Bowen Replacement

[mysilverbullet]

Hello all,
I have a '66 Safari with the big old Bowen water heater/tank. I've seen where others have stated the Atwood is supposed to be a direct, easy replacement but my front frame opening is 22.5" wide x 17.5" tall and atwood specs are 16" wide x 12" tall. So, when replacing water heater, is there another replacement that I'm not seeing for these old Bowens or is everybody having to re-work the metal around closing up the opening? Thanks all for any and all input!

[overlander63]

You will need to plate over the extra open area when using an Atwood replacement.
Also, be prepared for some difficulty removing the old one, they have a mount in the floor that makes it difficult to remove.

[TG Twinkie]

Are you sure the Bowen is not a 10 gallon unit?

[mysilverbullet]

Actually, just looked a bit closer. While the "framed" area is much larger, the actual opening is more like 18" w x 11.5 high so maybe a new one will fit without too much aggravation? Thanks all!

[mysilverbullet]

Overlander 63, where is this bolted to floor? I've searched all around tank and inside control area and cannot see anything. Also, tank is higher than opening, does it tilt out to remove. I've removed in/out water lines and LP line and used putty knife to cut through putty but very little movement. Thanks again for your expertise! Greg