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switz · 03-07-2014, 07:59 AM

No we did not use the shower because of the hole that appeared when I was trying to apply the was to the interior. We ran the shower head into the toilet to see if there were any leaks in the flex hose.

By lying on the floor and using a flash light, I could see a small puddle of water under the water heater (it is on the opposite side to the shower) with no water pipes showing drips.

The caulking job around the bottom of the shower door was poorly done with visible gaps that would become leaks. I will check for that lip on the inside.

The lift out floor in the closet was already bent out of square on a vertical riser. The wood screws would soon break out, so I used four steel angles to permanently make the 90 degree angle and it won't break now!

The entire kitchen cabinet may have to be removed to discover the cause (like a pinched duct) for the register in the bathroom as no air comes out of the opening with the furnace running.

dkottum · 03-07-2014, 08:48 AM

Could the water heater leak be caused by expansion in the system while heating the water, especially when using the electric heating mode. If there is no expansion "air bubble" in the top of the water heater the pressure will find a place to escape. Usually out the water heater pressure release valve, but if there is a weak connection somewhere it may release there first.

Could the puddle under the water heater be from the dripping pressure release valve finding a path inside and under the heater? The solution may be to simply restore the air bubble in the water heater. Turn off the water supply, open a nearby faucet and leave open, lift the pressure release valve tab so excess water can drain out and air can enter from the open faucet. Release the pressure release tab, close the faucet, and turn the water back on.

I also installed a small water pressure accumulator under the bath sink to help take up this excess pressure. But that electric heater mode really heats, tends to "boil" a bit of steam for a moment when it's on and you open a faucet, thereby lowering the boiling point inside the water heater (like opening a hot radiator cap). It can spit some water out the pressure release valve for that instant.

dkottum · 03-07-2014, 08:52 AM

Our bath heater duct barely provides furnace air as well. I attribute it to size, length, and routing of the duct hose. It is adequate for this tiny space though.

dkottum · 03-07-2014, 08:58 AM

And I poked a tiny hole in the inside corner of our shower while using a squeegee after a shower. I was careless and didn't consider the hard edge of the squeegee, and the thin construction of the shower stall in the corner. I patched it with some white sealant and it works fine, don't notice it anymore.

switz · 03-07-2014, 10:41 PM

There was no sign of water dripping at the pop off valve or the drain plug when looking at the outside of the water heater. That space was dry. The only moisture was directly under the one corner of the water heater.

It was a slow continous drip overnight.

The photo above of the duct work shows the two runs crossed even before the cabinet was was placed on top of them. I am concerned that no one paid attention when connecting the other ends to the registers that they did not uncross the the two runs and one run to the bath area is now collapsed.

Jim Flower · 03-08-2014, 06:33 AM

Hi Switz. On my hot water heater, the flexible hose was cross threaded where it connects to the check valve. This showed up via a puddle of water on the floor under the dinette seat on our first trip. The fix was to remove the dinette seat in order to get at the HWH and then replace the hose. The hose is a 9" hose but the only replacement available was a 15 " hose. I made it work. The cross threading was the result of sloppy workmanship, but yours does not appear to be cross threaded unless it was fiddled with after the photo was taken. It could also be just a poorly made hose. I also had to sort out the ducts that were accessible under the wardrobe where the water pump is located and tidy up all the wiring that was haphazardly jammed in there. One needs a vacuum and plastic ties as part of his everyday arsenal for the first while since little bits and pieces seem to be rolling around on the floor after every leg of a trip. Really like your set up, ready for a big time roll. Jim

switz · 04-07-2014, 06:07 PM

The shower was repaired by a fiberglass shop under warranty.

My factory photo before the kitchen cabinet was set (five minutes or less from when photo was taken) of the crossed ducts just coming out of the furnace was the culprit for lack of airflow. The dealership mechanic was able to uncross the ducts and now there is more than enough air flow in the bath as well as the bedroom. That oversight redistricting air flow could be a fire hazard if the furnace were to get too hot from lack of air movement.....

The water leaked was not replicated by the dealership, so we will see what happens on the next camping trip.

I received photos today of the new custom stainless steel battery box with the four lifeline batteries sitting in it as well as a photo of the Titan disc brake pump sitting in the original battery box. I will take pictures of the solar panels this coming Thursday when I fly to pick the truck and Airstream up to drive back to Arizona.