Can someone point me in the right direction to find the old thread about rebuilding the support structure for the hot water heater?
I have a 373 and the water heater has broken through the door L bracket again. Guess I need to fix it before it falls out on the road, huh?
I know there was a very good thread with pictures on how someone built a new support truss system, but I can't find it when I search the site.
The screws that hold the L bracket on mine were very unsecure and loose.
I pop riveted the L bracket tot he door with large rivets with flat washer last year. It has held solidly since.
I also removed the plastic strap that hold the water heater with metal plumbers strap.
That is the perforated metal straps that holds many home water heaters to the walls.
The above picture shows how I fixed the painted panel at the water heater on my brand new 360 when the bottom of the painted panel "stuck out" the first time I drove it with water in the water heater.
I emptied the water and pushed the panel back in plsce and then took a strip of thick tin and screwed it to the bottom of the painted panel and across to some structural metal and brackets under the RV.
The picture is looking up from the ground.
We have made trips since with no problems.
Thanks for the great pix and fast reply. I see the panel is attached on the bottom skirt and from the previous info it comes off of the face of the heater with a rubber seal around heater to panel interface. Once the screws on the bottom are removed does the panel swivel out from the bottom and lift off of a rail at the top of the panel or are there more hidden scores attaching the top and sides?
To tell you the truth, I don'n know - I just drained the water heater to relieve its weight, pushed the bottom of the painted panel back in place, and attached with the tin strip as shown. This "fix" has worked just fine so far for us.
I know others have taken the painted panel off and put a full width wooden support under the actual water heater.
Hope this helps - let me know if I can help any further.
It Helps, I was thinking that if you put a support across the bottom on the outside of the compartment it might be a better structural fix without risking messing up a $10,000 upgrade paint job. You are really helping to make that a good choice for me. I have not experienced an issue (yet) but I am going to do an external support as an insurance policy for this issue. This Forum is the best place for fixing everything on the rigs.
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