Girard Tankless RV Water Heater

[milosusa]

Hi, couple days ego I purchased Sandstorm F350GSLR TH 5th wheel. This trailer came with the Girard Tankless Water Heater. But when try to pick the trailer and go thru with service guy the water heater supply just I would say lukewarm water. I left the trailer there then and they will try to fix it. But was wondering, if somebody have any experience with those type of heater. Because flame inside the heater looks good, propane pressure good and we even try to hook on the city water to see, if maybe the water pressure is the problem. Honestly think it is good idea, just don't think will be preferable for dry camping. I even think switch to old style water heater with the tank, if will be possible, maybe electric wiring will be problem, because you really waste lot of water to wait for warm one. IMO
Which is funny from green perspective, save the gas to waste the water....LOL
milos

[Campin Cajun]

If yours is the gen II, it should have a dial somewhere in the camper to adjust the temperature.

[milosusa]

Yes it is generation II and have the dial adjustment in the bathroom. We even try to bypass it , but still the same. Only when we open the facet just a little bit we get hot water, but it is very tiny stream of water....
milos

[jonrjen]

You do understand that all air has to have been purged from the water lines including washer hook up, out side shower and every other faucet on the trailer. The water heater will not work unless there is a set amount of GPM entering and going through the water heater so water pressure must meet that minimum.

[milosusa]

Honestly to say, it is my first trailer with the tankless water heater, don't know that. But I assume service guys should know that.....maybe.
You need to do that all the time when trailer sit for some time or just in case water tank get empty and the pump suck air ?
milos

[jonrjen]

Service guy should know, but it wouldn't be the first time that they had no idea.


Every time you take it out after draining the lines and tanks you will have to bleed the air out of the water system. It's not hard to do, just open every faucet let the water run until there is no air left in the lines. But, like I mentioned you have to do every faucet even the outside wash station shower if so equipped.


You also adjust the water at the faucet by turning on the hot water then open the cold water to cool the water temp coming out to what is comfortable for you.

[milosusa]

Thanks, hopefully that is only the problem.
milos

[jonrjen]

We had the 1st generation tankless in our Wildcat. We enjoyed the long instant hot showers. But, started having problems with it during the summer months. Seems that if the water coming into the water heater was too warm straight out of the ground it would confuse the sensor and not always trigger the water heater to activate.


We took the trailer back to Elkhart for some other services and made mention of the issues we experienced. They made a couple of phone calls and we were given the choice of a new generation 2 to be installed or a traditional gas and electric tank water heater. We chose the tank due to being able to use the electric mode to heat water without using our propane.


But along the way we learned a whole bunch of information on the tankless setup.

[milosusa]

Yeah I play with the idea to maybe replace it with the conventional water heater too. I only do dry camping in the dunes and on my old TH I never had one problem with it. Plus we really don't take long shower, the gray tank get full fast if we do. I think will be no problem to exchange it, size of Gigard is pretty close to the Suburban water heater.
milos

[jeffrapp]

I had a Jayco MH with a tankless water heater. I think it was the same make and model. I didn't like it at all, mostly because it took too long to put out hot water, it was very noisy, and ran for a while after the water was turned off. Now I have a Coachmen Prism with an "old fashioned" tank, and I like it much more. It's probably cheaper too. Sometimes advances are steps backward

[dreamin533]

I have been doing research for my motorhome and there are other makes that have better specifications than the Girard. The RV 500 and Attwood also have tankless water heaters but they are more expensive than the Girard. The RV 500 is about $1000.00 and the Attwood is around $800.00 plus installation and painting of the new cover. What I have found with the Girard is the water flow controls the temperature and the other 2, not so much.

[jevanb]

I have had my Girard for 2 summers love it. Do not touch the cold water , if you want warm turn the hot on for more flow. I will repeat do not touch the cold. And set to low for lower temp

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[Mojojojo]

We put one in our Teton and the day we purchased or FR we ordered one. The water flow rate is the easiest way to regulate the temperature, the faster the water the less heat it gets, the slower the water the more time it spends over the flame. In our Teton it didn't have separate hot and cold handles so the water was warm at best, solution= I disconected and capped all the cold lines so ONLY the hot side ran and we used the temperature switch to regulate how hot the water was. As a not we live in ours full time and are hooked to park flow. PS I have a 2011 10 gallon we just took out I will part with ( north Oregon coast)

[Moonlighting]

I would like one that doesn't use our propane, all electric. Does anyone have this type installed?

[milosusa]

Honestly tried everything to make it work, but no luck. Maybe 30 second hot water following by just lukewarm water and lot of water to waste. I already purchased the 6 gallon Suburban to replace this nonsense....company selling such product should be in bankruptcy. LOL
milos