Water heaters, tankless vs. tanked in RVs.

[A Traveler]

…Try to buy propane in NM the afternoon before Xmas or on Xmas day. I went through that three years ago.…

That’s bad planning on your part, not a propane availability problem.

 

[DonTom]

That’s bad planning on your part, not a propane availability problem.

How do you plan for what is not known? Do you know what hours and days you cannot buy propane for a motorhome in every state before you have ever even been there?

-Don- Giddings, TX

 

[DonTom]

Not paying attention to your propane supply

How is checking the levels at least twice per day not paying attention to it?

In CA and AZ propane is easy to find. In some other areas, unless you have the portable bottles, it isn't so easy. And the GPS "Propane" is rather useless, as 90% of the time it is showing the portable ones.

Well apparently you didn't read what I posted. Get an extend a stay and you can triple your propane capacity.

I quickly looked at it, and saw a lot of stuff, but I have no idea how any of that stuff is supposed to work with a non-portable propane tank permanently attached to my motorhomes.

-Don- Giddings, TX

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Don, saying that the huge states of CA & AZ have easy to find propane is a huge geralization!

I have been in AZ since the end of November. During that time I have encountered propane shortages (all the usual outlets empty) 4 times. It happens.

Just because you were fortunate to find it does not mean it is plentiful. I will say that Loves does tend to have it but at the highest price anywhere. Not everyone can not care about price.

 

[DonTom]

Don, saying that the huge states of CA & AZ have easy to find propane is a huge geralization!

Perhaps, but I could always find it in those two states with very little effort. Unlike in NM, with perhaps FL only a little better.

Do they ever sell propane (I do NOT mean portable in the containers) at gas stations in Florida? I never saw any that did, but I wasn't always looking. But the few places I did find did NOT sell gasoline, just as in New Mexico.

-Don- Giddings, TX

 

[Skookum]

Nothing to stop a tankless from leaking so I don't see that as any benefit. That is some serious stretching to find a problem/reason.
A Traveler, I agree. If the few cents it cost to keep hot water on tap is going to be a problem, well. I don't/ didn't care what it cost in my last coach. My wife liked to have hot water to wash her hands after using the restroom. That was reason enough to keep it on. Now the motor keeps it hot when driving and the electric heaters do when plugged in and if it is realey cold I turn on the diesel burner. Unlimited hot water and no problems like the tankless or the propane electric tanked ones.
Bill

That was a bit punchy so I’ll punch back. Can you please tell me how a tankless system without incoming pressure or the water pump running will leak 10 gallons of water on the floor? Clearly there is something I’m not thinking of.

I have not yet owned a tankless heater in an RV, only in my home, so no, I’m not stretching to find a “problem/reason”. The disadvantages for RV use that others have already stated are valid. I am on a Jayco forum as well and many people have removed their tankless systems because they do not like how they operate.

 

[DonTom]

I am on a Jayco forum as well and many people have removed their tankless systems because they do not like how they operate.

Is that usually just a direct swap?

I could consider replacing mine also.

-Don- Giddings, TX

 

[Lou Schneider]

How is checking the levels at least twice per day not paying attention to it?

In CA and AZ propane is easy to find. In some other areas, unless you have the portable bottles, it isn't so easy. And the GPS "Propane" is rather useless, as 90% of the time it is showing the portable ones.


I quickly looked at it, and saw a lot of stuff, but I have no idea how any of that stuff is supposed to work with a non-portable propane tank permanently attached to my motorhomes.

-Don- Giddings, TX

Easy, Don. Insert the tee and quick connect on the high pressure side of the regulator, between it and the fixed tank. When you want an auxiliary propane supply, take the included high pressure hose to a portable propane tank, either one you carry with you or one of the pre-filled exchange tanks. Turn off the main tank's valve and turn on the portable tank.

 

[Old_Crow]

Easy, Don. Insert the tee and quick connect on the high pressure side of the regulator, between it and the fixed tank. When you want an auxiliary propane supply, take the included high pressure hose to a portable propane tank, either one you carry with you or one of the pre-filled exchange tanks. Turn off the main tank's valve and turn on the portable tank.

I have this on my coach and actually carry more external propane than the onboard tank holds. My onboard tank holds 18 gallons useable. I carry 3 7-gallon external tanks. I haven't had to put propane in my onboard tank since January...of 2021, and I still have over 1/2 a tank.

 

[Lou Schneider]

I have this on my coach and actually carry more external propane than the onboard tank holds. My onboard tank holds 18 gallons useable. I carry 3 7-gallon external tanks. I haven't had to put propane in my onboard tank since January...of 2021, and I still have over 1/2 a tank.

I had an old Winnebago that came with a pair of 7 gallon propane tanks like you'd find on a trailer instead of a fixed tank. The first year I had it I annoyed a long line of motorhome drivers at the Flying J in Ehrenberg by parking it off to the side and carrying the empty tank up to the dispenser, where the attendant filled it while waiting for one motorhome to pull out and the next to pull up to the pump.

 

[DonTom]

Easy, Don. Insert the tee and quick connect on the high pressure side of the regulator, between it and the fixed tank. When you want an auxiliary propane supply, take the included high pressure hose to a portable propane tank, either one you carry with you or one of the pre-filled exchange tanks. Turn off the main tank's valve and turn on the portable tank.

Thanks, that is certainly something I should look into. Being able to use portable tanks would be a BIG advantage to me.

-Don- Giddings, TX

 

[NY_Dutch]

I have an Extend-A-Stay that I use with a 30 lb DOT cylinder to augment the onboard 100 lb ASME tank. I'm going to add a second 30 lb cylinder as soon as I figure out where to stow the leaf blower and shop vac that currently share the vented bin with the existing 30 lb cylinder. The Extend-A-Stay hose easily reaches the stowed 30 lb cylinder for use while under way.

 

[DonTom]

I have an Extend-A-Stay that I use with a 30 lb DOT cylinder to augment the onboard 100 lb ASME tank.

Where do you store the extra tanks?

Anyway, I am sure glad to learn about that here. I will look into it a bit further and most likely I will do such to both of my RVs.

And junk the tankless in this RV and replace it with one that works the way it should!

The more I use this tankless, the more I dislike it. This morning, I tried to get hot water and the flame would only appear about 10% of the time with the water on full at the bathroom sink, when using the boondocking pump. I gave up with it and used cold water before I drained the entire freshwater tank just trying to get the water warmed up.

IMO, they should have never put tankless in RVs until they can figure how do it right. And IMO, they have a long way to go.

-Don- LBJ Park, Stonewall, TX

 

[WILDEBILL308]

That was a bit punchy so I’ll punch back. Can you please tell me how a tankless system without incoming pressure or the water pump running will leak 10 gallons of water on the floor? Clearly there is something I’m not thinking of.

Clearly because you are basing Your statements on "what if" So does that mean your tank would leak because some one else had a leak?
Bill

 

[Skookum]

Clearly because you are basing Your statements on "what if" So does that mean your tank would leak because some one else had a leak?
Bill

It did cause me to check my fittings....which are all plastic. Tanked can also leak from other places. Are you saying hot water tank leaks aren't common? I think there are more than a few threads here, having used the search function, which says tanked water heater leaks are actually quite common. Hmm.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Where do you store the extra tanks?

Anyway, I am sure glad to learn about that here. I will look into it a bit further and most likely I will do such to both of my RVs.

And junk the tankless in this RV and replace it with one that works the way it should!

The more I use this tankless, the more I dislike it. This morning, I tried to get hot water and the flame would only appear about 10% of the time with the water on full at the bathroom sink, when using the boondocking pump. I gave up with it and used cold water before I drained the entire freshwater tank just trying to get the water warmed up.

IMO, they should have never put tankless in RVs until they can figure how do so it right. And IMO, they have a long way to go.

-Don- LBJ Park, Stonewall, TX

I currently have just the one 30 lb cylinder for use with the Extend-A-Stay. I added vents to a bin adjacent to the 100 lb ASME permanent tank along with a couple of eyes to attach a couple of heavy duty bungee cords to retain the cylinder. There's enough room in the bin for a second cylinder, but I need to relocate some other items first. I remotely monitor the 30 lb cylinder's level with a Mopeka ultra-sonic sensor attached to the bottom of the cylinder and an app on my phone. I would have preferred to use a 40 lb cylinder, but they're just a couple of inches too tall to stand up in the bin.

 

[NY_Dutch]

It did cause me to check my fittings....which are all plastic. Tanked can also leak from other places. Are you saying hot water tank leaks aren't uncommon? I think there are more than a few threads here, having used the search function, which says tanked water heater leaks are actually quite common. Hmm.

Given the millions of RV hot water heaters in use or that have been in use, I suspect the actual leakage rate is quite small and usually involves fittings rather than the heater itself. In about 50 years of owning and working on many RV's, I've only had one water heater of my own leak, and that just required a simple temperature/pressure relief valve replacement. The leakage caused no damage to the RV. I have replaced a few water heaters over the years for others that were damaged due to improper or no winterization though, including one tankless a couple of years ago.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Perhaps, but I could always find it in those two states with very little effort. Unlike in NM, with perhaps FL only a little better.

Do they ever sell propane (I do NOT mean portable in the containers) at gas stations in Florida? I never saw any that did, but I wasn't always looking. But the few places I did find did NOT sell gasoline, just as in New Mexico.

-Don- Giddings, TX

Many Pilot and Flying J travel centers sell propane including for onboard tank fills. Many private campgrounds also sell propane for permanent tanks as well as portable cylinder refills. There's a private campground across the srtreet from the GA state park we're in right now that we'll be stopping at Sunday when we leave to top off both the onboard tank and the portable cylinder. Our next park is in a small town (Salt Springs, FL) where refills for both are available at a nearby hardware store, but access with our Class A is difficult due to a small parking lot, so I want everything full when we get there for a two week stay.

 

[DonTom]

nightsMany private campgrounds also sell propane for permanent tanks as well as portable cylinder refills.

All KOAs do, AFAIK. And a few others. Most don't.

My propane is holding up fine. I am at 2/3 full (2/3 of 80%) and I have not filled up since Lake Okeechobee, FL.

But that is because I have been mostly at RV parks after the two weeks of boondocking in the Everglades. And I have only been using the heat pump (120 VAC) except for when the gas furnace comes on by itself for a little while on extra cold nights (15F in DeRidder for one night). I also have a large 1.5 KW tower heater I use when extra cold.

-Don- Sonora, TX

 

[NY_Dutch]

All KOAs do, AFAIK. And a few others. Most don't.

My propane is holding up fine. I am at 2/3 full (2/3 of 80%) and I have not filled up since Lake Okeechobee, FL.

But that is because I have been mostly at RV parks after the two weeks of boondocking in the Everglades. And I have only been using the heat pump (120 VAC) except for when the gas furnace comes on by itself for a little while on extra cold nights (15F in DeRidder for one night). I also have a large 1.5 KW tower heater I use when extra cold.

-Don- Sonora, TX

I don't think I'd say "Most don't". 4 of the 5 overnight stops we made on way to southern GA from upstate NY sold propane, and yes, one of them was a KOA. Checking the RV Parky app where we are now, it shows 12 RV parks in the general area, and when I filter on only showing parks with propane available, it drops to 6. That's not conclusive of course, but I'll stand by my saying "many" parks offer propane.