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CBChief · 10-21-2008, 05:27 PM

I have a 2002 Winnebago Adventurer 32V. My electric heating element has burned out. I am looking for any help I can get to replace the element myself. I know that its on the back, but just how do you get to it? I almost wish I had a Suburban water heater because every thing you need to get to is on the front of the unit.

CBChief · 10-21-2008, 05:27 PM

I have a 2002 Winnebago Adventurer 32V. My electric heating element has burned out. I am looking for any help I can get to replace the element myself. I know that its on the back, but just how do you get to it? I almost wish I had a Suburban water heater because every thing you need to get to is on the front of the unit.

BattChief · 10-21-2008, 06:34 PM

My coach is a 2001 Horizon, and has a gch10A-4E heater. If yours is a similar installation and heater, this might help. Don't know for sure because I don't know your coach, so it may not be the same.

I just had to do this myself. It most likely will be necessary to pull the water heater. It's really not too bad of a job. You will first need to make sure power is off to the unit, and the propane is turned off at the tank. Remove the drain plug, and flip open the pressure relief valve to facilitate draining. Remove the door of the water heater by removing a couple of screws at the hinge, then slide the door off. Disconnect the propane line coming in on the left. Should be a 3/4" wrench. At this time, remove the 16 screws around the face of the water heater. Using a putty knife or a wide screwdriver, pry the edge away from the body. They used a butyl rubber caulking around it, and it's kind of a pain to get off. Once you've gotten this off, you can start to pull the water heater out. If you have a milk crate handy, use it to rest the water heater on (or something of similar height) when you pull it out. Carefully slide the unit out. If you have the motoraid option, you might have to reach behind the compartment and feed the heater hoses in a little to help with sliding the tank out of the compartment. Once you get the heater out far enough to reach the back, you will need to take off the cover on the back. It is about 4" x 6", and held on lightly with a couple of 7/16" nuts. Once it is out of the way, you should be able to see the element. There are two phillips head screws hold the wires on the element. You only have to loosen these to get the wires off. Using a 12" crescent, unscrew the element. Just do things in reverse to put everything back together. Make sure the new element has the o-ring on it before putting it in, and make sure you screw it in by hand as far as you can before putting a wrench on it, as the tank is aluminum, and if you cross thread it, you're looking at a new tank. Also, make sure you use the metal part of the element, not the plastic part the wires hook to. I used a plumbers tape to seal the heater back to the compartment instead of the butyl rubber.

troth · 10-22-2008, 05:12 AM

Home Depot had the closest-looking replacement heating elements I could find. They were 1500 watts (instead of Atwood's 1400w) and the length was real similar. If I were to do it over again, I'd check at a big plumbing supply house and get a stainless element...
While my heater was pulled out, I took the time to add a two-valve Camco bypass kit so I no longer have to deal with the check valves that go bad. Also I modified the white board on the side of the compartment (the one the pump is mounted on) for improved access to the backside of the water heater.
I've got pics if you're interested. Send me a PM with you e-mail address so I can return as an attachment.

DAN L · 10-22-2008, 10:26 PM

CBCHIEF:
b4 u pull out the atwood water heater, look for a rocker switch on the rear of the metal box cover with a mirror. it may not be turned on. mine was off. if the switch is on, remove the box cover and reset the eco overheat reset on the overheat switch. turn off ac power to the water heater b4 removing the cover. check the rocker switch for continuity also.
use the find function on irv2 and search for the eco overheat trip button and you will eventually find a picture of the back side of the atwood water heater and the location of the components. you reset the eco with something small like a pencil eraser.
on my moho, when driving, the engine coolant water flows thru a heat exchanger in the atwood water heater. it will heat the water in the atwood to 200-205 deg f.
if you turn on the electric heater switch when you plug in to ac or run your genny with the water in the heater this hot, it will trip the eco electric overheat switch every time.
i can't find the link for the picture now.
hope this helps.