Community Forums

jd31mc · 03-13-2014, 09:58 AM

My water heater just split down the middle, should I replace it with one like I had or should I up grade to a tankless water heater?

If I upgrade "What would be the best tankless water heater to put in my 1998 Fleetwood bounder?"

vsheetz · 03-13-2014, 10:34 AM

Suggest you evaluate the cost/benefit.

What is the cost difference from regular replacement to tankless? How much do you use hot water for it to be a savings? Do you take long or repeated showers in the RV for this to be a benefit?

450Donn · 03-13-2014, 10:46 AM

There has been a lot of discussions on this subject. Bottom line seems to have been constant water pressure. If your water pressure fluctuates much you will hate a tankless. The water temps will vary all over the place. Personally I would just buy a new replacement and go camping.

jd31mc · 03-13-2014, 10:48 AM

Cost is not the question, and the use would probably be at least 4-6 times a day. The biggest thing for me is what would fit in the spot of the old unit. I don't want to have to fix it again anytime soon or ever again.

Sky_Boss · 03-13-2014, 11:18 AM

Even in a home, tankless systems can be funny if you don't understand some of the problems associated with them. Don't misunderstand that I think they are bad at all. They just have some issues to know about.

Perhaps the biggest (and most CHILLING - as in teeth chattering) is "slugging". That is when the hot water flow is reduced to a point that the heater shuts off. Thus, you get SLUGGED with cold water. The perceived reduction can be caused by either; a setting where the user is mostly wanting only a little warming, and/or low flow devices that are fairly typical in many homes and almost universal RV showers.

As was mentioned before, the water pressure to the RV can play a major factor with our without water restricting devices. If you are in a CG where your neighbor can affect your water pressure it can be unpredictable.

If I was going tankless I would consider a boost pump to ensure uniform pressure in the MH. That would also help balance out water flow if you are in the shower and someone else is using water anywhere in the RV. It would also compensate for low CG pressure.

Alternatively, you might consider using your onboard water pump and drawing water out of your own tank during a shower. Of course, if you are boon docking, then that would be your natural state of water use. Even then, it might be worth investing in a upgraded water pump if you have any doubt about your pump's performance.

I just had to replace my water heater because the tank leaked and considered it. Fortunately I had an service contract and it only cost me $200 to get it done. If I hadn't had the contract, I was considering tankless but there were too many variables and some poor reviews that would have probably made me balk at that.

jd31mc · 03-13-2014, 11:32 AM

I guess I still have some research to do, what to you think about the portable type?

**pasdad1** · 03-13-2014, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd31mc

My water heater just split down the middle, should I replace it with one like I had or should I up grade to a tankless water heater? If I upgrade "What would be the best tankless water heater to put in my 1998 Fleetwood bounder?"

http://itrheat.com/wp-content/upload...ro-LR2013-.pdf

Verlyn · 11-04-2015, 10:30 PM

We have a new Newmar Canyon Star motorhome with a Atwood water heater. It works terrible.
It takes a while to get hot.
Difficult to adjust to warm in shower. Either hot or cold. If you shut it off to soap up to save water, it goes back to cold, then warm, then hot, then you start the adjustments all over again. Meanwhile you just used 10 gallons or more to adjust the water to warm.
Doing dishes. Turn on hot to rinse, rinse then shut off, turn on hot to rinse, water becomes cold, then warm, then hot, then you rinse, then you shut it off. And you go thru it all over again when you rinse the next dish. Horrible and water wasteful.
We hear the Truma Tankless is better.

vsheetz · 11-05-2015, 01:15 AM

We have had thankless in the studs and stucco for many years. Works great, and saves money.

Our recently acquired Tiffin Phaeton has thankless from the factory. Have used it several times already for showering, works great as well. I think we will find the convenience of it will be a worthwhile benefit.

RandyKathyM · 11-05-2015, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Verlyn

We have a new Newmar Canyon Star motorhome with a Atwood water heater. It works terrible.
It takes a while to get hot.
Difficult to adjust to warm in shower. Either hot or cold. If you shut it off to soap up to save water, it goes back to cold, then warm, then hot, then you start the adjustments all over again. Meanwhile you just used 10 gallons or more to adjust the water to warm.
Doing dishes. Turn on hot to rinse, rinse then shut off, turn on hot to rinse, water becomes cold, then warm, then hot, then you rinse, then you shut it off. And you go thru it all over again when you rinse the next dish. Horrible and water wasteful.
We hear the Truma Tankless is better.

Been RVing for over 20 years with a tank type water heater and never had problems like you are having. You might want to check if you have an outside shower that the valves are closed as they will cause the symptoms you are having.

RandyKathyM · 11-05-2015, 06:11 AM

Looking at the cost of some of these tankless units. The $300 plus difference in price would buy me enough propane to last me 10 years.

spritz · 11-05-2015, 08:09 AM

We have the original water heater. I just got the drain fixed on our shower. It was broken when we got it.

I found that the water is really hot after driving the MH. So we take our showers then. The water heater seems to run out of hot when just using it. I just take a quick one or use the campground. (if clean). Being retired I don't sweat much unless I'm waxing the coach.

I'm just not sold on tankless.
JMO
Tim

SrFox · 11-05-2015, 08:22 AM

We live in Mexico and have used tankless for years to save on propane. I hate them for all the reasons stated above. You have to be a techie to run them properly. My wife hates them even more than me.

POPPASMURF · 11-05-2015, 02:39 PM

If you are a heavy hitter Atwood has a 10 gal that acts like a 30 gal water heater. It stores water at about 180F and then uses a mixing valve to dilute the temperature. Long showers are most enjoyable. For the amount of propane saved going to tankless you will have to have a 10 year extension on your life, as well to make them nearly affordable, they use the cheapest of cheap controls.