Point-of-use tankless water heaters

rockhillmanor wrote:

Ethanp11 wrote:
Previous owner was an absolute goof so I doubt he serviced anything on there properly. I'm hoping the roof is okay because a buddy and I were walking around up there looking for leaks and soft spots and couldn't find any. You are absolutely correct in these projects being money pits. Can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig haha. Can I put any model of hot water heater in there or does it have to be specific to my trailer?

I found the cheaper units you were talking about on Amazon about 300 bucks US.

It's 650 without install from my local RV dealership so if it's cheaper then that to order online from the state's then I'll go down that route. When I first searched for these the price ranged from 8 to 12 so it's nice to see that's not what I'm stuck with.

>> CG stands for Campground.

Here to tell you RV Mobile Repair is the way to go.

First of all they will beat the prices you have listed.
AND/OR they will locate the leak and be able to repair it.

They see these day in and day out and will most likely know where the problem is with just one look. And their rates/parts prices are WAY WAY WAY lower than an RV dealership. Stay away from those goons!

Good Luck. Don't be discouraged. Fixing up an older RV will give you years of wonderful RV'ing memories with your family. :C

There might be some confusion here. We are comparing prices between two different countries with two different currencies but both are called dollars so it muddies the water a bit. It would be easier if one currency had a different name like pounds or euros etc. Anyway, the OP is comparing a landed price in one currency to a pre-shipped price in another. There may still be some savings but may not be as good as it looks. Shipping and brokerage is expensive.

Good luck on the fix job. Hope you build lots of great memories in the trailer.

A lot depends on your water usage. Our water demands are rather low. Tankless heaters are a fine TT option but they use LP.

Our hot water usage is such that we run our water heater for a half hour in the morning and we are set for the day. If our demand rises, such as doing dishes, we will turn it on for a short period.

Our water heater water is HOT. It is also factory set. We almost always use the CG electricity but the LP option works if we boondock.

In our case there is little incentive to change.

As to repairing water damage, in my opinion you only need to fix the problem, nothing fancy. You are putting money and effort into a money pit.

Update: On a wim I ripped up the carpet and the laminate flooring underneath and there's big spots where the floor was soaked at one point and all corners of the walls behind the axle are weak and starting to crumble away. The trailer has no mudflaps and there's no cover above the wheels stopping rocks from chipping away at the bottom of the trailer. I would have to rip out the kitchen to replace the floor properly. Should I save this trailer? I won't need to sleep in it until the spring so I have time to wait around for deals on home renovation leftovers and what not. What do you guys think?

You should be able to take measurements of your water heater and compare them to the ones you found to see if they are the same size and will fit.

Basically, the sizes come down to the type that has the tank setting left/right and the type that has the tank setting front/back. They are not quite interchangeable but, if you have enough room you can do it.

Easiest to get the same brand name and same size and then it slips right in.

Be aware, some water heaters are the "pilot light" type and require no power. The other type has a circuit board and then they require 12 volt power.

Again, it's easiest to get the same type as you have to making it out changing it easier.

Glad you found the cheaper units, they should fit, but I would measure the area and double check it that way. Attwood should still have a similar model on their site so you may be able to get size requirements there to compare the new ones to.

Ethanp11 wrote:
Previous owner was an absolute goof so I doubt he serviced anything on there properly. I'm hoping the roof is okay because a buddy and I were walking around up there looking for leaks and soft spots and couldn't find any. You are absolutely correct in these projects being money pits. Can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig haha. Can I put any model of hot water heater in there or does it have to be specific to my trailer?

I found the cheaper units you were talking about on Amazon about 300 bucks US.

It's 650 without install from my local RV dealership so if it's cheaper then that to order online from the state's then I'll go down that route. When I first searched for these the price ranged from 8 to 12 so it's nice to see that's not what I'm stuck with.

>> CG stands for Campground.

Here to tell you RV Mobile Repair is the way to go.

First of all they will beat the prices you have listed.
AND/OR they will locate the leak and be able to repair it.

They see these day in and day out and will most likely know where the problem is with just one look. And their rates/parts prices are WAY WAY WAY lower than an RV dealership. Stay away from those goons!

Good Luck. Don't be discouraged. Fixing up an older RV will give you years of wonderful RV'ing memories with your family. :C

Previous owner was an absolute goof so I doubt he serviced anything on there properly. I'm hoping the roof is okay because a buddy and I were walking around up there looking for leaks and soft spots and couldn't find any. You are absolutely correct in these projects being money pits. Can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig haha. Can I put any model of hot water heater in there or does it have to be specific to my trailer? I found the cheaper units you were talking about on Amazon about 300 bucks US. It's 650 without install from my local RV dealership so if it's cheaper then that to order online from the state's then I'll go down that route. When I first searched for these the price ranged from 8 to 12 so it's nice to see that's not what I'm stuck with.

Atwood water tanks are aluminum and requires a nylon drain plug - if the prior owner used a metal plug then that might explain some of your issues. You should be able to fine a replacement on Amazon for about the same price as Suburban.

Old RV's can be a money pit - make sure you have a handle on whether you need new roof etc before you spend more money on this project. Rehabilitation of old RV is daunting task for experienced RVer and something I would never recommend for a newbie - and after spending big bucks your old TT it won't be worth much.

I narrowed it down to the tank because it only starts dripping when I run hot water and the pump never shuts off. The water heater is an Atwood GC6A-7E. I'm not sure if this one can be saved. Right at the back at the water in and hot water out lines the base where it meets the tank is all rusty but if I fill the tank and plug the holes the water stays in there. I haven't pressured up the tank yet but I think that may be my problem. Also noticed upon draining the tank the water is dark grey and there's lots of sediments and silt and it feels like there's something knocking around in there. It glugs out of there for a few seconds then stops and needs to be shook around a bit to continue. Should I be throwing this thing in the trash or is it salvageable? Sorry for all questions this is my first time talking with other people who actually know about trailers.

Shes definitely got some imperfections. The hot water tank issue rotted out the whole corner of the trailer and i spent pretty much the entire trailer fund fixing that up. I've physically seen the old unit I pulled out work but when the hot water valve opens it only builds enough pressure to get to the kitchen sink about 4 feet from the tank. Should I just service this one and put it back in? I'm not too sure how to put pictures up in this thread.