Camp Chef tankless water heater anybody?

[brownrecluse]

So I'm looking at getting one of these Camp Chef 5L portable water heaters for warm showers after cold surf sessions. Has anybody used one of these? They seem to god to be true. Runs off propane and it's relatively cheap. Any reviews are greatly appreciated.


Camp Chef 5L Portable Tankless Water Heater

[Ron in BC]

I've used a Paloma unit on boats for many years. It is very similar to that unit. They do work as well as the ad claims. The price seems very good considering I paid way more than that 20 years ago.

I have a brand new (spare) Paloma. If I can figure out a good place to install it on my Scamp I will. I'm not a fan of hauling around a heavy tank of hot water when on demand units work so well.

Ron

[RLP]

A buddy of mine uses a similar unit and loves it. He boondocks so water is supplied via a small 12 volt pump at his camp (from a 5 gal pail). His primary use it to feed warm water into his wet suit as he does gold prospecting in shallow mountain creeks. He uses this one Eccotemp L5 RV, Camping, Hunting, Outdoor, Concession, Hot Shower (Liquid Propane). Battery Ignition. Low Pressure Start which is the model I will order in the spring. It is a little cheaper than the Camp Chef with virtually the same specs.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by RLP

A buddy of mine uses a similar unit and loves it. He boondocks so water is supplied via a small 12 volt pump... He uses this one Eccotemp L5

I have a friend that is full-timer who uses this water heater and cannot praise it enough. That is good enough for me and I will install one on my Compact Jr.

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

I have a friend that is full-timer who uses this water heater and cannot praise it enough. That is good enough for me and I will install one on my Compact Jr.

Since this is for outdoor installation only, how are you going to install it? It would be nice if they offered a vent package that would allow indoor installation. The L10, which is sold on the same site, and is much more expensive, has a chimney on top that looks like it could be adaptable to a vent.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Since this is for outdoor installation only, how are you going to install it? It would be nice if they offered a vent package that would allow indoor installation. The L10, which is sold on the same site, and is much more expensive, has a chimney on top that looks like it could be adaptable to a vent.

I've used unvented Palomas inside boats for 30 years without incident. My last boat had an unvented one installed by the factory. I have a vent hood etc. for the spare one I have. If I install it inside my Scamp I wouldn't install the hood or a dedicated vent.

Given the typical short term use in a day, I don't see much difference between boiling water in a kettle on the stove and getting a few minutes of hot water from the heater. I just crack a window open, the same as I do when I boil water in the kettle.

Ron

[Cricket]

The camp chef and the ecotemp are fairly compariable in price ($104 for camp chef vs. $105 for the ecotemp)....is there a better choice? Looks like one is gas and one is battery....how long do the batteries last in the battery one?

[David Tilston]

The batteries are only for ignition.

[cjlindsay]

Originally Posted by eggless

The camp chef and the ecotemp are fairly compariable in price ($104 for camp chef vs. $105 for the ecotemp)....is there a better choice?

I own the Marey 2GPM Instant Hot Water Heater / Shower and it is awesome! And at 99.00 it's even cheaper than the other two. Even better; it has a FIVE year warranty! Not sure if it's against forum rules to post an eBay link, but here's one for the Marey heater.

Tankless Hot Water Heater RV / Camper Portable Propane Gas 2 GPM Marey | eBay

The thing just sips propane. At the gold claim last year I ran it for HOURS upon HOURS of total shower time and the propane tank never became noticeably lighter. It's pretty sweet!

Cheers!

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

I will install one on my Compact Jr.

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Since this is for outdoor installation only, how are you going to install it?

Notice I said "on" my Compact Jr., and not "in" it... It will be mounted on the back, to the left of the rear door, as high as I can put it.

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

Notice I said "on" my Compact Jr., and not "in" it... It will be mounted on the back, to the left of the rear door, as high as I can put it.

I did notice the "on". So the reverse question applies. I know it is for outdoor use, but it does not look weather proof. Do you plan to make it removable for travel?

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

...it does not look weather proof. Do you plan to make it removable for travel?

I'm planning on weatherproofing it (if necessary) for permanent installation.

[Bob Miller]

As mentioned, "these are for outside use only". Basically the only continual demand LP water heaters for RV's are designed for much larger rigs and are in the $600-1000 range. If cheaper ones were safe for inside use they would be selling them for inside use.

We use a ZODI (zodi.com) camp shower and a shower tent for hot showers anywhere we need one, except inside of course.

[Mike Hilliard]

Interesting we all have similar ideas. I purchased an L5 to replace an Atwood hot water heater that developed a leak. Then I set about installing the plumbing to replace the old system - I hung it off the outside wall in the rear of the trailer. Not being satisfied with the hoses and gas line exposed to the outside and the issue of disconnecting the water system each time I set up or broke camp I started thinking "how do I make this an indoor/outdoor system".
I have now come up with a solid system that requires nothing more than hitting a switch on the wall to ignite the hotwater tank in the wall.
I cut a hole in the outside wall to accept a stainless steel food service tray that I had the local welder fasten two brackets to and a stainless steel flange to. The L5 fits nicely inside this tub and the supply and output water are run through two holes in the bottom of this vertical system. I also ran the gas line up through the bottom and sealed all with a high temp RTV to prevent burned gas fumes from migrating into the trailer. For a door I found an old furcace door with louvers on the top and bottom and installed turn latches top and bottom to secure it closed.
Now I have a true inside/outside hot water system that never runs out of hot water (in fact its even closer to the shower now and I routed the hot and cold water lines for the sink under the trailer inside a piece of 2" thinwall conduit and back filled that with expandable foam). I built in two stop cocks to drain the lines when closing up for the winter and so far I love it.

[Ken Jr]

Originally Posted by Mike Hilliard

Interesting we all have similar ideas. I purchased an L5 to replace an Atwood hot water heater that developed a leak. Then I set about installing the plumbing to replace the old system - I hung it off the outside wall in the rear of the trailer. Not being satisfied with the hoses and gas line exposed to the outside and the issue of disconnecting the water system each time I set up or broke camp I started thinking "how do I make this an indoor/outdoor system".
I have now come up with a solid system that requires nothing more than hitting a switch on the wall to ignite the hotwater tank in the wall.
I cut a hole in the outside wall to accept a stainless steel food service tray that I had the local welder fasten two brackets to and a stainless steel flange to. The L5 fits nicely inside this tub and the supply and output water are run through two holes in the bottom of this vertical system. I also ran the gas line up through the bottom and sealed all with a high temp RTV to prevent burned gas fumes from migrating into the trailer. For a door I found an old furcace door with louvers on the top and bottom and installed turn latches top and bottom to secure it closed.
Now I have a true inside/outside hot water system that never runs out of hot water (in fact its even closer to the shower now and I routed the hot and cold water lines for the sink under the trailer inside a piece of 2" thinwall conduit and back filled that with expandable foam). I built in two stop cocks to drain the lines when closing up for the winter and so far I love it.

Mike, thats great could you share some pic's? What kind of trailer do you have? thanks Ken

[redbarron55]

I am dredging this up for discussionsince I am working on the very project for my rework of the Scamp.
I have not decided how to go about installing the thing yet, On the outside is the only way I can see it done, but I am considering making a front flange of the face that can be mounted through the wall in the front in the shower area.
The front will be accessable from inside, but all of the combustion and fittings on the outside. A bezel to match the wall and a this SS sheet metal box on the outside to weatherproof it and allow combustion air in and the flue will have a 4" chimney cap to keep water out.
This will be a SS box on the front in the center of where it front window was before I filled it in with a fiberglass panel.

[Johnny M]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Since this is for outdoor installation only, how are you going to install it? It would be nice if they offered a vent package that would allow indoor installation. The L10, which is sold on the same site, and is much more expensive, has a chimney on top that looks like it could be adaptable to a vent.

Fastair sells a model that is ventable, I recently got one for my Boler off eBay for around $80, nice unit seems well built, but I havent tested it yet as I still have to install it...it is digital but reads Celsius instead of Fahrenheit