Water tank leak - 1994 Bigfoot Gaucho

[bobblangley]

I recently purchased a 1994 Bigfoot Gaucho in reasonable condition and have been assessing the exterior and evaluating the various systems. So far, so good! The exterior waxes up well, I have removed old caulk and recaulked all exterior penetrations of the fiberglass shell. Poor stove, heater, and fridge function were fixed by replacing the propane regulator. Then I got to the potable water system --

I wanted to determine the volume of the water tank which the owners manual states categorically is under the back of the rear gaucho bed; it's not. It actually runs the entire width of the trailer in the area near the door opening. I filled the tank with a hose until it overflowed, then removed the hose; after water stopped flowing out of the supply and overflow openings on the side of the trailer, water continued drip down the sides of the tank for some time. It eventually stopped and the monitor reads 3/4 full. This seems like a potentially very bad situation and quite likely means that the tank has a leak(s).

Does anyone with more experience than me have a plausible explanation for this other than a leaky tank?

If not, it looks to me as if the tank was installed into the frame before the floor was installed. If that is the case, does anyone have experience with removing and replacing a water tank in that location?

Many thanks in advance for any help with this? It's going to turn out to be an awesome rig!

[Jack L]

Yes, you could have a crack in the tank that is not visible from below. I have a CB model and the tank is in a different location. My 94 sales brochure lists both the CB and Gaucho a having a 27.5 gallon tank. My tank looks like it is mounted so that it could be removed by removing 2 steel crossmembers from below.


Assuming you are referring to the gages that are built into the range hood, mine and most others are not very accurate. I would not trust them at all. First, I would drain the tank and carefully refill it measuring the amount of water it will take to refill it.

[bobblangley]

Thanks for the reply. I'd love to have a copy of the 1994 sales brochure. Do you know if there is one available anywhere online? All I have been able to find is one for a later model.

[Jack L]

Also, the floor, walls and roof are all one unit. You would have to remove the entire body from the frame.