1. Inside my camper I have panel that has switch for the hot water heater. When I turn it to the on position it lights up, indicating that it is working. I wait a few minutes and go outside, remove the outside cover to the water heater and turn the switch to the on position. By doing this, am I not heating the water electrically?

Our 5th has two switches inside. One for electric and one for gas. The switch outside is always left in the on position. If you only have one switch inside, I would guess it is to turn on the electric. That is the way our old TT was. You should be able to tell if it comes on to gas, looking from outside, with the cover off, you can tell if the burner is on.Mark

1. When I go outside, I can hear the burner running so I assume it is running off of gas.

We use the gas to quickly heat the hot water tank when we first set up in a full hookup park, then turn the gas off and switch to electric to save on gas. Electric takes a much longer time to start up from cold but once the tank is up to temp, you can save propane by switching over. One time I left both on and it tripped the over-temp sensor on the tank so I had to reset it.

Our tt has one switch inside and one switch outside. The outside switch turns on the electric element. The inside switch turns on the propane. We use propane to heat it when not hooked to electric.

I use both the electric and gas. If the electric can't keep up, the gas will also come on for a little faster recovery.

HOT WATER HEATER GAS OR ELECTRIC | Good Sam Community

GMC4ME
Explorer
Jun 10, 2013
wski wrote:
1. Inside my camper I have panel that has switch for the hot water heater. When I turn it to the on position it lights up, indicating that it is working. I wait a few minutes and go outside, remove the outside cover to the water heater and turn the switch to the on position. By doing this, am I not heating the water electrically?

Disconnect from shore power. Take a shower. If the water remains hot, either it is heating by gas or your shower was to short to use all the water in the tank. You'll figure it out.
ferretgrandpa
Explorer
Jun 09, 2013
When CG only has 50 amp rate, I have a 30 amp trailer, I have no problem using the extra circuit to power my WH. If I am carrying the plasma TV, then it gets the other circuit. If I am paying for power, then I have a chart that I use to see which is a better price.
Ours heat up on electric in 15 min or so, gas about the same time.
Deputy_Chief_P_
Explorer
Jun 09, 2013
Lantley wrote:
Deputy Chief P.O. wrote:
If we are hooked up to electrical, we ALWAYS use the electrical water heater. Ours heats up within 15 minutes.

If the ambient temperature is warm the heat up time will be quick. But if you are in cold weather where the water temperature can be 35-40º it will take a lot longer to heat up.
While gas generally heats the water faster than electric, heat up time is more dependent on ambient temperature than anything else

Thanks for posting this. Being from California, and traveling on the west coast, (following the good weather climate) I forget that others are subject to much colder climates.
rascalsweet
Explorer
Jun 09, 2013
I hadn't thought about useing the propane to heat it up with the electric, Thank you from my wife.
Lantley
Nomad
Jun 09, 2013
Deputy Chief P.O. wrote:
If we are hooked up to electrical, we ALWAYS use the electrical water heater. Ours heats up within 15 minutes.

If the ambient temperature is warm the heat up time will be quick. But if you are in cold weather where the water temperature can be 35-40º it will take a lot longer to heat up.
While gas generally heats the water faster than electric, heat up time is more dependent on ambient temperature than anything else
Deputy_Chief_P_
Explorer
Jun 09, 2013
If we are hooked up to electrical, we ALWAYS use the electrical water heater. Ours heats up within 15 minutes.
Lantley
Nomad
Jun 09, 2013
RAINEYTXX wrote:
Lantley wrote:
RAINEYTXX wrote:
OK-in my experience if you have electric AND propane and are connected to shore power-why not use both? We heat using both: keeps the critters out of the burner and quick recovery times! Why stress about a choice? Use both and have fun!

Because electric is included in the price of admission and propane is not. Therefore it is more cost effective to use propane only as needed. In the end propane adds an additional cost.

For the immediate time...then we all have to agree that if the campground owner raises the daily/weekly rate to compensate for the added electric useage to make his bottom line, we have to promise to not complain!

I hear you Rainey, It sort of a no win scenario.
However the CG owner has already raised the rates. You are paying a flat rate that covers your electric usage for A/C and hot water regardless if you use it or not.
Don't expect a refund if you dialed back your thermostat or ran your water heater exclusively on propane! Your going to pay the same rate if you conserve or if you run everything full blast. Of course I'm referring to weekend camping and not seasonal camping that may have metered electric.
RAINEYTXX
Explorer
Jun 09, 2013
Lantley wrote:
RAINEYTXX wrote:
OK-in my experience if you have electric AND propane and are connected to shore power-why not use both? We heat using both: keeps the critters out of the burner and quick recovery times! Why stress about a choice? Use both and have fun!

Because electric is included in the price of admission and propane is not. Therefore it is more cost effective to use propane only as needed. In the end propane adds an additional cost.

For the immediate time...then we all have to agree that if the campground owner raises the daily/weekly rate to compensate for the added electric useage to make his bottom line, we have to promise to not complain!
Lantley
Nomad
Jun 09, 2013
RAINEYTXX wrote:
OK-in my experience if you have electric AND propane and are connected to shore power-why not use both? We heat using both: keeps the critters out of the burner and quick recovery times! Why stress about a choice? Use both and have fun!

Because electric is included in the price of admission and propane is not. Therefore it is more cost effective to use propane only as needed. In the end propane adds an additional cost.
LostinAZ
Explorer
Jun 09, 2013
We typically use both simultaneously but I will occasionaly only use LP if I'm going to be emptying the tank for some reason. I can see inside the 5th wheel when I have the gas on but the electric switch on or off is only visible if I go outside and remove the cover of the water heater. I don't like depending on my memory. I need visual indication that is easily seen. I hadn't thought of using the circuit breaker inside the RV, that is visible but not nearly as obvious as the gas water heater on/off indicator.