My Truma on demand hot water heater is now installed

[funpilot]

[p]Have posted this on another site, but based on past interest I thought I would also post it here for your info.  Don't forget that I have a Trailmanor and not a LL so many of the install issues might never occur in yours if you ever decide to go this route.  I accidently "tested" a low water pressure situation that you may find enlightening as well:[/p][p]
[/p][p]Had my Truma installed today. Overall it went pretty smoothly but we had some Trailmanor specific issues that had to be addressed. First, the old hot water heater was suspended about 6 inches off the floor and the Truma ideally should rest on the floor. So the hole in the side of the trailer was higher than normal. The frame that held the old hot water heater up needed to be modified as a result. Second, the propane line on my Suburban hot water heater came in on the left side and the Truma expects it on the right side, so a little engineering needed to be done. Finally the opening/closing issues of the Trailmanor came into play but on first blush the cover (sticks out about 3/4 of an inch more than the old cover) did not stop the "feel" of the opening and closing of the trailer. However, there is a vent for the grey water tank that was right there and the Truma cover came slightly over it, so again, some adjustments had to be made.

Now that all of that was done, off to hook it up to water. Turns out that the water pressure at the place the install was done was pretty weak. Water basically trickled in to the city water connection. We thought about just putting water in the fresh water tank and using the water pump to get more pressure, but decided to test it anyway. HOT WATER !!! So, they really do have something different for lower water pressure situations. We ran it for 15 minutes and continuous hot water. So, tomorrow, I will hook it up to my house water and give it a more vigorous test. [/p]

[leslie]

Thanks, funpilot. I will be very interested to see how the water heater does in your future tests. The most important test will be the Wife Showering Test. At this point, I am really interested in having a Truma in my Camplite. Please update us on your wife's evaluation of this water heater.

[funpilot]

[quote source="/post/9314/thread" timestamp="1428982216" author="@leslie"]Thanks, funpilot. I will be very interested to see how the water heater does in your future tests. The most important test will be the Wife Showering Test. At this point, I am really interested in having a Truma in my Camplite. Please update us on your wife's evaluation of this water heater.[/quote]That is the only test that counts.  We will be off for a week of camping starting Thursday, so will have some feedback then.

[shovelhead]

Using Truma's "dealer locator"  I found a shop in TN.  I contacted the shop and the response was we have no one trained yet so we cant install.  I would really like to get one and would travel a reasonable distance.   Even be a CL guinea pig .

[funpilot]

[p]If you want an excuse to go to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, then this is your lucky day.  The authorized Truma Dealer I bought the unit from is Outer Banks Camper RV and Trailer.  Paul Kaufman is the owner and he can be reached at 252-491-8714.  He uses one of the few certified Truma installers (Percy Houchens at Route 12 Mobile RV Repair) to do the installation.  252-599-0808.  I just finished testing it with water from the house and it worked just as I expected it to.  I completely filled my grey water tank and no change in hot water temperature.  It takes about 10 seconds to get hot water in the shower when you turn it on by opening the hot water side. [/p][p]
[/p][p]I do not have a thermometer so cannot confirm the actual temp of the water, but I needed to mix it with cold water to get it comfortable for me. I am pretty sure the only limit to the amount of hot water is having propane and whether or not you are using your grey water tank or dumping into the sewer at a full hookup site. [/p]

[leslie]

It seems this is a very timely post. Truma has an ad in the latest issue of Trailer Life, and there is also an article about the water heater in the same issue.

[funpilot]

Just saw this video where they mention that Winnebago is now using Truma's products for hot water and heating at least on their Class B.

http://www.thefitrv.com/rv-reviews/t...ur-new-review/

[charliem]

[font size="3"]Here's the correct link. Apparently the unit is a combo furnace/HW heater.

[a href="http://www.thefitrv.com/rv-reviews/the-59k-a-new-travato-our-new-review/"]http://www.thefitrv.com/rv-reviews/the-59k-a-new-travato-our-new-review/[/a] 
[/font]

[silly122]

It seems this is a very timely post. Truma has an ad in the latest issue of Trailer Life, and there is also an article about the water heater in the same issue.

No resellers here in Canada... can anyone share what they sell for? Just looking at the basic model.

Posted using my powerful BlackBerry Z30

[funpilot]

Mine cost $1199.00 but saw that someone else paid $1133.00 for the same Comfort model.  If you are in Canada, I would highly recommend you do not get the basic one as it has no freeze protection. Then you need to buy the access cover that fits your installation best.  Mine was around $65.00.  So far they only sell through authorized retailers who will install them.  Plan on $300.00 or less for that.  

[daplumbr]

That's really cool, so to speak. We have a tankless gas hot water heater at our cabin that is wonderful for efficiency and hot water supply. But the price of the Truma is like "Wow". Looks like close to $1500 installed and it requires a potentially lengthy and costly trip to a certified installer. Big home units are less than half that! I guess if you really want unlimited hot water and live near an installer, that's worth it. Otherwise, it would seem wise on their part to come up with another business model if they want to serve the aftermarket.

[silly122]

Mine cost $1199.00 but saw that someone else paid $1133.00 for the same Comfort model.  If you are in Canada, I would highly recommend you do not get the basic one as it has no freeze protection. Then you need to buy the access cover that fits your installation best.  Mine was around $65.00.  So far they only sell through authorized retailers who will install them.  Plan on $300.00 or less for that.  

Ah, that would explain the $300 someone quoted earlier. It's just the install sans unit .

I think the closest reseller is in NH, so it appears it will be a while before I go down this route. But thanks for the information, something to plan for now.

Posted using my powerful BlackBerry Z30

[funpilot]

[p]Ok, I can now give a complete update on the Truma.  [/p][p]
[/p][p]It works wonderfully.  There are no temperature fluctuations once you set it to the temperature you want.  You can reduce the flow amount of hot water and cold water if you are boondocking and not worry about having enough water flow to continue to get hot water as with other on demand hot water heaters.  As I noted elsewhere, I begin to get hot water about 10 second after I turn it on from a cold start. ( How long does it take for a standard hot water heater to heat up the water to be usable?)  You will use that same amount of water with a standard hot water heater to flush out the cooler water in your lines so no difference there.[/p][p]
[/p][p]The limits to it are obvious.  It only runs on propane so no hot water when you run out of it.  If you are not at a full hookup, then you are also limited by your holding tank and the amount of fresh water you have. You will be tempted to take longer showers but that is not so bad as you can control that ... maybe (lol)[/p][p]
[/p][p]So, at this point, there is one on demand hot water heater that actually works well.  [/p][p]
[/p][p] [/p]

[ammobob]

I just got 2 quotes from authorized dealers on the West Coast. One wants $2000 and the other is more in line with what's been quoted at $1500 all in. Wife is hot after this so looks like we'll be getting one installed in the very near future. Keep everyone posted once installed. By the way they will not order or sell you one unless they are installing it.

[shovelhead]

Nobody close by me yet :-(