ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer - Heat Damage to Outside Shower Door

rvfool

Member
The outside shower door hangs in front of the exhaust vent of the hot water heater. Who designed this?
 

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danemayer

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

Hi RVFool,

Could you add a few details to fill in the blanks:

1. How long was the door hanging in front of the heater exhaust for it to get this way?
2. Looks like the plastic is partially melted, but the pictures don't seem to show burn marks. Did it catch fire?
3. Did the door fall open or was it left open? (Not trying to assign blame - just trying to get the complete picture).
4. Your profile shows a 2008 trailer and your join date is 2008. Is this something that happened for the first time after 4 or 5 years of use?
 

GOTTOYS

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

Doesn't look like much of a fire hazard to me. Looks more like a partially melted door. A simple piece of cord to limit how far the door opens would have prevented that. I don't think the sky is falling..Don
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

You said this was a Sundance in your title, but your current rig is shown as a 2008 Heartland 3670 (which is a Bighorn). At any rate, it does appear that the cover was left open over the water heater exhaust while the propane was firing. With the lightweight plastic and the heat that does come out of there, it would not have taken long to cause the damage. I would agree, regardless of model or brand, that the placement of the shower over the water heater such that the thin plastic door could hang over the exhaust is not good engineering.

On our 2009 BH3670, the shower is inside the UDC and there is nothing over the water heater. Even the water heater "door" looks different. The door for the sewer hose compartment is, however, the same as your shower door. It even has winterizing instructions for the shower molded in it. But it does not have an indication of what type of plastic it is made from.

Hopefully, they've changed the mounting positions on newer models to forestall that from happening again. Unfortunately, that doesn't do you much good. Fortunately, nothing more serious than a melted door occurred. Perhaps the factory will weigh in on this, either publicly or privately to you, with some resolution.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

Does anyone else on the forum have a Sundance with the OS shower installed in this location ? I've been on web sites that have photos of Sundance RV's for sale and I have not found one. In fact, I don't see OS showers on these rigs. Could this have been a DIY install ? If anyone has a Sundance please post a picture of your water heater vent panel .
 
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jcarnevale

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

This is what we have on our 2011 Sundance 3300RLB:
OSshower.jpg
P5208750.jpg

Can we get a little more info from the OP?
 

tmcran

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

My Sundance 2998 RB does not have the outside shower near the water heater.It is just to the rear area of the OS Bedroom slide.
 

AnnR

Active Member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

My Sundance has an outside shower that is not even close to the water heater. The water heater is near the rear of the trailer while the shower is about mid trailer.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

There do appear to be some inconsistencies in all of this. The layout of the area and the style of water heater cover are different. The OP says it's a Sundance but the "Current Rig" lists a 2008 Heartland 3670. Which rig is it? If it is actually a 3670, I don't think they radically redesigned the exteriors between 2008 and 2009. The photo is my 2009 right after we got it (the chipped water heater cover was replaced by my dealer).
View attachment 21037
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Since there doesn't appear to have been a fire, and there are inconsistencies in the information, and the original poster hasn't posted further (except for a duplicate post in another thread), I've changed the Title of the thread to reflect what the pictures show.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
The OP has not responded to several valid questions. I have my doubts this was a factory install, more like a DIY adventure gone bad. I am not even sure it is a HL product, it could be SOB. If this is the case, why are these threads permitted to stay on this forum and bash HL products unjustifiably ? There seems to be a lot of HL bashing going on lately - why - right before the Hershey Show ? One of the biggest RV shows in the nation ! Last week it was an "ELECTROCUTION" WITH NO RESPONCES . I don't believe in coincidences (oops, there I go being paranoid again). If HL products are so bad, go buy SOB and get back to us after your warranty has run out. Let us know how that worked out for ya. Most of us been there done that and we ended up here.

Happy RVing !

P.S. Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me
 

lmcclure

1st Tennessee Member#1084
I have a 2008 3200ES Sundance and the OS door is between the slide and the heater exhaust. I have never had a problem with it and have not had any heat buildup in that area.
 

rvfool

Member
just got back on. This is a 2012 Sundance we bought at la mesa RV in Phoenix
AZ. This came from the factory. We traded the bighorn in there to down size RVs. This occured when grandkids were cleaning up after being on beach all day. Factory install in the 3000MX model.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
For those interested - here's a video of the outside of the 3000 MK showing the shower door over the water heater. I'd hazard a guess that if the door is left open against the exhaust vent for long enough, it could melt as pictured. No telling how long it would take.

rvfool, I'd suggest when you replace the door, you add a cord or small chain or something like that to limit how far the door opens. That way if it's left open, it won't be right against the hot air exhaust.
 

guitarpicr

Active Member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

Looks like somebody did'nt have their thinking cap on . Definately a design flaw. With that plastic door down which is the way it is supposed to be when you are using it , & the w/h running in gas mode it probably melted that door within a few minutes .They could at least remanufacture the door out of metal, then that is going to get hot & burn someone. We use our electric mode for the w/h whenever possible. This would not happen in electric mode operation.
 

jcarnevale

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

Looks like the making of a recall:
 

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porthole

Retired
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

Stupid place for a door. And the person who designed it that way should be made to go outside, put there hand in the same place and fire up the heater. Then say it is a good idea.

Just seems bad for long time use. The heat that comes off the water heater in gas mode is enough you don't want to stand next to it.
And I would think, limiting the door travel will have minimal effect - heat rises.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Re: ATF: Sundance - Sundance trailer is a fire hazard

rvfool, thanks for coming back and clearing up any confusion over this door issue. If you haven't called Heartland yet, please do. Have your VIN handy. I'll bet they replace the door. If you're not hooked up to shore power and need the outside shower, you now know to use caution and possibly even turn of the water heater if on LP. For sure not a good design idea.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
I checked with the plant and heard back from Engineering. Only this floor plan was affected and it has been corrected going forward. Doesn't help this fellow but good to know it's been addressed going forward.
 
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