242rlx water heater won't work

[Jbtownsend101]

Hello all, my fiancé and I just bought a 16 wildcat maxx 242rlx. We're camping right now and the hot water doesn't work. Earlier I fires it up with the switch on and it lit. Tonight I wanted to take a shower and there's no hot water. We don't have any valves on the tank under the fridge access panel and both valves are closed on exterior shower. I ran the hot water for awhile on an inside sink to fill tanks hopping it would work and still doesn't. When I opened the water heater panel the drain valve is more than warm but still no water is coming out. All wires seem to be connected and the reset bottoms aren't out for me to reset. We are first time owners and need help!

[Bako88fan]

Are you hooked up to campground electrical or are you running off propane and battery power?

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Jbtownsend101

Hello all, my fiancé and I just bought a 16 wildcat maxx 242rlx. We're camping right now and the hot water doesn't work. Earlier I fires it up with the switch on and it lit. Tonight I wanted to take a shower and there's no hot water. We don't have any valves on the tank under the fridge access panel and both valves are closed on exterior shower. I ran the hot water for awhile on an inside sink to fill tanks hopping it would work and still doesn't. When I opened the water heater panel the drain valve is more than warm but still no water is coming out. All wires seem to be connected and the reset bottoms aren't out for me to reset. We are first time owners and need help!

You most likely have the bypass valves incorrect. These valves are most likely BEHIND your hot water tank, if you don't have a plumbing station. You will need to find a way to access behind the tank. You may have to remove a false cabinet door, a drawer, a bed bottom, etc...in order to gain access to these valves.

Once you gain access and find the valves, then this thread may help:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...st-103381.html

[Bama Rambler]

I believe your MAXX has a plumbing station. That's where you water heater bypass valves could be.

Open it up and take a picture if you're in doubt and maybe we can tell you which is which.

[SeaDog]

Welcome to the forum as you will see this is a great place to get your questions answered, to bad your first post is with a problem, I agree with what others have said, if you are not sure take a pic and post it

[Jbtownsend101]

We're running off both propane and battery and generators when needed.

[Jbtownsend101]

Thanks for all the replies. My phone won't let me load pictures on here but I found three valves in the passenger side storage compartment. Ones a red line coming from the heater tank thanks open, one then goes from that red line down to the blue line which is open and there is a blue line from the heater that's closed. And also how do you fill and check if there's water in your heater tank exactly?

[Jbtownsend101]

Nvm I just figured it out. I opened the one cold valve and closed what I'm thinking is the bypass line and it works perfectly now!

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Jbtownsend101

Nvm I just figured it out. I opened the one cold valve and closed what I'm thinking is the bypass line and it works perfectly now!

Glad you got it working, as this is one of the more common problems and why we have the sticky link I posted at the beginning of this thread in post #3. You may want to bookmark if for future reference as it has the diagrams as how the valves are supposed to be.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Jbtownsend101

And also how do you fill and check if there's water in your heater tank exactly?

If you have a Suburban water heater this operational thread may help:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post327988

[Bama Rambler]

Originally Posted by Jbtownsend101

Thanks for all the replies. My phone won't let me load pictures on here but I found three valves in the passenger side storage compartment. Ones a red line coming from the heater tank thanks open, one then goes from that red line down to the blue line which is open and there is a blue line from the heater that's closed. And also how do you fill and check if there's water in your heater tank exactly?

The most foolproof way to tell if there's water in the tank is to open the T&P (popoff) valve on the heater. When water comes out there you have no doubt that the tank has water in it.

Also, thanks for coming back and letting us know what you found.

[Jbtownsend101]

Thanks to all you guys I got it all figured out. Still learning this trailer and of course the manual and dealer don't tell you squat. But I got all these threads bookmarked and now I'm all educated up. Happy travels!