Well, my camper is 34 this year, and since most of it is still original, so are most of its appliances.
Since I started full-timing, I've been putting a great deal more stress on the appliances than would have normally been applied if it were just being used for a few trips a year.
So, I've decided its time to retire the original Mobil Temp water heater. She's a galvanized steel water heater, and has served me very well, as she had served all the previous owners of the big KIT in her 34 years on the road.
She's still going, but her burner housing is rusty, and the tank has no sacrificial annode and the slot in the drain plug for a flat head screw driver (to open it) is stripped out.
But, dang, 34 years for a galvanized water heater is a pretty long service life, even if it was used only part of the time.
Her replacement will be a Suburban Propane 6 gallon Pilot-Light Gas unit. Its a porcelain lined steel water heater with a sacrificial annode. The unit is capable of also receiving the Electrical heating element so that you can use dual heating for faster recovery rates. I've passed on this and DSI (Though I'd love to have it) due to budget. At some point later on, I will add the electrical circuit needed and the electric heating element, but for now, Gas heating will suffice, its what I've been using up till now .
The best deal I found for it was from Rvupgrades.com, for $231.21. The access door is another $33.35, and with shipping the total comes to $310.51. That's less than any local RV shop wants for just the water heater by itself.
CBChannel 17Space Ghost '1991.5Dodge W-250 Power Wagon - Club Cab Long Bed V8 5.9L 4spd H.D Auto 4x4 4.10 Gears '1974KIT Kamper 1106 - 11' Slide-in '1987Pullman Mini Camper '2004Bi-Mart 4x8 Cargo Trailer
I saw the SW6P for $205 somewhere, as I was trolling for repair parts for mine on the weekend. If I see it again I'll post it. I had to replace the pilot light assembly on mine, the gas tube corroded a tad and broke off. It probably broke off because I was in there working to get the sediment out. the sediment was caused by a grossly deteriorated anode, which was caused by the antifreeze that I used to winterize it last year. Hidden in the Suburban web site is a warning that anti-freeze will rapidly deteriorate the anode, so don't use it inside the water heater or replace the anode with a plug if you do. Good advice.
Anyway, I don't think it's a 34 year unit. I don't think it's a 10 year unit, actually - the burner housing on my heater (2004 manufacture, actually in use for 3 years) is quite rusted and literally need to be vacuumed out. But on the plus side it works well and if 6 gallons of hot water is what you need, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Except for the anode sediment. I'd consider an anode-less system for that reason alone. It's a total PITA to try to get all the sediment out, frustrating and virtually impossible to get completely clean.
Edit: well that wasn't hard to find again. http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-water-heaters/801319.htm
SW6P pilot light 6 gallon propane, $204.95 less door. Hope this helps.
Brian
2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab, Hemi, 5 speed manual, 3.73 gears, Tow Beast hitch with 24" extension.
28 ft race car hauler, Lola T440 Formula Ford, NTM MK4 Sports Racer
2004 Travel Hawk 8' Truck Camper - Roll at 16K combined weight
Has any park denied you entrance because of age of your unit or don't you use that kind of camping area?
RRUGG
2008 Dodge 2500 QC 4x4 SB Cummins 6 speed auto 3.73
1997 Holiday Rambler 29FK travel trailer
2006 Summit 22RB travel trailer
2003 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport
Bob & Grace professional retirees
Good Sam life members
In the very few RV parks I've been in, no one's denied me yet. That would of course consist of the Olema RV Park in Olema, CA. I unloaded my camper there too. The other one was the KOA in Kent, WA. No problems there either. The rest of the time, I'm in State Parks, US Forestry campgrounds, or the occasional National Park.
VintageRacer, I know mine's original. It still has the date of Mfg placard stamped on the inside. I don't know too many modern water heaters that are housed in a sheet metal box with fiberglass bat insulation wrapped around their tanks. Its on its second regulator (last owner informed me that he had replaced the unit, that and it still had the wagers trailer sales sticker on it from when be bought it).
I don't use anti-freeze in my water heater, or for the most part the pipes. I blow them out with compressed air and open up the low point drains in the lines. The only place anti-freeze was ever used was in the drain traps and the toilet.
However, I'm full-timing in the unit, so that water heater is going to be on ALOT. The current one, with the exception of driving around with the camper on has been on since June. I'd love to just keep using the current one, but she's just getting too old, I have big chunks of rusty metal bits falling out of the burner housing. She needs to be retired before the tank goes or the bugger catches fire.
* This post was
edited 10/08/08 12:43pm by JoeChiOhki *
I mentioned RV Salvage = I have bought from Arizona RV Salvage. in the past. They sell new/used parts and have used water heaters mentioned on on this page.
"We also sell used Water Heaters starting at $165.00. All water heaters have been completely tested out and come complete with unit and door, plus a 60 day warranty. A few of the brands we carry used are listed below."
Vintage, thanks for the link, that knocked another $20 odd bucks off and made it easier to get the flush mounted door vs the radius cornered door (Less expensive for the door).
smkettner, believe me, I love that Mobil Temp, she's just showing her age and she's not recovering hot water like she used to. I'd try flushing her out, but I know that if I open the drain one more time, I'll never get it closed tight again, it took vice grips, a super-sized flat head screw driver and a couple of sockets to get tight enough that it didn't drip constantly. I can't replace the drain because its steel, and has rusted solid to the galvanized pipe that it threads onto.
I've tried many penetration oils and I have a socket that fits the whole valve assembly (Its shaped to be accepted by a socket wrench), but I can't get it off without risking snapping that pipe right off the water heater.
Joe, I meant that I thought the new SW6P that you are getting and that I have in my TC might not end up being a 34 year unit, based on what I see with mine so far. But at less than $250 installed, getting 10 or 15 honest years out of it makes it a bargain. Pretty impressed with your current unit - it lasted a long time, and I bet you that it cost a lot more than the equivalent of $250 in 1974 dollars!
I had another thought. My unit was installed with the heater surround screwed into wood framing that surrounds the unit, and ends up flush with the outside aluminium siding that covers the TC. The door unit is then installed and overlaps the heater surround. Since the door unit is lapped over the surround, and since it wasn't sealed to the surround at all, when the anode is removed to drain the unit the water is allowed to flow under the lip of the door frame and down into the wood framing of the TC, which is now almost starting to rot. Seal your door frame to the heater surround in some long-lasting, impervious way. I used copious amounts of butyl rubber caulking tape when I put mine back together, but the damage has been done.
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