the carpet which is glued down?

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Cheryl B. in her new RV

(well, not new any more! Full timing since 6/25/14)

2008 DRV MS 36TKBS3 (the CoW: Castle on Wheels), 2005 Ford F550 hauler (the Bull)

My blog is http://mitcheryl-rv-journey.blogspot.com/

My business: www.AZAdminSolutions.com
SnowGypsy


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Is there anywhere like around the floor vents where you can see vinyl? Not sure what your floor is like but sometimes in a remote spot, vinyl will be just slightly visible.

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cherylbrv


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No. The coverage is very good and it is glued down tightly.

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Cheryl B. in her new RV

(well, not new any more! Full timing since 6/25/14)

2008 DRV MS 36TKBS3 (the CoW: Castle on Wheels), 2005 Ford F550 hauler (the Bull)

My blog is http://mitcheryl-rv-journey.blogspot.com/

My business: www.AZAdminSolutions.com
SnowGypsy


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www.drvsuites.com/brochures/Archive/DRV09_Brochure.pdf This manual is for a 2009 but it shows the how the floor is constructed in the diagrams. Also, if you have any areas in the RV that are vinyl at all, they most likely laid an entire sheet of vinyl over the wood flooring as I have never seen any other way of putting it down by a manufacturer. It sure likes looks like you have vinyl under the carpet.

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RickandJanice


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Mitch, Cheryl, you might also want to take the underbelly covering loose along the kitchen side and check for any trapped water. Water could easily have leaked out of the furnace vents or ducts or under cabinets and through the holes in the floor for the sink water and drain lines. If there is water in the underbelly, there is a very good chance the insulation is also wet. If that is the case, the under belly covering needs taken loose, all the insulation removed and everything dried out in there as well to prevent frame rust /rot. I do not mean to scare you but highly recommend you also check this out sooner than later.

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cherylbrv


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How do we remove the under belly covering?

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Cheryl B. in her new RV

(well, not new any more! Full timing since 6/25/14)

2008 DRV MS 36TKBS3 (the CoW: Castle on Wheels), 2005 Ford F550 hauler (the Bull)

My blog is http://mitcheryl-rv-journey.blogspot.com/

My business: www.AZAdminSolutions.com
GENECOP


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Sometimes it's screwed up , sometimes it's stapled, you can just cut a small drain hole below your leak area.....then reinstall a patch.....it's a good idea as was pointed out, if your underside is enclosed, you should open and inspect if even just an inspection and drainage hole....

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Terry and Jo


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cherylbrv wrote:

How do we remove the under belly covering?

 Cheryl,

Over on SOITC, there was a comment made by someone as to how they created inspection "holes" that were easier to open and the reseal.  One thing mentioned was to try to keep the part of the hole towards the front of the trailer as intact as possible so water flying up off of the road wouldn't find an easy path into the underbelly.  I'll see if I can find that and get you a link to where they posted their comment.

Terry



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RickandJanice


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The under belly coverings on DRV's are tucked up under the lower skirting and then screwed along the frame. If you do not want to cut holes in the covering, you can remove the screws from both sides and pull the cover out from behind the skirt. If you want to just cut inspection holes, DRV's have areas that are pre-scored below each slide rail that have been framed in with wood on the back side. The idea is to finish cutting these areas with a box knife on 3 sides and then pull down to access the slide mechanisms. Then you can use wood screws to hold the flap back up and seal with caulking or a strong tape like Gorilla Tape. Gene also has a good idea to just drill a hole (maybe 1/2") in the covering at a low point below the sink area and see if any water comes out. That could be easily sealed with a dab of silicone caulking.

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Rick and Janice

2006 Mobile Suites 32TK3, Mor/Ryde King Pin and I.S., 17.5" Wheels w/ H Rated Tires, Automatic Level Up,

2012 Ford F450 Lariet, 6.7 L, CC, 4WD, DRW w/ Air Bags, Reese Signature 25K Hitch
Danny and Cheryl


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I would take pictures and call insurance company, your Rv is probably totaled. If you really had 3 inches of water in the kitchen .

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Howard


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Closing this thread.  The original post was in 2014.  Please pay attention to dates of the last post on each thread and we ask that you don't post on any thread that is over 1 year old.  Start a new thread when appropriate.  Thank you.  :)



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