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Diagrams - photos

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Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12728
Printed Date: 12 May 2025 at 4:02pm
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Topic: Diagrams - photos
Posted By: Andiamo
Subject: Diagrams - photos
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2019 at 11:10pm
As a new “podder” am still figuring things out. Have searched but haven’t seen any photos or diagrams of a 177 (have a 2018). Not talking schematics or floor plans but photos or drawings, particularly of the hot water valve system (for getting them right during winterization etc) and for the outside panel where the hot water switch, pressure valve etc live. I’m a visual learner so a picture is worth more than all the sometimes confusing manual explanations.
Thanks! Sure is great to be part of this group! Hope to see you on the road.



Replies:
Posted By: marwayne
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 12:31am


Anode rod

https://postimg.cc/t1R2Lk1h">

electric switch

https://postimg.cc/Y4SzXSVR">

reset buttons

https://postimg.cc/141vpDPc">

pressure relief valve

https://postimg.cc/SnLSx6yT">



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If you want something done right, do it yourself.
2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd.




Posted By: Andiamo
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 1:27am
Thanks! Helpful.
Read that the hot water switch you point to has to be on as well as the one inside on the control panel (assuming you’re plugged in) - right? Can you leave that switch you point to on all the time and control with the inside switch? Two switches are confusing. 


Posted By: harrypodder
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 6:18am
The switch in the picture is when you want to use the electric element to heat water with shore power hooked up. The switch on the inside is for using the propane to heat the water if you are boondocking with no power available. Always make sure there is water in the heater before using either method. Leave the inside switch off when using shore power and turning on the switch in the photo.


Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 8:35am
That pesky water heater switch has been discussed several times on this board.  Harrypodder is right in cautioning that you should make sure there is water in the tank if you turn on the electric heat element.  If the tank is empty and the element is turned on, it'll burn up in less than a minute and it's a hassle to replace.  

The switch on your galley panel only controls the operation of the gas option for your water heater.  Turn it on and you're running on gas.  It is not connected to the electric heating element.  It is your choice whether to use gas or electricity to heat your water when you are plugged into 30A plug at an RV park or where ever.  Personally, I think it makes more sense to heat with the electric element when  you are at an RV park because you already paid for the electricity in your park fee.

There are two switches that control electricity to the electric function of the water heater.  One switch is elegantly demonstrated in Marwayne's foto.  There is a second switch that is not obvious to the new user.  In your circuit breaker panel one 15 A breaker controls electricity to the water heater.  That is your inside "switch."  Some people are not comfortable using a circuit breaker as a switch, but that breaker is rated to work as a switch.  

The outside water heater switch, as depicted in Marwayne's foto, is a pain in the pelvis to use and is easy to forget to turn off.  It's a little hard to reach and opening and closing the water heater door is a hassle, especially if you have a little arthritis in your fingers.  Leaving it on and using the breaker/switch to control the water heater is another option, but it has its drawbacks as well.  If someone else uses your Pod and is not familiar with the "correct" off position for the breaker, s/he could turn it on without realizing s/he's energizing the heating element.  It's easily overlooked when all the breakers are in the on position.  So, you need to be very careful that no one inadvertently flips the water heater breaker to the on position.

There is a third option available.  You can add a switch by your water heater to control current to the unit.  This can be done in the romex cable that supplies power from the WFCO circuit panel to the water heater or it can be wired separately from the water heater switch on the outside.  Personally, I think adding the switch in the romex line is easier and it's what I did.  It took about 15 minutes to install a third water heater switch that is easily accessible and eliminates the confusion problems.  I added a little cover over the switch lever with a piece of plumbers tape [that metal tape with holes in it]] so the switch wouldn't get accidentally tripped.

None of this is adequately explained in the user's manual.  I have no idea why.  All I can say is that Warren Buffet is a lot smarter than I am and I suppose he had his reasons for not putting clear instructions in the r-Pod user's manual.  In my more cynical thoughts, I wonder whether another one of his companies makes water heater elements, but who knows?



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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost


Posted By: Andiamo
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 10:24am
Thanks. Syncs with what I sorta recall from my quick orientation at the dealer’s last summer. But counter-intuitive. Most people will use, as you say, shore power for their water heater. So why not have that be the obvious switch on the inside panel, not buried outside? Confusing and illogical. Not a electrician, but be nice to just swap the two so the panel switch turns on the shore power and the outside, “hidden” switch works the gas. Will discuss with my dealer. Like your workarounds. 😎 This forum has really been helpful.


Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 10:43am
This was discussed in another topic, but adding a switch inline with the breaker to the water heater and mounting that switch in a convenient location is one option. Just make sure the switch is rated for sufficient voltage and current.

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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod"
2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4
Three cats


Posted By: Andiamo
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 11:57am
Thanks.


Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 12:35pm
Here's the switch I put in.  The 172 has the water heater on the port side aft of the refrigerator and heater under the dinette so it's easy access.   https://postimg.cc/McdtD50z">



-------------
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost


Posted By: Andiamo
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 12:45pm
Thanks. Stoopid to have to do this. Did govt design the original?  (I can say that being a Forest Service retiree!)


Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 1:17pm
Most of the designs that the "government" uses are the brainchildren of government contractors from private industry.  They just get adopted by the government official after a nice vacation sponsored by the contractor.

I should add:  All the stuff I used for this switch was repurposed from junk I had laying around the garage, well, not really laying around but carefully stored away.  Cool  The total cost of this very functional modification was under $2.00.


-------------
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost


Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2019 at 1:26pm
Originally posted by Andiamo

Thanks. Stoopid to have to do this. Did govt design the original?  (I can say that being a Forest Service retiree!)


I agree. A switch and the litle bit of additional wiring is minimal expense and easy to wire in while they're running power to the water heater anyway.

-------------
Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod"
2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4
Three cats


Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2019 at 5:16pm
Originally posted by TheBum

[QUOTE=Andiamo] Thanks. Stoopid to have to do this. Did govt design the original?  (I can say that being a Forest Service retiree!)


You can, as you said earlier in the post, just leave the outside switch on all the time and flip the switch in the breaker panel to turn it on/off. It is perfectly acceptable to do that.

-------------
2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding


Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2019 at 5:52pm
Using the breaker is confusing to people who are not accustomed to using breakers in their home as switches.  The switch outside is hard to reach, especially for someone with a little arthritis in his/her hands and/or has bifocals which make it hard to see for the correct position.

In my addition of the switch in the foto, there was not one bit of additional wire used.  They wire Pods so sloppily that I had plenty.  I used the following materials that I had laying around the house:  1 shallow plastic switch box (cost 39¢), switch (69¢), switch plate (28¢), 2" plumber's tape (<1¢), 4 screws (<1¢), and a small block of reclaimed wood from when I ripped out the top bunk (free). Labor about 15 minutes as a retrofit.  Total cost in materials $1.38 (retail).  Labor using my usual and customary lawyer billing rate Big smile ... it depends.


-------------
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost


Posted By: Richand Cindy
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2019 at 8:38pm
Not mentioned yet but it does not have to be an either/or solution.  If you are hooked up to electric and use alot of hot water you can heat with BOTH electic and propane at the same time.  You will get hot water much faster and very little propane is used to heat a 6 gal tank.  We use both all the time we are hooked up.  In our new RV the inside panel has two switches side by side for hot water so it is simple to use both.  But as stated before, running out of water while electric is on will burn out the element which is why many manufacturers put the electic switch out of the way

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OLD 2017.5 RPOD 180 + 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
NEW: 2018 Passport Elite 23RB + 2017 Ram 1500 Diesel



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