Hot water heater

[Luannr]

Started our first major road trip NY to TX. Used the shower for the first time in our 29DS and within 5 minutes the hot water was gone, is that normal?

[ScottBrownstein]

6 gallons of hot water, at say 2 gallons a minute, half of it hot...sounds right.

[AD2]

No it is not, need a little more information. When my coach got delivered I took a shower and had the same thing, was hard to control the water temp. I looked in the water bay under the hot water heater and all the valves were on including the bypass around the heater. Turned that off and with some water saving techniques we can take three showers. Also check you outside water wand, if the handles are in the on position but the shower head is turned off with the slide mechanism you will bypass the hot and cold lines. Check those two places first.

Were you on internal tank or supply water at the campground? Do you have a water pressure regulator? Did you do dishes before hopping in the shower, did you hear the water heater running?

The water heater is not a demand heater but there is only 6 gallons in it so recovery is usually pretty good. If you use water, turn off at the shower head and lather etc then rinse you should be able to stretch the hot water through two showers minimum.

[rockfordroo]

Make sure your hot water heater bypass valve is closed. If not fully closed, you won't get a lot of hot water. The attached plumbing pic covers probably 90% of RV's. You will have one of the 5 valve variations in the upper right, with #1 being the most common. Make sure you have a cold water in path, a hot water out path, and the line between them (the bypass) closed. Handle in line with the piping is open, perpendicular to the piping is closed.

Also you probably only have a 6 gal water heater. You get wet, shut off the shower with the little pushbutton, lather up, turn it back on and rinse off. "Navy" showers.

Note you can run both propane and electric at the same time. That will increase the recovery rate.

[Luannr]

Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein

6 gallons of hot water, at say 2 gallons a minute, half of it hot...sounds right.

Wonderful

[retiredcamper47]

1. You cannot take home type showers in your rv. You take "Navy showers". Turn water on, get wet, turn water off, soap up, turn water back on to rinse. Use the shutoff button on the shower head to turn the water off. It will still drip, but this way you do not have to readjust the hot & cold knobs for water temperature. You probably only have a 6 gallon water heater.

2. Are your by-pass valves for your water heater turned in the proper direction? Hope this helps.

Bob

[Luannr]

Will have my hubby check all the valves, thanks everyone for the great advice

[Pastorjaye]

Do you leave the hot water heater going all the time you are camping or flip it off if not using hot water? Mine is peopane I wondered if it would save propane or it would cause unnecessary wear and tear on ignition.

[4B11T]

I you have a propane/electric water heater, run it on both at the same time.

[rockfordroo]

I leave mine on. Uses very little power/propane to keep the water hot. And never know when I might want hot water.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I leave mine on. Uses very little power/propane to keep the water hot. And never know when I might want hot water.

X2. Why have it if you're not going to use it?

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Luannr

Started our first major road trip NY to TX. Used the shower for the first time in our 29DS and within 5 minutes the hot water was gone, is that normal?

Check this thread out to identify and verify the position of your crossover valve:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...st-103381.html

[Luannr]

Valves are in the right position, everything right I think it's just the size of the tank. Just got the RV in august, nothing but problems, ready to trade it in.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Luannr

Valves are in the right position, everything right I think it's just the size of the tank. Just got the RV in august, nothing but problems, ready to trade it in.

Sorry to hear you're having nothing but problems, but I wouldn't call using up all your hot water in 5 minutes a "problem." It's simply a fact of RV life to which you're going to have to adjust. I guess if you can't adjust, then it will be a problem.

[Luannr]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Sorry to hear you're having nothing but problems, but I wouldn't call using up all your hot water in 5 minutes a "problem." It's simply a fact of RV life to which you're going to have to adjust. I guess if you can't adjust, then it will be a problem.

We can always replace it with a bigger one, it's the least of our problems. So many more to many to list. Dealer had it for 5 months and didn't fix half of the problems, just created more.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Sorry to hear you're having nothing but problems, but I wouldn't call using up all your hot water in 5 minutes a "problem." It's simply a fact of RV life to which you're going to have to adjust. I guess if you can't adjust, then it will be a problem.

Get an on demand, then you can shower all day. We do

[Luannr]

Great advice

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Get an on demand, then you can shower all day. We do

I'll bet that you are wrinkled more than a prune when you go to bed.
Or do you sleep in the shower?

[NMWildcat]

But it's fun straightening out the wrinkles!!

[Scrapper]

Letting the secrets out?