Replacing a Fiberglass Shower Base in a Mobile Home

Fiberglass shower pans can crack or discolor.

In many mobile homes, the shower features a fiberglass base that is attached to both the plywood subfloor and the floor drain. Over time, this pan may crack, suffer damage, or simply look dated, making replacement necessary. Putting in a new mobile home shower pan is much like doing the same job in a traditional house, with one key difference: in a mobile home, the plumbing lines beneath the floor can be reached by the homeowner. To install the new pan, the old one must first be taken out, and this usually involves some minor demolition of the surrounding walls.

Removing the Old Pan

Step 1

Use a turkey baster to draw out any remaining water from the drain hole of the shower pan. Squeeze the bulb to suction the water, then empty it into a bucket.

Step 2

With a utility knife, score along the outer edge of the shower pan to cut through any caulk securing it. Caulk is usually found along the front lip of the pan and extending up the walls to where the pan ends.

Step 3

Put on safety glasses and chuck a 1/4-inch bit into your drill. Stuff a rag into the center hole, then position the drill bit into the drain hole, resting it on the black rubber gasket. Run the drill until the gasket starts to break apart. Work your way around the gasket's perimeter to help free it.

Step 4

If the wall material around the top of the shower pan hasn't been removed yet, use a reciprocating saw to cut it away. Plunge the blade only ½ to 1 inch into the wall and cut down to the top of the pan. Pull off the wall material to reveal the top edge of the shower pan.

Step 5

Find the screws that run along the top edge of the pan and into the wall studs. Take out each screw with a power drill.

Step 6

Slide a pry bar under the front edge of the shower pan and press down to lift it. Grab the raised edge and pull the pan out of the enclosure.

Installing the New Pan

Step 1

Set a level on the shower floor and check the whole area, front to back and side to side, to confirm it's level. Where the floor is uneven, place a wood shim under the level. Fasten the shims to the subfloor with 1-inch rust-resistant screws at both ends.

Step 2

Lay the new fiberglass shower pan on its side to attach the strainer. Take the strainer and separate its upper and lower parts. Put the upper part through the top of the pan with the gasket facing the hole. Insert the lower part from underneath the pan with its gasket facing up. Reconnect the two sections and use a wrench to tighten the lower part an additional half turn.

Step 3

Set the new fiberglass pan into the shower base and press it down. Using a power drill, drive 1-inch rust-resistant screws into the top edge of the pan, aligning them over each wooden wall stud. If there are no holes, or if they don't line up with the old ones, drill new pilot holes with a 1/4-inch bit before driving the screws.

Step 4

Place a round rubber compression gasket into the top of the strainer. Tap it down until it sits tightly in the opening. If necessary, have someone push up on the pipe from below the mobile home.

Step 5

Then install new fiberglass shower panel walls, tile, or whatever wall material you prefer.