That was only 18months of ownership at a trip a month. Two lessons I learned from other RV owners:

• Always drain your water
• Don't use soft water!

Thanks Sean. I did try tightening the nut, but it wouldn't budge...

Just curious the symptoms of this bar wearing out. On one side, my arm no longer stays straight. Could this be the issue?

Egg smell in water is a sure sign of an issue with the water heater. Most likely, you need to check on the Anode Rod. I just went through all this on my Suburban water heater...