Water heater covers

[hohiso]

Quoting Acampingwewillgo from Roads & Routes: "This was my experience last year.
I've driven the MH for almost 13 year's without this happening including times on both the 99 and 5 in the same area your referring too but alas, last year while traveling the 5, I lost my water heater outside cover because of the rough road. I don't know exactly where it went bye bye but soon after Sacramento, I noticed it missing. May I suggest to those reading this to place a small "carabiner" clip or small padlock on the eyelet of that cover. I'm not the first to lose one. "

My own contribution is: After going through a hand-truck-wash in Tucson I discovered that my water htr cover was gone. Regretably it was not discovered until I was 3 miles down the road. The rotating/flip up latch was standing straight up and down. My (paranoid?)theory? The grunt laborer who did most of the washing was having a bad day and decided to take it out on me by moving the latch to the open position and letting road wind and motion do the rest. Soitgoes...

Another lesson from this experience: always do comparison shopping. The first place I went to for a replacement cover said I could only order the cover with frame, but could just throw the new frame away and mount to the old one. The second place said I could order the cover by itself. The price difference was significant, at least to me. Both were established well known parts supply places. Soitgoes again...

[cpaulsen]

I just modified the little clip on the water heater door.........added a 1/4" bolt which I jut double nutted......close the door and put a nyloc nut on it to keep it closed.

[Acampingwewillg]

Yes...mine was the Suburban also....and even thought there is spring tension on that latch, I'll never go without some device keeping the door from detaching from the frame again....simple insurance.

[Chris_Bryant]

RLS7201 wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:
Care to give a part number for the door sans frame? I've always had to order the whole thing.

93986 is the Pt# for the 10 gallon Atwood water heater.
Water heater door

Richard

Yes- that's for the Atwood. It's the Suburban flush mount that is easily lost, and I don't have a source for just the door for that model.

[hohiso]

Regrets - don't have a part no. Camping World was the source for the door alone.

[RLS7201]

Chris Bryant wrote:
Care to give a part number for the door sans frame? I've always had to order the whole thing.

93986 is the Pt# for the 10 gallon Atwood water heater.
Water heater door

Richard

[hohiso]

J_D_Freedom: the latch on my door needs to be flipped up against spring pressure, then rotated 90 deg over a couple of little bumps to line up with a slot. Essentially impossible to happen by accident. Actually quite a good design so long as used properly and nobody messes with it.

[Acampingwewillg]

Just as indicated, when I had to replace the door(mine came from Amazon), the frame came with it. At first, I thought, heck, I don't need the frame but low and behold, even though the dimensions were exact, the new door did NOT set as well into the old frame as it did in its included frame. So, you guessed it, I installed frame and new door and I'm very happy with it. (for those that need to do this, the frame is held on by two long screws...easy job)

[Chris_Bryant]

Care to give a part number for the door sans frame? I've always had to order the whole thing.

[Jack_Diane_Free]

Maybe, just maybe the so called 'grunt labourer' might have bumped the latch with a wash brush or something like that.