solar water heater

We use our WH in the morning and in the evening. I turn it on for 15-30 mins (evening takes less time) each time. We shower at night before bed. Makes for a more comfortable sleep. You know, what I'd like more than battery capacity is FW storage. 200 gallon FW and grey tanks would be perfect. Could camp comfortably for a month. My next rig will have those size tanks even if I have to custom install them.

There has to be something else to do with "extra solar" than heat water you can't use before it gets cold again.

People have different lifestyle routines so who knows? but we only use hot water first thing in the morning. No time that day to heat it up with solar, and no way to keep it hot from the day before.

The only way to use solar hot water would be in the evening. That would turn our lives upside down. Not worth it, but YMMV. Right now at our seasonal site, we need a 30 pounder of propane about every three weeks at $29 a bottle. That covers furnace, hot water, stove, outside BBQ.

We fire up the 10 US gal water heater in the morning, it runs for about 40 min or so and then we turn it off. That's it. Water is still warm at lunchtime after morning shower, shave, shampoo, wash dishes. (all dishes get washed in the morning after breakfast, not after every meal---had to get DW sorted out on that one :) )

Don, get a 10-liter Dromedary bag from the nearest MEC store. Buy also a "shower head" with tubing that screws in place of a regular Drom spout, same MEC store. Hang it onto the nearest tree on or any hook on the South-facing wall of your rig. The Drom bag is black, and will become pretty warm under the sun, warm enough for a shower. Total cost about 40 bucks. There are other fixtures that work too, similar to garden spray with manual pump and they probably have more gallons, but with bag on the hook the gravity does the job. Also, the bag is compact when not in use. 10L = 3 gallons, but the shower head is tiny so it works. It's not for relaxing half an hour in the shower - but it works for one man to wash the hair and rinse the sea salt off. Or you can hang another bag next to the first one. It is of course an exterior shower - no privacy.

This solar heater in the link reminds me 2 things that I saw and voted against: small solar desalinator made in Australia, and solar fountain (with solar pump, same as this heater).

The first one is similar to that "solar heater", only more channels and arrangements for collecting the vapor. Aluminum with polycarbonate cover - very similar. Expected to last less than 10 years due to build-up of cr-p from the water, and deterioration of polycarbonate.

The solar fountain works only occasionally - when there is a sun. No sun - no pumping.

My thought is it is going to take up valuable roof space, wouldn't you be better off adding PV panel that would add to the diversified load going to the water heater?

Looked into one of these for my stick house. Still used the regular water heater when the solar panel wasn't hot enough (it fed hot water to the water heater...if the water was hot enough, the WH's burner wouldn't light..saving propane). The problem was the cost. It was only a couple grand cheaper than a wind generator.

I would have to agree with Golden. With only a six gallon capacity, I don't think it would reheat the water fast enough. Maybe if you take 2 minute showers.

I have a solar water heater on my stick house and it works wonderful here in Florida. My panel on the roof is currently at 164 degrees and circulating to my tank. It has a holding tank of 85 gallons. It even heats some on overcast days but not to 164..


Happy camping!

I don't think it would be very practical.

Perhaps generate about 6 gallons of hot water then will take a couple more hours to make 6 more gallons. The same thing can be done with no additional weight to the RV by burning about 1/12 gallon of propane.

And the propane is lighter.

Fred.