Hot water heater on the R178, 2016 model
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Warranty, Service and Recall Bulletins
Forum Discription: Have a warranty or service experience to share?
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8064
Printed Date: 27 Jun 2025 at 10:38am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Hot water heater on the R178, 2016 model
Posted By: ron/roscoe
Subject: Hot water heater on the R178, 2016 model
Date Posted: 31 May 2016 at 7:01pm
|
i need some help, had the new R178 in the for warranty for the hot water heater twice, th dealer says it is the OK. No hot water, just warm water either on gas or electric. There are two black resets in the HW outside unit, have no clue dea what they do. The HISTORY Vault by A&E Television Networks Mobile https://appsto.re/us/pD-kab.iafter starts off kinda hot but goes to warm very quickly. Any help would Be appreciated. HISTORY Vault by A&E Television Networks Mobile https://appsto.re/us/pD-kab.iarrant yo HISTORY Vault by A&E Television Networks Mobile https://appsto.re/us/p ------------- Ron Rowland |
Replies:
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 31 May 2016 at 7:13pm
|
Luke warm water is always due to the bypass valves being set wrong. The middle crossover valve should be set perpendicular to the pipes (closed). The other two valves should be set parallel to the pipes (open). The two resets are high temperature safety protection thermostats. Push them both in. If they don't click they are OK. To use the WH on 120V electric you must turn on the small black rocker switch located inside the exterior access panel. CAUTION: Make sure the WH is full before you turn on the electricity. Failure to do this will burn out the element in a very short time. This switch affects only 120V operation and can be left on as long as the WH is full. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 31 May 2016 at 7:18pm
|
Check the position of the valves on your hot water heater. The top and bottom ones (cold water inlet and hot water outlet) should be open. The valve in the line that goes between them (bypass valve) should be closed. Valves are open if they are parallel to the lines. They are closed if perpendicular to the lines. A search of the forum would find others have had the same problem. It seems that the factory ships with the bypass valve open and the dealer often leaves it open. The two resets are for the 110V element. That is likely not the problem. The valve is most likely the problem since you say you are getting warm water. Similarly, I could not get my water pump to pump water when I first filled the tank. It turns out that the dealer had left the winterizing valve open so the pump was only pulling air. I needed to close the winterizing valve and open the valve for the tank so the pump could pull water from there. Welcome to the forum. We have an R-Pod 179. I have found the forum to have a wealth of information. I have used some of that information to do my own mods (link in my signature below). ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: ron/roscoe
Date Posted: 03 Jun 2016 at 1:31pm
|
Thanks for the help on my HW heater problem. I went to locate the valves today, I looked under the entire length. I went inside and liked under the sink and the area behind a false wall under the sink . Where are the three valves located. I will fix this issue when i find the valves. There is another panel under the sink, I did not look there. More help is needed . Thanks, Ron ------------- Ron Rowland |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 03 Jun 2016 at 2:20pm
|
The valves will be located right next to the water heater. Locate the WH by looking on the outside for a grill about a foot square with a single small latching device near the top. The WH is inside the Pod, directly behind that grill. The valves will be right next to that. It may be under the bed or benches and require removing a plywood panel under the bed or seat.
------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: ron/roscoe
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 12:48pm
|
I'm still looks for the valves for the he HW heater. I looked under the bed on my r178, there is a single sheet of 4 x 8 plywood, I did not remove it. I looked outside in the heater compartant, no luck. I did crawl under the frig with the slide in and found the piping for the heater but no valves. This is getting me plenty upset. Once I get the slide out again, I will go under the slide and look for the valves. Btw, can you move the slide without power? Somebody out there must know where they are located on a R178. ------------- Ron Rowland |
Posted By: ipoder
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 1:02pm
|
The valves are under the bed lift the ply wood
|
Posted By: Shelpod
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 1:03pm
The valves on the 178 can be reached in two ways. Inside the outside storage at the back on the road side there is an access panel that can be unscrewed. If you are small you can crawl up in there enough to see the valves or you can reach in there and by feel set them correctly. The other method is to lift the bed and unscrew the plywood and lift that at the back. That is hard work but you can see what you are doing. Many people either create an access panel under the bed or just leave the plywood unscrewed for future access such as while winterizing. I have long arms so I reach in through the storage area. Neither way is great. ------------- Pod: 2013 178 TV: 2014 Explorer Limited with tow package |
Posted By: ron/roscoe
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 1:42pm
|
Thanks, FR does not make this easy. ------------- Ron Rowland |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 1:50pm
|
Your dealer did not help in that he did not show you these things. Forest River is trying to squeeze a lot into these R-Pods. They did provide access, even if it is inconvenient. Your dealer should have shown you how to access things like the hot water heater valves and the winterization connections for the water pump. More detailed documentation from Forest River wouldn't have hurt either.
------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: ron/roscoe
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 2:47pm
|
Dealer was a joke! They did not show me these things because they had no clue on how to find them. Sell/sell is all that matters. The service Dept had nice not knowing people in their shop. Twice I had it in for service, same BS each time. All was ok each time. 200 mile round trip. Worthless shop. ------------- Ron Rowland |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2016 at 3:12pm
|
That is unfortunate. It is sad that you now know more than the dealer's service department.
------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 12:40pm
|
Make sure to post a review in the Dealer Reviews section. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
|