Hymer shower tray

[barrie w]

A little of the wealth of knowledge from forum members please.

The shower tray on our 2006 584 has split due to the floor flexing away from the wooden under floor. I have contacted Hymer in Germany asking if this would be considered as a warranty repair.They say that as the van is now quite a way out of the warranty period they would possibly contribute but not the full amount.

I have obtained a quote for about £1250, way outside my pocket money.

Has any one had a similar fault & had it replaced or repaired ?

I have read that there is a repair mastic / glue that is ok for the shower tray plastic. Has any one used this & could offer any advice ?

Thanks.

Barrie.

[Brian Kirby]

Is there not a water ingress warranty of about 5 years on Hymers?  Admittedly the leak is from the inside, but it is still a leak.  Tenuous, but worth a try?

The problem with a repair is establishing why the tray cracked in the first place.  I would suspect that it is not evenly supported underneath, meaning it flexes in use, and the repeated flexing has caused it to crack.  It may be possible to repair the crack, but unless its cause is removed, it would be likely to crack again, especially as any flexing will still be in the same place: i.e. right where the repair is.  Unless the cause is remedied I would expect the same to happen, in due course, to a replacement tray.

To investigate, (and probably also to effect a lasting repair) you will need to remove the damaged tray to see what is under it.  Only then can you really decide what to do to improve the support of the tray.  Having got that far, a new tray would be better than a repair, and it should be possible to buy just the tray as a spare part for a lot less than you have been quoted, which I assume includes labour.

Most motorhome washrooms seem to be put together with screws and sealant, so it should be possible to gently dismantle until you can release the tray, remembering there will be drain connections below.  If you are concerned about putting it back together, take photos and notes as you go, and reverse the dismantling order as you re-assemble.  Finally, if you are not a dab hand with a mastic gun, you can surely get a dealer to re-seal the joints where required.

[lennyhb]

Hymer may offer a the parts but it will be the labour that's expensive.

 

If you want to try a DIY repair I've had great success with Plastic Padding's "Gel Coat Filler" available from yacht chandlers or on line about £7.00 a tube, if you reinforce the repair with glass or polyester tape it will probably outlast the tray. Check with the chandler which tape is best to use with the filler.

 

Try and remove the tray so you can check for any water damage underneath and then you can re-seat on a bed of mastic to make sure it does not flex & crack again.

 

 

 

 

[barrie w]

Thanks to you both Brian & Lenny.

Yes i can see where the problem stems from & think it's viable to inject expanding foam under the tray to support it. I have a specialist sealant / adhesive for the crack.

i'll post a report if it works well.

 

Thanks again.

[ned]

Hi,

 

Although the plastic has probably been vaccum formed you might like to try a bodyshop repairer which specialises in motorcycle fairings and the like. They actually weld the plastic together and then make good. We had a small crack on our bumper moulding which was quoted at £5000 to replace from Rapido and respray. The local guy did it for £600 and avery good job he made of it (lol) But better still join Hymer international Club they have had loads of people with the same problem and will help you out if you join (£10) and you can also use their expertise to solve other problems as well.

 

Cheers ......... Ned

[j watson]

recently have had my shower tray repaired by branfibre .co.uk they are near banbury completly glass fibered the whole tray very solid excellent job,mine cost £157+vat

[hymerbeliever]

Sorry late in here.

 

This is a very common problem with Hymer motorhome shower trays on B and C Class Hymers from 02-07. The abs plastic around the front right plug hole and the right end of the door channel is literally paper thin. This combined with UV degredation, bleach and an unsupported waste trap leads to cracking.

 

Every single secondhand Hymer of this age that I have looked at suffers from this problem and, as you have said, it is a £1600 job minimum. The shower tray forms the entire floor of the bathroom and extends under the loo and the back wall. I have replaced the same design shower tray on 2 different Hymers and it is a nightmare job not for the feint hearted that takes hours and involves removing everything in the bathroom including the door, loo, back wall, sink, mirror and right hand wall cladding to name but a few. The shower tray is about £250 from Hymer UK and £100 from Germany. You'll also need a new right wall cladding as it is impossible to remove without tearing...i used 1mm white plastic sheeting bought independently.

 

The second tray that I replaced had been redesigned and was thicker. I strenghthened the first one with an abs plastic repair kit before installing.

 

Due to the design and the brittleness of the plastic, I don't see any way that these trays can be repaired satisfactorily or glass fibred over. Believe me I have tried.

[bob b]

The Branfibre company that John mentioned, appear to repair motorhome shower trays as a speciality. I'd certainly get in touch with them to get a quote.

It does beggar belief that these trays are manufactured in such a flimsy way. I had mine replaced on my Rapido...fortunately under warranty from Marquis Motorhomes. They also placed re-inforcing material under the new tray to stop the flexing.

[shaggy]

It seems to be a common problem with most manufacturers by the sound of it. We had our shower tray replaced on our Chausson Flash 03 due to cracking after flexing. Thankfully it was carried out under warranty and so far there has been no movement under foot since the new one was fitted.