Date:         Fri, 4 Jun 2010 12:14:10 -0800
Reply-To:     colorworks@GCI.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Troy <colorworks@GCI.NET>
Subject:      Re: Hot Water Shower Contraption for Vanagons
Comments: To: Jamie Fitterer <fittdog8848@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I intend to put pictures of the whole works on the Wiki site, but other projects keep coming up. I will snap some photos this afternoon and send them to you. I can set the whole thing up in about a minute, and have hot water in about 7 seconds. It uses the onboard water tank, the onboard propane tank, and the onboard faucet for hot water inside the van.  I did have to install a flojet pump, but added a switch so that I can still use the stock pump for cold water and less flow. It took me hours and hours to design the thing, but in the end the assembly was quite straightforward. I'll send some pics when I get some of my obligations for the day knocked out.

If anyone else wants pics, let me know and I will CC copies to you. Eventually I will do a write up for the Wiki, but too many other projects right now.

Troy
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Jamie Fitterer
  To: colorworks@gci.net ; vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
  Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 11:29 AM
  Subject: RE: Hot Water Shower Contraption for Vanagons


  Troy,

  You got pics of this installation?

  > Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2010 11:03:31 -0800
  > From: colorworks@GCI.NET
  > Subject: Hot Water Shower Contraption for Vanagons
  > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
  >
  > Your link doesn't work, but sounds a lot like David's syncro mod. I believe he used a waterbed thermostat to control the thing. I never liked the idea of heating the water inside the tank, as it tends to contribute to biological growth. That tank was never really designed for heat either.
  >
  > What I have done recently is to use the Eccotemp. This is an instant hot water on demand. It hangs from the gutter of the van and using an extend a stay on my propane tank, I made a connection to the unit. I put a special non-spill valve in the city water port, so that water goes out instead of in. A flojet pump completes the package. The flojet is a pressure activated pump, so that when the unit is turned on outside it instantly starts the pump. I went one one extra step and routed a line back into the van so that I could get hot water on demand at the faucet as well.
  >
  > While I spent weeks designing the contraption, the final installation turned out to be pretty simple. Much less involved than monitoring water temperatures and such. In 5 seconds you have hot water at a consistent temperature with good pressure.
  >
  > I can take some photos, if you or anyone else is interested.
  >
  > Troy