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Old 01-23-2017, 02:10 PM   #1
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So I screwed up........ hot water heater issue

So when I put my Interstate in storage I thought I had the hot water heater drained but didn't and the tank split. My dealer wants 956.00 for the part and everywhere else online I see the highest price is 599.00 for the part......... am I getting screwed or am I looking at the wrong part. It's a 2016 Interstate


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Old 01-23-2017, 02:14 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NotStock View Post
So when I put my Interstate in storage I thought I had the hot water heater drained but didn't and the tank split. My dealer wants 956.00 for the part and everywhere else online I see the highest price is 599.00 for the part......... am I getting screwed or am I looking at the wrong part. It's a 2016 Interstate


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Could his quote included the labor to pull out the old heater and install the new one? If it doesn't, I'd buy it from an alternative source, assuming you are going to replace it yourself. Labor in my neck of the woods from my dealer is around $115 an hour although with the beginning of the year I wouldn't be surprised if it's up even higher.

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Old 01-23-2017, 02:28 PM   #3
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$511

Not sure exactly what water heater you have, but you can buy a new Atwood 6 gallon dual fuel for $511 all day long right now. It takes about two hours to swap one. Need a tube of vulkem or similar caulk to seal it to the skin. It's a very easy thing to do. If that quote doesn't include labor, then they are making a princely sum on the parts price Best of luck,
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Old 01-23-2017, 02:28 PM   #4
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Nope that's before the 2.5 hour labor quote


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Old 01-23-2017, 02:56 PM   #5
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So when I put my Interstate in storage I thought I had the hot water heater drained but didn't and the tank split. My dealer wants 956.00 for the part and everywhere else online I see the highest price is 599.00 for the part......... am I getting screwed or am I looking at the wrong part. It's a 2016 Interstate


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Since this is not warranty work you don't have to go to an Airstream dealer. They are charging you the Airstream mark-up for a $600 water heater. Try an independent RV repair shop and you will probably get a better deal. The 2.5 hours for labor sounds about right.

If you have the capability to change it yourself that will obviously save a lot.
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Old 01-23-2017, 03:56 PM   #6
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Search Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Atwood-91447-.../dp/B0016ZBP1Q

Unless he is selling a gold plated heater he is a thief.
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Old 01-23-2017, 04:05 PM   #7
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That's a thermostat assembly not a hot water heater


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Old 01-23-2017, 04:35 PM   #8
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Look again there is more than meets the eye.
Scrool down to the heaters
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Old 01-23-2017, 04:45 PM   #9
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Yea I still need to get the exact model off of mine for comparison just a bunch of hot water heater options and prices do me no good......... thanks everyone for the replies I'm just about done with this dealership so I'm a little frustrated. Bought a 16 with 10k on it when I was ready to buy a new one and it had a tire vibration and dead batteries when I first drove it they said it would be all taken care of upon delivery. After I took delivery it still had the same vibration at 70mph and the batteries went dead within six hours of disconnecting from shore power........now it seems like im getting shafted on a parts price.


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Old 01-23-2017, 05:33 PM   #10
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Can you order the part yourself and take it to the dealer and have them install it (leave it new in the box)? If they won't do that, then I'd do as someone else recommended and have an independent RV repair shop do the swap (still purchase it yourself).

Just curious, but how cold did it get? I've had mine parked outside and didn't winterize anything and it's been down to 29-30* a number of times at night, no problem. Maybe my coach never got cold enough to freeze anything since it only gets that cold for maybe 6-8hrs???
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Old 01-23-2017, 05:54 PM   #11
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For what it is worth any reputable rv repair facility can do the swap. Might be a good time to look at on demand water heaters.
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Old 01-23-2017, 06:31 PM   #12
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Yea I still need to get the exact model off of mine for comparison
. . .
Specifying the exact water heater in your Interstate might help, as some posters may not realize that your vehicle is a motor home, and not a trailer IMO. I have always wondered if the Interstates have smaller water heaters. Likin' the suggestion to consider a tankless heater if one fits in your space.
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Old 01-23-2017, 06:44 PM   #13
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Good time to consider on demand heat
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Old 01-23-2017, 07:21 PM   #14
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John,

Looking at the specs for some other interstates, both EXT and regular lounge, they all list it as being a 6 gallon tank and looking at the logo on the corner of the door in photos it's an Atwood. Quick Google search and they seem to be about $300 or less. Check YouTube and some guy posted a how to replace one 6 days ago, in a stick trailer. YMMV good luck
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Old 01-23-2017, 07:30 PM   #15
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Consider upgrading to a Webasto diesel air and water heater to stretch that propane a bit further.

https://www.webasto.com/gb/markets-p.../dual-top-evo/

I can't vouch for this but if I were building a van from scratch it would have mostly diesel appliances.
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Old 01-23-2017, 08:57 PM   #16
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Atwood does sell replacement tanks for the hot water heaters.
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Old 01-24-2017, 04:57 AM   #17
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Consider upgrading to a Webasto diesel air and water heater to stretch that propane a bit further.

https://www.webasto.com/gb/markets-p.../dual-top-evo/

I can't vouch for this but if I were building a van from scratch it would have mostly diesel appliances.
Whoa! At $2500 all said and done, that's one heck of an upgrade. Those do seem to be really nice units though if using diesel.
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Old 01-24-2017, 05:25 AM   #18
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Whoa! At $2500 all said and done, that's one heck of an upgrade. Those do seem to be really nice units though if using diesel.
It depends on how serious the owner is and where the rig falls on the personal priority list. My husband and I were jointly frugal together for the better part of a decade. Then we got the Interstate and decided it was going to be Our Thing, and the investments began in earnest.

At some point, one has to look at one's situation and decide what all the frugality had been for. I'm a self-employed person who has been doing what I do for 25 years now. Any professional in my shoes will tell you that motivation can start to wane unless there's something new is interjected into the mix, to keep it fresh. Our Interstate being a habit that's gotta be fed is a motivating factor for me. I'd get the diesel combo unit in a heartbeat. I immediately begin parsing that idea in terms of which contract do I have to win and deliver next, in order to end up with the net funds to cover it, over and above what I really should be earning as a de facto base salary.

I'm still curious about the T1N Interstate owner who commissioned Vancompass to do extensive exterior modifications (lifts, shocks, plates, custom rear bumper). Given the scope of that job, (s)he had to have been north of $5,000, perhaps approaching $10,000, on a vehicle that currently has a market value of around $60,000. THAT kind of investment would give me pause. It does solve specific problems but if one is ruggedizing an Interstate for off-grid use, it's a lot of money for mods that are really the tip of the iceberg for what it would arguably need in total.
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Old 01-24-2017, 11:25 AM   #19
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IB, what is the motivation for wanting to use diesel instead of LP? I would be worried about using up that fuel and not be able to drive to our destination. We had Webasto on our boat and they work well but there, we had massive diesel thanks. Not so on AI.
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Old 01-24-2017, 04:25 PM   #20
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IB, what is the motivation for wanting to use diesel instead of LP? I would be worried about using up that fuel and not be able to drive to our destination. We had Webasto on our boat and they work well but there, we had massive diesel thanks. Not so on AI.
We have a propane fridge and a much smaller propane tank than what is on the newer AIs so our boondocking is generally propane limited. Add in the scarcity of propane vendors in some parts of Canada and it starts becoming a source of anxiety and frustration.

The auxiliary pickup in your diesel tank will be higher than the one leading to the engine so you don't have to worry about waking up stranded in the middle of nowhere. Since the unit replaces both the hot water heater and furnace it could also free up some more cabinet space for other things.
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