Truma 6E Combi Heating Elements (2011 Hymer B544)

[Simonnsj]

Hello everyone
I've been subscribed to MH Fun for a few years and have viewed many helpful posts so have decided to join and hopefully make some useful contributions.
Like many, I have experienced issues with the heating elements on my Truma 6E combi. It has stopped working on electric but is fine on gas so I think it is pretty safe to assume the elements have packed up. I realise they have a limited life and to be fair we have been using the system virtually continually for the last 18 months so I have no complaints with the longevity but now have the potentially epic task of replacing them.
I am going to tackle this myself and whilst I think the trickiest job will be the removal of the boiler the rest looks relatively straight forward (famous last words....). Anyway the main reason for raising this topic is to discuss the two options for replacing the elements.
The first seems to be the most straightforward and economical, which is also the only method I have found on the internet, and that is to simply remove the elements (easier said than done) from the heat exchanger and replace with new. From what I have seen and read on the internet most people have commented on how tight the elements are in the heat exchanger and end up having to resort to brute forcing for their removal. This option works out at around £155 depending on where you purchase the elements from - you can pay more and this will include some gaskets and O rings.
The second option is the more expensive (£460) which includes O rings, gaskets etc but more importantly the heat exchanger WITH the elements pre fitted. Now the reason I have highlighted the pre fitted elements is due to the fact that they are factory set into the heat exchanger and from what I understand this is a very crucial part of the replacement process. If the elements are not correctly clamped into the heat exchanger with the correct tolerances this will lead to premature failure as it causes hot spots in the elements...
I am pretty sure I am going to opt for the second and much more expensive option for two reasons. Firstly, the removal of the boiler is undoubtably going to be a real challenge so I really don't want to have to do this again anytime soon. Secondly and more importantly, as already mentioned, the tolerances for the elements in the heat exchanger are crucial from what I have read.
I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has tackled this job using either option and whether or not what I have been led to believe is correct.
I am also tempted to video and post the whole process (if successful..!!!) to help anyone else faced with the same issue.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post.
Simon

 

[WillH]

I changed the elements some years ago, and yes, it's a bit of a job. All worked fine but I suspect one has failed again. I took a few photos and posted them on here somewhere.

 

[WillH]

Truma C6002EH - Electrical Elements - Bessacarr E560

Started the strip out to replace the 240v elements in my Truma C6002EH. It is installed under the fixed bed so access is not too bad with the bed swung up. To make life easier I thought I would remove the side panel of the underbed framing, nine screws securing it. Only four of the nine screws...

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[Simonnsj]

I changed the elements some years ago, and yes, it's a bit of a job. All worked fine but I suspect one has failed again. I took a few photos and posted them on here somewhere.

Thanks for the photo. Did you replace the heat exchanger or just the elements?

 

[GeoffnDee]

Simonnsj , have you looked at www.thermotechnica.com who offer a element fitting service which may be a bit less.

 

[WillH]

Just the elements.

 

[Simonnsj]

Simonnsj , have you looked at www.thermotechnica.com who offer a element fitting service which may be a bit less.

Good point - thank you - I have just called them and they offer a 1 year warranty on the elements and they also don't feel it necessary to change the heat exchanger unless it's damaged which is extremely rare apparently! Thanks again for the useful advice and i'll post again to let all know how I got on.

 

[Simonnsj]

Good point - thank you - I have just called them and they offer a 1 year warranty on the elements and they also don't feel it necessary to change the heat exchanger unless it's damaged which is extremely rare apparently! Thanks again for the useful advice and i'll post again to let all know how I got on.

Simonnsj , have you looked at www.thermotechnica.com who offer a element fitting service which may be a bit less.

Just fitted the elements from Thermo Technica - was quite a straight forward job in fairness. I did have to gently tap out the old elements but as I was able to remove the boiler relatively easily I am going to see how the elements last - I am prepared to remove the boiler again if we encounter any problems and at least I have learnt quite a bit from doing the work myself....it wasn't anywhere near as difficult as I thought it would be.

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[Simonnsj]

And I would encourage anyone who is practical to consider undertaking this job themselves. I would say the one mod that I have done is to fit a Wago junction box (using Wago connectors) to the mains side of the boiler as my cable was very tight so I had to tilt the boiler where it is housed to release the mains cable. Now all I have to do is undo the Wago connectors and lift the boiler out so there is less of a risk damaging the electrical cover on the boiler as I do not need to remove it (and it was damaged by the previous 'professional' element replacement as they over tightened the hex screws and broke the cover) to release the cable.

 

[Lenny HB]

Well done but I don't think I would have bother as it cheaper to run on gas than electric.

 

[Simonnsj]

Well done but I don't think I would have bother as it cheaper to run on gas than electric.

Yes, would totally agree and Truma do recommend using the water and heating only on Mix 2 (gas and 1800W electric) for longevity. But we have been using mainly electric for the best part of 18 months to heat the water so no complaints in terms of the performance of the elements.

 

[donkey]

The issue with the housing is the enlargement of the element holes. To remove the old elements, it is necessary to identify any parts that have 'blown', If these sections are forced through the housing it will enlarge and/or distort the machined holes. Therefore it may be necessary to cut the elements, removing the blown sections, so that only the pristine sections are drawn through the holes.
The last set I replaced have lasted six years now.

Geoff

Geoff

 

[dunnah01]

This was my idea of gentle persuasion to remove my old ones

 

[cyberyacht]

Given labour costs these days and the inaccessible location of my Truma without major deconstruction, it would probably be cheaper to buy a new motorhome.

 

[Simonnsj]

Given labour costs these days and the inaccessible location of my Truma without major deconstruction, it would probably be cheaper to buy a new motorhome.

Ours looked rather tight to say the least but just took my time as they must be able to be removed somehow. Once I had worked out what to remove the boiler was simple to disconnect and remove - the only modification I have made when refitting is to fit a Wago junction box to the mains cable as the factory fitted cable was so tight it made it awkward to disconnect in situ. The previous time the boiler was removed the electronics cover was broken and glued back together so I have replaced that too! I don't think there is too much thought that goes into ongoing maintenance when these vehicles are built so some things are quite tricky but i'm glad I attempted it as it was a lot easier once I began the removal.

 

[Simonnsj]

This was my idea of gentle persuasion to remove my old ones

View attachment 827292

I 'gently' tapped mine out with a drift - I had to remove the boiler from where it is situated as it was impossible to work on where it was.

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[Simonnsj]

The issue with the housing is the enlargement of the element holes. To remove the old elements, it is necessary to identify any parts that have 'blown', If these sections are forced through the housing it will enlarge and/or distort the machined holes. Therefore it may be necessary to cut the elements, removing the blown sections, so that only the pristine sections are drawn through the holes.
The last set I replaced have lasted six years now.

Geoff

Geoff

Hi Geoff - useful info - I did check the element holes and it looks like they are slightly distorted which I think may have taken place when the elements were last changed a couple of years ago when we bought the van from a dealer. I don't think they did what you have suggested....I had to gently tap the elements out and did not use any force, I just couldn't pull them out by hand and hold the boiler at the same time! I will see how long they last as I suspect they may not last as long as yours. Thanks again for the useful information.

 

[cyberyacht]

I 'gently' tapped mine out with a drift - I had to remove the boiler from where it is situated as it was impossible to work on where it was.

View attachment 827422 View attachment 827423

Mine is in a similarly tight space except that it also has a fridge/freezer sat on top with an oven next to that.

 

[Simonnsj]

Mine is in a similarly tight space except that it also has a fridge/freezer sat on top with an oven next to that.

Oh - that makes mine sound very straightforward.