[VAC] Re: Water Heater Replacement

["Globetrotter64" <globetrotter64@xxxxxxx>]

A few thoughts on remove/replace of the old Bowen water heater....

First, we have a '64 Globetrotter and my knowledge is limited to it. I have
removed and replaced the water heater with the interior cabinets removed. If
I were replacing the water heater with the cabinets installed I would
recommend that you first REMOVE THE FLOOR OF THE WARDROBE CLOSET. By doing
so you can more or less get to all sides of that pesky interior flashing. It
is also much easier to see what you are doing to re-plumb the lines and
provide support for the new heater. Making a new cabinet floor (and any
required support ledgers) is a relatively simple project and requires no
wood refinishing (and you can attach the new wardrobe floor with screws for
later access). If your configuration dose not have a wardrobe closet above
the water heater and you are working to remove it with one side of the
interior blind (and cannot remove the metal strips), I would bash in the
soft thin metal shell of the old water heater (there is fiberglass
underneath) before using brute force to pull it through the opening.

I read a story of two young laborers who spent two days bringing an old cast
iron bath tub down three flights of stairs. When they couldn't lift it up
over the edge of the dumpster they asked the superintendent for some help.
He grabbed a sledge hammer and in a couple minutes and broke it up into
small pieces that were easily tossed in. The laborers were speechless. He
said "If you don't know how, ask first".

The Airstream List is an excellent place to float an idea for a future
project. There is always somebody out there who has tried the same thing (or
something similar) before. Talk is cheap, and who knows, it might even
generate a solution!