| Author |
Message |
David Clark (Dclark) (66.156.126.85)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 1:44 am: | |
Greetings.
I'm asking this question in reference to a 4106.
Where has anyone put an Atwood or Suburban LP water heater? I'm talking about the square kind that are made to go in the side of an RV.
These water heaters vent out the front (or door as they call it). I don't think there's quite room between floor and window line (if one leaves factory AC ductwork) and I hate to cut a hole in a bay door.
OR
Is there a better option (and readily available) using LP?
The tankless are too expensive.
Thank you -
David Clark
Cochran, Ga. |
FAST FRED (4.245.149.209)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 5:27 am: | |
Its not a structural problem to chop a hole in the bay door .
It IS a structural problem to chop a big hole in the monocoque skin of the coach.
A method of reinforcing the coach skin will be needed if you decide to do this.
FAST FRED |
David Clark (Dclark) (66.156.127.170)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 10:06 am: | |
Ah, so.
So, then, how did you do your heater?
Further questions on this line:
1. Would it be best to mount the water heater "door" on the outside of the bay door and have to fit up against heater when bay door is closed? --
OR
Mount the water heater door on heater and have a 4" screened hole in bay door for vent to breathe through?
2. Does anyone see a problem with installing the water heater in same bay as the LP tank itself?
3. And, to repeat the original question: how has anyone else done this type of install with this type heater, and is there a better option when using LP?
Thank you --
David Clark
Cochran, Ga. |
Dale MC8 (66.81.136.169)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 11:58 am: | |
Does anyone see a problem with installing the water heater in same bay as the LP tank itself?
YES!!! It is forbidden by code. You would have a bomb waiting to go off. If you must have the tank and the WH in the same bay, construct a compartment around one or the other so there can be no exchange of LP fumes. |
David Clark (Dclark) (66.156.127.12)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 12:50 pm: | |
Dale,
Thank you for that little light on the stupid part of myself. Makes perfect sense now that I've asked the question and gotten an answer.
Humility is a powerful thing.
Thanks.
David Clark
Cochran, Ga. |
Tom Caffrey (Pvcces) (65.74.65.65)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 10:28 pm: | |
David, the reinforcement of the skin should not be that difficult to do. If you go that route, and have a vanity set next to the skin, as ours is, then the heater winds up inside the vanity. Be sure to do a good caulking job between heater and skin.
Talk about instant hot water! It takes only tablespoons. Something we like about ours; if we use quite a bit of hot water, we can just hear when the flame cuts back from the water being up to temperature again.
Of couse, you are going to have to decide what to do about the factory ductwork. What about leaving only one side in?
Another thing to figure out; do you want to clean out the ductwork? It can be pretty smelly when conditions are wrong as in damp weather.
Good luck on your decisions!
Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576
Suncatcher |
FAST FRED (4.245.191.103)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 5:24 am: | |
"So, then, how did you do your heater?"
Our camping style is perhaps different.
As displaced New Yorkers the concept of sitting in the woods for a month has little appeal for us.
We travel to out of the way placers , small old towns or cities , but camp outside at a PP, or just O'nite at a rest stop. Wallmart or truck stops are out of the question.
When doing a few days boondockin at a bus do there is little need for running hot water. Dishes get washed with water heated on the propane stove , and a couple of showers can be had (not too long) on the retained heat in the HW heater.
Our HW heater is a marine 120V unit with a heater coil for taking heat from a cooling system, that gets 180deg HOT!! and lasts 2 or 3 days for a shower temp.
You might consider a Bosch or Paloma water heater that mounts inside on a wall & vents thru the overhead for endless hot water. Advantage over the RV stuff is its inside and EZ to fix.
Disadvantage is no 120V hot shot kit to use park PP electric when avilable.
Your camping style will determine the "best" choice for you.
FAST FRED |
TWO DOGS (63.185.72.109)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 8:22 am: | |
yep...it's your lifestyle that determines what you put in...I have a 20 gallon elec. water heater,when traveling,usually don't go two or three days until I have the urge to find a r.v. park,then,plug in ,have shower,brew folgers,wash clothes,watch t.v.,and ,like FF said the water in the water heater stays warm for a day or two,I don't like those propane water heaters,$500 wheew...for 6 gallons (?)and..if you fuel up at nice truck stops,free showers & good food...if you don't fuel,usually the showers are 5.00 |
DaveD (142.46.199.30)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 11:38 am: | |
Some high end motor homes have the Atwood type water heater mounted with the regular door on them and an extension throught the square opening to another door which is on the side of the motor home (and which matches the rest of the body). Same thing for the furnace.
For our bus, I didn't want to cut a hole in the side of the bus and I didn't want the heater to be inside the coach anyway, so I installed it in the middle bay on the drivers side, just far enough in the bay to clear the bay door when it is closed. I built an extension that is attached to the door that came with the heater and this extends just through an opening in the door for the bay. Its important to ensure that there is adeqaute heat dissapation and that combustion gases are exhausted out of the luggage bay. The extension I made for the intake exhasut has an internal heat shield (about 1/2" from the top of it) to prevent exhast gases hitting the extension directly. |
Jim (209.142.165.145)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 9:00 am: | |
I just installed an electric hot water heater from Home Depot in the bay of my 4107. Plenty of room for the 20 gallon unit in a 4106 also. 3 times the hot water for one third of the price of an Atwood propane RV heater. Got a new Atwood for sale cheap now. No venting of gas to worry about. Heated by generator going down the road, KOA when parked. Easy to strap in, plenty of clearance, easy to plumb and wire. As Fred says, "works for me". Jim |
s COOLbusnut (65.40.226.236)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 4:04 pm: | |
Jim...
Bring your new Atwood WH to Busn USA when you come!! (swap meet)
I'm looking for one!!
See Ya
Mark
75 gillig 636D |
joe (67.242.199.103)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 7:40 am: | |
our 10 gal propane/elec unit is mounted above the floor. the hole in the skin is not that big. the heater is enclosed in a bench-box. works for us.
joe 4106 |