A little maintenance sure goes a long way.

[FIRE UP]

Well Gang,
It's a cold Saturday, the DW is out spending money with the Daughter so, I get the day by myself. Ever since we purchased our '04 Itasca about 6 months ago, the water heater compartment has looked like something brought up from the Titanic. I've opened it up a few times when showing people and was embarrassed every time. So, today, I became armed and dangerous, sand paper, lacquer thinner, emery cloth, scraper, a variety of tools and dove into that compartment.

As you can see by the pics, it was UGLY! I've had motorhomes before, truck campers, Class Cs, etc. and never had one that looked like that, when it was 7 years old. Oh well, that's what they make paint for. I disassembled most of it and tried out my little portable Sears Sand blaster on everything I could remove. It kind of works pretty cool, that is if you like your face sand blasted at the same time.

Anyway, it all worked out, and, after about 2-3 hours of sanding, scraping, sand blasting, heating parts for paint, etc. it is all done. Man, what a difference. Next project, I'll start working around the coach, on the infamous Winnebago/Itasca inner compartment door area rust. Sure seems like they should have done a better job on those.
Scott

[Sammie]

Come on Scott! You really went down to the local RV dealer and just took some pictures of a New water heater, right?

Sammie

[wlf00]

Great job! Looks like new.

[powerboatr]

you done GOOD
be proud of your gold star

sure makes a difference

[JimM68]

VERY good work!!!

[RVNeophytes2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE UP Well Gang, It's a cold Saturday, the DW is out spending money with the Daughter...

OMG... Was the Itasca stored underwater? Wow.

I've got a glass-bead blaster, full shop, couldn't do half as nice a job as you managed. Bravo! It looks factory-new.

[gfs1943]

What a nice-looking job! I'm sure I couldn't do as well even with the right equipment, but I gotta check into that portable sandblaster. I've been wanting one for years; maybe now is the right time to find one - maybe Santa will bring it!

[Wayne M]

Portable sandblaster? Model # please?

Now for the GRIN - it looks like something someone can do with to much time on their hands. Nice to be retarded......eerrrrr retired, right?

Very nice job indeed.

[Toms57]

Good Job! Time well spent

Tom

[jabfado]

Only one Question, do you hire out?

[JohnRR]

You did the job and yourself proud

[FIRE UP]

Gang,
Well I certainly appreciate your nice comments. It was a fun little project. I had the tools, the area to do the work, the paint, the little sand blaster and, most important, working on that compartment was right next to the compartment that has my flat screen in it so, I had the movie "Major League" in while I was diligently working. And, to the one that inquired about the little blaster, it's not a Sears, it's a MAC tool. My son got if off a MAC tool truck when he worked for dealership. He did not have a price, it was a few years ago.

But, he says that Harbor Freight has one just like it. And to the one that commented on the fact it looked like the Itasca had been stored under water, yeah, I thought that too. But, here's my theory. Those pressure valves in those heaters have tendency to leak every now and then. It depends on lots of things, like the seal in the pressure side of it, how well the spring is holding and more. So it's possible that, that valve had been leaking on an "On and off again" time frame in such a manor that it never alerted the two previous owners. But, it was simply causing a mess in there.

Thanks again for your nice comments. Very much appreciated.
Scott

[w6pea]

Nice work, you want to do mine?



If We Can't Haul It....You Don't Need It ! Motor-T

[sdennislee]

Great looking job.

The DW has a garden bench that need painted. Guess that will be my excuse to buy a portable sandblaster.