Finding an Atwood G6A-8E Water Heater Replacement (Guide)
Everyone needs hot water. It is one of the most important tools to use to relax. A nice hot bath or shower after a hard day of work gets those muscles back where they should be. Plus, the hot water can rejuvenate you so you are ready for the night’s activities.
Finding an Atwood water heater replacement is as easy as going to an RV parts and accessories store and buying a new one. There are some of these models still being sold today, you just need to know where to look. Amazon has had it.
To learn more about finding a replacement for this model of water heater, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can pick up a replacement quickly. It is just a matter of knowing where they are and how much they will cost you.
Atwood G6A-8E Replacement
Atwood G6A-8E Water Heater Replacement Options
RV water systems were the first result that popped up in our search. They have been advertising a brand new Atwood G6A-8E 6-gallon water heater on one of their web pages. You can find the ad at this link.
However, if that is old news and those water heaters are not being made anymore you can try e-trailer. They suggest either the Furrion RV Tankless Water Heater Item # FR98SR or the Atwood # DMC74FR.
The latter option may need some door adaption to make it fit the current space in your RV. If you own an airstream trailer, it seems there is a replacement available. This is what the company said when they were asked this question:
“According to our records, this unit is still available. This can be ordered through any authorized Airstream dealer using part number 690199. I have included a link below to our dealer locator.
https://www.airstream.com/dealers/” (source)
To be honest, a tankless water heater may be better to install than another tank water heater. The only issue will be space as it is with replacement options for this water heater model.
It is something to consider if you cannot find any 6-gallon water heaters available at this time.
G6A-8E Water Heater Replacement Tank
Amazon can be disappointing at times. The company will appear in many product searches and when you click on their link, you find that the product is unavailable. This marketplace would be an option for this part but they are currently unavailable at this time.
RV Upgrade’s an online RV parts and accessories outlet has a tank they will ship to you. The purchase price is just under $300 but unfortunately, they are out of stock as well.
Detroit Hitch company is advertising that they have some, whether it is in stock or not is another question. They have listed several models in a box on their web page and here is the number for this model of water heater- 429-1641 INNER TANK E 91641.
According to the web page, this model is supposed to fit these water heater models- E- Fits (G6A-4E, G6A-6E, G6A-7E, G6A-8E, G9-EXT). You can view the web page at this link.
A local search for your area may turn up more options and be closer to you. You may find a better price as well. We will warn you that the Detroit Hitch website is only copyrighted to 2016 so they may not be in business anymore.
We did find one company with an up-to-date website selling this model of water heater for $350. It is a little more expensive than other outlets but in a pinch, it will do. Click here to see it.
As you know, shipping and handling charges will vary depending on your location.
Atwood G6A-8E Dimensions
The dimensions for this water heater are 12.5" H x 16" W x 17" D and that is going to make it very difficult to find a replacement if this model is no longer available. Most replacement suggestions are bigger than that and you would have to make some cuts to your RV to get them to fit.
The Furrion tankless water heater we mentioned earlier has dimensions close to that- 12-5/8" H x 12-13/16" W x 19-3/16". But that 2-inch depth difference may cause some installation problems.
Camping World is selling a 6-gallon water heater made by Atwood at this time. It is a clearance sale and there is no telling how long supplies will last. The company does not place too much information about it online but it is possible it will be close to the dimensions of the G6A-8E model.
If you are having trouble finding the Atwood G6A-8E SP water heater, it may be because it is sold under another model number. That number is Atwood 96121.
The price at one outlet, a marine one, is not encouraging as they are selling it for $600. That is the sale price. The regular price is roughly $640.
Girard Tankless RV Water Heater To Replace Atwood G6A-8E
It is possible to do this project. One owner has done it even though the Girard model cost just over $700 and was smaller than the Atwood G6A-8E. He did have to install a new door at the cost of roughly $53.
He has documented his transition and you can see the pictures and get all the details at this link. It is kind of hard to read due to the lack of paragraphs, the background color, and the font size.
Moving to a tankless water heater has its benefits. You get unlimited hot water so everyone can shower as well as do the dishes and clean up messes. There is no delay in receiving hot water with a tankless version and you do not have to worry about traditional water heater parts.
While the purchase price may be higher for one of those tankless heaters, you may save enough over time and use it to cover that extra expense. It certainly is worth considering.
They also take the worry out of having hot water. With fewer parts to go bad, these tankless options should save you even more.
Finding an Atwood G6A-8E Water Heater For Sale
We are finding them for sale. We listed a couple of places above that may be out of stock at this time or out of date but there are RV parts and accessories outlets that seem to have this model in stock. You may pay a little more but at least you can find them at the 2 locations we already mentioned.
Other places to look would be the classified ads if you are willing to go with a used model. Or you can try the various RV discussion forums. Those websites often have a classified section where RVers can sell just about anything RV related.
If there are none for sale when you check, the members may know of some stores that have them on sale. Or you can try eBay as you never know when one of those vendors place one for sale on that marketplace.
Besides the online outlets that cater to the RV world, you can also contact Dometic, the owner of Atwood, to see if they have any water heater tanks for sale.
The drawback to contacting Dometic is that they may not be allowed to sell directly to the public. If they have an online store, they are allowed. Ny water heater dealer that is approved by Dometic will also be able to help you in your search.
Download The Atwood G6A-8E Manual
As you know, the Manuals Lib website is our go-to download manual website. They do not disappoint as they have listed this water heater model as well. The biggest drawback to this website is that they do seem to charge for downloading their copies.
Another website to try is tech support. This link will take you to their Atwood G6A-8E manual web page. We do not know if they charge a fee or not. Sometimes you do not find out till you send the purchase order to your checkout.
Then one more outside website for manuals. All Guides has a good selection including this Atwood model. You can check to see if they charge anything when you click on the manual you want.
Finally, you can contact Dometic directly and see what manuals they have available. Since Dometic took over Atwood, this may not be the best option unless nothing else works for you.
Usually, manufacturers allow you to download it for free. We are not sure if this company does that or not.
Atwood G6A-8E Wiring Diagram
There is a small wiring schematic on page 12 of the manual for this water heater model. But unfortunately, the Manual Lib website does not allow copying images anymore. Here is one wiring diagram from a shorter manual from All Guides:
There are other diagrams available from the All Guides link above. They may help and they may not. It all depends on your needs. You may know that search engines post a section called images.
Under that category, when you do this search, you will find hundreds of possible wiring diagrams. Match them up with this one to be sure you are getting the right diagram.
Not all images and diagrams that appear there will be actual wiring diagrams for this Atwood water heater. If in doubt, contact Dometic or one of their dealers to see if they have the proper wiring diagram.
Sometimes they will issue them to customers and sometimes companies do not.
How Much Do Tankless Water Heaters Cost?
We have talked about a couple of these models as possible replacements for your Atwood G6A-8E model. It is a good possibility. Considering that you are looking at paying anywhere between $300 and $600 for a new Atwood, these tankless models may be more economical than thought.
The cost of the cheaper versions runs about $100 to $200. But these do not heat up a lot of water at one time. Maybe 1.5 gallons per minute which is not enough to do more than heat your shower.
To get a better quality tankless water heater, you may have to pay as much as $1000. These models will heat very quickly and allow you to shower and wash dishes at the same time. Most of these models will cost between $500 and $1000.
Even though tankless water is gaining in popularity, they are not standard equipment on most RVs. They would be a piece of optional equipment that would boost your RV purchase price.
If You Can’t Find a Traditional Water Heater Replacement
In our research, it seems that finding a new Atwood G6A-8E water heater is getting harder to do. Even the recommended replacements are larger than this model causing some installation issues.
As you saw, one outlet was dated to 2016 but the price for the water heater was attractive if still available. However, a tankless water heater takes up less space, weighs less, and works longer than the Atwood G6A-8E model.
That makes those options very attractive. What doesn't make them attractive is that you can use more water with one of these replacements and a little more electricity.
It is a judgment call and one worth considering given the convenience they provide when your RV is full of people all needing showers.
Some Additional Words
It is hard to say what is happening with Atwood products. Once Dometic took over the Atwood name remained on many RV items. But that seems to be disappearing.
When Dometic bought Atwood in 2014, a lot of rebranding took place. Atwood products are being sold under the Dometic brand name. That makes it hard to find replacements for different Atwood products.
If you want a direct replacement for this water heater model, you should look to Dometic water heaters. They are basically the same type of appliance, just marketed under a new name. The model numbers may have changed as well.
