Flex in shower pan?

[jtexfisher]

Our 2023 29.5bhds shower is irritating. But is it really broken? The shower floor has a decent amount of flex, enough that it won’t drain all the way unless you stand near the drain for a minute when you’re done showering. If it’s not causing issues I’m not sure I’m interested in loosing the camper to the dealer for weeks (months?) or worse, suffering a badly done fix.

[Kevin Cooper]

Some have suggested that they blocked theirs up in the low spots, then used Great Stuff or similar foam underneath to hold it in position. H opefully you have an access panel like ours does in the front.

[pconroy]

I don't have your model but the pan flex in ours was terrible!!! Like Kevin said, I went in thru the access panel and was able to add some blocking. But to really support it, I went in through a panel in the back of a closet/drawer to get in there.

Ugh.

I did wood blocking that I could slide into place. Figuring out a way to >>keep<< it in place was the hardest part.

[gunafulltime]

We had to do the same with our Jay Feather. We devised an excellent fix. We identified the flex point (under the drain) and used Gorilla tape to wrap 1/4" foam around 2x4 pieces. You could also wrap the wood with adhesive pipe wrap insulation. We wrapped the wood all the way around so it would protect the shower pan and the floor. We made it snug enough to stop the flex but not so snug that it would stress the pan material.

It lasted and worked great for all the years we owned the unit. We also gained an extra benefit. From that time forward, the shower drain pipe stayed snug; the flexing during a shower caused the drain to loosen and leak. The padded blocks remedied that problem, too.

[DonC757]

The shower floor in my 2019 34G has a lot of flex. It does not puddle. I did remove the inspection/service panel and looked under there and see that you could block it up with Styrofoam or something. I’m not going to worry about it.

[Parcany]

Had the same flex with the Bungalow we had. After awhile the floor cracked. Had to get a new shower floor. When they put it in they added more bracing under the floor. Everything was good after that.

[JKyle]

Originally Posted by jtexfisher

Our 2023 29.5bhds shower is irritating. But is it really broken? The shower floor has a decent amount of flex, enough that it won’t drain all the way unless you stand near the drain for a minute when you’re done showering. If it’s not causing issues I’m not sure I’m interested in loosing the camper to the dealer for weeks (months?) or worse, suffering a badly done fix.

When I went under the shower pan on my new 22rb last fall, to check all the fitting for tightness, I noticed quite a bit of blocking. I stood in the shower to feel if any flex existed and there was some.

I had previously saved some nice rectangular shaped, rigid block foam packing material, because things like that can always cone in handy.

I cut and tucked several pieces, via the shower access panel. I can say, after using the shower for the first time a few weeks ago, it feels pretty good now.

[PaulB12]

X2^^^^^
Paulb12

[tnka trk]

The flex in our previous Jayco caused the plumbing to crack and significant amounts of water to soak the insulation in the underbelly. The only time you could see water leaking was while the water was running and someone was standing in the shower. Fortunately it was covered under warranty. Same flex in our new Jayco so I added lots of blocking.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by tnka trk

The flex in our previous Jayco caused the plumbing to crack

I was just going to add this. I agree. When I peeked under, there was no space between the p-trap and the floor. The flex was putting stress on the joint.

I'm a "if it ain't broke" type of person. But this time, IMO, it was a break waiting to happen.

[leroyg]

Just another way to look at the issue at hand. In my past two RV's we have added
a Teak Shower Mat that requires some wood trimming to fit. What I like about the Mat is that the weight is spread out throughout the shower floor. Just an idea
Leroy

[gunafulltime]

Originally Posted by leroyg

Just another way to look at the issue at hand. In my past two RV's we have added
a Teak Shower Mat that requires some wood trimming to fit. What I like about the Mat is that the weight is spread out throughout the shower floor. Just an idea
Leroy

Nice!

[Jim Davis]

On my Hummingbird I had a lot of flex in the shower pan. Going through the access panel I was able to slide a scissors jack and gently lift the pan a bit. Then I smeared carpenters shims with Gorilla Glue and set them snuggly in place under each support block. Then I removed the jack and added a teak grate as well.
The pan is nice and solid.