cracked vinyl bathtub

[tom_matthews]

here's the problem: my sister lives in a mobile home with a plastic bathtub, which is cracked right around the ring of the drain. water is leaking beneath the tub and migrating into the closet on the other side of the wall. I realize the tub needs to be replaced, but she doesn't have the money and I don't really know how to do that anyway. As a temporary fix, until she can replace the tub, is there any way to patch or repair these cracks so the tub can remain usable (without leaking) until she has the money to replace it? (I've tried Tub & Tile Caulk in the cracks to no avail.)

[HayZee518]

I don't think so because the drain is moving independently of the tub so there'll always be leaks. If you can get the drain fitting out of the tub, maybe you could use a sheet of 6 mil poly - the thicker the better and glue it to the tub. here again I don't know if its plastic or fiberglass - might work or might not work.

[driz]

I hope by now you replaced the whole tub.

There is just no half measures with water in a trailer. A dripping faucet will easily destroy the entire bathroom if the trailer is sloped right. Any sort of leak has to be dealt with immediatly and permanently or your sister will really have to dump her wallet. While she is at it there is no reason why any trailer's hot water tank isn't sitting in a plastic pan. Same deal as the leaking tub, by the time you notice the bulging floor its toast, just a matter of time till it all has to come out which makes for a miserable ugly job. Same goes for the roof. Reseal the joints when they say to and use the right stuff or once again, the first thing you will notice is the floor bulging then sagging followed by failure. Trailers aren't bad if you can't afford a real house but they always have had issues with those particle board floors. May be the newer ones have better composition but I doubt it. They seem to leave out those little things that mean the most like a $5 pan under a water heater that simply has to fail someday in 4-6 years.

[LazyPup]

Are you certain that the tub is vinyl? I am not aware of any successful method of repairing a vinyl tub but on the other hand, if it happens to be fiberglass, repairs are not at all difficult.

[driz]

There is only one thing that would fix that vinyl plastic?

But it is going to be half assed and ugly and just postponing the inevitable. You could rough it up with 80 grit sandpaper and put some 3M 5200 marine sealant/ adhesive on it. Thats what they use for fitting through hull fittings ( holes) through boats. Great stuff and it will stick to glass or stainless steel, the only thing I ever found besides windshield urethane that would. Still, like I said don't trifle with that floor at your extreme peril. BITE THE BULLET BUY A TUB OR YOU WILL HATE YOURSELF LATER!!!
Thinkin back on mine it was plastic sitting on a piece of styrafoam base to support it. It looked like the base had settled and let the plastic flex where people tend to stand in the shower. Now my tenant is a bit robust to say the least but still thats what I think did the deed. A replacement tub wasn't all that bad either, around 200 or so and it was supported much better on the bottom. Its a quick swapout too. Again the reason I say don't fix it is just this one. You can't see under there till its way too late or I would just say goo it and watch it closely. Thats trailers for you and just one of those things you have to live with carefully. While you have the old one out seal up that huge hole under there with insulation and screening, ( Aluminum or steel mesh) so the critters can't come in via there. My 15 lb cat used to come and go under the tub. Quality construction. Again just my .02 but leaky water above the floorline is a special thing in a trailer. treat it lile a hole in a boat out to sea and you won't go wrong.