Leaking water heater

Thanks everyone for the responses. We will begin trying these tips tomorrow. We did install the water heater and put water in it and didn't seem to leak. Did not turn the heater on. We will try that tomorrow. Thanks again. Such helpful responses.

Moved from Forum Technical Support

Leaking out into the cabinet?

Do you mean inside the camper
OR
Into the outside compartment?

Inside the camper:
Hot line fitting at top or cold line fitting out bottom (only 2 areas where it can leak from)

Outside compartment:
Pressure Relief Valve (can weep when water it heated)
Drain plug (new nylon plug and clean up threads would probably fix leak)
Gas Valve thermocouple gasket (gas valve screws into tank)

Other than a 'crack' in tank those are the places water could leak from on tank.

Might have been easier to locate/ID leak with WH still installed by cycling it thru a few heat cycles and using paper towels under things to find source of leak.

Now that it is out.......

Need to get a plug to screw on hot out and an adapter to screw on cold in so you can hook up a garden hose to cold inlet.
Should be able to find fittings at ACE Hardware

Then hook up garden hose...fill tank (Open PRV with lever to expel air/fill tank) then try to ID leak.
Course leak may only occur when water is heated OR it may have been loose hot/cold fitting

Where did you find evidence of leak.....inside camper/outside compartment?

You could also go to your local hardware, get the fittings to fit up a water hose to it and a cap for the outlet. pressurize it overnight or if there is a leak you may see it right away. Maybe worth taking the water heater with you to get the correct fittings.

I see you are in Florida but did the camper come from a northern climate? Are you sure it's the water heater that is leaking? Could it be a water line that may not have been properly winterized and has split? Or a bad connection elsewhere in the trailer. It could also be the tank itself. If the prior owner did not drain the tank and it froze solid, the tank could have split and you may not be able to see the crack due to the insulation on the tank. If you have the tank out, you could plug the water lines that go into the tank and see it the leak is in the trailer. If there is no leak with the tank out then you know it is the tank.