Tankless Water heater

lrchandler1127 wrote:
We are worried about running out of hot water since we have 4 small kids. I think our hot water tank is only 6 gallons??

I find the refresh rate on our 6gal LP is about 15 minutes. That's not bad. You could opt for a 10 gal. Tankless have their merits but you may find the flow rate at some cg's or your onboard pump too low to get hot water. I think I read a review on a new coach about a month ago in MH magazine and one of the complaints was that the tankless water heater left them with a cold shower halfway through due to a dip in psi. And when it goes cold there is no slowly running out of hot water, it's immediate. A tankless will require X gpm to achive a temp lift of begining temp (A) to desired temp (B). IF you are lucky enough to have an onboard pump or a water supply that can meet X to achieve B-A then you have a winner. But many on here will tell you that it happens that many places don't meet the demand of X. X flow rate - it's on, less than X - it's off. THere is no in between. And EVERY CG will have a variant value for X and A. In that case, unless you have another way to heat water you are left with cold showers. No such worry with an LP or electric tank. THe downside of a tank as is the crux of your concern is refresh rate. You are only out of hot water as long as it takes to heat 6 gal back up. I would test the refresh rate of your tank and make accomidations on shower time accordingly, or get a tankless and risk everyone having a cold shower under less than optimim circumstances. The big selling point for a house is that you don't have to keep a 40-80 gal tank of water hot 24/7. In a MH you are only heating 6-10 gal. I leave it off until 15 mins before a shower. And with 3 of us, 15 mins in between.

We are worried about running out of hot water since we have 4 small kids. I think our hot water tank is only 6 gallons??

I agree with Effy with one out. If your travels always have you in camp sites with full hook ups and you spend a lot of time in the coach, such as full timer of snow birding, it might be workable. To get hot water from a tank less system you need a moderate water flow. More flow is more water into the gray tank. Might not be the most ideal situation for a weekend or holiday camper.

Probably the best option for a coach is a two or three way tank heater. Propane, electric and engine heated. I have a two way heater and 95% of the time heat water with the electric rather than propane.

I've installed one in the S&B. Love it but I would question why you want one in an RV. In a house they have a lot of plusses, but in a MH your enemy will be fluctuating water pressure and water source temperatures. The burners work on flow rate. The higher the flow rate the hotter the water. Also factored into the equation, the amount of power required to heat the water from it's temperature to the desired temperature - again static in a house, variant in a MH. You get to a CG or on the onboard water pump I would question the psi and varying temperature and subsequent ability to generate enough flow to heat the water and to what temp. If it dips below the minimal thereshold the system shuts off and the cycle will start again once psi comes up. You have to wait for that and could be an unpleasant shower experience. And they have a pretty high amp draw. To me, it makes sense to stick with LP or electric standars tank setup as they are not subject to varying flow rates or ambient water temperature. Great for S&B where flow rate and source temp are constant, I would definitely give more thought to an appication designed for a prescribed flow rate and temp in an variable rate and temp system. But that's just my opinion.