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Old 11-25-2022, 10:11 AM   #1
moore
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on demand electric heater

Need some help. Moved to Arkansas and found out I can't get propane delivered. Health to bad to manhandle large tanks in and out of truck. Going to have to go electric for heat and hot water. Has anyone use on demand electric hot water heaters? Big ones look like they will take to much volts. May have to go two smaller ones instead. What are your thoughts? My rig is 2008 rear living room Montana. Thank you for your advice.
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Old 11-25-2022, 03:42 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moore View Post
Need some help. Moved to Arkansas and found out I can't get propane delivered. Health to bad to manhandle large tanks in and out of truck. Going to have to go electric for heat and hot water. Has anyone use on demand electric hot water heaters? Big ones look like they will take to much volts. May have to go two smaller ones instead. What are your thoughts? My rig is 2008 rear living room Montana. Thank you for your advice.
Welcome to the forum. Fully understand not wanting to wrestle tanks. When I was a pup those type things were nothing and now I dread the days when I have to muscle things that are heavy.

OK, to get to an answer to your question, first, do you full time? Second, are you in a park with electricity coming off a pedestal? Third, are you keen to have the on-demand water heater in the same space as the original?

You may still need to wrestle propane tanks a bit if you use your stove and on-board heater. What is you plan there? The on-board heater can drink more propane than a hot water heater on cold days. When we camp, I usually use propane to heat the hot water and don't bother with the electric since it is pretty warm around here and we have enough hot water supply on propane. Do you have an electric heating element on your current hot water heater? It gets chilly in Arkansas so how do you plan on heating the camper?
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Old 11-25-2022, 05:14 PM   #3
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Electric Water Heater and Room Heat

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Originally Posted by moore View Post
Need some help. Moved to Arkansas and found out I can't get propane delivered. Health to bad to manhandle large tanks in and out of truck. Going to have to go electric for heat and hot water. Has anyone use on demand electric hot water heaters? Big ones look like they will take to much volts. May have to go two smaller ones instead. What are your thoughts? My rig is 2008 rear living room Montana. Thank you for your advice.
We have an Alpine 3650RL that we love but the "on-demand" propane water heater had too many problems and could not be depended on so we installed a 12 gallon residential style water heater and tied in in to the hot and colds lines and love it. For room heat, we installed a full electric central heat unit that heats our coach with zero problems even at 32 degrees while operating at 55% capacity all the while using ZERO propane and ZERO refiling tanks. The only propane we use is for the kitchen stove and our outdoor propane grill and flat top grill. Of course, we have shore power to make it work and not boondocking out in the middle of nowhere.
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Old 11-26-2022, 06:09 AM   #4
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If I had those issues I would install a Suburban SW12DEL series water heater .. Will heat the water just fine off 120 and maintains the ability to still run propane is the need every arrived.

For the heating side I would stay with propane heat and better insulate, use skirting, etc

Changing out everything to non RV style now makes the RV.. IMO a "Hack Job" that has zero resale value..
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Old 11-26-2022, 06:53 AM   #5
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Not worried about resell value. Rig is salvage that I refurbished. I have tankless propane waterheater, love that. But I can't lift propane tanks around. Wondering if I can splice in electric tankless using old waterheater power line.
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Old 11-26-2022, 07:02 AM   #6
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Not worried about resell value. Rig is salvage that I refurbished. I have tankless propane waterheater, love that. But I can't lift propane tanks around. Wondering if I can splice in electric tankless using old waterheater power line.
If your current water heater is tankless propane, it will be 12VDC, and that wiring won’t work for an electric (120VAC) water heater.

You could make the plumbing work, but you’ll have to run Romex to power it. Read the power requirements of the unit BEFORE you make any changes, they require a lot of amps.
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Old 11-26-2022, 08:10 AM   #7
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Contact your local LP distributor to have a large tank set up with a contract to keep it filled. This would likely be cheaper & a lot less remodeling, also solves the no more lifting issue.....other than the phone to call.
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Old 11-26-2022, 01:52 PM   #8
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Unfortunately, AR doesn't allow for propane rentals to rvs. Current tankless propane water heater uses 9v battery to ignite gas. So, I have power hook-up from original water heater. Not sure what the voltage is on that line.
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Old 11-26-2022, 02:09 PM   #9
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What brand/model water heater do you currently have?
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Old 11-26-2022, 03:00 PM   #10
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I think I already asked if the camper was moved from place to place or in a fixed location and if you have power, is it from a pedestal with 15/20/30/50 or some other source. This info might help give in-context answers.
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Old 11-26-2022, 03:23 PM   #11
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So I can get a grasp I'm putting this in a nutshell for myself;

You are in a 2008 Montana. You can't haul the LP tanks around so you are going to go without LP altogether - what about cooking? You can't have a large LP tank at the RV from an LP company because the law prohibits it and manhandling one isn't in the picture. Your initial post indicated a need for heat and hot water but no LP means cooking as well. With that in mind:

If money is no object there are quite a few ways to skin this cat but let's just think about how to "git'r'done". Heat: use space heaters. Not really efficient but eliminates the need for LP. You could install a heat pump but $$$ and would still have to use space heater when it got below 38-40.

Hot water: You have (I assume) a regular RV hot water heater of some kind. I assume it operated on LP or 120vac. LP is out so....you asked about electric tankless hot water heaters. Now, they do make electric only RV water heaters...or they used to and I think I saw one on the internet sometime recently - that might be an option. If you wanted to go with tankless (which I don't like - and they have limitations) you could get a 120vac unit (I believe they make LP, 120vac and 12vdc units) and use the 120vac line to your old water heater that powered the heating element.

Those are some quick thoughts about your dilemma as I understand it. Cold is coming soon so need to get you fixed up asap. Clarify on needs/wants and I figure we can come up with a plan.
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Old 11-26-2022, 03:47 PM   #12
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Tankless water heater

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Originally Posted by moore View Post
Need some help. Moved to Arkansas and found out I can't get propane delivered. Health to bad to manhandle large tanks in and out of truck. Going to have to go electric for heat and hot water. Has anyone use on demand electric hot water heaters? Big ones look like they will take to much volts. May have to go two smaller ones instead. What are your thoughts? My rig is 2008 rear living room Montana. Thank you for your advice.
My experience with the installation of tankless on-demand electric water heaters are that one large enough to produce hot enough water for a shower would require more amperage than is available at a campground 50 amp service. I just checked into a tankless unit that would provide barely enough hot water for a shower and it was over 100 amps of service. On my "hack job" 2021 Alpine 3650RL, I added a 12 gallon electric water heater in the closet where a washer and drier would go that simply connected to the existing washing machine provision valves and plugged my electric water heater into the electric wall plug in that closet. No reworking or connecting into existing plumbing and did not have to run any additional romex wiring. Just a simple" plug and play" installation. I paid less than $400 for the water heater and two hoses and a cord end. Easily removeable and replaceable with parts from the local Home Depot or Lowes. Your results may vary.
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Old 11-26-2022, 05:21 PM   #13
moore
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You are correct. I have moved to park in AR and can not get gas delivered. Stupid law. I have intestinal cancer, so manhandling tanks. Got two oil heaters today, good on heating.
That's what I was thinking the big units require more juice than pedestal can handle. I thought maybe two smaller ones. What is the unit you put in the closet?
Currently have excell on demand propane water heater. Unfortunately no propane.
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Old 11-26-2022, 05:26 PM   #14
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Water Heater

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You are correct. I have moved to park in AR and can not get gas delivered. Stupid law. I have intestinal cancer, so manhandling tanks. Got two oil heaters today, good on heating.
That's what I was thinking the big units require more juice than pedestal can handle. I thought maybe two smaller ones. What is the unit you put in the closet?
Currently have excell on demand propane water heater. Unfortunately no propane.
I installed a 12 gallon electric water heater from Home Depot or Lowes. For cooking you could use an electric grill or convection oven. Actually. I think my resale value went UP because of this addition.
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Old 12-01-2022, 10:25 AM   #15
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Keep in mind that BTU's are BTU's so (2) 1500 watt heaters will draw as much as (1) 3000 what heaters so the only advantage would be being able to place them in separate locations and plug into 2 different circuits where with larger heater wiring will be required since 1500 watt heater is almost all a typical circuit can handle. Getting down to nit picking the 2 will draw slightly more than the single due to having 2 sets of fans, controls etc. Amp draw would also be the same situation in case you're not familiar with electricity.
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Old 12-02-2022, 10:36 AM   #16
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If you are in a campground, what are the chances one of your neighbors, or staff can assist with propane tanks. I’m sure someone can help. Even check with your local Boy Scouts, VFW, High School Varsity Club, etc. I’m sure someone will help, even for a small tip, or donation. Quite a bit cheaper than a total retrofit. Especially since most place I’m familiar with bill for excessive electric use, or you pay for electric bill yourself. I don’t recall if you mentioned it, but I hope you have 50 amp pedestal if you want all that electricity. If you do need more you can run an outdoor rated heavy duty cord from the 15 amp duplex outlet on the power pole

Good luck,
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Old 12-02-2022, 04:05 PM   #17
moore
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Thank you guys for the help. Going with mini 7g tank from Bosch. I am going to hardwire it with power plug. Use in living room on dedicated outlet 120v 20amp. Unit 120v 12amp. Both wall outlet and 50amp at pedestal should handle load without problem. If not, I can run out to pedestal with heavy duty cord. Cooking I am going microwave, instapot, and air fryer. Thank for all suggestions.
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Old 12-02-2022, 04:13 PM   #18
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Thank you guys for the help. Going with mini 7g tank from Bosch. I am going to hardwire it with power plug. Use in living room on dedicated outlet 120v 20amp. Unit 120v 12amp. Both wall outlet and 50amp at pedestal should handle load without problem. If not, I can run out to pedestal with heavy duty cord. Cooking I am going microwave, instapot, and air fryer. Thank for all suggestions.

In the cooking equation I would suggest you investigate induction cookers. Tried one years ago and became hooked. Now I have them in the RV, vacation home and a full induction cooktop in the s&b....can't beat them. It gives you a whole nuther range of "things" in addition to the items you listed.
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Old 12-02-2022, 04:45 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by moore View Post
Thank you guys for the help. Going with mini 7g tank from Bosch. I am going to hardwire it with power plug. Use in living room on dedicated outlet 120v 20amp. Unit 120v 12amp. Both wall outlet and 50amp at pedestal should handle load without problem. If not, I can run out to pedestal with heavy duty cord. Cooking I am going microwave, instapot, and air fryer. Thank for all suggestions.
If you're going to use high Amp cooking appliances on a constant basis I'd suggest changing out the kitchen outlets. RV outlets are connected via a friction connection. The wire is shoved into a metal "V" and they are notorious for failing. Replace them with an "old work box" and a recetical with screw terminals.
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