Replacement Water Heater for Eagle

[DrCoronado]

We recently discovered that our 2017Eagle 5th wheel had developed a crack in the water heater tank. So I have a few questions:
1. Is it true that the whole water heater assembly has to be replaced?
2. What are the replacement options? We’re not stuck on brand names, but we do want the dual fuel source (propane/electric), and don’t wish to pay top dollar.
3. Is a tankless water heater an option (propane/electric), and any suggestions on brands that are good quality but won’t break the bank?

Thanks!

[colby]

Welcome to the forum. I went through this this spring; however, my original was gas only, so I stuck with that.

You may be able to find a replacement tank and just replace that. It might be the cheapest option. As for tankless, I believe that they are gas only, I am not sure electric could keep up with the heating of the water as it goes through the pipe. And if you are gas only, adding electric can be more expensive (additional wiring, etc.

[Grumpy]

As Colby said, you can just replace the tank on some brands. Also, as mentioned, the tankless are gas only

[JimD]

I swapped out my tankless for a tank model because I absolutely hated the tankless. I opted for a Suburban SW6DE which is a gas/electric model. Absolutely love it.

The new unit fit the opening perfectly which is one of the main concerns with changing. I did have to change the length of the Pex pipes a bit but that was not a big deal. I also had to run a power line from the breaker panel to the water heater and use a heavy duty relay for control. A bit more work but worth it in the end.

I ordered everything from Amazon. You will probably need a new door if you change models.

[DrCoronado]

Thank you so much for the detailed information. Did you have to swap out your door? I would like to order everything at once, if possible.

Originally Posted by JimD

I swapped out my tankless for a tank model because I absolutely hated the tankless. I opted for a Suburban SW6DE which is a gas/electric model. Absolutely love it.

The new unit fit the opening perfectly which is one of the main concerns with changing. I did have to change the length of the Pex pipes a bit but that was not a big deal. I also had to run a power line from the breaker panel to the water heater and use a heavy duty relay for control. A bit more work but worth it in the end.

I ordered everything from Amazon. You will probably need a new door if you change models.

[DrCoronado]

Originally Posted by colby

Welcome to the forum. I went through this this spring; however, my original was gas only, so I stuck with that.

You may be able to find a replacement tank and just replace that. It might be the cheapest option. As for tankless, I believe that they are gas only, I am not sure electric could keep up with the heating of the water as it goes through the pipe. And if you are gas only, adding electric can be more expensive (additional wiring, etc.

Thank you for the advice. I’ve been looking for a tank- only solution, but haven’t had much luck.

[JimD]

Originally Posted by DrCoronado

Thank you so much for the detailed information. Did you have to swap out your door? I would like to order everything at once, if possible.

Yes I had to change the door because my old one was for the tankless and the venting was all wrong. Not even close to what I needed for the new one.

These are the parts I used when converting over.