98 Hitchiker II Water Heater Wiring

Thank you. Very helpful.

swiederin wrote:
The model is #GC6AA-9E. I am replacing it because it had a leak in the tank.

OK....
That is a GAs/Electric 6 gal but the last of the versions where Gas & Electric used separate controls

120VAC should come from a 15A Circuit Breaker in your Main AC Panel
From CB 120VAC would go to the Electric On/Off Switch on cover box under which is 120VAC Set of T-stats & element (backside of WH Tank

12VDC should be from a FUSED DC source (DC Dist Panel) to 'thermal fuse' (clear tubing above burner) then to T-stat and to circuit board (Brown wire)
From circuit board to ECO & gas valve (Red wires)
Gas On/Off Switch will have the FAULT Light


IF-----IF previous owner installed an INSIDE switch for 120VAC Element then it would be wired in series with OEM switch (both have to be ON for element to get 120VAC OR OEM Switch was deleted from circuit and Inside Switch turns Element on/off


You would need to check how it is wired at backside of WH TANK and that 'wall switch with pilot light' is probably a 120VAC switch with Indicator Light to know when WH Element is on/off
(Check voltage to that switch.....120VAC??


You can get a new tank....swap you current components over
Atwood 91593 roughly $199
9E Replacement TANK

Or new GC6AA-9E water heater
Atwood AT96121 roughly $472
New 9E Water Heater----complete

OR have old tank welded up....lots of folks have done this


12VDC Wiring (7e thru 9e use same schematic)

The model is #GC6AA-9E. I am replacing it because it had a leak in the tank.

1998 HitchHiker with gas/electric combo

That should have totally separate controls for gas and electric
120V Directly to the On/Off Switch on backside of water heater...protective cover under which is the 120VAC set of t-stats and element

Gas would have an inside on/off switch with Red FAULT Light which would be triggered by failure of Flame Ignition

Atwood Water Heaters did NOT start using DC Controls for gas AND Electric until 2004---Present

In outside compartment should be a Data Sticker that lists MODEL of that Water Heater
If you have DC on/off switch that controls electric then that water heater has been changed out and the DC Switch added as part of the conversion

2004....Present Combo Units
6 gal would have a 10E at end of model number
10 gal would have a 4E at end of model number

DC on electric goes to a DC Relay that triggers 120VAC to element
Gas/Electric use same set of t-stats and circuit board---common DC source



Find out the model number and post.
Then operation/wiring info can be posted in response

And in addition to Model number...WHY do you need to replace????