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Old 02-27-2017, 10:19 PM   #1
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Amazing First Trip But Not Much Hot Water...

Had an amazing first trip in the Basecamp. All went well but had issues getting the hot water to work well. Any ideas?
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Old 02-28-2017, 04:32 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by annebelle View Post
Had an amazing first trip in the Basecamp. All went well but had issues getting the hot water to work well. Any ideas?
Welcome to the forum! It will be helpful if you could provide more details. Were you using propane or electric to make hot water? Other propane appliances work OK, such as cook top burners? Furnace ignites and heats alright?

Were your batteries fully charged, and what was the battery voltage reading on your monitor panel?

If on shore power did other 120 volt items work?

Etc. etc.

Peter

PS does the Basecamp water heater even have a 120 volt heating element?
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Old 02-28-2017, 06:57 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by annebelle View Post
Had an amazing first trip in the Basecamp. All went well but had issues getting the hot water to work well. Any ideas?
Please explain the situation more clearly.
Was there a problem with the water heater? (the water heater needs repair)
Or, was the water heater making plenty of hot water but there's not enough hot water flowing at the outlet? (the winterizing valves not reset to correct positions or the strainer screens at the shower and faucets may have trash in them blocking flow)

ps: don't forget to re-winterize the plumbing if your trailer will be exposed to freezing weather between now and your next camping trip.
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Old 02-28-2017, 10:59 AM   #4
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That's distressing. I haven't used it yet as we're waiting for our Basecamp delivery.
The Basecamp has a Truma Combi Eco Plus. It's supposed to be very good. Over 90% efficient and all that. It's a heating furnace and hot water heater combined in a small light package. The Plus models mean they can work on propane or electric, or a combination of both.
There is a small (5 gallon?) tank holding water, supposedly to give you hot water faster than a tankless on-demand water heater. I don't know if it maybe lacks the btu's to continue really hot water on demand once the tank runs out? (I have a tankless water heater at my house and it does a great job of producing hot water that never runs out like a tank. Downside is that it takes a gallon and a half or so to get hot. I now capture that water in a bucket to water plants.) There are some videos showing how to set/program the control panel. Check Truma's website.
There are various settings on the control pad, including a Boost mode for faster heating of the cabin or the water. And you can set a timer to have hot water ready before you get up.
I'd suggest asking your dealer why it's not working to your expectations. Maybe a Basecamp owner who has used it can explain the settings better.
Hope that helps a little.
Rich
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Old 02-28-2017, 11:27 AM   #5
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Winter bypass valve not turned off?
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Old 02-28-2017, 01:40 PM   #6
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Did you have it set to Boost, and did you let it heat up 40 minutes or so.
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Old 02-28-2017, 01:59 PM   #7
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Do you have an outside shower? If the outside shower valves are open, even though no water may be coming out, the fact that said valves ARE open can adversely affect water temps at other faucets.
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Old 02-28-2017, 02:09 PM   #8
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The outside shower is just a pass through in the bathroom wall for the indoor handheld shower unit.
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Old 02-28-2017, 04:32 PM   #9
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Wow, that's a lot of great suggestions! At this point it's probably worth waiting a bit to see what Annebelle has to say. As has been noted, more details will be very helpful to those who clearly want to offer her some good advice.
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Old 02-28-2017, 09:47 PM   #10
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Hi - thanks for the quick responses. Here is more detail - I had both propane and electric on and other appliances were working from both. There was just a little bit of hot water but then it ran out to cold. The furnace was working great and batteries were fully charged. My worry is that hot water is an issue if you are using the furnace (it was cold outside - 34 degrees). No strainers blocked as this was our first time out and the bypass was off. I tried Boost but no luck....I will check on the other things that were posted this weekend. Thanks!!
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Old 03-01-2017, 12:09 AM   #11
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Thanks for the updated details. The Basecamp has a new system which combines the functions of heating water and heating the interior air like a furnace. This is explained on p. 5-13 of the owner's manual [PDF p. 41/86]:

https://www.airstream.com/wp-content...ers-Manual.pdf

You should have a detailed instruction manual from the mfg. for the "Truma Combi CP Plus" unit. In particular, the AS manual page referenced above says:

__________________________________________________ ________
"1. Heating Mode - The furnace automatically selects the proper operating level based on the difference between the desired temperature set at the control panel and the current room temperature. If there is any water in the water container, it will be heated automatically. The water temperature will not be regulated, but it will reach a maximum of 162°F. [emphasis added]

"2. Hot Water Mode - Hot water mode is ideal if only hot water is required. The lowest burner setting suffices for heating water. In hot water mode, the burner will switch off as soon as the water reaches the temperature selected at the CP Plus Control Panel."
__________________________________________________ _________

There is an illustration of the control panel on the right side of the page. Apparently you can choose between the two modes above, and I am guessing that in the really cold weather, you were automatically in the "Heating Mode" because the unit sensed the cold interior temperature, and prioritized the propane energy to go to heating the interior air, and NOT the water.

Someone with more knowledge of this new system will have to fill in the details. Thanks for starting the discussion annebelle, as this is important info to have about the new Basecamp. A possible weak link in the design chain IMO, to have one unit replace the two traditional appliances of water heater and furnace.

Ah, compromises . . .

Good luck!

Peter

PS -- The mfg. manual is one of these, but I don't have time to find the right one [within the edit time window here]:

https://www.google.com/search?q=trum...utf-8&oe=utf-8
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Old 03-01-2017, 05:37 AM   #12
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Does the Basecamp utilize the Alde system? If it does go to the Classic section in the forum's and select newest model years. Within that section you'll find literally hundreds of post on how to set the system up. If not Alde, I have no idea. Good luck
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Old 03-01-2017, 05:39 AM   #13
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PS -- annebelle, after the BC interior has reached an acceptable temperature, you might try forcing the unit into Hot Water Mode, to see if you can get more hot water flowing. The mfg. suggests that this unit is almost like a "hot water on demand" system, so if you give it a few minutes to make hot water, it should give you plenty IMO.

Worth a try . . .

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Old 03-01-2017, 05:41 AM   #14
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Does the Basecamp utilize the Alde system? If it does go to the Classic section in the forum's and select newest model years. Within that section you'll find literally hundreds of post on how to set the system up. If not Alde, I have no idea. Good luck
See Post #11.
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Old 03-01-2017, 06:47 AM   #15
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While not having one and just reading the manual quotes previously stated and having seen videos if how the Truma works.

The combi unit is a single self contained assembly, if furnace is in use it requires a higher degree of heating and whereas the water piping coil is run thru heating chamber, no matter what, the water in the tubing will be heated. This is why the 162° disclaimer is there, as the furnace prioritizes the air temp and will just over heat the water.
When just hot water is selected, it does not require as much heat generation, max water temp is now in effect (much lower than 162°) and without the air being pulled through it does not cool off as easily. Thus it can be much more efficient.
If you run the furnace for an extended period of time and after a while turn on just the hot water and it is not at Max temp, once the line clears, then the issue would be with the plumbing mixing as any water actually passing through the unit has no choice but to heat. WHEN TESTING THIS, DO NOT TOUCH THE WATER COMING OUT if its working properly you will be BURNED BADLY.
If the furnace tests works properly, then shut the heat completely off and just try the hot water running, this will test the components of the Truma and if it doesn't work now then it is most likely the unit and it's sensors.

So, if with heat/furnace it doesn't work, then plumbing. If with heat it works and just hot water it doesn't, then Truma unit is questionable.
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Old 03-03-2017, 08:12 PM   #16
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Fixed! Kevin at Airstream Adventures NW directed me to turn a valve off in the furnace compartment. In our Basecamp, it was a small black valve on a small white pipe, uppermost, about half way between the furnace unit and bathroom wall. Kind of hidden under ducts and wires. Lots and lots of hot water now!
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Old 03-03-2017, 08:18 PM   #17
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Congratulations.

But that just means it works in your driveway. It might not work in Yellowstone, now you'd better get out there and check it everywhere while it's still under warranty.......
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Old 03-03-2017, 08:50 PM   #18
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Fixed! Kevin at Airstream Adventures NW directed me to turn a valve off in the furnace compartment. In our Basecamp, it was a small black valve on a small white pipe, uppermost, about half way between the furnace unit and bathroom wall. Kind of hidden under ducts and wires. Lots and lots of hot water now!
Thanks for the followup. Could you explain what this valve is, and does your owner's manual explain this process? [See Post #11 for a link to an online version of the manual.]

It will help future readers of this thread to replicate your solution to know this info..

Thanks,

Peter
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Old 03-06-2017, 06:20 PM   #19
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Thanks for your post, annebelle. We had a similar issue on our first trip with our Basecamp. We had propane and electricity, we were plugged into 30 amp, and we tried all sorts of configurations to get hot water. We tried each setting on the Truma Combi Eco Plus for the hot water setting, waited 30 minutes, and tried another setting. The Boost setting gave us some lukewarm water and then it went back to cold. We were in central Arizona just below the Mogollon Rim so the outside temp was probably 48-50 that night. We are going to drive the Basecamp down to Phoenix after a couple more test trips and see what the dealer says.
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Old 03-07-2017, 03:00 PM   #20
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Hi - thanks for the quick responses. Here is more detail - I had both propane and electric on and other appliances were working from both. There was just a little bit of hot water but then it ran out to cold. The furnace was working great and batteries were fully charged. My worry is that hot water is an issue if you are using the furnace (it was cold outside - 34 degrees). No strainers blocked as this was our first time out and the bypass was off. I tried Boost but no luck....I will check on the other things that were posted this weekend. Thanks!!
Have you tried the fix suggested in Post #16?

Thanks,

Peter
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