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02-27-2008, 06:39 AM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 21
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Paint for water heater door
Just replaces the original water heater with an atwood. It has a white door and I want to paint it gray. Do I need to wuse high temp paint or does it matter. Any suggestions?
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02-27-2008, 07:27 AM
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#2
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Rivet Master
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 932
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The whole door doesnt get hot, just the small area above the exaust. I think you do not need high temp paint. But it couldnt hurt.
Personally I would keep my eye open on Ebay and buy an Aluminum or stainless door to replace the white one.
RichardT
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02-27-2008, 08:36 AM
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#3
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4 Rivet Member
1961 22' Safari
Union
, Oregon
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 477
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I made the same change in water heater not long ago. I, too, didn't like the white door so I took paint remover to it to get it ready for a new coat of paint. The "finish" underneath that was not affected by the paint remover was a grey that fairly well matches aluminum. I managed to do just the outside, so the inside with instructions is untouched. It has been this way for 8 to 10 months now and I may or may not paint it. Try it, you have nothing to lose.
Sam
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02-27-2008, 08:55 AM
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#4
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3 Rivet Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 201
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We went to Auto Zone and got the chrome paint and it matched our Tradewind perfectly.
Good Luck,
Gloria Pace
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02-27-2008, 09:51 AM
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#5
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Rivet Master
1966 24' Tradewind
Placerville
, California
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,328
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I just used a silver paint from Ace Hardware. I say it is temporary as I want to adapt the original (can't recall the make) door. You will notice that I did reinstall the original door face (frame). Since this installation I have gotten used to the 'painted door' and though I want to use the orginal the priorty level is slipping. The Atwood is a great WH though.
__________________
Neil and Lynn Holman
FreshAir #12407
Avatar;
Kirk Creek, Big Sur, Ca. coast.
1966 Trade Wind
1971 Buick Centurion convertible
455 cid
1969 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight
455 cid
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02-27-2008, 10:55 AM
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#6
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Always Airstreaming!
2005 22' Safari
1960 24' Tradewind
Anytown
, Connecticut
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,115
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I used a high temp silver engine spray paint for the Tradewind. Looks pretty good!
__________________
J. Rick Cipot
Sandi Gould
NEU New England Unit
Airstream Life Magazine
Proud Member of WBCCI
WBCCI #3411
AIR #17099
2009 Silverado 2500HD
2004 22' Safari
1960 24' Tradewind
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02-27-2008, 11:00 AM
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#7
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2 Rivet Member
1965 17' Caravel
west hills
, California
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 94
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I had mine nickel plated (or chrome plated - can't remember which) and it looks awesome. No worry of peeling paint, etc.
__________________
Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.
-John Muir
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02-27-2008, 11:18 AM
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#8
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Rivet Master
1976 31' Sovereign
Currently Looking...
Chandler
, Oklahoma
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,770
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I painted the new door for my Argosy water heater with Keylon about 3 years ago and it still looks good as new. I got the LP/Electric model and have never used it on gas, but don't know if that makes a difference.
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02-27-2008, 02:13 PM
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#9
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2 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
Vernon
, British Columbia
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 29
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Took the water heater door and outside furnace cover to an autobody shop and had them painted a nice off silver color. They had started to oxidize, the shop cleaned them up and did a nice job of painting.
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03-02-2008, 07:30 PM
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#10
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Rivet Master
1974 29' Ambassador
1966 20' Globetrotter
Southern
, Illinois
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 698
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water heater cover
I took a little different approach. After taking out the old Bowen and getting a new Atwood, I thought it would be something of a challenge to reuse the old stainless steel door. Since I had purchased a piece of 2024 T3 aluminum to do some patching and repairs, I choose to use some automotive epoxy and glue a piece on the white Atwood door. The edges have 3 coats of a cold galvanized paint to cover the 1/4" return on the door.
I still have the old stainless door if anyone wants it for the cost of shipping. The challenges I saw in retrofitting it were:
The new Atwood door has a 90 degree return on the edges, the old one has an angled face and no return.
The new Atwood has two pin hinges, the old one has a piano hinge.
The new Atwood has one camlock in the middle of the door, the old one has two camlocks at the upper corners of the door.
Maybe a better mechanic than I could make quick work of it, if you want to give it a try, please let me know.
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03-02-2008, 08:48 PM
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#11
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More than one rivet loose
Currently Looking...
Los Alamos
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,756
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Roger Williams AS in TX has a SS replacement. I put one on mine and she looks nice. Give them a call and talk to David.
__________________
Michelle TAC MT-0
Sarah, Snowball
Looking for a 1962 Flying Cloud
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03-03-2008, 04:31 AM
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#12
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Vintage Alum. Enthusiast
1959 24' Tradewind
Phoenix
, Arizona
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: I currently do not own a 2nd Airstream
Posts: 4,360
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Does Roger Williams have a SS replacement for the Suburban too? I really like the idea of SS instead of the faded silver painted version. I inquired baout having it chromed and was told the metal wouldn't hold up to it.
Brad
FF
__________________
4CU 2699 / AIR 10 / TAC AZ-1
I'm haunted by aluminum.
Charter Member of the 4 Corners Unit.
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03-03-2008, 07:25 AM
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#13
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4 Rivet Member
2007 27' Safari FB SE
Tracy
, California
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 321
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Stainless replacement
We replaced our water heater, furnace and range vent with stainless replacement covers from Roger Williams. I believe they have a source in their area that makes them. I had to bend some edges on the water heater to make it fit well but they sure look nice. Why airstream didn't put on stainless or aluminum in the first place kind of annoys me. I know it is cost to manufacture but another $300 would not have disuaded me from buying the AS.
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03-03-2008, 10:06 PM
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#14
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More than one rivet loose
Currently Looking...
Los Alamos
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,756
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Give them a call and find out. I do not know.
__________________
Michelle TAC MT-0
Sarah, Snowball
Looking for a 1962 Flying Cloud
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03-04-2008, 04:01 AM
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#15
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Restorations done right
Commercial Member
1962 26' Overlander
1961 26' Overlander
Vintage Kin Owner
Currently Looking...
Baltimore
, Maryland
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,545
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Here is what I did....
This was done by using SamB's old Bowen cover. I wrapped the door after painting it silver. There are detailed photos on my blog.
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06-17-2008, 08:19 PM
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#16
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Rivet Master
Vintage Kin Owner
1977 31' Excella 500
Berkeley Springs
, West Virginia
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,638
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I'm in a similar boat. I just put a new 6 gallon gas/electric Atwood in my rig. I got chrome paint at AutoZone. It looked really nice, but using LP it softened and lines formed in it. I had done five coats of chrome and three coats of clear.
Well I spent two hours tonight sanding it and I got most of it off. I picked up two cans of 1200 degree ceramic aluminum colored paint. That should fix it.
My old door is stainless and it looks fine. But, the new Atwood's have a larger grill than the old ones. It's not by much, but enough that it won't work. If I don't use the grill, my old door will mount right up. But, the new grill won't work with the old door. As well, the old one had the grill mounted to the exhaust and the door just had a hole in it; the new one has the grill mount to the door and it sets out a bit, so that furnace exhaust projects slightly out into the hole in the door. I can't see how to make the old one work.
Does the Roger Williams one fit the new water heaters with the larger hole and the grill that attaches to the door itself?
__________________
- Jim
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06-17-2008, 08:50 PM
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#17
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4 Rivet Member
2007 25' Safari FB SE
North/East
, New Jersey
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 367
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thecatsandi
Roger Williams AS in TX has a SS replacement. I put one on mine and she looks nice. Give them a call and talk to David.
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Thecatsandi
Can you post a picture of the stanless steel water heater cover you purchased from Roger Williams and provide a ballpark cost?
__________________
2007 Safari 25' FBSE LS
2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD Crew Cab 4WD Duramax
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06-17-2008, 08:56 PM
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#18
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4 Rivet Member
1975 23' Safari
1978 31' Excella 500
Franklin
, Indiana
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 481
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Jim--I'm far from expert in these matters (as I've screwed it up once!), but I re-used my older Atwood shiny door by replacing the heat duct from the new Atwood with the old one. With a little attention to alignment, it will work. Pay close attention where the screws go (ask me how I know!). My old duct was a little rusty, but not enough to bother me. I had to stack some washers as a spacer to take up room between the old duct and the new heater (see second photo). The screws line up well to secure it in the same two spots as the new one uses (see third photo). DON'T put a screw in the bottom right corner where the old one has a spot. It's too easy to hit the tank (as I found out!). The end result (last photo).
__________________
Dallas Peak, MD 'That 70's Guy!'
VAC Past President
WBCCI #8481
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06-17-2008, 09:05 PM
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#19
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"Cloudsplitter"
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas
, Malebolgia
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 20,000
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Roger Williams...the Best
These are great replacements!!!
__________________
I’m done with ‘adulting’…Let’s go find Bigfoot.
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06-23-2008, 04:00 PM
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#20
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4 Rivet Member
2007 25' Safari FB SE
North/East
, New Jersey
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 367
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS
These are great replacements!!!
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R. Cross
Thanks for the great pictures of the covers available from Roger Williams Airstream. I've seen posts regarding their covers but never saw a post with pictures. After seeing your pictures I ordered the covers for the water heater and the furnace. I wish Airstream would have spent a few dollars more to upgrade the covers at the factory.
__________________
2007 Safari 25' FBSE LS
2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD Crew Cab 4WD Duramax
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