Living life 6 days at a time...

[DKB_SATX]

Perhaps something is wrong with your 6-gallon water heater. If you start with a hot tank, and pull 2 gallons of hot water 3 minutes apart (assuming you rinse in hot), by the time you have those clothes spinning in the spinner gadget and are ready to wash another load in your manual agitator tank, you should have enough hot water to wash the next load.

I'm tank-limited in my Argosy, with the tiny original gray tank, so I bought an Oxygenics showerhead. It's a wonderful thing! Even on the 38-year-old water pump, the spray from the Oxygenics is satisfying. I take "navy showers" because of the small gray tank, but even so when the water is on it feels good enough to be a satisfying shower. It's way cheaper than a good demand water heater!

[Wanderingjee]

Your reply is well thought out and yes the 6 gallon tank is somewhat satisfying but the reality for me is, I live in this thing full time. I don't want to take navy showers all the time. The idea that I can, if I want to, use all 30 gallons of water to take a shower with is tempting to me and desirable.

Another point is that I have to have a functional nest to attract a mate. Telling a prospective mate that they have 6 gallons in which to take a shower with is going to be a deal breaker for most! :-)

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Wanderingjee

The picture below is my mobile laundry setup that I now use almost exclusively.

The smaller of the two is the Wonderwash. To operate, I put a few articles of clothing in there (pair of pants and a couple of shirts), 2 gallons of water and a teaspoon of laundry soap. Put that cap on it and crank it for 3 minutes. Then I drain the water and do it again with clean water to rinse. Sometimes twice.

The second device is the 120v laundry spinner. This enables me to spin the excess water out of the clothes so that they dry quickly. On a warm day, clothes will dry after the spinner in about 20 minutes.

I usually stay on top of my laundry and I can have it all hung up in about 30 minutes start to finish.

Huh! Pretty clever!

What I miss most when we are gone from our stick house is the washer/dryer and, in good weather......the outdoor clothesline.



Maggie

[Wanderingjee]

I did this in a pinch the other night. Hanging the clothing near the woodstove had them dry at some point while I was sleeping. It was 28 degrees outside and I needed those for work the next day and forgot during the day.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

Perhaps something is wrong with your 6-gallon water heater. If you start with a hot tank, and pull 2 gallons of hot water 3 minutes apart (assuming you rinse in hot), by the time you have those close spinning in the spinner gadget and are ready to wash another load in your manual agitator tank, you should have enough hot water to wash the next load.

I'm inclined to agree. A dual-mode propane/electric 6-gallon Atwood XT will make 6 gallons of hot water in about 5½ minutes on propane alone, or in 9 minutes on electric alone, or in just 3½ minutes if you use both the electric and gas heating elements at the same time. Based on Atwood's product literature, at least.

AND, the Atwood XT water heater produces scalding temperatures, so it includes an integral mixer that adds half a gallon of cold water for every gallon of hot, so a 6-gallon water heater produces 9 gallons of not-scalding-but-plenty-hot water before it runs out of hot water. If you routinely use 9 gallons of hot water in less than 3½ minutes, then I can see where you might run out of hot water, but otherwise you should never run out!

The Atwood XT didn't exist in 1973 when your Airstream was built, but installing a new one, which is a drop-in replacement for the older Atwoods, would be easier than a flash heater that has different dimensions.

[Wanderingjee]

There is also the issue of the pilot light. I hate the idea of burning gas all the time. It is an internal flaw with me that prevents me from allowing it. I am most certainly a prepper and burning that fuel when not in use just kills the prepper in me.

I am completely off the grid so there is no dual mode for me.

[Lily&Me]

Are you a fireman? Those look like fireman britches.

For many years, I handled laundry for myself and 2 children (including the old-fashioned, cloth diapers) with those stacking washer & dryer mini units....the washer that you wheel to the sink and attach, etc.

I had the washer for several years before I had the dryer, too. I hung all our clothing on a wooden rack, and did laundry about every other day.

The little washer spun things remarkably dry, and a good shake out before hanging would remove wrinkles.

Whatever works and gets ya thru the day, I say.


Maggie

[Wanderingjee]

Yes Maggie, I am a firefighter/paramedic.
Lieutenant Michael King to be exact.

[Lily&Me]

Awwwww.......nice picture!

Stay safe out there.


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Wanderingjee

There is also the issue of the pilot light. I hate the idea of burning gas all the time. It is an internal flaw with me that prevents me from allowing it. I am most certainly a prepper and burning that fuel when not in use just kills the prepper in me.

I am completely off the grid so there is no dual mode for me.

Newer models have spark ignition, no pilot light.

[Wanderingjee]

Can I keep them off until I need them so that the water isn't always hot?

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Wanderingjee

Can I keep them off until I need them so that the water isn't always hot?

Mine has remote switches (one for electric, one for propane) on my control panel, up and to the left of the tank level monitor.

So that would be a "yes." You can leave the water cold until about fifteen minutes before you need the hot water, when you turn on whichever heating element(s) you want to use.

[Wanderingjee]

Mine has nothing of the sort unfortunately. Sounds like some research is in order here.

[nilesrob]

Great story, great looking rig, awesome plans it sounds like! Ayn Rand would be proud.

[slowmover]

I agree on the hot water with Protagonist. I am full-time and get more than "dusty" working in the oilfield. I suffer no loss of comfort with a modern elec/propane water heater (nstall with an accummulator).. I do recommend a better soap, as well, for rinsing takes most of the water after all. Try DR BRONNERS liquid. Also makes shower clean up easier. And, look to in-line water softeners (lady friends comfort; on my future list) to also reduce water demand.

[dznf0g]

X2 on the softener. It also helps keep those lime and calcuim deposits away from the whole system. I chose this one for its storage ease. I installed an additional sewer hose tube and store it there. Works well.

Water Softener | Amerisoft-Compact PortaGold 200 In-Line Mobile Water Softener: SmallSpacesAppliances.com

[Wanderingjee]

Just made a great find! I found the Nature's Head composting toilet, used (but never used) for $500 and they said they would hold it until next Friday!! Yay!!!!

[jaojamjab]

I was looking at water heaters the other day and Atwood makes an on demand water heater. It's propane and electric. Cost about $850 at Camping World. Have you found one cheaper than that? or were you talking about the laundry system? I want one as I'm with you I can't see letting the propane go all day.
Julie

[jaojamjab]

Hi,
What's your laundry detergent recipe? I heard it was not that complicated and cheap.
Julie

[Lumatic]

Hi Bro, Workin on the oldest firefighter in the county, maybe I am. They don't let me play with the hoses anymore but I still am an EMT.