Date:         Sun, 30 Jul 1995 00:39:56 -0600 (MDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Stuart Hutton <hutton@poly.oscs.montana.edu>
Subject:      A simple hot water supply

Hello vanagon gang,
I would like to share my progress on the construction of a simple (and
cheap) hot water supply for showers for my camper.  First, I'll tell you
what not to use :)
I found that a heater core makes a wonderful heat exchanger right up to
the point that you cut the water off while leaving the propane stove
running.  (the core being laid on the stove, of course).  This melts
solder out of the heater core and lets water squirt everywhere.  Anyway,
on to what seems to work pretty well.
I am using two coils of 1/4 inch soft copper tubing (the kind that is
used to connect humidifiers which one can find at department stores).
The idea is to lay the coils on the stove in the camper and run water
through them while the stove heats the coils.  Because the coils are
relatively small, you should not use a connection from your sink
(since you will have a high pressure there if you use a powerful external
pump which may damage your faucet and water will leak.)
Take rubber hoses and connect one end to the high pressure side of your
water pump and the other end to your coil.  Use a second hose to route
the water back into your water tank.  Start your pump and confirm that
water circulates correctly through this system.  Then, light your stove
and relax for about 40 minutes or until you think the water in your
tank is hot enough for a comfortable shower.  Connect a garden hose
to the high pressure side of your pump and fit the garden hose with a
spray head.  Start your pump and enjoy your shower.  The spray head will
allow you to stop the water flow and thus conserve water.  In my first
hot water shower, I found that a 6 gallon shower was quite enough.  However,
if you are really into showers, you can use the full 13 gallons of your
water tank to shower.
I should mention, that my pump consists of a dc motor powering a 
drill pump which provides quite a bit more pressure than the original
water pump.  In fact, the pressure from this setup is almost the 
same as the water pressure one would have at home!  Also, in order to route 
the water flow into the correct place, I use garden hose "Y" connections 
with flow shut-off valves. 

Showeringly Yours,
Stuart