We recently acquired a 2014 fifth wheel.During the walk around, the tech showed us it had switches for gas and electric water heaters. He said the electric heated faster, but over a longer period we may want to use propane. This weekend was our first trip. We set up, and I click on the electric water heater. We had ample hot water. In my mind I am thinking, "electricity is included in my nightly rate, propane is not." So I left it on electric with no issues. Do you have a preference?Any advantage to one or the other? Obviously if we were boondocking it would be propane. This was a 50 amp site though.

Electric will always be cheaper. My last water heater lasted 11 years using primarialy electric.

With a 50 amp RV you may as well use electric.With a 30 amp RV(or 30 amp service) you may want to use propane if running the air conditioner or a space heater.

No real big advantage of one over the other. If you have access to electricity use it, save the propane for the stove and furnace.

It's nice to not hear a gas WH firing off at 3am. For some reason people tend to leave them on 24/7. They must be deaf.

Most RV water heaters will heat faster with just propane than with just electric, or so I an led to believe. Using both simultaneously will give the fastest hot water.There's no particular advantage to one or the other except as circumstances dictate. If your electricity is not costing extra and the supply is sufficient, then electric will naturally be a bit cheaper for you. If you don't have adequate electricity available, then propane is the only choice available. Electric is quieter than propane.

Propane or Electric water heater | Good Sam Community

DrewE
Explorer II
Oct 03, 2016
Most RV water heaters will heat faster with just propane than with just electric, or so I an led to believe. Using both simultaneously will give the fastest hot water.

There's no particular advantage to one or the other except as circumstances dictate. If your electricity is not costing extra and the supply is sufficient, then electric will naturally be a bit cheaper for you. If you don't have adequate electricity available, then propane is the only choice available. Electric is quieter than propane.
2oldman
Explorer II
Oct 03, 2016
It's nice to not hear a gas WH firing off at 3am. For some reason people tend to leave them on 24/7. They must be deaf.
Boon_Docker
Explorer III
Oct 03, 2016
No real big advantage of one over the other. If you have access to electricity use it, save the propane for the stove and furnace.
time2roll
Nomad
Oct 03, 2016
With a 50 amp RV you may as well use electric.
With a 30 amp RV(or 30 amp service) you may want to use propane if running the air conditioner or a space heater.
donn0128
Explorer II
Oct 03, 2016
Electric will always be cheaper. My last water heater lasted 11 years using primarialy electric.

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