hot water tank leak

[iislander]

I have a 1985 Winnebago chieftan and have a leak on the bottom of hot water tank is this a major deal and about how long will it take to fix? We are leaving for Montana in five days.

[wildtoad]

If the heater is a) 26 years old, b) leaking from the bottom as opposed to one of the fittings, then it may be time for a replacement. The effort to replace depends on where it is and how hard to get out. Are you sure it is leaking from the bottom and not from the relief valve or inlet/outlets?

[Jambonee]

My water heater in my 1983 fleetwood jamboree sprung a leak over the winter and with funds being low, I pulled it out, found a hole about the size of a pencil tip. I took it to a couple of welding shops they said that they wouldn't weld it, although it had 10 previous welds over the years, so my fix was run a stainless steel screw into the hole, I then mixed up a whole tube of JB weld and coated the whole bottom of the tank with it. It has held up for 3 camping trips so far and not even a drip of a leak. It just might work for you.