110V Water Heater

[Captkimo]

I am thinking of adding a 110v water heating system instead of the propane system. I seldom need a heater during the cold months. I will use the 110V system to enjoy a hot shower occasionally. Does anyone have the 110 system? Would you do it again or try something else? My van should be on the assembly line soon.

[jage]

I like the propane so far. I have to think about when I want hot water in advance, about 15 minutes, but otherwise it's been great. I have yet to plug in to 110V, but that's me. I also like the option of hot water anytime, even in summer I'd prefer to have hot water for dishes and washing my hands (although soap and cold works fine at reststops where there's no soap).

Good luck making the decision!

[JoeyNick]

Have you thought about the Flat Plate Heat Exchanger?

It uses hot engine coolant to heat water, on demand. You then don't need to use propane or 110V power to heat the water. The downside is that you need to have the vehicle running.

If you go with the 110V system, you'll either need the big inverter with a big battery bank AND the engine running to heat your water (which you could do while driving to your destination) or you would need to be able to plug into shore power (or generator.) Also, take into consideration that electric water heaters, in general, take a long time to heat up.

I recall some time ago on the SMB Yahoo Group, somebody made mention that they heat the hot water tank in the evening, such as driving to their destination, and that the water is still warm enough for a shower in the morning.

[Captkimo]

Still haven't made the final decision. I am trying to keep the design simple and easy. After reading some of these bolgs, it seems the simpler the van is the less problems to follow. I rarely will need to use the shower anyway. Thanks!

[Scalf77]

I have the electric water heater in my van; the heat up time is not a really big problem. You can run it off the standard inverter that Sportsmobile uses as an option, although you will use up precious battery power. Many times I have it turned on in the last half hour of getting their and have hot water when I arrive. It really comes down to your use model; I would say that 50% of my use is in a campground with power. When you pay for the site you get the electricity along in the cost. My biggest complaint would be that 2 ½ gal is a little small. I would say that if you are looking at an inverter already the electric model is a good option. But it really comes down to your usage plans

[BroncoHauler]

Are electric tankless water heaters viable in an SMB? I believe they are availalbe, but I don't know what kind of current they would draw.


Herb