On Demand propane H2O heaters

[Lora]

Has this ever been discussed or has anyone ever considered?

[samcrimm]

I have one that I am going to install on my Amerigo. My plan is to vent it well, and insulate the vent pipe, there is going to be a lot of heat and could be dangerous. But I feel like my plan will work and be safe. When I get to that part of the rebuild I will be posting pictures.

Sam

[cpaharley2008]

I had one in my Lance 1575, it runs every time you turn on the hot water, very loud. In addition it was hard to adjust the temperature, you do it by turning on the hot and then slowly turning on the cold until it feels warm, seems like it wastes more water than the conventional method.

[Bob Miller]

There is only one or two models that are safe or legal to use in an RV and they are about $700. All of the ones seen in the $100-$300 price range are clearly marked for "Outside use" only. Venting is a major problem and they are LP hogs.
I have seen one of the cheap ones that was mounted on thd outside of an RV, but that seems a lot of work for a minor convenience.

I have a ZODI Camp Shower instant water heater that I use with a shower tent when campground showers aren't available, works great.

[Lora]

That Zodi looks pretty cool. Are there any issues with the water run-off?

[Bob Miller]

Our shower tent has a captive base that will hold about 3 gallons of water. If we can't let it just run off we can capture it and put it in a 5 gallon gray water tank for later disposal.

You quickly learn to use only about a gallon of water per shower.

[David Tilston]

Coleman makes one for camping. I have one and I like it. The one I bought came with a shower head, and the carrying bag.
Coleman® Hot Water on Demand™ Portable Water Heater | Bass Pro Shops
I paid much less then they are selling it for, and mine is beige, not .... what is that color? I have not used it very often, and some of the reviews were not so good. They said that it did not last, I will see.

[john warren]

i thought that was a coleman stove with a dutch oven on top?

[steve dunham]

A standard water heater using propane to bring the water to design temperature and an electric element to maintain design temperature would be a better choice IMHO . An on demand water heater may save energy but its initial cost , venting problems , safety issues and operational drawbacks have to be considered . The newer storage style water heaters with high R value foam insulation have small standby losses