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Old 05-16-2021, 03:57 PM   #11
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What about a cheap Bosch 2.5 gal 120vac https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-2-...2-5/206428467?

Well insulated, you can run it the night before a trip on shore power topping off the batteries and while driving to maintain the hot water up to 160F.
Reports are they keep the stored water pretty hot while parked for a day or so and won't pull too much power when you need to use it. Anybody run one currently?

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Old 05-16-2021, 04:55 PM   #12
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+1 on the sterns sun shower. We love ours, no moving parts. Works great! Alas, I clicked the link and they are back ordered like everything else in the world.
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Old 05-16-2021, 08:13 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chasejj View Post
What about a cheap Bosch 2.5 gal 120vac https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-2-...2-5/206428467?

Well insulated, you can run it the night before a trip on shore power topping off the batteries and while driving to maintain the hot water up to 160F.
Reports are they keep the stored water pretty hot while parked for a day or so and won't pull too much power when you need to use it. Anybody run one currently?
We have that one on our back deck for washing dogs...it works fine. For van use you'll either need at least a 1500W inverter since it's 1440W @ 115VAC or perhaps it uses a std water heater element, in which case you could fit a 200W-300W-600W 12VDC element. I've never pulled it apart to check it out since I used one of these in my van...

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-Pe...14U0/204318371


..which does use a std water heater element. I started with using a 300W element but have since switched to a 200W element. As 1der mentioned above it works good in certain use cases, but I also just use a solar shower when conditions allow to preserve battery when boondocking for days.


It's also worth mentioning that if you need to pull 1500 Watts from an inverter you'll need enough battery capacity to provide the current (around 125 amps @ 12V)....likely at least 350ah of lead acid/AGM chemistry. I've got about 350AH of house batteries and they sag the voltage down to around 12V when running my 700W microwave. It pulls about 1000W from the batteries.

Here are some details of this project:

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...r-13704-2.html
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Old 03-09-2024, 01:51 PM   #14
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I'm curious why you switched to the 200W element. I read the other thread and I'm wondering if the 25 amp rating on the thermostat was the concern or if it was something else.
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Old 03-09-2024, 02:36 PM   #15
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We have often resorted to the backpacking method of heating the water in a pot on a propane/butane stove since that works really well, lol!!
Anyone try this option? Use cook stove to heat a pot of water, pump it out of the pot in shower-form with one of these:

https://kickassproducts.com/products...ithium-battery

Might be a quick and simple solution if only needed occasionally. Would take up virtually no room to store. No new plumbing or tanks needed.
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Old 03-09-2024, 02:40 PM   #16
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Amazon has a "similar" to Bosch 4 gal hot water heater in stock ??

https://www.amazon.com/thermomate-El...06&sr=8-3&th=1
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Old 03-10-2024, 07:19 AM   #17
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Amazon has a "similar" to Bosch 4 gal hot water heater in stock ??

https://www.amazon.com/thermomate-El...06&sr=8-3&th=1
The problem with that style is that you can't drain them. This is why I went with an old-fashioned residential style with a bottom drain and switched to a DC element. It works fantastically and can be drained quickly and simply. Alsom at 6 gallons it is plenty for 2 showers.

Untitled by somethingnottaken, on Flickr
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Old 03-10-2024, 09:57 AM   #18
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The problem with that style is that you can't drain them. This is why I went with an old-fashioned residential style with a bottom drain and switched to a DC element. It works fantastically and can be drained quickly and simply. Alsom at 6 gallons it is plenty for 2 showers.

Untitled by somethingnottaken, on Flickr

Then are the water heaters from threads (Home Depot - Bosch) the same "problem" - no bottom drain on these units ?
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Old 03-10-2024, 11:21 AM   #19
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So it is not installed, nor will it be. But I have a Jooloca HOTTAP V2 propane tankless hot water heater. I am setting up a ball valve / quick connect in the van plumbing to allow me to just click in and connect.

I have had in the past a Zodi Hottap which is a bottle top instant hot shower, not super well made but good enough. A Camplux 5L that I manage to break putting pipe elbows on, a Camplux 1.5GPM to replace the 5L, not sure the actual model name but it was the cheap one. And finally the Joolca.

The Joolca simply put, works. Provides nice hot showers, and has good warranty support. A word of warning though, their water pumps are junk. I am using a SeaFlo 3GPM pump now and love it.

Simply put, the Camplux was good enough. The Joolca is really nice... Everything seals the way it should, quick conneccts work great, hoses are nice and long the whole shebang...
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Old 03-10-2024, 11:40 AM   #20
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happy with a 2 gal Rheem installed in 2018
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