Hot Shower

[cinker]

Hi,

The only thing limiting a touring RV lifestyle, sop the Mrs says, is that halfway through a shower, the water runs cold.

We have a 30ft Forest City, Salem Classic and currently looking for a Travel Trailer to tour next year as we are retiring.

Is the hot to cold shower a normal issue with RV's? I can understand as the water heaters are small but are there any tech opportunities to immprove upon the heat versus time factor?
Many Thanks

[burningman]

I think I its silly to buy the "10 gallon water heater in a 6 gallon hat".
You can already do what it does... just turn up the temp on your water heater and mix less hot water with the cold.
I do that in my camper and at home!

How hot is your water heater set? Crank it up a bit!

[ewarnerusa]

OP
Does the trailer have an outside shower with hot and cold taps? If so, check to make sure they are both in the off position. If left on, they provide a route for hot and cold water to mix and you won't get full hot water at any other tap in the trailer. Also check to make sure an water tank bypass valves are in the correct positions.

[Gonzo42]

Really, IMHO, learning to take a Navy shower is not popular, but it is essential. Do the following: Run enough water to get wet, then shut it off. Soap down all over, then turn on the water to rinse. There it is.

I know that a long shower is certainly a luxury and many can't or won't do without. But as was mentioned, hot water capacity is limited. Learn to do without. Once you get to an RV park, you can take a longer shower.

[azrving]

.

[Rustycamperpant]

There is more satisfaction to be had when your DW gets her long hot shower, much more than feeling good about saving some water. Ill take a happy DW anyday. 🙂

[noplace2]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

Another option.......learn to conserve RV water usage.

Ya think? Bravo!

[Rustycamperpant]

I did this hope the link works. http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28468663.cfm It works well as my DW loves her long showers also. You can get an on demand heater installed in your TT, but be prepared to spend nearly $1,000 including labor. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Boon_Docker]

Dave H M wrote:


BTW, it sure beats the heck out of the cold water in the old steel pot. :B

Or a cold mountain stream as I used to do when tenting.

[Dave_H_M]

I am with rjxj, we are not in the NAVY and shower as we please. never had a problem even with the 6 gal heater.

BTW, it sure beats the heck out of the cold water in the old steel pot. :B

[tenbear]

It is possible that your heater is not heating the water hot enough. When I take a shower, the hot and cold are on with the cold only slightly less than the hot.

I also have the Oxygenics shower head and a 6 gallon heater.

We don't take long showers, but navy showers. DW and I can both have showers with the heater off, if she doesn't wash her hair.

[Old-Biscuit]

smkettner wrote:

Boon Docker wrote:
Yes, that is normal if you shower longer than 5 mins.
Best way to do it is a "navy shower". Soak down, turn shower off, laver up, wash hair, turn shower back on and rinse off until water cools down, done.

I thought that wash was with salt water and only the rinse was fresh water. And no daily shower. Such luxury in an RV.

Yes use both the propane and electric for best results. Also if she has second shift wait for full recovery before starting.

We also use Oxygenics with good results.

:B NAVY Showers

Potable water was precious. Boilers had priority!
Get wet, turn off, wash/rinse, get out

Salt water......used only when potable storage was critical and it was an endless supply via separate system
Shower as long as you wanted to.....which wasn't all that long due to the salts, lack of suds and crust left behind when you dried.
Then go back to work in hot engine room. Fun Fun FUN :E

[Old-Biscuit]

Get an RV with a Suburban 12 gallon water heater.

Or

Get an RV with an Atwood XT model.....equivalent of 16 gallon water heater


Tankless is an option but 'proper water flow' is an issue with them.

Another option.......learn to conserve RV water usage.

[time2roll]

Boon Docker wrote:
Yes, that is normal if you shower longer than 5 mins.
Best way to do it is a "navy shower". Soak down, turn shower off, laver up, wash hair, turn shower back on and rinse off until water cools down, done.

I thought that wash was with salt water and only the rinse was fresh water. And no daily shower. Such luxury in an RV.

Yes use both the propane and electric for best results. Also if she has second shift wait for full recovery before starting.

We also use Oxygenics with good results.

[wa8yxm]

Water heaters come in basically 3 RV sizes
Six gallon (enough for one person to take a shower if they do not dwadle or use a cut off valve, more on those in a second)

10 gallons, (Also 10 gallon in a six gallon hat, But that need not be explained her) Two people might get lucky with a cut off valve or one longer shower.

Demand (Tankless) all the how water your propane tank can heat. Nice LONG hot showers. However at low flow they sometimes fail. These units only eat Propane (The others can eat electric or Propane).

The cut off valve:
Cut off valves come in two flavors. TOTAL cutoff, (I used to use one) and what Oxygenics calls "Smart Pulse" (lets water trickle/drip when turned off (What I use now).

The problem with the full cut off is often when flow is restored there is eitehr a HOT or COLD "Burst" before normal temps return.. The trickle seems to prevent that.

The 10 Gallon in a six gallon hat (This is an Atwood product) heats the water much hotter than noraml (normal is 120 degrees) and then uses a thermostatic valve to mix cold and hot together as it leaves the water heater so you get 10 gallons of hot (120 degree) water out of six gallons of Very hot (160 or 180, not sure) Degree water. Nice... Unless the mixing valve fails.