After Market Electric Hot Water Heating

[John "T" Nordhoff]

 So, my buddy bought an after market add on electric hot water heating element to his LP Gas fired hot water heater then shamed me into buying one so I can "keep up with the Jones's" lol. He and I have a friendly rivalry regarding who has a certain after market goody on their RV, and if one buys something the other just has to have the same or bigger or better lol

  I was reluctant to buy one because I didn't what to break my neck getting under the cabinets to cut away insulation to mount the thermostat against the aluminum tank (like other units I've seen) . Then I'm searching E Bay and find one (Hot Shot Lightning Rod RV Water Heater) with the adjustable (90 to 150 degrees) T stat that simply zip tie mounts to the heaters external relief valve which is soooooooooooo much easier to mount. My LP Gas Heater is an Atwood (no sacrificial anode rod like Suburban) so I had to remove the plastic 1/2 MPT drain plug and install the 120 VAC heating element in its place. I used Teflon thread tape so its easy to remove for normal winter draining yet seals fine. Then all I had to do was supply switched 120 VAC down to the t stat which wires to the heating element (wire nuts for easy removal for draining).  I TRIED IT OUT AND IT WORKS FINE. They are only like 400 watts so heating and recovery time takes a while, but they eventually bring the temperature up to the t stat setting.

 The reason to have one is we stay at some camps that have electricity yet we are NOT billed separately for its use. THEREFORE when there we can heat water with the electric element and NOT waste our LP Gas. Yet to be determined is if and when we go ahead and keep the LP heater on (can use BOTH at same time no problem) since it has a much faster recovery and can extend shower time because it kicks on shortly after the shower starts. In other words, if the gas is left on the second shower can come much quicker plus the first will have hot water a tad longer. If the wife has enough hot water WITHOUT the Gas being left on, there's less need to keep it on, unless I need my shower shortly afterwards (then Gas will have it hot much much sooner) .

 Well I also added an Oxygenics water saving shower head and a China Toilet, so I'm  ahead of my buddy for a while at least lol 

 The RV is put to bed yet not winterized, I'm thinking Florida and Antique Tractor Shows and Bluegrass Festivals yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy lol

 Ol John T and all in Indiana (except when at Crater Lake as in the picture)

[Donald Hanson]

So far, I like the Oxygenics water saving shower head. I made the big mistake of installing a high-flow high pressure showerhead previously and ended up running out of hot water in a little over a minute!  This new one lasts much longer since it uses less water per minute.  I just wish the spray pattern was more comfortable and wider.

[Jim Stoltz]

Yes! I should have followed up on this post. I did purchase the Oxygenics shower head and it saves a crazy amount of water while delivering a powerful shower. I was dry camping at NASCAR this past weekend and all my buds came back from the showers saying there was no hot water. I decided to use the RV shower instead. Yeah it was a Navy shower but it was hot and it didn't drain my freshwater tank (or fill up my gray water tank). Highly recommended.

[Jim Stoltz]

I'll give the Oxygenics a shot then. I'm also suspicious of the 1984 shower head in mine because I had half-a-dozen people shower outside with my newly-installed outdoor shower without running out of hot water. I'm thinking the newer shower heads conserve water a lot better.

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  Yo Jim Stoltz, RE Oxygenics:

 Jim, according to two different web sites (measured water volume over x seconds with Oxygenics versus original) and on a couple You Tube videos, the Oxygenics "supposedly" saves water because it sort of mixes with air and pulses or something??? HOWEVER after I installed it the wife loves it because it aims the water different or something and it seems to have more pressure SO SINCE SHE LIKES IT ITS A KEEPER NOW REGARDLESS of water saving or not lol I don't dare go back to the old one........

 Wife says it stays so it stays, end of discussion lol She likewise likes the China toilet and it for sure cleans better then plastic...........

 John T

[Jim Stoltz]

I have a question about the Oxygenics water saving shower head (I already installed a China toilet :) ). I used my shower for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it emptied my HW tank and filled my gray water tank after about 2 minutes. But - in my brother's TT I could take a "normal" shower without running out of hot water. It has to be the 1984 shower head - there doesn't seem to be any restriction on it at all. What does the Oxygenics do for you?

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  Yo Pat again, sure feel free to copy to favorite campgrounds, but if I knew it was going there I would have added more detailed info. Lake Bonnett Village, located between Sebring and Avon Park on SR 17, always has availability SOMEWHERE but, of course, you wont get the prime lake front sites. Hey, I stop and smell the roses now and then myself maybe at a nice commercial RV resort, but in general, I am a Frugal sometimes dry (more out west in Utah and Colorado) Camper.

 John T 

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  Yo Pat,

  Hey that Cedar Key park looks like one nice place, I may have to check it out. You asked about camping on the way to and from Florida, so I will tell you this:

1)  On the way down, its cold and we don't actually do any "camping", we do the Wal Mart and Flying J overnighters because were anxious to get south where its warm lol

2) Nowadays (Sure, Im a tight wad and proud of it lol)  I hardly ever stay short term at Commercial Campgrounds. I stay almost exclusively at US/Natl Forest Campgrounds,,,,,,,,,National Parks,,,,,,,,,,Army Corps of Engineer Camps,,,,,,,,,BLM. Our Senior or Access Pass allows 1/2 price camping plus free entry to Natl Parks. I just cant get excited about paying $30 to $40 a night at any RV Resort regardless how nice it is. Additionally, with my Solar and extra Batteries and extra Water set up I can dry camp a week at a time no problem, so paying only 5 or 6, maybe 12 bucks (for hook ups) a night really appeals to me lol 

3) On the way back North when its warmer, we do the Ocala National Forest (3 nice campgrounds, Juniper Springs, Salt Springs, Alexander Springs) then the Osceola National Forest (Ocean Pond camp) then perhaps the last northernmost Natl Forest near Talahassee, then maybe somewhere in Kentucky and Tenn .

4) While in Florida we base camp at Lake Bonnett Village near Sebring, but were at Antique Tractor Shows or Bluegrass Festivals for like a month here and there.

 I wish we could meet up sometime somewhere in Florida in the winter?????

 John T