First Time RV'r Questions

Texasrvman1987 wrote:
...I have lit the water heater and waited for hot water. It was on for about 30 minutes doing fine, my wife goes to shower and as she is showering, it apparently goes out. Water then gets cold. I'm stumped as to what the problem could be. Pilot lights just fine, it stays on for roughly 30 minutes and we have hot water during that time, then shuts off. Can anybody shed some light for me? Full tank of propane also. It's a Suburban water heater on a 05 AmeriLite,
Trent

First off, I'm surprised you have a pilot light on a 2005 coach.

30 minutes should be plenty of time for the water to heat, then the flame shuts down. It's difficult to explain how water could suddenly get cold given a full tank of hot water, unless you don't have a tank, you have an on-demand heater, and I don't see that as likely. Or your wife is taking really long showers and perhaps the water isn't that hot in the first place, and she's essentially using 100% hot water.

Have you checked the position of your hot water bypass (winterization) valves?

2 Retired wrote:
RV hot water heaters do not "stay on" like the ones at home. Water is heated, and then heater does not come back on until tank is emptied (at least that's how ours works!).

RV hot water works exactly like home heaters. The element comes on when the thermostat tells it to.

The tank is never emptied!