# Broken shower tray



## Carl_n_Flo

HELP!!!!

Just come back from weekend away and noticed that a shower gel bottle had fallen into the tray and put a b***y great crack in it......... b***r!!! :evil: :evil: 

Have sent a query to Autotrail - but was wondering if the collective wisdom has any ideas on the following:

How in hell does one remove the shower tray without completely dismantling the toilet compartment?

It appears that on our Cheyenne, the tray is separate from the walls, and each of the walls is a separate plastic panel - all joints sealed with white mastic. Would it be cheaper for me to dismantle and repair with fibreglass or to replace the tray completely?

The final option would be to take it to my dealer (who is NOT an Autotrail specialist) and have him fix it - but this would mean that we would be without the van for some time, and that really is not an option...

Over to you guys.............any ideas?

Regards
Carl & Flo (despondent!!!)


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## Broom

Hi Carl & Flo

I have had a new shower tray and 2 walls replaced, they cut the shower tray out and slide the new one in, sort of speak.

Best Regards
Broom


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## brillopad

carl, i think your find that the money is in doing the work, and not the price of the tray, so if your going to go to the trouble of taking it out you may as well get a new one, heres what i'd do, cut the old one out very carefully, and sort of fit it back together and see if it might be possible to refit the new one without taking the whole thing apart, if you want some help i'm not far away. dennis


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## Pudsey_Bear

I'd do as Brillopad says,


> if your going to go to the trouble of taking it out you may as well get a new one, heres what i'd do, cut the old one out very carefully, and sort of fit it back together


 only I would use the old one as a mould and either have one made up in fibreglass, or even Stainless steel, then it will last, half of the problem with these trays is they are not supported over the entire base, so they have weak spots.

Kev.


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## Carl_n_Flo

I think the only weak spot here is me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I am terrified of getting a knife to it..... but i know i am going to have to...

I guess the first job will be to remove the sealant from arround the tray and try to extricate it from the well formed by the walls - it is totally enclosed by plywood faced with plastic sheets.. The shower door will have to come off first.

Oh mother - i really dont want to do this 8O 8O . I would like to try and get it out without damaging it (or anything else obviously!!!), as i might be able to repair it with GF (depends - is the tray GF or some other plastic). It seems that ours is quite well supported underneath at it doesnt 'give' at all when i stand in it (16st/110kg approx).

Dennis - if you want a good laugh you are most welcome to pop round.....beers are in the fridge!!!!

Now - where did I put the Nurofen.... :roll: :roll:


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## 101776

No panic ......depending on where you live these people do an excellent job of repairing it....

http://www.branfibre.co.uk/

i have not used them myself but they did a fab job on a friends m/home.
I am nothing to do with company either.

They are certainly worth a look!


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## Pudsey_Bear

if it's not made of Glass fibre then it will not bond with glass fibre, it will stick but they are totally different materials, there are plastic repair chemicals, i got some from USA to repair a MH when the dealer dragged his feet, and wee needed to use it, but never got around to trying it.

For other jobs try this site, http://www.repairproducts.co.uk/page2.htm I'll see if I can dig out the USA one for you, before you destroy your MH it wasn't expensive even with postage.

Kev


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## Pudsey_Bear

Here we go


it's very porny , but it seems to work.

I would have sworn I got it from the US, but here's the UK site http://www.plastexexpress.co.uk/

Kev.


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## sallytrafic

Hi Carl and Flo

This might be a help its very long so go straight to the end for the shower tray replacement >MHF Blog<


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## brillopad

carl, just going to take car for mot, if you still need moral support give me a clue were you are , i'll pop along after . dennis


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## Carl_n_Flo

Hi Dennis - currently at work in Byfleet.....not home until about 6.30 tonight. So will probably set to then...... Will PM you the address...

Kev - many thanks for the info. will look into this once i get the tray out.

Frank - currently reading your 'interesting' blog......and we thought we had problems!!!


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## Broom

Hi Frank

Just read your blog, I thought we had it bad, but yours, how did you cope.

Best Regards
Broom


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## tviall

I took a good look at the shower cubicles while I was at the Autotrail factory last week. Although they may look like separate sides stuck together and sealed with mastic they are in fact one solid piece. This effectively makes a "tube" which then sits inside the botton tray and stuck and sealed. A cap is fixed to the top of the "tube" and sealed. The whole thing is then glued to the inside walls (depending on what layout you have)

AT will be able to advise or alternatively contact the plastic people that supply AT with the shower cubicle.

Tony


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## sallytrafic

tviall said:


> I took a good look at the shower cubicles while I was at the Autotrail factory last week. Although they may look like separate sides stuck together and sealed with mastic they are in fact one solid piece. This effectively makes a "tube" which then sits inside the botton tray and stuck and sealed. A cap is fixed to the top of the "tube" and sealed. The whole thing is then glued to the inside walls (depending on what layout you have)
> 
> AT will be able to advise or alternatively contact the plastic people that supply AT with the shower cubicle.
> 
> Tony


Wow if thats how they are put together a new shower tray is a major rebuild perhaps a repair would be better.

*Broom and Carimt* The pain was along time ago now and the performance of the Renault parts has been so good in comparison with the various Fiats that I'm still glad I bought what I did. I have now done a midlife refit which you might also be interested in >here<


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## Carl_n_Flo

tviall said:


> I took a good look at the shower cubicles while I was at the Autotrail factory last week. Although they may look like separate sides stuck together and sealed with mastic they are in fact one solid piece. This effectively makes a "tube" which then sits inside the botton tray and stuck and sealed. A cap is fixed to the top of the "tube" and sealed. The whole thing is then glued to the inside walls (depending on what layout you have)
> 
> AT will be able to advise or alternatively contact the plastic people that supply AT with the shower cubicle.
> 
> Tony


Hi Tony
Thanks for the heads up....... Dennis (Brillopad) popped round this evening and we had a good look from all angles. Yep!! Major surgery required to get the tray out - exactly as you say. All the plastic cubicle seems to be 'welded' together inside the tray with a roof 'cap' welded to the top. The only way that tray is coming out is in bits - along with the rest of the shower enclosure (also in bits) 

No way am i going to do that.

After a fair bit of searching and headscratching, we came up with the idea of removing the steps that lead up to the over-garage bed. These steps conceal the pipework from the water heater to the shower room and pass under the shower tray. Removing the steps revealed a hand sized hole in the compartment wall in the vacinity of the crack in the tray. With the careful use of a keyhole saw, we think that by increasing the hole size, we should be able to more easily reach the offending crack to be able to repair it.

(Many thanks for your help this evening Dennis..)

Update on progress will be posted tomorrow evening - i'm going to bed now....

night night all

Carl


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## homenaway

Hi,

We have the same problem on our AS Symbol where the tray has cracked where it curves up to the wheel arch  On more detailed inspection there are several cracks

I have looked around and ordered some Plastex from the link in earlier reply (ta) for a temporary repair but I think it will need a replacement tray

I have just phoned Cirencester Plastics but they closed down last September and are no longer in that business. I will contact Autosleepers to see if they carry any stock otherwise it's a major problem  

There must be so many variations as every motorhome we look at has a custom built bathroom these days!

Steve


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## 04HBG

My Autotrail Apache shower tray cracked after about 18 months but they would not cover it under warranty, poorly fiited with little suport and very thin. Obviously they dont want to learn the lessons.

I found that Araldite Rapid does a very good repair job, it has lasted 3 years now, the colour is yellowish but you can paint that.
RD


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## groucho

Hi Carl & Flo

Sorry to hear of your problem, we have a similar problem in our 10 month old Hobby, but fortunately it is being dealt with under warranty ???.

Our tray is ABS plastic and will require complete removal of the toilet compartment/shower floor - estimated by the dealer at c. 14 hours labour.

We are considering, on completion of this repair, contacting Walkden Group on the following website

www.walkdengroup.co.uk/?section=Leisure&page=276

Speedliner is used in the transport industry to give a flexible and very robust lining for pickups and vans etc.

As you will see it comes in many colours and can be bonded to any surface.

We are considering this course of action as warranty does not last more than 2 years and we don't want to be in the same predicament post warranty.

Hope this helps

Kind regards

Alex & Judi


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## Pudsey_Bear

Hi groucho, that looks like mighty fine stuff, I've already bookmarked that site for future reference.

I hope it can work for carl on his crack, it looks like it's good for non slip too, so good for all the geriatrics on here.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Kev.


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## Carl_n_Flo

Hi Groucho,
That DOES look like good stuff - also bookmarked the site. Is it a DIY process or would the van have to be taken to their workshops? I think I will call them in the morning...
This looks like the perfect solution - fix the crack myself by 'keyhole surgery' through the compartment wall, then coating it with this stuff for added strength and protection.....

Pictures of progress added tomorrow......
carl

ps - no way we can claim this as warranty issues......it is blatently obvious that it is impact damage and not fatigue cracking - ho hum :roll:


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## 101776

Just as a matter of interest Branfibre .co.uk which I have mentioned on this thread also do that speedliner stuff.....they might be closer to where some people live (Banbury)....


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## Pudsey_Bear

bouncer said:


> Just as a matter of interest Branfibre .co.uk which I have mentioned on this thread also do that speedliner stuff.....they might be closer to where some people live (Banbury)....


Have we gone over to breakfast cereal now???


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## Carl_n_Flo

A paste of branfibre / milk / sugar will probably be a stronger repair than the original shower tray!!!!!!!!!!!

hmmm - hungry now :?


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## Pudsey_Bear

I know what you mean, we bought a camper last year from a dealer, who will have to remain nameless and the shower tray was already cracked, it had already had a bodge repair done on it, but he said he would order a new one then we got the tale it was on back order and could take a while, but we're not unreasonable people so we said OK we'll wait.


So we picked up the MH and had a shake down weekend, the cutlery drawer wouldn't shut, so kept flying open, the mirror door to the bathroom cabinet fell off, the kitchen sink would not drain unless you filled it first to make it syphon, (and it only had a small water tank)and a few other minor niggles, so we rang them and arranged to take it back in, I don't remember just how long they had it but it was weeks not days.

Then we went away for 2 weeks expecting everything but the shower tray to be done, ha, words fail me, the sink was the same, the mirror fell off again, the cutlery drawer was still not staying shut, and now the oven would not stay lit, and this is from a big dealer selling new vans.

Also while we were away our lass was going to do her ablutions, she ran the tap to get the hot water to the basin in the bathroom, put the plug in, and it went straight through the bottom of the basin, OK these thing happen on an older (S reg) camper but we didn't expect this, a jar fell out of a overhead locker cupboard and put a dent in the dining table, yes we know not the best place to put anything heavy, but there was a shortage of space lower down, so not much choice.

When we got back we arranged to take it back to the dealer for all the problems to be put right, by this point we were less than amused, our lass called it a pile of rubbish, which may have been a bit over the top, but she speaks as she finds, which when you've just spent £22k you're entitled, anyway after a few days, we get a letter, which basically we are accused of wrecking the van, lets just say after that there were a few more letters, and a couple of phone calls, and after some heated negotiations, I collected a cheque for £18k from the dealer and bought the van we have now, so a loss of £4k, now don't ask who the dealer is, as I can't name him, as he is a t...... and has threatened legal action.

Now, all the above could just be a fairy story, all made up for your amusement, then again it might just be true.

You decide.

Kev.


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## groucho

Hi Carl
Yes previous is correct Branfibre are another Speedliner agent of which there are many (80 allegedly). Google (UK) Speedliner and enter your post code etc. for an agent near you. 
The Speedliner application is a spray process which implies special tools and they require the vehicle for 3 days to give best curing time, may be less for a small application as in our case. 
The process should come with a warranty and for these reasons I doubt there will be a DIY option available. No harm in asking though.
There is however a diy alternative with www.protecatcote.co.uk., £109 per kit?
Hope this helps
Please keep us posted 
Regards
Alex


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## Pudsey_Bear

Carl This is the correct address

http://www.protectakote.co.uk/

Kev.


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## Carl_n_Flo

Thanks Guys   

These products look to be just the ticket!!! I especially like the roll on protektacote stuff - can think of a few other uses for it.....like under the floor / chassis???

Itching to get on with repairing the tray now.....only one problem - stuck in the office today - so it will have to wait until this evening....

I DO like the idea of the protektacote as it is a DIY affair so I wont loose the van for a few days!! (Since we got it just before Christmas, we cant seem to stop using it :lol: :lol: )

Will keep you all posted - promise!!!
carl


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## 101776

Carl, we all understand your reluctance to 'lose' the van for a few days, but you might have to wait for the repair stuff to set anyway!.....or we could be chiselling your feet out of the shower tray! that would make interesting piccies!!

Good luck....


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## Carl_n_Flo

bouncer said:


> Carl, we all understand your reluctance to 'lose' the van for a few days, but you might have to wait for the repair stuff to set anyway!.....or we could be chiselling your feet out of the shower tray! that would make interesting piccies!!
> 
> Good luck....


I think Nuke would need to put a password protected and x-rated section on the forum if any pictures of me in the shower were posted 8O 8O .

Guess what - had a reply from Autotrail today outlining their proposal (shown below). Interesting: :? Just waiting to hear from their parts dept now..... Still think that a repair and coat with protectakote gunk might be a better solution. Not happy about creating a joint that could fail in the future and cause damp / rot issues.

Dear Sir,
I believe we can supply just the tray for your van. I have forwarded your request to our parts department who should contact you shortly.
To put the new tray in you will need to cut out the old tray using a Stanley knife. We normally leave the ledge intact so the new tray will sit onto this ledge. This will help the new tray seal properly. You will then need to place a packer under the new tray to lift it up onto the edge of the existing tray. 
I have attached a picture showing were we would normally cut the existing tray.
Regards
Steve Moverley
Development Manager


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## Pudsey_Bear

I wouldn't go near it with a Stanley knife Carl, absolutely no control over where it wants to go, much better with my earlier suggestion of using a cheapo dye grinder thingy, like a Dremil but cheaperer, then you'd have nice straightish line.

If you go to www.youtube.com and do a search for fibreglassing, it comes up with about 8 pages of tuition videos to watch.

Then you can make your own shower tray, from scratch, it will fit perfectly, because you'd use the the MH as you mould, but you'd need to mask the area well as it stick like sh1t to a blanket, and it can be a messy job, but it will never leak, as long as you get the drain hole correct, and overlap the plastic wall bottom.

Kev.


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## Pudsey_Bear

I wouldn't go near it with a Stanley knife Carl, absolutely no control over where it wants to go, much better with my earlier suggestion of using a cheapo dye grinder thingy, like a Dremil but cheaperer, then you'd have nice straightish line.

If you go to www.youtube.com and do a search for fibreglassing, it comes up with about 8 pages of tuition videos to watch.

Then you can make your own shower tray, from scratch, it will fit perfectly, because you'd use the the MH as you mould, but you'd need to mask the area well as it stick like sh1t to a blanket, and it can be a messy job, but it will never leak, as long as you get the drain hole correct, and overlap the plastic wall bottom.

Kev.


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## groucho

Hi Carl

Apologies for the mis type on the website address.

As I used to frequently point when I worked, I was employed for my injuneering not my tryping skills.

Interesting about the shower tray offer from Autotrail see what sort of sympathetic discount they offer on cost.

If I were you I would seriously consider cutting out the tray as suggested and replacing it for the following reasons.

1. You can clearly see what needs to be done underneath by way of additional support and fill/cover any voids with expanding foam or plywood.

2. You can ensure the tray is "potted" to the underside properly.

3. A good bead of a silicone type sealant between new base and wall should prevent any water ingress, this what we do with a shower in the house.

4. Mask up the edges and cover the new tray with Protectakote.

My only concern with this repair would be the length of screw thread on the drain plug hole fitments to accommodate the extra thickness ?

As an aside any Protectakote mix left over could be used as suggested to mould round your feet saving the cost of a pair of Crocs shoes or wellies or any further wear to the new shower. 
You'd just need to keep your feet up for a day until they dried, now there's a thought.

Good luck
Regards
Alex


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## Carl_n_Flo

OK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Been having a think about how to go about this - and maybe improving the useability of the shower cubicle, especially whilst on the move.

How about if I mix up a 'sloppy' mix of GF impregnated resin and pour it into the tray - I was thinking of maybe creating an inch or two of thickness - thereby sealing the crack, then standing in the still wet resin in my bare feet and creating two foot shaped imprints. That way, when showering on the move, my feet wont slip about whilst Flo is driving the van (she is a bit of a demon around corners - still thinks she is driving her Renault Twingo methinks!!!).

What say you guys - good idea or what?


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## groucho

Hi Carl

Good idea - I've seen that sort of shower in southern France, water comes out a bit low though and you need to do a handstand to wash your hair! Not adviseable to drop the soap or shampoo either!

If you do go for the moulded version, don't forget to shave your feet and legs as women tell me this "waxing" business is quite painful!

Kind regards
Alex :lol: :roll:


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## Pudsey_Bear

I don't suppose you're into Cricket Carl?

If you are, how about this, get some thin cotton gloves, and stick your mitts into the gue, pull them out and grab hold of something pole or handle shaped, any thing in front of you will do, then come summer, you've got some cricket gloves.

Kev.


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## TinaGlenn

Hi Karl,

We had a similar problem with our shower tray cracking last summer, ours was fixed under warranty, we were able to drop the van in to the dealers in the morning and collected it in the afternoon, we couldn't use it for a few days until the sealant had totally gone off but all they did was remove the old tray and slotted in a new one. 
The drain hose from the tray to the tank is fairly easy to remove, Glenn has had to do it on a couple of occasions to clear out the trap. 

Good luck with sorting it out.

Tina


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## Carl_n_Flo

Kev_Behr said:


> I don't suppose you're into Cricket Carl?
> 
> If you are, how about this, get some thin cotton gloves, and stick your mitts into the gue, pull them out and grab hold of something pole or handle shaped, any thing in front of you will do, then come summer, you've got some cricket gloves.
> 
> Kev.


Damn good idea Kev.......I enjoy a good game of cricket on the green in the summer!!!!! Do you think if i adjusted the mix ratio a little in the favour of the resin (as opposed to hardener) that the gloves would stay sticky? Could help with the difficult catch behind the wicket :wink:

Hi Tina - Unfortunately, we cant get away with calling this one 'warranty' as it is so obviously impact damage. And the back-up call from Autotrail confirms that to remove the old tray it will have to be cut out.

As luck would have it, I have spent the evening hunting high and low for the OS disk for Flo's computer as it has gone duff!!! So no work on the van today....

Roll on tomorrow.


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## WSandME

Just saw this thread - is it too late to consider plastic welding?

Plastic welding kit demonstration


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## Carl_n_Flo

WSandME said:


> Just saw this thread - is it too late to consider plastic welding?
> 
> Plastic welding kit demonstration


I have thought about running a soldering iron along the back of the crack, but unless there is an operator in reasonable vacinity the equipment demo'd in the video would be a bit expensive to buy for this job 8O


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## WSandME

> I have thought about running a soldering iron along the back of the crack


Hmm...

Use a soldering iron

Seriously, I did mean getting a professional plastic welder to tackle the job - I understand there are people who specialise in repairing plastic auto parts - bumpers, motorcycle fairings &c. ??

Perhaps: "Sudden Impact" Epsom


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## 101776

Considering the length of this thread you could have driven the van to a professional repairer, had the job done, driven home and been watching TV with your feet up by now.....


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## Pudsey_Bear

Yeah, he could have gone to Specsavers too. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 

It was a hair on his glasses all along.

Kev.


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## Carl_n_Flo

Cheers Bouncer 8O - my problem is that I work during the week (and in this climate, I cant afford much time off), so I dont get the chance to work on the van much - and as for getting it to a pro......that means more time off......   

And as for you Kev - you dont know how close you are to the truth - I honestly thought it WAS a hair on my glasses in the beginning (still wish it was!!!!).

Anyroad - AT have come back with a price....£218.87 (incl.post). JESUS 8O 8O . No way!!!

Plan is for Saturday to fix it myself...

Photos attached showing progress (or lack of it - I know!!!)
carl


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## Pudsey_Bear

Duct tape, mate.

Kev.


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## 04HBG

From that pic the crack is almost identical to the one i had in my Apache, i used Araldite Rapid and it has held very well.

RD


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## zappy61

*shower tray*

Hi Carl,

Looks like there is little support behind the corner. Just a sugestion; could you pull the depressed part out with a rubber sucker (the type they give you to get halogen light bulbs out or similar) and fix with industrial stength super glue. Then carefully grout the crack with Sikaflex 512 (white) or even silcon bathroom seal.

I would try to repair first you can always buy the tray if all fail.

Graham


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## tviall

Kev_Behr said:


> Duct tape, mate.
> 
> Kev.


Shouldn't that be duck tape! Quack


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## Pudsey_Bear

tviall said:


> Kev_Behr said:
> 
> 
> 
> Duct tape, mate.
> 
> Kev.
> 
> 
> 
> Shouldn't that be duck tape! Quack
Click to expand...

It is called 'Duct' tape because its original use was to seal the gaps at the joint in air ducts, although it can now be bought under the brand name "duck".

Ejicatin the masses again :lol: :lol:, but I believe it to be inferior to the profeshneal stuff, both in linear strength and stickyness.

Kev.


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## Carl_n_Flo

Hi Chaps & Chapesses...

OK - all done and fixed   

The material used for the shower tray is some type of Polystyrene plastic - as used in Airfix plastic kits or similar... I had some MEK liquid poly glue (applied with a brush) and used this to run into the crack. It is so powerful that it melts the plastic that it touches, thereby forming a weld when the liquid evaporates. I had to cut the hole larger to get my hand in, but with the step back in place this isnt noticeable.

The crack is still visible as a 'hairline', however because the plastic has welded together, it no longer leaks. BTW the base of the tray is supported on dense blue foam - a couple of inches further to the right and i doubt it would have cracked... :? 

Plan is now to get the tray covered with the 'protectakote' or similar to give it a little more protection.

Many thanks for all your help and suggestions.........just one reason of many to be happy members    

regards
carl


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## Pudsey_Bear

Well done mate, glad it wasn't too terminal.

Kev.


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## Henrysmum

Hi. We've just bought an Autotrail Cheyenne 696G and even though it is new it has two hairline cracks in the shower tray. We have just been to our local agent who does warranty work for Autotrail and they have done a temproary fixing with silicone but they told us that to repair such cracks they do not remove the existing tray because it is part of an entire shower cubicle and to remove that means taking the roof off!! What they do is place an additional special tray on top of the cracked one and seal it in. They said it actually makes the shower stronger and when done looks just as good as new.
Hope this helps and you can find someone to do it for you.


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## TinaGlenn

I suppose it must depend on the dealership and perhaps the model. Our cracked shower tray was totally removed and a new one fitted, they just cut the sealant around the base of the walls of the shower and the tray, disconeccted the waste pipe and removed it before fitting the replacement.


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