Tankless hot water heater.

GandL06zinger · 06-09-2022, 10:36 AM

Has anyone out there put in a tankless instant hot water heater? The wife and I got tired of waiting around for hot water. I took a literal freezing cold shower our first night. 6 gallons is just not enough hot water for a family of 4 camping. Any recommendations and info on putting them in yourself is much appreciated. Do they work when boondock camping? Are they hard to put in? Which is the best bang for your buck? Its not a new luxury camper, i dont need a $1,200 unit. Just something to get us through a couple showers. Thanks everyone.

**Lloyd** · 06-09-2022, 11:36 AM

If you run both the electric and the LP at the same time, plus try and limit the time in the shower, it will help tremendously.
Also you might try wetting yourself down, then shut the shower head off,then soaping and scrubbing, and then turn the shower head on to rinse off. It will help a lot.

GandL06zinger · 06-09-2022, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lloyd

If you run both the electric and the LP at the same time, plus try and limit the time in the shower, it will help tremendously.
Also you might try wetting yourself down, then shut the shower head off,then soaping and scrubbing, and then turn the shower head on to rinse off. It will help a lot.

Thank you.

**dagst1** · 06-09-2022, 12:08 PM

I do not have one so can not personally speak to there good or bad but on about any RV forum or group they have been thoroughly discussed. From what I understand if you are going to camp in below freezing weather make sure you get the optional anti freeze kit otherwise they can freeze and break. Also some complain about increased gas consumption. On the other side of the coin some just love them.

There are tricks to help extend the hot water. If you have a gas and electric water heater you can run both at the same time to extend the hot water and it will recover quicker. Also taking a "Camper" shower will help. Water on to get wet, Water off to soap up, Water on to rinse.

If you do change yours out let us know how you like it or do not like it. May help others who are thinking about changing over.

GandL06zinger · 06-09-2022, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dagst1

I do not have one so can not personally speak to there good or bad but on about any RV forum or group they have been thoroughly discussed. From what I understand if you are going to camp in below freezing weather make sure you get the optional anti freeze kit otherwise they can freeze and break. Also some complain about increased gas consumption. On the other side of the coin some just love them.

There are tricks to help extend the hot water. If you have a gas and electric water heater you can run both at the same time to extend the hot water and it will recover quicker. Also taking a "Camper" shower will help. Water on to get wet, Water off to soap up, Water on to rinse.

If you do change yours out let us know how you like it or do not like it. May help others who are thinking about changing over.

Excellent. Thank you. I am looking into them and hopefully will find one i like. Im not big on short showers. Lol. But i guess i will need to learn.

**DavisK** · 06-09-2022, 02:12 PM

I don't have one, but I have talked with someone who did have one. He said he did not like it. It was last year when I talked with him, and I cannot remember his reasoning.

Wingerdinger · 06-12-2022, 05:59 PM

I had a factory one in my last Lance camper, and I did not like it, except in the rare case that I had full hookups.
It takes a lot of fussing around to get the temp just right, and you use a lot of water doing it. If the flow changes for any reason, the temp changes. So, if you were to take a shower, and trickle the water to soap up, the next time you turned on the shower, you would get a second of cold water followed by SCALDING water. I learned fast to stay out of the stream for several seconds. If you have full hookups, don't worry about water use or filling your tanks, it might work out.
I would never have one if you have children, there is too great a risk of scalding.
There is a bit of a learning curve to the 6 gallon water heater, but I really prefer it.

tomkatbay · 06-13-2022, 10:55 AM

Pretty much everyone hated the early models.

The Truma was the big winner and still is. $$$

All the others sort of work ok but, there is a learning curve to using them.

As I understand you control temp by turning them on full hot water and use the dial on the wall to change temps, not the cold mixing water.

They use more water and operate on gas only. No free hot water on electric sites. Navy showers do not work. Except the Truma.

We have a dual fuel Suburban 12 gallon and it works really well. Had to demand the factory put it in. They had switched to an early continuous clunker. They then switched back. Many complaints.

The DW is a navy shower person. I get all the hot water I want. Ours pretty much is almost continuous. Three showers in a row does not phase it.

Radioraye72 · 06-16-2022, 03:35 PM

I have been taking “Navy” showers since basic training in ‘68.
We never run out of hot water in our unit.

PatriotCruiser · 06-27-2022, 12:41 PM

have you tried an oxygenated shower head? they save water and produce a harder spray

Wingerdinger · 06-27-2022, 12:49 PM

If you look at the specs for the Oxygenetics shower head, it is rated at 2.0 GPM.
The original shower head has a rating printed on it, at 0.5 GPM.
The Oxygenetics one is nice when you are not trying to conserve, but is not water saving, except when comparing to home use showerheads.
The advertising is extremely deceiving.

GandL06zinger · 06-27-2022, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatriotCruiser

have you tried an oxygenated shower head? they save water and produce a harder spray

No i have not. Where do i get one? They work really well? I will deff look into it. Thank you.

I think i have been talked out of getting a tankless. Quick showers will have to work along with the water on off idea. That works pretty well.

**mark5w** · 06-27-2022, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wingerdinger

If you look at the specs for the Oxygenetics shower head, it is rated at 2.0 GPM.
The original shower head has a rating printed on it, at 0.5 GPM.
The Oxygenetics one is nice when you are not trying to conserve, but is not water saving, except when comparing to home use showerheads.
The advertising is extremely deceiving.

Not sure what your OEM shower head brand is, but my OEM was a Dura head and it is rated at 2.2 gpm's.
My Oxydenetics is rated at 1.75 gpm's.

Wingerdinger · 06-27-2022, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark5w

Not sure what your OEM shower head brand is, but my OEM was a Dura head and it is rated at 2.2 gpm's.
My Oxydenetics is rated at 1.75 gpm's.

It's just the cheap little plastic head that comes on most low end campers. I own an Oxygenetics one as well, and switch when I have full hookup, which isn't often.

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