Hot water?

cruiky · 05-02-2011, 08:12 PM

I'm configuring a sprinter with penthouse top.............."50" ........no shower..I want to keep it simple.......what's you feeling on having hot water? I could do without it......anybody have strong feelings one way or another? I'm sure this topic has come up before.
Also...How much worth is a window with vents in the sliding door vs the fixed from the factory.

Cruiky

oldbonesclimber · 05-02-2011, 08:26 PM

Depends on if you want a Warm or COLD shower. I wouldn't do without it. Outside shower on mine.

Paul

cruiky · 05-02-2011, 08:37 PM

You use the outside shower quite a bit?? I can't see the wife using it much.....but..... Hot shower is better than a cold one..........

oldbonesclimber · 05-02-2011, 08:47 PM

If we are at a remote site we just do it. We also have a Porta Privy quick set up tent wen we respect others modesty. Works Great.

Paul

mtrecon · 05-02-2011, 08:47 PM

We couldn't be without the hot water. We got a pop up shower tent from Cabelas and takes 2 seconds to setup and about 10 seconds to take down and offers a great place to shower at the rear of the SMB.

EMrider · 05-02-2011, 10:06 PM

I'd skip the onboard hot water if I did the build over. Relative to my expectations, I seldom need it.

For showers, a solar bag does just fine for us. The exterior shower is nice for rinsing off, but creates quite a mess behind the van when showering.

R

**daveb** · 05-02-2011, 10:54 PM

I use my Espar (diesel) Hydronic more for heating the engine than for showers. A nice shower is great but if you want a cheaper way out, go portable or just get a flatplate cut in which can be used with a gas engine. The engine will have to be warm, but it's a lot cheaper than the full Espar (or similar) and is just another option.

Dave

rockbender · 05-02-2011, 11:23 PM

I'm in the middle of my homebuild, but my current theory is this:
Washing dishes only takes about a liter of hot water in a tub. Easily attained on your stove in your kettle. Same goes for a little washrag wipedown if needed.

As far as a full blow shower goes, I'm with EM rider. I don't know that i would want the big wet mess right at the back of the van. Take your solar shower in the woods, or warm up some water and put it in a pump up garden sprayer and use that. There is a company that makes essentially what is a stainless pump up garden sprayer that you warm over a burner to create a portable shower. Simple and effective, and you could easily use stream water instead of having to rely on your potable water source in your van.

Lots of different schools of thought, so I guess it mostly depends upon your intended usage. Don't get me wrong, if I find an Espar Hydronic at the right price I will most certainly mount it up. However, for the space of a fixed hot water heater tank I'd personally rather have the storage space. ymmv.

dhally · 05-02-2011, 11:35 PM

Where does everybody get so much water? Even when we had the Class C with a 50 gallon freshwater tank, showers would suck it dry. Not to mention a grey water tank to hold it.

My theory is if I'm going to be camping where there's a ready supply of water, there will probably be a shower too.

LenS · 05-03-2011, 05:59 AM

Our hot water system is a stove and kettle. We do take showers once and awhile but not often. Birdie baths mostly. A shower every 3-4 days maybe. Our water tank is 18 gallons. Two showers will consume 3 gallons....maybe. A hot water system would be nice but we would not want it to take up ANY space in our limited space van.