Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement!
| Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103391] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 12:55  |
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Well this weekend I decided to tackel the replacement of my water heater, well needless to say, its not as straight forward as "the bible" (GMC Tech Manual) makes it sound. Removal took a while since it didnt wanna squeeze around the toilet, so I took off the face plate of the old atwood heater and managed to get it around the toilet. finally it just made more sense to remove the toilet all together, an aqua magic recirculating model, and slide the unit out that way. the first thing I noticed was that monsters dont hide under the bed in these rigs, they hide under the toilet! hat I found there was an indescribable film of some kind of grossness, which has likely been there since30 or so years! Well back to the water heater, once out, I begin the process of repairing the support bracket behind the heater which had broken off the wall, allowing the full weight of the unit to rest solly on the wheel well, not good! I used 4 #14 lag screws to anchor the bracket to the support beam on the wall, and came up with a peg-leg support to handle the weight of the unit at midships to not have it resting on the wheel well like the old support, which had also cracked the wheel well, and there is now a 2x2 chunk missing from it.
After getting that all done I try to insert my new Kuuma force 10 and WTF its 1/8 too large to fit though the opening!!!  so after uttering some choice profanity, I decided to wrap it up for the night and tackel it today. so it looks like I gotta enlargen the opening in the bath module to fit the new heater in, anyone else have this problem with water heater replacement?
73 Canyon Lands, (a.k.a. The Yellow Submarine) West Los Angeles CA
[Updated on: Mon, 18 October 2010 12:58] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103393 is a reply to message #103392] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 13:13  |
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Dan, I'm afraid there is gonna be no free lunch on this one, an on demand system would require removing the fridge and a lot of additional plumbing of gas and water lines to fit it in. would be a PITA anyway I believe.I think it will be easier to just cut 1.8th from the fiberglass in the bath module then sawing a hole and going at it from the rear...
| WD0AFQ wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 12:59 |
Duce, can you cut an access panel out in the bedroom wall to get it in? I know the vent pipe runs up thru there but not sure what you might find. Many GMC's now have an access panel in that wall.
Good luck. Makes a guy wish he had just got the on demand system, don't it?
Dan
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73 Canyon Lands, (a.k.a. The Yellow Submarine) West Los Angeles CA
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| Re: [GMCnet] Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103399 is a reply to message #103391] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 13:33 |
Wesley Chalk
Messages: 35
Registered: September 2008
Karma: 0
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When I read stories like ths I say "God bless the Edgemonte!!"
Wesley Chalk
________________________________
From: Shan Rose <defconfx@gmail.com>
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Sent: Mon, October 18, 2010 12:55:04 PM
Subject: [GMCnet] Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement!
Well this weekend I decided to tackel the replacement of my water heater, well
needless to say, its not as straight forward as "the bible" (GMC Tech Manual)
makes it sound. Removal took a while since it didnt wanna squeeze around the
toilet, so I took off the face plate of the old atwood heater and managed to get
it around the toilet. finally it just made more sense to remove the toilet all
together, an aqua magic recirculating model, and slide the unit out that way.
the first thing I noticed was that monsters dont hide under the bed in these
rigs, they hide under the toilet! hat I found there was an indescribable film of
some kind of grossness, which has likely been there since30 or so years! Well
back to the water heater, once out, I begin the process of repairing the support
bracket behind the heater which had broken off the wall, allowing the full
weight of the unit to rest solly on the wheel well, not good! I used 4 #14 lag
screws to anchor the bracket to the support bea
m on the wall, and came up with a peg-leg support to handle the weight of the
unit at midships to not have it resting on the wheel well like the old support,
which had also cracked the wheel well, and there is now a 2x2 chunk missing from
it.
After getting that all done I try to insert my new Kuuma force 10 and WTF its
1/8 too large to fit though the opening!!! so after uttering some choice
profanity, I decided to wrap it up for the night and tackle it today. so it
looks like I gotta enlargen the opening in the bath modul to fit the new heater
in, anyone else have this problem with water heater replacement?
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GMCnet mailing list
List Information and Subscription Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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| Re: Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103402 is a reply to message #103392] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 13:42 |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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| WD0AFQ wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 10:59 |
Duce, can you cut an access panel out in the bedroom wall to get it in? I know the vent pipe runs up thru there but not sure what you might find. Many GMC's now have an access panel in that wall. ...
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Duce, what year is your coach? I understand that with models after 1975(?) you can unfasten the panel between the bath and the "bedroom" giving you access to the rear of the water heater. Still might be easier to trim a little fiberglass... as long as the cover still "covers" the larger hole.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103404 is a reply to message #103396] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 13:49 |
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Well I'm not particularly squeemish when it comes to such tasks, single handedly I've extracted 2 caddy 500s from 76 eldos the last one with the tranny and final drive in 2 hours, then there was my electric fan install and waterpump job, got that done on a saturday, its just that the German side of me hates stupid delays (but loves beer) I just find it particularly frustrating that they didnt make that hole just a little bigger. Im taking pictures, will keep everyone posted on my progress...
| WD0AFQ wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 13:26 |
Oh, ok. Wish you had someone there to help you. I know it is tough doing this stuff alone. Teri is good to assist me with stuff but that is not like having another male GMCer there to make sure I don't screw it up. I am the only active GMCer for miles and miles. Dennis is in Memphis and one of the closest. I might need to get a bunch of ribs and try to get him up here on my next big adventure.
Dan
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73 Canyon Lands, (a.k.a. The Yellow Submarine) West Los Angeles CA
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| Re: Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103405 is a reply to message #103402] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 13:53 |
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Didnt get so lucky im afriad, its a 73 Canyon lands, and it still has the original interior!  If I got seriously involved with this I'd see if I could have a 14" frame made with new sliding pannels and really open the hole up, but I think the more time and cost effective way would be to remove 1/8 to 3/16 of the fiberglass, should still be covered by the original frame...
| mike miller wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 13:42 |
| WD0AFQ wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 10:59 |
Duce, can you cut an access panel out in the bedroom wall to get it in? I know the vent pipe runs up thru there but not sure what you might find. Many GMC's now have an access panel in that wall. ...
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Duce, what year is your coach? I understand that with models after 1975(?) you can unfasten the panel between the bath and the "bedroom" giving you access to the rear of the water heater. Still might be easier to trim a little fiberglass... as long as the cover still "covers" the larger hole.
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73 Canyon Lands, (a.k.a. The Yellow Submarine) West Los Angeles CA
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| Re: Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103415 is a reply to message #103391] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 15:33 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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| Duce Apocalypse wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 13:55 |
Well this weekend I decided to tackel the replacement of my water heater, well needless to say, its not as straight forward as "the bible" (GMC Tech Manual) makes it sound. Removal took a while since it didnt wanna squeeze around the toilet, so I took off the face plate of the old atwood heater and managed to get it around the toilet. finally it just made more sense to remove the toilet all together, an aqua magic recirculating model, and slide the unit out that way. the first thing I noticed was that monsters dont hide under the bed in these rigs, they hide under the toilet! hat I found there was an indescribable film of some kind of grossness, which has likely been there since30 or so years! Well back to the water heater, once out, I begin the process of repairing the support bracket behind the heater which had broken off the wall, allowing the full weight of the unit to rest solly on the wheel well, not good! I used 4 #14 lag screws to anchor the bracket to the support beam on the wall, and came up with a peg-leg support to handle the weight of the unit at midships to not have it resting on the wheel well like the old support, which had also cracked the wheel well, and there is now a 2x2 chunk missing from it.
After getting that all done I try to insert my new Kuuma force 10 and WTF its 1/8 too large to fit though the opening!!! so after uttering some choice profanity, I decided to wrap it up for the night and tackel it today. so it looks like I gotta enlargen the opening in the bath module to fit the new heater in, anyone else have this problem with water heater replacement?
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Not in a coach, but I have run into the fact that the Force 10 (Chinese) copy of an Atwood is about 1/8 larger and have had some go-rounds with owners that did not understand that the marine store sold them an "equivalent replacement" and not an "exact replacement". You think motorhomes are tight work...
Sometimes I can and I get to modify the boat and sometimes we get the right one and sell the other on E-bay.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103425 is a reply to message #103415] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 18:38 |
stick miller
Messages: 1036
Registered: March 2010
Location: Americus, Georgia
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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I have a Royale with gas water heat. It worked a couple of weeks ago, but something's not right. I don't think it will be a big deal.
Early on thought about "on demand". I've had a Rinnai for 6 years at my house and have been very pleased. I think the tedency would be to use much more water than the holding tank will accomodate...especially all 6'5" of me in my dry side bath.
Good luck on the replacement. I'm not much into cutting holes.
Stick Miller
'78 Royale - "White Trash" - she left me for another man
'76 Eleganza - "Cousin Eddie" Sold
'84 Bluebird Wanderlodge - "Past Tents"
Americus, GA
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| Re: Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103473 is a reply to message #103415] |
Tue, 19 October 2010 12:47 |
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Matt, gotta correct you on one small thing, Kumma's are made in Thailand not China. Though the Comapany is based in California. I would also suspect that Atwood and Seaward units are also likely made overseas these days, perhaps you can confirm this?
Well I finally got it in, well sorta. Its still not hooked up but its in its space and man its a tight fit. I had to cut about 1/8 of the fiber glass and then hand file for final fitment. Then after much profanity, sweat and beer it finally popped into place. The girlfriemd snickered at some of what she called very creative terminology that I used to describe the experience lol. I think this job is the biggest PITA on the rig todate. I do have some pix so perhaps I can get a page up on gmcphotos at some point. Will hook it up today after work and test it out... More to come...
| mcolie wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 15:33 |
| Duce Apocalypse wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 13:55 |
Well this weekend I decided to tackel the replacement of my water heater, well needless to say, its not as straight forward as "the bible" (GMC Tech Manual) makes it sound. Removal took a while since it didnt wanna squeeze around the toilet, so I took off the face plate of the old atwood heater and managed to get it around the toilet. finally it just made more sense to remove the toilet all together, an aqua magic recirculating model, and slide the unit out that way. the first thing I noticed was that monsters dont hide under the bed in these rigs, they hide under the toilet! hat I found there was an indescribable film of some kind of grossness, which has likely been there since30 or so years! Well back to the water heater, once out, I begin the process of repairing the support bracket behind the heater which had broken off the wall, allowing the full weight of the unit to rest solly on the wheel well, not good! I used 4 #14 lag screws to anchor the bracket to the support beam on the wall, and came up with a peg-leg support to handle the weight of the unit at midships to not have it resting on the wheel well like the old support, which had also cracked the wheel well, and there is now a 2x2 chunk missing from it.
After getting that all done I try to insert my new Kuuma force 10 and WTF its 1/8 too large to fit though the opening!!! so after uttering some choice profanity, I decided to wrap it up for the night and tackel it today. so it looks like I gotta enlargen the opening in the bath module to fit the new heater in, anyone else have this problem with water heater replacement?
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Not in a coach, but I have run into the fact that the Force 10 (Chinese) copy of an Atwood is about 1/8 larger and have had some go-rounds with owners that did not understand that the marine store sold them an "equivalent replacement" and not an "exact replacement". You think motorhomes are tight work...
Sometimes I can and I get to modify the boat and sometimes we get the right one and sell the other on E-bay.
Matt
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73 Canyon Lands, (a.k.a. The Yellow Submarine) West Los Angeles CA
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| Re: Arrrrrrg! Friggin hot water heater replacement! [message #103492 is a reply to message #103479] |
Tue, 19 October 2010 16:33 |
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Well the Kuuma unit I received appears to be well made, and had a nice stainless case, though that got scratched a bit during the fitting process. Aside from being a touch larger, looks to be a nearly direct replacement. I got it new in box for $215 to my door, nearly half what I could find a comparable atwood for. The frustration of the dimensional issue though might make me consider another unit, if I had it to do over again, hopefully that won't be for a long time though...
| mcolie wrote on Tue, 19 October 2010 13:34 |
| Duce Apocalypse wrote on Tue, 19 October 2010 13:47 |
Matt, gotta correct you on one small thing, Kumma's are made in Thailand not China. Though the Company is based in California. I would also suspect that Atwood and Seaward units are also likely made overseas these days, perhaps you can confirm this?<snip>
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The last Atwood I acquired and installed was made in this country. Force 10 used to be American, but the label and rights were sold and the dimensions and quality have both suffered.
I can not speak for Seaward as I don't recall installing one recently. The supplier that carries that line is inconvenient to use because of distance.
Port Supply (West Marine) used to supply Force, but dropped the line when they became Kumma.
Matt
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73 Canyon Lands, (a.k.a. The Yellow Submarine) West Los Angeles CA
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