best water heater?

[1963tradewin]

I have no idea on the rv 500 but have herd that some tankless water heaters in homes have been known to heat up to much and start on fire.

[Julie R]

well I suppose then that is why if getting a tankless hot water heater in an rv it MUST be to code and intended for an RV. can't regular tank heaters burn up as well? so the rv-500 by precisiontemp is only one can think about for tankless. with winterization kit over 1,000.00

[InsideOut]

We are looking at the Precision Temp Tankless for our '56' Safari and are 99.9% sure we are going that direction.

The one we want vents through the floor so we won't have to cut any additional openings in the panels on the sides of the trailer. Our old water heater (missing) was electric only so there are no exisitng vents in the trailer and we don't want to add any. We will also be able to relocate the water heater to the front of the trailer near the kitchen & bathroom instead of the back by the axles because there is no water tank weight issue. A side benefit is the hot water won't have as far to travel to the demand points bing located up front.

Lew (et al), see any issues with this logic? The floor venting PT is pretty pricey...so we want to make sure we have thought of everything...

Shari

[lewster]

HI Shari,

Floor venting won't be a problem as long as you follow the required size of opening for the vent, per the manufacturer's spec. Also, be sure that you put a heavy duty screen across the opening for critters and insects.

Nothing messes up a nice installation like an unwelcome insect nest!

[urbanfood]

lew, thanks for posting the pix, very helpful as i'm trying to figure out how to incorporate the RV500 into my trailer.

shari, i'm looking on the website and can't find the model that vents through the floor. i like the idea of it, where did you find it?

[lewster]

Originally Posted by urbanfood

lew, thanks for posting the pix, very helpful as i'm trying to figure out how to incorporate the RV500 into my trailer.

shari, i'm looking on the website and can't find the model that vents through the floor. i like the idea of it, where did you find it?

David,

It might be the Twin-Temp Jr...............which also doubles as a heater.

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by lewster

David,

It might be the Twin-Temp Jr...............which also doubles as a heater.

That's the one...

Shari

[Safari Tim]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

That's the one...

Shari

Shari,

I installed the TT jr. in the Ambassador. I have some photos of it on my blog somewhere.

It does vent through the floor with what they call a power vent. You basically run a tail pipe under the trailer. I think its 1.5" black iron pipe. I painted it grey with high heat resistant paint. The exhaust is a lot lower temp than a conventional w/h. You can touch the tail pipe and hold on to it while the system is running.

You also need to have fresh air intake from the bottom of the trailer as well. I cut two large holes with a 3" hole saw and the screened them over with 1/4" metal mesh.

We just got back from Tahoe where the water is freezing coming out of the cold water taps. But the Jr. kept right up giving us unlimited instant hot water.

The Jr. it uses the air around it for combustible air. Kinda like the RV refrigerator uses the air behind them for combustion and therefore needs the rear of the fridge isolated from the living area. Same is true for the Jr. I ended up building an air tight box around it and used gasket material where it contacted the floor, etc. I forwarded some ideas to Precision Temp that would make this unncessary if they made some minor changes. I don't know if they were able to do this or not. Something to keep in mind.

The Jr. is one of the favorite upgrades to the trailer .

[InsideOut]

Thanks Tim ~

The W/H is really Mr.InsideOut's project...I'm still working on the cabinets, stripping & refinishing. He's planning out all the systems and "guts".

I'll have him check out the blog. I know he listened to the VAP episode where you guys talked about it...

Shari

[urbanfood]

Originally Posted by lewster

David,

It might be the Twin-Temp Jr...............which also doubles as a heater.

holy @!&#! that's $3250, $250 more than i paid for my whole flying cloud i had to do a double take of the price list.

i'd need quite a bit of convincing to go with the twin temp jr. i've been pretty set on the rv500 for awhile. i'll have to look at tim's blog.

lew, do you have any experience with the twin temp jr? is the pricing of it justified?

[apolaroid]

Originally Posted by KHarris

THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYONE'S SUPPORT AND ADVICE. I COULDN'T GET ALONG WITHOUT IT ON THIS PROJECT.

We are researching the tankless, both for home and RV, but cost may be the deciding factor.

Krista

we use one ( a tankless water heater) on our home with LP gas. It is great, saves money and fights about the hot water from the teenagers. They tend to take hour long showers and it keeps going. The upfront cost might make you cringe but pays for itself by saving on over all bill to heat the water (saves about $300.00 per year for us) plus just nice to have hot water ready whenever you need it. I would consider one for my airstreams.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by urbanfood

holy @!&#! that's $3250, $250 more than i paid for my whole flying cloud i had to do a double take of the price list.

i'd need quite a bit of convincing to go with the twin temp jr. i've been pretty set on the rv500 for awhile. i'll have to look at tim's blog.

lew, do you have any experience with the twin temp jr? is the pricing of it justified?

David,

If you are looking for hot water only, thet the Twin-Temp Jr. is way overkill. The unit was designed to provide hot water and is also the base unit for a hydronic heating system. That is where the additional costs are.

If you use the TT, you won't need a furnace as it does both. If you're looking for just hot water, then IMHO, you're wasting your money and should get the RV-500.

And besides, the brushed aluminum doors don't look so bad.

[urbanfood]

lew,

i could go with the TT junior since i'm starting my systems from scratch. i've been looking at the owner's manual for the TT junior and it looks like it will take some power to run the hydronic system (i wonder what that is versus a suburban furnace, think boondocking here).

it sounds like i'd be better off with the RV500 and a suburban furnace and still have another 1700 bucks to spend on other things. i agree, the brushed aluminim doors don't look bad and i have the opportunity to make them blend and look nice with the trailer.

thanks for the help.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by urbanfood

lew,

i could go with the TT junior since i'm starting my systems from scratch. i've been looking at the owner's manual for the TT junior and it looks like it will take some power to run the hydronic system (i wonder what that is versus a suburban furnace, think boondocking here).

it sounds like i'd be better off with the RV500 and a suburban furnace and still have another 1700 bucks to spend on other things. i agree, the brushed aluminim doors don't look bad and i have the opportunity to make them blend and look nice with the trailer.

thanks for the help.

David,

One more benefit to the TT over a Suburban furnace......noise! I personally don't like the furnace noise or single point source for heat.

If you go with the TT, then you get to have 'zones' for heat thru-out the trailer (think very even heating) and the only noise you get is the sound of a computer fan blowing warm air into the trailer from behind the heat exchangers, rather than the roar of the blower cage from a Suburban. Even with ducting from the Suburban, you don't hav the even-ness in th eheating department that the TT has.

Something to think about........

[Frank's Trailer Works]

I want to step back a few paces... the rv500, does that run on propane and 12 volt or propane and 110volt, or is it a small independent battery? Can it be used for boondocking is what I am getting at.

[Safari Tim]

The RV-500 runs on propane to heat the water. It also needs 12vdc to run. So its great for boondocking. It will only use up propane when you need hot water.

Check this link for more info.

PrecisionTemp.com: For Recreational Vehicles and Boats

Originally Posted by 62overlander

I want to step back a few paces... the rv500, does that run on propane and 12 volt or propane and 110volt, or is it a small independent battery? Can it be used for boondocking is what I am getting at.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by 62overlander

I want to step back a few paces... the rv500, does that run on propane and 12 volt or propane and 110volt, or is it a small independent battery? Can it be used for boondocking is what I am getting at.

62'O,

The basic operation of the RV-500 goes like this: It is connected to your LP system and the trailer's 12VDC battery system. It is in a dormant state with no demand for either 12VDC or LP until you open a hot water faucet.

The flow of the water is sensed by a special valve within the RV-500 and turns the system on by opening the gas valve and providing the 12VDC to it's control board that creates the signal to initiate the direct spark ignition and lite up the burner.

The water then flows thru the copper tubing surrounding a copper heat exchanger and gets heated before it exits into the hot water piping and then on to your outlet.

When you turn off the hot water flow at the faucet, the valve then turns off the 12VDC, closing the gas valve and shutting down the system, returning it to it's dormant state, waiting to be fired up again when you need it.

It's great for boondocking as you don't use any energy or fuel until you have a demand for hot water, thus conserving both your LP and 12VDC reserves.

[safari57]

Thanks Lew

I found this very helpful.

Barry

[Frank's Trailer Works]

I too want to thank you... I had it in my head that the system required 110-volt to function. Now I,m clear.
Next question is how do I get percision temp to become a contributor to my restoration project? Ambassador Tim..., any suggestions?

[cameront120]

Thanks for all the info Lew. I'm seriously considering getting one of these for my Tradewind. With the Canadian dollar doing so well right now, it is looking even more attractive.

My only question would be how complicated is the installation?