No Owner's Manuals? No Hot Water

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   After a really miserable winter fighting with VW's customer-hostile "service" and our first camper, a Winnebago Rialta, we lucked out and sold the Rialta and, then, my wife nagged me into buying a small camper trailer with the intention that she would be the camper expert. That lasted about a week and our like-new 179 has sat in its parking place for two years; winterized and empty. This spring, I got fooled into being the camper maintenance man once again and re-discovered there is no manual for the R-Pod. Really? People actually pay big money for a product Forest River is too lazy to generate a manual for?  Apparently customer hostility is the standard for camper sellers. 
Apparently, our camper doesn't have a functioning electric hot water heater and, of course, there is NO service information on how to troubleshoot either the panel or the heater. As you can probably tell, I'm close to telling her I not only have no interest in her camper but I can't figure it out, either. I have spent most of my 69 years camping in a tent and I'm still perfectly happy with that arrangement. She, on the other hand, is ready for some adventures after 50 years of staying home because she doesn't like motorcycles or tents. 

As best I can tell, the switch on the interior control panel would be labelled "Gas Hot Water," if Forest River bothered to do the job half-right, and the only switch I need to concern myself with for the electric heater is the one on the side of the trailer dementedly placed at the bottom left of the header panel under the gas fixtures? I'm pretty sure the water valves are set properly, but the lack of labeling there is fairly disgusting, too. 

Yeah, I'm discouraged and would rather be doing almost anything else. 

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twday66 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 13 Feb 2015 Location: Minnesota Online Status: Offline Posts: 17	Topic: No Owner's Manuals? No Hot Water Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 4:12pm
	After a really miserable winter fighting with VW's customer-hostile "service" and our first camper, a Winnebago Rialta, we lucked out and sold the Rialta and, then, my wife nagged me into buying a small camper trailer with the intention that she would be the camper expert. That lasted about a week and our like-new 179 has sat in its parking place for two years; winterized and empty. This spring, I got fooled into being the camper maintenance man once again and re-discovered there is no manual for the R-Pod. Really? People actually pay big money for a product Forest River is too lazy to generate a manual for? Apparently customer hostility is the standard for camper sellers. Apparently, our camper doesn't have a functioning electric hot water heater and, of course, there is NO service information on how to troubleshoot either the panel or the heater. As you can probably tell, I'm close to telling her I not only have no interest in her camper but I can't figure it out, either. I have spent most of my 69 years camping in a tent and I'm still perfectly happy with that arrangement. She, on the other hand, is ready for some adventures after 50 years of staying home because she doesn't like motorcycles or tents. As best I can tell, the switch on the interior control panel would be labelled "Gas Hot Water," if Forest River bothered to do the job half-right, and the only switch I need to concern myself with for the electric heater is the one on the side of the trailer dementedly placed at the bottom left of the header panel under the gas fixtures? I'm pretty sure the water valves are set properly, but the lack of labeling there is fairly disgusting, too. Yeah, I'm discouraged and would rather be doing almost anything else.
	2014 R-POD 179 Nissan Frontier SE Supercab 4L 6-cyl, manual transmission Yamaha WR250X & Suzuki V-Strom Kayaks, canoes, bicycles, guitars, and a mobile recording rig all have to fit somewhere.

mcarter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419	Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 5:43pm
	We had to build a manual set, my wife went online and printed the info and put it into a 3" binder, lot of info. There are actually 3 switches to the WH, the CB and the outside switch and the gas only switch. There are several posts on proper position of valves, Google is your buddy. You need to ensure your have water in the heater, so correct valves have to be in proper position. It is not fast, takes it a bit to heat 6 gals. The heater element can be damaged by heating sans water in tank, so make sure you have water in tank. If the worst happens and element is bad, it can be replaced. Pretty simple circuit. My wife is very intelligent but will still have discussions about "righty tighty and lefty loosy". Not as bad as it appears. Understand you are frustrated but hard to roll up your sleeves and go to work, if you're wringing your hands my friend.
	Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

bigbearcraig Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 10 Dec 2016 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36	Posted: 10 Jun 2017 at 9:38am
	Previous owner must have discarded them. You can Google the manufacture of the item you're interested in, and get the information you're looking for.

furpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128	Posted: 10 Jun 2017 at 10:36am
	Every Rialta owner I ever met, pointed out the best day of ownership was the day they sold it.. Just a great plan, poorly executed. and I love VW. Wouldn't have a Rialta. Any Westfallia? YES. LOL It's very doubtful you have a dead water heater, if it won't heat in either mode, the 99.999% answer is the bypass valves are set wrong.