replacing the water heater - RV-Dreams Community Forum

The Crumps · RV-Dreams Family Member

replacing the water heater

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

disconnect the 2 water lines inside.....remove outside connections and wiring.....remove all screws on retainer ring and pull......reverse procedure and dont forget to buy a roll of sealant gum!!!!

also alot of times you can upsize the tank thru the same hole if there is room inside for just a few more dollars!!

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

go to youtube.com

put RV hot water heater in the search bar and watch a few of the videos......will make the job a snap!!

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mike,

You're the best! You have so many fans on here. Thanks for being you!

Sherry

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

Upgrade to a "Tankless"

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

I would not "upgrade" to a tankless on a motorhome since you lose the ability to use electricity for hot water and filling propane is more hassle than a trailer. On a motorhome the propane tank is fixed (required since it has an engine), so you you have to move the motorhome to fill it. Yes, there are places you can get an external tank, but not all places and not for short term stays. Believe me, most motorhome owners make an effort to conserve propane since filling the tank is a hassle. I guess I now know one motorhome owner that doesn't find it a hassle, if the avatar for TRAILERKING is accurate.
Higher end diesel motorhomes come with diesel hot water/furnace systems, like Aquahot and Oasis, a bit less hassle since that fuel tank is larger and you are filling it anyway. But they do require maintenance and have parts that wear out every couple years that are expensive.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I bet you've never had to repair a tankless hot water heater........$$$$$$$......had alot of upset customers when I gave them the parts bill, Traveling in an RV the water mineral consistency changes from place to place and you should see the outcome.......(southern sulpher water is a good one)

I have had them in my home and removed them.......I have installed and repaired them on the domestic and commercial levels and met many customers who end up unhappy after a few years when they get the bill.

a tank heater is a simple system that anyone can fix......tankless units require maintenance that if it is not done in a timely fashion and are very unforgiving , you will spend the money you thought you were going to save very quickly!!

of course there are alot of people that have unlimited disposable finances and only have to call there broker & investment planner to make up the losses

-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Tuesday 7th of January 2014 11:06:20 AM

The Crumps · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thank you all for the info and help. A tankless isn't in our budget and with what I read here it might continue to be a financial strain. We think it may just be the circuit board on the water heater. We found out the cg we're going to for the summer has an in-house RV repair guy. So, we may just wait until we get there to see about repairs. We've been house sitting for almost 3 months so haven't been using it lately. We'll find out when we leave Apr. 1. Thanks again!

melvonnar · RV-Dreams Family Member

camper world sells an insert that goes into your water tank. use electric to heat your water instead of propane. saves me a ton of money.

Workinrvers · RV-Dreams Family Member

sorry but just saw this post or would have replied sooner. The board on the water heater is really simple to replace. I just replaced ours on our Atwood W/H a couple of months ago. I ordered it off ebay for under $120 and it is pretty much "plug and play" and took less then 10 minutes to swap them out, unplug the wiring and remove 3 screws and old was comes off and just reverse the procedure for the new one. Saved me $100 (or more!) of labor and trip charges that a mobile tech would charge.

Phil

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

bjoyce wrote:
.......I guess I now know one motorhome owner that doesn't find it a hassle, if the avatar for TRAILERKING is accurate..........

Now that's funny. I just finally read this reply. I was going to let this ride but couldn't.

Why is it like "The Little Tight Knit Group" can throw out their comments and it's fine. Don't get me wrong......I have no problem with that comment bjoyce. However if "I" posted that; I would be FLAMED as being judgmental. I would be accused of throwing personal attacks. I would be "warned"..........Then the post would be "DELETED" or "EDITED".

Again bjoyce post is fine with me...............

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

TRAILERKING: You recommended a tankless hot water heater a couple entries up, so I figured you didn't mind getting propane with your motorhome. My dim memory thinks I was trying to find out what RV you had, since your signature doesn't say what RV you have, a name like "TRAILERKING" implies a trailer, but the avatar photo shows a motorhome.