Water tank leak

We have just come back from a wet weekend in Dorset in our Duetto when enroute the water tank rear mounting strap let go and dropped the tank onto the tarmac which then proceded to wear a very small hole in the sump of said tank. Any suggestions on repairing ? or (rather not) replacing.

You could try one of the Bumper repair companies.

Can you post a photo?

We would have more chance of offering a feasible suggestion then.

What about a hot melt glue gun?

Very worrying that the strap let go . Did it break or pull off the floor ?
I often travel with a full tank especially when Britstopping and I do worry about this.

it pulled out of the seam so a bit of dexion reinforcement will be required. I like the idea of the glue gun from inside and if all fails I have found a firm in Bristol who have repaired water tanks before.

I've not found general purpose hot melt glue to be very water resistant, though that may vary by make. I'd be looking to use a sealant that's designed specifically for water resistance - so for example a silicone or PU based sealant to cover the damaged area, possibly in several layers with something like flashband to give more physical strength.

CT1

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PB

Yes pu sealant such as sikaflex an excellent idea

Its a common fault on most vans no one seems to check mounting bolts and brackets. The next is tanks falling and being damaged.
An Item to add to the check list.

Alf

Since the topic is now focusing on straps, I'll add my two pennyworth.
On a routine scrabble-about-under-the-van, I discovered two badly corroded support straps holding a 25L LPG tank.  One strap had actually parted and the tank was, to all intents, cantilevered on one strap.  Whilst I sympathise with Stollysmith's problem, I think an LPG tank coming loose has far greater potential for grief. The moral is ..check your straps. 
Keith

stollysmith wrote:We have just come back from a wet weekend in Dorset in our Duetto when enroute the water tank rear mounting strap let go and dropped the tank onto the tarmac which then proceded to wear a very small hole in the sump of said tank. Any suggestions on repairing ? or (rather not) replacing.

As others have said some photos would be helpful. You haven't said so i'm assuming the tank is now off the van completely? If so then at least an effective repair is going to be easier. There are a variety of sealants which might do the job, but can be a false economy in that you end up with a leak a few months later. It's well worth taking it to a bodyshop and letting them look at it.

Or get a new tank from CAK tanks!

I repaired a large hole in my water tank on my old Harmony with a glass fibre kit. Cost me about £10

i repaired a hole in my wash bowl and I used sugru mouldable glue its sold in multi colours in diy shops I got mine from amazon £12 49 I found it sealed the split and still good.   moulds to shape then leave to set hard
bill

Hi all, thanks for all your advice and ideas, Bristol bumpers are confident they can fix it so when it stops raining I will grovel beneath and remove the tank which is currently held steady with some substantial cable ties.

stollysmith wrote:Hi all, thanks for all your advice and ideas, Bristol bumpers are confident they can fix it so when it stops raining I will grovel beneath and remove the tank which is currently held steady with some substantial cable ties.

Ah right.....that throws a bit more light on where you are at then. I thought you might have it off.

Well here is a tip. I needed a new tap fitted to my tank a couple of years ago which requires dropping the tank completely and as i'm physically beyond mauling and crawling now, i gave the job to my local MOT place who charged me £20 to do the job. Glad i did too as when i picked the van up, the guy who did the job told me both bolts and nuts had seized solid and just snapped off. He replaced it using threaded bar and nuts in stainless steel. The straps were sound but he still gave them a coating of waxoyl for good measure before re-fitting the tank.

It's worth suggesting Bristol bumpers do the same when they sort your tank.

I know that it is a little late now as the water tank strap has already broken but we now ask our MOT & service garage to check on the water tank straps as part of the service. I wont take the credit for this idea as I have read it somewhere, possibly in the ASOC magazine.

It is something I worry about so I spray my straps with ACF50 at the start and finish of the season to try and keep corrosion at bay.....