Water heater install in 2003 Intrigue

December 18, 2016, 08:07:41 pm

Hi Fellow Country Coach owners. I have a 2003 CC Intrigue 11554 (Sweet Sensation) the other day I was washing the coach and I noticed the water heater was not flush with the side of the coach, the top had dropped about ¼ inch and the bottom was sticking out about ½ inch. OI immediately stopped running water on the side and went inside to investigate. To get to the back of the water heater, you have to remove several panels under the cook-top. When I removed the last panel and looked I was shocked and then I was pissed. The 10 gallon water heater was supported by a piece of ½ inch plywood about 5 inches wide. It was raised off the main floor by 2 piece of ½ plywood that were held in place by a very small metal angle bracket (about 1 ½ x 1 ½ with 2 small wood screws on each side). Now 10 gallons of water weighs about 80 lbs and the water heater probable weight in the neighborhood of 20 lbs, plus the hydronic heat water, so all told better than 100 lbs being supported by a ½ inch piece of plywood bouncing down the highway. The angle bracket had bent inboard and allowed the back of the water heater to drop down, this caused the front to push out then most of the 20 or so screws around the outside periphery to strip out. The only thing holding the heater in was the water connections and the hydronic heat hoses. I have enclosed some picture to show before and after temporary repairs.
It's too cold to perform a permanent repair, so I was able to get a small jack under the plywood and jacked up the entire assembly and straightened out the angle bracket. I cut 2 pieces of 2 x4 to the height I needed and forced them under the plywood, I screwed and glued the 2 x 4s in place.
I tried to tight the screws around the outside, but only 2 or 3 actually tightened, the rest just turned in place. When the weather warms up I will remove the water heater and build a more substantial base for it to sit on and replace the wood that the front screws screw into. If you have a 2002 to 2005 sweet sensation I would be checking out the water heater installation. I don't know what engineer at Country Coach approved this setup, but he or she should have their engineering degree taken away.

Earl Densten

2003 Intrigue 11554

Re: Water heater install in 2003 Intrigue

Reply #1 – December 18, 2016, 09:25:05 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 109229

Earl, My '02 Intrigue is basically the same way. I got a leak from that el cheapo plastic connector. What I did was replaced it with a Shark Bite connector. I got the male connectors and screwed them directly into the water tank and then used some female/female connectors and short sections of PEX to complete the connection. Good thing about the Shark Bite connectors is that you can disconnect them if you need to.

Don

'02 Intrigue 11427