Water heaters

R

ronald b. kazi

New member
Aug 6, 1999
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Has anyone with a 4KW generator installed an LP water heater in the
compartment next to it? It seems like a logical location. What about
the door? Darren is willing to work with me on a custom job, can I use
the original?

Another devious ill conceived, underfunded idea from:

Ron and Julie
73 Painted Desert
 
>
> Has anyone with a 4KW generator installed an LP water heater in the
> compartment next to it?

Forgive me o' devious, ill conceived, underfunded one - but, why?

I kinda like the OEM water heaters. The Damaere tanks make them
easily(and cheaply) repairable. Just my opinion.

Patrick
- --
Patrick Flowers
Mailto:patrick

The GMC Motorhome Page
http://www.gmcmotorhome.com
 
I loved the propane heater I had on my SOB popup. I also don't know if
my generator is any good. It is throwing oil and running at random idle
with the dreaded automatic without warning shutoff feature. I feel that
have enough to do without dealing with it for hot water. I also don't
know how long the engine preheater will take to heat up the thing, seeing
as how I dont have a preheater on mine. In fact, I have not installed a
new element so I dont have any hot water at all.

Tell me my fellow travelers, am I missing the boat? Is my time better
spent installing a new water heater with preheat and fiddling with my
Onan or installing an LP unit? The fear of the unknown. Also, I will be
camping in National Parks where I believe, the old clunker Onan wont pass
muster.

I defer to your collective repository of knowledge for guidance.

Ron and Julie
73 Painted Desert with potential for a long summer of cold showers.

> >
> > Has anyone with a 4KW generator installed an LP water heater in the
> > compartment next to it?
>
> Forgive me o' devious, ill conceived, underfunded one - but, why?
>
> I kinda like the OEM water heaters. The Damaere tanks make them
> easily(and cheaply) repairable. Just my opinion.
>
> Patrick
> --
> Patrick Flowers
> Mailto:patrick
>
> The GMC Motorhome Page
> http://www.gmcmotorhome.com
 
Well...I did say that is was ill conceived....

Ron and Julie

> you do not want to put any propane next to a generator for several reasons.
> Hot muffler and sparks, ignition arcing..The slightest leak and you are
> asking for trouble. Im not sure what the DOT thinks about it.
>

> >>
> >> Has anyone with a 4KW generator installed an LP water heater in the
> >> compartment next to it?
> >
> >Forgive me o' devious, ill conceived, underfunded one - but, why?
> >
> >I kinda like the OEM water heaters. The Damaere tanks make them
> >easily(and cheaply) repairable. Just my opinion.
> >
> >Patrick
> >--
> >Patrick Flowers
> >Mailto:patrick
> >
> >The GMC Motorhome Page
> >http://www.gmcmotorhome.com
> >
> >
 
> Can Jim Damaere's works of art retrofit a non-preheat and make it a preheat? I
> think that this may be my answer. How do I contact him?

>

>
> > >
> > >I kinda like the OEM water heaters. The Damaere tanks make them
> > >easily(and cheaply) repairable. Just my opinion.
> > >
> > >Patrick
> > >--
> > >Patrick Flowers
> > >Mailto:patrick
> > >
> > >The GMC Motorhome Page
> > >http://www.gmcmotorhome.com
> > >
> > >
 
>
>
>Tell me my fellow travelers, am I missing the boat? Is my time better
>spent installing a new water heater with preheat and fiddling with my
>Onan or installing an LP unit? The fear of the unknown. Also, I will be
>camping in National Parks where I believe, the old clunker Onan wont pass
>muster.
>
>I defer to your collective repository of knowledge for guidance.

Trust those who give you information, for the price you pay is the
value you get... however, I love my Demare and I think it is a great
unit. Hot water takes a little time to heat up from the engine, and
when you get to a destination you have instant hot water. The
stainless steel unit from Demare comes with new electric element and
all the parts for the unit. I urge you to consider the benefits of
having a simple hot water system.
al
 
Ron,
I'm not as wildly enthusiastic about the GMC OEM hot water system as some of
the other members of this group. While it is nice to have hot water while
driving and in a campsite with adequate electrical resources, the set up
leaves you "cold" while boondocking.

I understand that it is next to impossible to retrofit a gas fired water
heater where there was once an electric. That's unfortunate as I think it
would be neat to have a LP gas heated water heater that also had the engine
coolant loop. Then you could have hot water all the time.

However, since we has what we has, I installed a 1500 watt element in my water
heater. When boondocking I find that I can have enough hot water in about 15
minutes by running the Onan. Or if running the Onan is not permitted, you
could always take a drive around the park in the morning. Once hot, the water
seems to stay hot for hours. Not the best setup, but it's all we have.

The problem with the 1500 watt element is that if you are connected to only 20
amp service you really have to practice energy management techniques. You
can't have anything else on, except maybe a TV, when the water heater is
turned on. But then it doesn't take long to get hot enough water.

Therefore, I would strongly recommend that you reconnect the engine loop and
if your water heater is leaking get one of those stainless steel replacements.

You should also look into a tune-up for your Onan. Also make sure that that
the governor is working properly. I too had "random idle" problem with my
Onan and cured that with a complete tune-up that included some new parts in
the governor. My Onan now runs like a champ. I did it myself with about $100
of official Onan parts from the Onan store.

You also might find that your Onan is throwing oil from the oil pressure
sender. That seems to be a common failure mode. My oil pressure sender
started leaking last Summer. My neighbor's started leaking last Fall. Both
of us replaced our senders and the oil leaks went away. The sender is a
simple and cheap thing to replace. It's located right next to the oil filter.

Richard Waters
1976 Palm Beach
Troy, MI

> >
> >
> >Tell me my fellow travelers, am I missing the boat? Is my time better
> >spent installing a new water heater with preheat and fiddling with my
> >Onan or installing an LP unit? The fear of the unknown. Also, I will be
> >camping in National Parks where I believe, the old clunker Onan wont pass
> >muster.
> >
> >I defer to your collective repository of knowledge for guidance.
>
> Trust those who give you information, for the price you pay is the
> value you get... however, I love my Demare and I think it is a great
> unit. Hot water takes a little time to heat up from the engine, and
> when you get to a destination you have instant hot water. The
> stainless steel unit from Demare comes with new electric element and
> all the parts for the unit. I urge you to consider the benefits of
> having a simple hot water system.
> al
 
>
> Ron,
> I'm not as wildly enthusiastic about the GMC OEM hot water
> system as some of the other members of this group.


Richard, I don't know about "wildly enthusiastic", but in a world of
compromises, the OEM water heater is a better compromise than most.

Just my opinion,
Patrick
 
Patrick,
I still would like a gas water heater. That and the engine coolant loop
would make for an ideal setup IMHO. The reason being that most of my
camping is done where there are no hookups and therefore getting hot
water in the AM can be a little inconvenient. I hate to fire up the
Onan just so I can take a shower in the morning. However, if we are
alone where we are camped I'll run it. On the other hand, I won't run
the genset if I think anyone would be disturbed by the noise. That's
when it gets inconvenient. So those times we wait on our showers until
later in the day.

There is another little problem that would not be solved by a even a LP
water heater. That's my wife's insistence of using her 10,000 WATT hair
dryer to dry her hair ;^)

This water heater thing is really not that big deal to me. But if
someone asks what I dislike about my GMC I usually say the water heater
setup. Everything else is OK. In fact I even have grown to sort of
like all the GREEN STUFF that my coach is comprised of. The retro look
is in, and my coach is certainly retro.
Richard
'76 very green Palm Beach
Troy, MI

> >
> > Ron,
> > I'm not as wildly enthusiastic about the GMC OEM hot water
> > system as some of the other members of this group.
>
>
> Richard, I don't know about "wildly enthusiastic", but in a world of
> compromises, the OEM water heater is a better compromise than most.
>
> Just my opinion,
> Patrick
 
Has anyone with a standard wet bath had any luck installing an LP water
heater?
Ron and Julie

> Patrick,
> I still would like a gas water heater. That and the engine coolant loop
> would make for an ideal setup IMHO. The reason being that most of my
> camping is done where there are no hookups and therefore getting hot
> water in the AM can be a little inconvenient. I hate to fire up the
> Onan just so I can take a shower in the morning. However, if we are
> alone where we are camped I'll run it. On the other hand, I won't run
> the genset if I think anyone would be disturbed by the noise. That's
> when it gets inconvenient. So those times we wait on our showers until
> later in the day.
>
> There is another little problem that would not be solved by a even a LP
> water heater. That's my wife's insistence of using her 10,000 WATT hair
> dryer to dry her hair ;^)
>
> This water heater thing is really not that big deal to me. But if
> someone asks what I dislike about my GMC I usually say the water heater
> setup. Everything else is OK. In fact I even have grown to sort of
> like all the GREEN STUFF that my coach is comprised of. The retro look
> is in, and my coach is certainly retro.
> Richard
> '76 very green Palm Beach
> Troy, MI
>

>

> > >
> > > Ron,
> > > I'm not as wildly enthusiastic about the GMC OEM hot water
> > > system as some of the other members of this group.
> >
> >
> > Richard, I don't know about "wildly enthusiastic", but in a world of
> > compromises, the OEM water heater is a better compromise than most.
> >
> > Just my opinion,
> > Patrick
 
> Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 12:03:24 -0400
> From: Ronald Kazi
> Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters
>
> Has anyone with a standard wet bath had any luck installing an LP water
> heater?
> Ron and Julie

Ron,

The PO installed an LP water heater just before he sold me the coach. Pretty slick and simple installation from what
I can tell. He was a pretty skilled craftsman, although he said the change wasn't too tough. Only thing is that it
required an external access plate, but he made it all look pretty neat. I can't offer any firsthand info, but I can
look up the unit make and specs, and I could email you some photos if it would help.

Tom
75 PB
Colorado (soon to be Arizona)
 
Ron,
Don't write off the Onan too soon. Someone here said they had one still
running well with 8,000? hours. You may just need a low cost seal
replacement for the oil slinging. Fixing the leaks, changing points,
adjusting the carburetor and changing the air filter will give you a low
cost and relatively quiet power source for a long time. Good conversions to
a new generators are costly.
I was at TMS over the weekend with no hookups and it took the Onan and OEM
water heater about 5 minutes to provide enough hot water for a shower.
That's hard to beat.
BTW, I went through Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Arches and other
Southwestern National Parks and the Onan didn't disturb anyone or anything.
Try it, you'll like it.
Bob McLaughlin

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-gmcmotorhome
[mailto:owner-gmcmotorhome]On Behalf Of Ron Kazi
Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2000 6:32 PM
To: gmcmotorhome
Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters

I loved the propane heater I had on my SOB popup. I also don't know if
my generator is any good. It is throwing oil and running at random idle
with the dreaded automatic without warning shutoff feature. I feel that
have enough to do without dealing with it for hot water. I also don't
know how long the engine preheater will take to heat up the thing, seeing
as how I dont have a preheater on mine. In fact, I have not installed a
new element so I dont have any hot water at all.

Tell me my fellow travelers, am I missing the boat? Is my time better
spent installing a new water heater with preheat and fiddling with my
Onan or installing an LP unit? The fear of the unknown. Also, I will be
camping in National Parks where I believe, the old clunker Onan wont pass
muster.

I defer to your collective repository of knowledge for guidance.

Ron and Julie
73 Painted Desert with potential for a long summer of cold showers.

> >
> > Has anyone with a 4KW generator installed an LP water heater in the
> > compartment next to it?
>
> Forgive me o' devious, ill conceived, underfunded one - but, why?
>
> I kinda like the OEM water heaters. The Damaere tanks make them
> easily(and cheaply) repairable. Just my opinion.
>
> Patrick
> --
> Patrick Flowers
> Mailto:patrick
>
> The GMC Motorhome Page
> http://www.gmcmotorhome.com
 
Tom, I would be interested in knowing what type and
model was installed and where. In the space where the
original HW is, 6 gal LP models from Camping World
will not fit. I also boondock in areas with tents,
popups and gen noise is not good.

Bill

|original message:
|Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 17:38:29 -0600
|From: Tom & Cindy
|Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters
|
|> Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 12:03:24 -0400
|> From: Ronald Kazi
|> Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters
|>
|> Has anyone with a standard wet bath had any luck
|...
|
|The PO installed an LP water heater just before he
|sold me the coach. Pretty slick and simple
|installation from what I can tell. He was a pretty
|skilled craftsman, although he said the change wasn't
|too tough. Only thing is that it required an
external |access plate, but he made it all look pretty
neat. I |can't offer any firsthand info, but I can
look up the |unit make and specs, and I could email
you some photos |if it would help.
|
|Tom
|75 PB
|Colorado (soon to be Arizona)

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints!
http://photos.yahoo.com
 
Bill, Ron, et. al.,

My LP unit is a Model RV-500 (IIRC, 53K BTU) made by Precision Temp, Inc. It's a direct vent unit, and is surface
mount installed, requiring that an 18" X 18" opening be made in the side of the coach where the original water heater
is located (right above the rear tire on the passenger side). The heater is in its own frame, and the unit slides
into the new opening and is secured. The unit comes with a louvered door which attaches to the unit frame via pins
and door screw. You can paint the door to blend in with the coach. For a visual of the coach after installation was
completed, follow this link:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=183135&a=1338968&p=14684296

Tom
75 PB
Colorado (soon to be Arizona)

> Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 20:53:39 -0700 (PDT)
> From: William Myers
> Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters
>
> Tom, I would be interested in knowing what type and
> model was installed and where. In the space where the
> original HW is, 6 gal LP models from Camping World
> will not fit. I also boondock in areas with tents,
> popups and gen noise is not good.
>
> Bill
>
> |original message:
> |Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 17:38:29 -0600
> |From: Tom & Cindy
> |Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters
> |
> |> Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 12:03:24 -0400
> |> From: Ronald Kazi
> |> Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters
> |>
> |> Has anyone with a standard wet bath had any luck
> |...
> |
> |The PO installed an LP water heater just before he
> |sold me the coach. Pretty slick and simple
> |installation from what I can tell. He was a pretty
> |skilled craftsman, although he said the change wasn't
> |too tough. Only thing is that it required an
> external |access plate, but he made it all look pretty
> neat. I |can't offer any firsthand info, but I can
> look up the |unit make and specs, and I could email
> you some photos |if it would help.
> |
> |Tom
> |75 PB
> |Colorado (soon to be Arizona)
 
Precision Temp has a web site that shows the RV-500 as well as a
basement/marine model with a remote vent. Thier web site is
http://www.precisiontemp.com the marine unit is shown at
http://www.precisiontemp.com/m500ss.html

Dave Mumert

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom & Cindy"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2000 4:31 AM
Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters

> Bill, Ron, et. al.,
>
> My LP unit is a Model RV-500 (IIRC, 53K BTU) made by Precision Temp, Inc.
It's a direct vent unit, and is surface
> mount installed, requiring that an 18" X 18" opening be made in the side
of the coach where the original water heater
> is located (right above the rear tire on the passenger side). The heater
is in its own frame, and the unit slides
> into the new opening and is secured. The unit comes with a louvered door
which attaches to the unit frame via pins
> and door screw. You can paint the door to blend in with the coach. For a
visual of the coach after installation was
> completed, follow this link:
> http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=183135&a=1338968&p=14684296
>
> Tom
> 75 PB
> Colorado (soon to be Arizona)
>
> > Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 20:53:39 -0700 (PDT)
> > From: William Myers
> > Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters
> >
> > Tom, I would be interested in knowing what type and
> > model was installed and where. In the space where the
> > original HW is, 6 gal LP models from Camping World
> > will not fit. I also boondock in areas with tents,
> > popups and gen noise is not good.
> >
> > Bill
> >
> > |original message:
> > |Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 17:38:29 -0600
> > |From: Tom & Cindy
> > |Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters
> > |
> > |> Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 12:03:24 -0400
> > |> From: Ronald Kazi
> > |> Subject: Re: GMC: Water heaters
> > |>
> > |> Has anyone with a standard wet bath had any luck
> > |...
> > |
> > |The PO installed an LP water heater just before he
> > |sold me the coach. Pretty slick and simple
> > |installation from what I can tell. He was a pretty
> > |skilled craftsman, although he said the change wasn't
> > |too tough. Only thing is that it required an
> > external |access plate, but he made it all look pretty
> > neat. I |can't offer any firsthand info, but I can
> > look up the |unit make and specs, and I could email
> > you some photos |if it would help.
> > |
> > |Tom
> > |75 PB
> > |Colorado (soon to be Arizona)
>
 
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