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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Joined: 05/06/2013
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hayesjenn71 wrote:I currently have a 6 gl water heater. It doesn't make enough hot water to do dishes and for 2 people to shower. I live in my trailer year round and am hooked to city water. I would like to install a bigger water heater, but I don't want to have to cut anmy holes into the side of my trailer.
If you’re living in a camper, especially in a locale that is not conducive to year round living in a camper, save your money for necessities and don’t spend it on minor inconveniences…
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BackOfThePack
Fort Worth
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Lantley wrote:Thermoguy wrote:jpmyers wrote:My question at this point would be; what is the largest Propane/Electric water heater can I replace this new tankless water heater with? The original was a6 gallon unit and I do not believe there is any space available, after modifications to squeeze in a larger water heater.
It seems like your real questions is if a 6 gal water heater is enough hot water for your needs. With a family of 3 that often takes showers back to back, we have not found any issues with enough hot water. When camping without hookups we always take navy showers so we don't use much hot water.
My thought is a 6 gallon water heater may not be enough. My prior rig had a 6 gallon water heater and occasionally it would not keep up if 2 adults and 2 kids took back to back showers.
My current rig has a 10 gallon lp/electric heater and we never run out of hot water and we do not take navy showers.
For me a 10 gallon RV water heater is the ultimate. I see no need for tankless heater in an RV.
What is the point of having unlimited hot water if you don't have unlimited grey water capacity and unlimited fresh water capacity.
Yes. It’s for the rig with dishwasher, clothes washer and three teenage girls parked with full hookups.
VERSATILITY is the word for appliances. Can it run on more than one source of power? Three-way fridge is best example and propane/electric water heater is second. A propane furnace can be retrofitted with a CHEAP HEAT electric panel for when plugged in. Xtra battery capacity (maybe) for some owners to extend the evening hours.
Minor appliances need their older derivations: stove top coffee pot, not just the electric kettle.
A/C is the biggest hurdle.
Navy shower and dividing shower time for some the night before, and others in the morning (is another way of not running out).
Have the campers learn to adapt.
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TurnThePage
North ID
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Joined: 10/08/2003
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hayesjenn71 wrote:I currently have a 6 gl water heater. It doesn't make enough hot water to do dishes and for 2 people to shower. I live in my trailer year round and am hooked to city water. I would like to install a bigger water heater, but I don't want to have to cut anmy holes into the side of my trailer. I use my trailer for travel, often off grid. Tankless wouldn't work for me at all. Your situation sounds like the tankless might work better, assuming full hookups. The research I've done shows tankless heaters and 6 gallon heaters are often almost identical in size. It doesn't look like it would be difficult to do the swap. Good luck!
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Instead of Cheap (NOT) Heat, consider a 1500 watt heater from Walmart for $20.
There are electric water heater rods that fit the drain on an RV water heater.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.
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LMHS
NM
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I replaced the old 6 gallon LP water heater in my daughter's old Lance truck camper with an old Eccotemp L5. They are made to hang on the wall, usually "outside" in an "outside" shower. I hung it on the back wall over the toilet. The camper has a wet bath (you can sit on the toilet and wash your... feet). We leave the rooftop vent in the shower open and run the water heater. Bonus is it heats up the tiny bathroom too. It provides ALL the hot water in the truck camper.
Prior to sticking it in the truck camper, the heater spent 4 years on a food cart where we had to have hot water every time there was a surprise inspection. So far, the highest it has been is 6000ft. Since it's been in the truck camper, the highest it has been is just over 5000ft. When it was on the food cart, It was vented thru the wall to the outside using a 90 degree duct fitting that sat on top of the exhaust at the top of the heater.
It's a bit of a "redneck" idea but it has worked well for us for a couple of years now and looks like it will go for a few more years. Although you most likely want a more expensive solution. I'm odd enough that I have secured small box fans to the ceiling to make a "ceiling" fan with protected blades.
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msmith1.wa
Tacoma, WA
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Look into the Atwood XT water heater. It heats the water to a higher temp than others and has a mixing valve on the back to reduce the temp to the faucets. Atwood says a 6 gallon gas electric XT water heater will provide the equivalent of 19 gallons when using both gas a and electric heating modes.
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time2roll
Southern California
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Joined: 03/21/2005
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hayesjenn71 wrote:I currently have a 6 gl water heater. It doesn't make enough hot water to do dishes and for 2 people to shower. I live in my trailer year round and am hooked to city water. I would like to install a bigger water heater, but I don't want to have to cut anmy holes into the side of my trailer. Pace yourself with hot water activity. Do the dishes later. Give the WH a few minutes to recover between showers. A long hot shower may need to be in the camp shower house. Yes use both electric an propane for faster recovery.
The three of us have almost always managed to stay in hot water. Much easier to adjust lifestyle habits than expand utilities in an RV.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
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