Hi,
I generally do not use propane to run the water heater.
If you leave it on, and draw no water, the unit will cycle on for about 15 minutes every four hours, once the water is hot (mine is a 10 gallon US).
So, if I'm plugged in at a friends home, I'll turn the water heater on first thing in the morning. By the time I've finished breakfast there is ample warm water to do the dishes. Then I have a shower. Then the heater is turned off. That leaves enough water to do the dishes at lunch and supper as well as for hand washing.
At a campground where power is included in the lot rental, I'm a bit lazy and just leave the heater on.
Because I want full wattage from electric heating devices, I find myself using an autoformer a lot.