Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1999 22:23:03 +0100
Reply-To: Torje Evensen <guevens@ONLINE.NO>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Torje Evensen <guevens@ONLINE.NO>
Subject: Re: Hot water system thoughts
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Hello all
I've been following this thread with great interest as I myself have made
numerous different plans on how to get hot water in my soon-to-be-camperized '80
Vanagon. Being on a student's budget I've been looking for a really cheap way to
do this. The best cheap solution I've found so far is from the Reimo catalog. I
don't know if you get the Reimo catalog in north america or anything, so I'll
just list what it says here. Partly translated by the Altavista translation
service...
From Reimo '98 catalog, page 209
THERMOFEE 37
Always warm water! With power indicator and dry-running protection. Stainless
steel housing "into fine cross section"(?). Water temparature 37 C.
Thermofee 37,
230V/75W 67030 DM 135,90
" , 150W 67031 DM 145,00
" , 250W 67032 DM 159,90
Thermofee 37,
12V/75W 67034 DM 145,00
" , with anti-freeze function 67035 DM183,00
Seems like an easy (the product itself is just a metal rod that you put into
your water tank) and relatively cheap way of obtaining warm (I guess it's not
"hot" since it'll only reach 37 degrees C) water.
Anyone have any experience with this unit??
-Torje Evensen
Trondheim, NORWAY
'80 VW Vanagon
Davidson wrote:
> Michael,
> Your hot water system sounds great!
> Can you give me an estimate of how much water is initially wasted waiting
> for the water to cool down to a temp that you can stand? I like to camp long
> term in the desert and wasted water is a big consideration of me. By the
> way, the phone number for R & M is apparently unchanged. I am currently in
> the Windsor area and looked up in the phone book.
> Thanks
> Bill
> 90 Westy Syncro
> Lake Tahoe
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Avrea <Vanadiesel@AOL.COM>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Date: Saturday, January 09, 1999 12:09 AM
> Subject: Re: Hot water system thoughts
>
> >Hi Nathaniel,
> > I bought a system from R & M Specialty Products that taps into a
> heater line
> >and heats the water as it passes thru an exchanger. The kit included the
> >exchanger, a good quality pump, lots of lines and fittings etc.. I use it
> for
> >a shower and sometimes dishes. I suppose you could run it back to the tank
> or
> >a tank for a more efficient delivery of the hot water. One of the draw
> backs
> >is that you do loose some water waiting for the temp to stabilize as the
> water
> >that first goes thru the exchanger is really hot but quickly levels off to
> a
> >perfect temp. I'm running mine off the stock Westy water tank and have not
> >disturbed the hookups to the sink but have simply tapped another line into
> the
> >tank running to the supplied pump then snaked the line going off the pump
> thru
> >the cabinet, into the compartment under the rear seat and thru a hole I cut
> in
> >the floor to come out right where the heater line is. I mounter the
> exchanger
> >there and ran the line off it so it comes to an on/off hose fitting right
> >under where the sliding door shuts. When I want to use it I hook up my
> shower
> >hose to that fitting, open the valve and turn on the pump (I've installed a
> >switch in the face of the rear seat cabinet next to the sliding door). I
> wait
> >a few seconds for the temp to settle and Heaven....a hot shower! And you
> can
> >go thru the whole tank without the temp dropping.
> > I got it several years ago and I think it was about $200 dollars. R
> & M's
> >number at that time was 707 838 3869 and they were in Windsor, California
> P.O.
> >Box 1683.
> >Hope this helps.
> >Michael Avrea
> >82 Diesel Westy
> >Ventura, California USA
> >
> >
> >In a message dated 1/8/99 11:04:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> >nmerrill@PARAMETRIX.COM writes:
> >
> ><< Hello all,
> > I have been contemplating this for a while and thought I would elicit
> >comments from the majority...
> > I would like to have hot (if not at least warm) water in the westy for
> these
> >cold seasons. I am aware of the Zodi systems which look nice and
> functional
> >but they don't meet the "I built it" project requirements. Although they
> may
> >have a place in the system after all. My idea is was stolen from my
> mothers
> >Rialta (and many others I am sure). Use the engine to heat the water. I
> >originally thought of one of those extra "grey" water or other tanks
> mounted
> >between the beams as a separate hot water tank. The idea is to tap into
> one
> >of the long engine-to-radiator coolant pipes underneath the van. Add in a
> >short side trip to a copper ( or other material for possible corrosion
> >complications) coil which is mounted inside the tank, and then back to the
> >coolant pipe. Throw in some valves on the extension so it could be shut
> off
> >and there it is. I think I may go with the original westy tank after all.
> I
> >usually don't drink from the tank (drinking water usually carried separate)
> so
> >it would be fine if this water was always warm. And in the winter warm
> water
> >would be ok anyway. This would also be a great way to store some heat
> after
> >shut down to keep the interior warmer longer, 14 gallons of water holds a
> lot
> >of energy! Coolant temp is over the boiling point of water so the
> potential
> >for really hot water after a longish trip is good I think.
> > Any potential problems with the system? Water pump strain? material
> >incompatibilities? Etc,etc, Any body already done this? >>
> >
--
--------------------------------------------------
Torje Evensen
Trondheim, Norway
Email: guevens@online.no
UIN(ICQ#):2662221
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