Wouldn’t it be great if you could just have hot water whenever you want? We Explore The Top 5 Tankless Water Heaters For Your RV Campers.
What Is A Tankless Water Heater?
A tankless water heater is simply a device that heats the water before it enters your RV. It eliminates the need for extra space to be used as storage for heated and cooled water.
You can enjoy cold, hot, or warm water at any time of day without really worrying about the temperature outside.
5 Best Tankless Water Heaters For RV Campers
1. RecPro RV Tankless Water Heater | On Demand Hot Water
Versatile Unit – It comes with two separate outlets; this allows you to use either or both at the same time. It means you and your partner can use the shower simultaneously without having to wait for a turn, or you could run the kitchen sink while someone is taking a shower.
Pros:
Flexible Installation – You are free to install this RV water heater using permanent or portable options. If you need water temperature adjustment in different parts of your home, just set up multiple models in different locations. Its portable option allows quick removal for traveling purposes as well.
High Efficiency – The RecPro has an energy factor (EF) of 0.80 compared with conventional tanks that have EF ranging between 0.74 and 0.85; it uses less energy than standard tank heaters hence more economical when on standby mode too!
Plus there’s no need for you to worry about the temperature setting being high when using this water heater since it offers consistent steam at your desired temperature.
Cons:
As with most decent products, the RecPro RV Tankless Water Heater has a few cons as well. Although they can be seen as inconveniences rather than deal breakers, here are the two issues that potential buyers should look out for:
Noise – As indicated in its name, this unit heats water super fast (i.e., within 2 seconds). This is great! However, you must remember that speed also means more sound!
So if you like peace and quiet along with hot water in your shower, this may not be the best choice for you. Also, expect more noise when the water is turned on since it has to flow through a small faucet and shower head.
Pros
- Easy Installation
- High Efficiency
- Price
Cons
- Noisy
2. Furrion 2.4GPM Tankless RV Gas Water Heater
The new Furrion 2.4GPM Tankless RV Gas Water Heater is better than ever and it’s still super easy to install! And because of the completely sealed and self-contained design, you can have hot water with no out-gassing, corrosion, or leaking.
Plus, standard valves make hooking up a snap…just connect to your nearest hot and cold water supply lines (if necessary) and your plumbing will be ready for that hot shower or washing machine in minutes!
Pros
- Easy Installation
- Completely Sealed
- Standard Fittings
Cons
- Price
3. GIRARD 2GWHAM Tankless Water Heater
The GIRARD 2GWHAM is a tankless water heater that features an output of 2.5 gallons per minute. Its durable structure and efficient performance won’t disappoint you as it provides endless hot water for your family or business use.
The temperature range goes from 45F to 150 F with a recovery rate of 80% so ensure you don’t run out of hot water when using this product. It has an easy installation process and can be installed in just a couple of minutes without the help of any tool.
This unit comes with frost protection that prevents freezing even in the coldest weather conditions thus preventing damage to the system, leaking problems, and other damages due to icing up.
Pros
- Durable
- Size
- Portable
Cons
- Installation
4. Bosch Electric Mini-Tank Water Heater Tronic 3000
This Bosch mini-tank water heater with its capacity of 15 liters can accommodate this demand and even more! It is easy to use and maintain; it is efficient in saving energy yet economical on its cost of operation at only P1 per kilowatt hour (kWh).
Its electrical consumption is just around 1500 watts at the full operation which makes the heating process further faster unlike other water heaters that consume more electrical power yet operate slowly.
Pros
- Installation
- Price
Cons
- 120V Hard Wiring Required
5. SUBURBAN MFG 5243ASW10DE 10-G Direct Spark
Suburban’s line of water heaters includes high recovery gas, gas-electric, and motor aid models in sizes and features to meet the needs of almost any RV.
All metals are attacked by hot water, but porcelain is not. To “absorb” the electrolytic action, Suburban employs a porcelain-lined, steel water heater tank with a node rod.
In fact, when a Suburban porcelain-lined tank is properly maintained, tank life can be doubled or tripled, saving owners the cost of premature replacement.
Furthermore, during the manufacturing process, every Suburban tank is pressure tested twice to ensure its integrity. More hot water and fewer cool water cycles result from quick recovery.
Pros
- 12,000 BTU Rating
- Weight
- Direct Spark Ignition System
Cons
- Price
Why Should You Get Tankless Water Heaters?
Tankless Water Heaters Are Compact
You cannot place a regular tank in your RV because there isn’t enough space inside to store it. A tankless heater uses up less than half of the room as that of a traditional type outdoor propane water heater.
Tank-less models are also small enough to be kept in a closet while mounted on walls or even on countertops in trailers Therefore, you do not have to sacrifice valuable living space to install a water heater.
Tankless Models Are Very Convenient And Portable
A tankless model is designed specifically for RV users. Tankless models enable you to have access to hot water at any time of day without using much energy in the process.
The smaller size of this heater enables you to carry it along with you during trips. This makes it possible for campers and those who frequently go on road trips to use fresh, clean drinking water from every source available – be it streams, rivers, or even lakes.
All they have to do is venture out with an extension cord until they reach the place where potable water can be found and turn on the unit’s faucet.
They don’t have to worry about hooking up to a shore power source since these heaters are designed to run on 12-volt. Moreover, the size of tankless water heaters enables RV users to simply plug them into any extension cord for use.
Cost Effective
Tankless water heaters are designed to provide continuous hot water at a cost-effective price and are suitable for almost every type of RV.
Apart from being energy-saving devices, these devices have a great impact on your utility bills with their use protects you from paying high electric or gas bills associated with frequent refillings of the propane tanks used for heating water in conventional systems that produce hot water immediately only when the propane output goes up considerably or the demand exceeds the available supply.
Pros And Cons Of Tankless Water Heater For RV Campers?
Tankless water heaters for RVs are quite sophisticated and space-saving units that have great advantages when compared to conventional storage tank systems, although there are also some disadvantages associated with the use of these devices.
Some of the Tankless water heater’s benefits include:
PROS:
Water Delivery Intervals
The ability to deliver hot water over fixed intervals (for example every .1 or 1 minute). Of course, this requires that you have not turned off your valve or attached any other device that may divert the hot water.
So, if you need a constant supply of hot water flowing at all times from the most important sources such as the kitchen sink, shower, and washing machine you should opt for a tank-type water heater.
Saves Energy
One of the greatest advantages of using Tankless water heaters is their ability to conserve energy. This is because they operate on the principle that if hot water does not require heating then it will be turned off; then when more hot water is required it will get automatically heated as needed until all the desired amount has been produced.
This feature helps in saving up on your power bill charges since no gas or electricity is being wasted when there are no users requiring the service. Also, the time taken to warm up your system between two sequential uses is pretty short thus saving significant amounts of time and energy use both during and after the warm-up process.
Aesthetic Appeal
These units have great aesthetic appeal and are designed to blend in with your other home appliances such as ovens, refrigerators, etc.
CONS:
Water Flow
You should not install Tankless Water Heaters for RV campers if you want constant hot water throughout since they only produce the amount required by users and then stop until more hot water is needed.
This will probably come across as an annoying feature to most users who might prefer to have constant streams of warm water available even when they do not need all that much at any given time.
Water Delivery
Another limitation of these devices is with regards to the amount of hot water they can deliver as this may not be adequate for large families or households where several users are present at any given time, and since their heating power is spread out over a wide area it might take quite some time before all sections are sufficiently warmed up.
What Size Tankless Water Heater to get?
As you might know already, RV Tankless Water Heaters are the future of water heating supply. They have no tank and use up to 80% less energy than standard storage tank heaters do.
And they’re reaching a tipping point in popularity…so you want to be prepared! So, how do we choose the right size for our RV? Identifying what size you need is an important step when installing a new Tankless Water Heater! Here’s some information on sizing your Tankless Water Heater.
Calculate What Size You Need First, calculate exactly how many gallons of hot water your RV requires per day (don’t forget about any guests!) A good rule of thumb is to add 20% to that number.
So if your RV Camper demands 20 gallons of hot water per day, you’ll want to get a 30-gallon unit so you have room for guests and things like air-conditioning use that will generate extra showers and tubs of hot water!
What To Look For In An RV Water Heater
The quality of the tank and construction is usually reflected in the price, but even a low-end model can work well if it has other features you need.
At least 40 gallons per minute (GPM) at 160 degrees Fahrenheit, with 90% recovery time About $250 and up depending on features Tank material:
Construction
Polyethylene tanks perform better than aluminum or steel they don’t rust or corrode, are lighter weight, and last longer.
Size
Sizing requirements: many full-time RVs carry between 50 and 100 gallons of water onboard Size also depends on your household needs Recommendation: get a larger size than what’s required so that future upgrades or additions to the rig won’t require buying a new water heater
If you have an older (20-30 years) RV, it’s probably time to replace your water heater. Old tanks are likely rusted through and leaking. If there is any doubt as to the condition of the tank, remove it for inspection.
Upgrading Later
The cost of upgrading will be about $250-$500 depending on the quality of the tank chosen. Installing a larger model usually requires additional wiring and plumbing connections that could range from another few hundred dollars into the thousands if you need a pro plumber ($50/hour in my area).
How To Install Tankless Water Heaters In RV Campers
1) Turn off Propane & Water System Valves At The Tank (unless an On-Demand unit does not have a valve).
2) Drain System By Opening Hose Bibs If You Have Any Connected To The Water Heater. This may require some work depending on your layout. Many RVs have hot & cold hoses connected to the water heater and bibs for draining the system near it, but many more don’t so you’ll need to remove hoses, and drain valves or use buckets as shown here.
3) Disconnect Electrical Connection At The Tank and save wire nuts in case the tank is leaking – see step 5 below if needed Don’t disconnect the wires unless necessary because they will be very difficult to reconnect later on during this project.
4) Disconnect Water Supply & Drain Hose Bibs From The Tank – Remove hoses from valves near the tank and drain water into buckets or outside to a hose bib.
If you have copper pipes in your rig, unscrew the valve at the tank first before disconnecting the supply hose so that no water drips back into the tank and damages it. Keep track of which valves go where on the new water heater because most are not interchangeable due to different pipe connections presented by manufacturers.
5) Unscrew Or Cut Bolts If Necessary On Old Water Heater (usually through holes in the top) And Lift Out Carefully. An extra hand is useful here.
6) Clean Up All Leaks Before Removing Tank Here’s the reason why you saved those wire nuts from earlier.
7) Disconnect Vent And Drain Hose To The Outside – Make sure to hold onto the drain hose when disconnecting it or water will spray out in all directions.
8) Remove Propane Vent Line From The Back (usually about 6″ long and black) And Move the Water Heater A Couple Of Feet Away From Your Propane Tanks, LPG Conversion Kit & Gas Lines In Case of Leaks. You do not want to make a mess inside your rig with propane gas under pressure!
9) Clean Up Any Oil Or Grease Before Installing New Water Heater If there is any grease on the tank bottom surface or oil on the connections, you will likely be sorry later. Start by wiping up any leaks and once you are sure it is completely dry apply a thin coating of grease or oil to all surfaces including inside the tank (if applicable) before installing it.
10) Install New Water Heater By Positioning It In The Tank Space And Filling Holes With Bolts And Washers As Shown – You may need to hold each bolt while tightening others for everything to line up just right.
Use your helper for this if available. When you tighten one down, check that everything lines up correctly or they can do damage when pulled against misaligned parts causing leaks and water damage inside your RV
11) Re-Install Propane Vent Line, Vent & Drain Hoses To Outside. Be careful to hold onto the drain hose when disconnecting it or water will spray out in all directions.
12) Hook Up Water Supply Lines And Cold/Hot Hoses – This is the reverse of step #4 above just do not tighten valves until after everything has been checked for leaks and all supply lines have been tightened down by hand just a bit.
You do not need to remove your old hoses from the tank if they are still good because you can reuse them on the new tank but make sure they are clean and no longer leak as noted earlier in this article.
13) Turn On Water Supply System Valves At The Tank One By One Until No Leaks Are Present – If water drips from any connections tighten them using pliers or an adjustable wrench until all leaks are stopped.
14) Turn On Water Supply To The Faucets – Check for leaks and make adjustments as needed just like in step #13 above but this time from the faucets outside of your rig. You will need to do this last because if you don’t find a leak here, it is likely there won’t be one at the faucet either!
15) Check For Leaks From Each Connection point Again! You kicked yourself when you found that short hose leak before and now have a bigger mess on your hands so after everything has been tightened down double-check again and then triple-check to be certain that there are no leaks and nothing is misaligned before calling it good!
16) Turn On Your Water Heater And Let It Run For At Least 15 Minutes Before Sleeping In Your RV That Night – The first time you sleep in your rig after a water heater replacement or installation, do not turn on the heater until you are ready to go to bed. It will take at least 15 minutes to reach maximum temperature in most cases.
If you have ever had problems with smells like rotten eggs coming from your water supply then this is the time to check for that because if it happens while the unit is heating up, you can literally smell it anywhere in your rig that uses water such as the sink and shower/tub area.
Conclusion
The best tankless water heaters for RV campers are those that can be used both in the camper and while on the road.
Some of these models have a built-in pump, meaning they can use draw from ground or surface water sources. The ability to use either electric power or propane is an important consideration when choosing your model as well.
If you want to ensure your family has access to hot water at all times, make sure you choose one of our top 5 picks!