# Hot water heater in camper



## Just-chasin-tail12 (Mar 25, 2013)

My hot water heater in my camper works great but you better be quick in the shower! Lol Was just going to see if anyone here knows if you can upgrade to a larger one? Has anyone ever done this?


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## Tuff (Nov 29, 2011)

changing out water heaters is usually not cost effective if even possible. Most RVs come with either a 6 or 10 gallon tank. The hot water does go fast. This is the primary reason most RV showers have a water shut off valve at the shower head - get wet, turn water off; soap up, turn water back on to rinse. Commonly referred to as a NAVY shower. 

If your water heater works on both electricity and propane, you can get a few extra minutes of hot water if you utilize both at the same time.

If you do decide to change heaters, don't install one with a bigger tank-get a tankless, you will then have unlimited hot water (until your propane is gone!).


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## Just-chasin-tail12 (Mar 25, 2013)

Ok thanks for the info. I thought about tankless but don't want have to use that much propane all year around. It's plenty for one person to shower but not anymore after that for a while. Guess we'll just keep on doing what we are when we use it for now. Thanks


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## Drewtk (Aug 22, 2011)

If your water heater can work on gas and electric, turn them both on. It'll heat the water faster.

Another alternative is to take 'military' showers. i.e., only run the water when you need to in the shower, rather than leaving it running the entire time like you would at home.


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## StinkBait (May 31, 2004)

And get one of these, read the reviews for yourself.

http://www.amazon.com/ETL-26781-White-Oxygenics-Shower/dp/B00F5MUB66


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## el dorado (Jul 26, 2010)

Since we're on water heaters, it fills with hot water but I only get cold water out of the faucets? Any ideas?


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## djwag94 (Nov 19, 2009)

el dorado said:


> Since we're on water heaters, *I only get cold water out of the faucets*? Any ideas?


Check your water heater bypass valve/valves. One or more could be closed & only allowing cold water to circulate. The heater has a water line at the bottom where the cold water goes in. On top of that line, there is a hot water line that feeds your pipes. If there is a middle pipe that connects these two lines, then you have a bypass. Some RVs have one, two or three bypass valves. A bypass prevents anti-freeze from going into the heater when winterizing your RV.


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## Tuff (Nov 29, 2011)

el dorado said:


> Since we're on water heaters, it fills with hot water but I only get cold water out of the faucets? Any ideas?


First question is: Did you ever get hot water to come out of the faucets?
If yes, I would 1) check the bypass/antifreeze control, 2) some water heaters (electric or dual) have a rocker switch on the heater panel on the outside of the RV - usually next to the burner jet where it is hard to see (make sure it is in the on position), 3) if it is propane only -do you have propane? (don't forget mud daubers and other insects will collect/nest in the burner jet and prevent the unit from igniting) 4) if it is electric - are you getting electricity?, is the circuit breaker tripped? Did a wire connector come loose?, 5) Depending on your unit - even if it is propane fueled for heat, it most likely requires a 12v supply to work the thermostat - is your on board battery charged?

Second question - How do you know it _fills with hot water_ if it won't come out of the faucets?

If you have never experienced hot water in the faucets then there are lots of choices to check. Is the unit working? Where does the piping from the water tank go? (I have seen pre-fab units where the hot and cold PEX have been hooked to the wrong supply or terminated at the wrong place) Obviously checking the above items too!

Good Luck!


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## waderaider (May 21, 2004)

you should have enough hot water to take a shower. I rarely run out. something is up. how old is the RV and Water heater? check the bypass. should be a panel you remove on the inside to access it.


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## 2slick (Dec 5, 2008)

We have a 10 gallon Attwood water heater, and two of us can shower without running out of hot water. Like said, you have to utilize that on/off valve on the shower head. Also, our heater heats the water to over 140*....hotter requires less.

However, Suburban makes a 12 gallon I believe. No doubt doubling the capacity will help.....just according to how much value you place on it.

As far as not getting hot water out of the tank, many incorporate a check valve in the tank bypass configuration. I had this check fail on our previous RV, blocking water flow out of the tank. Since I have no intentions of traveling to areas where anything will freeze, I simply removed the check valve from the line.


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## Just-chasin-tail12 (Mar 25, 2013)

Ya it's plenty of hot water for one shower but if someone wants to go right after there's not much left. We just wait about 15 min between showers and it's hot again. Will prob just continue to do that. Thanks for all the input.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Just-chasin-tail12 said:


> Ya it's plenty of hot water for one shower but if someone wants to go right after there's not much left. We just wait about 15 min between showers and it's hot again. Will prob just continue to do that. Thanks for all the input.


Mine is the same way - 6 gallons. What we do that helps a lot is lay out a 50 foot black rubber hose on the ground in the sun attached between the water tap and existing RV water hose. It prewarms the water a lot in a short time on a sunny day. Reduces the shower wait time to less than 5 minutes.


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