Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Thor Forums > Thor Tech Forums > Modifications and Updates
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-26-2019, 02:43 AM   #21
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: Michigan
Posts: 116
THOR #12333
wrapped, I totally understand your concern as we have the Girard tankless also. I also agree with your assessment 100%. It's great that the system works for some that have replied but it's not working as well as you and us would like. It wastes too much water and to be honest, in colder weather, it really doesn't heat as well as it should until it's been on for a while. I have messed with the flow control on the water heater itself but it didn't get much better.

So... I am very intrigued by your purposed solution. I have been thinking about just taking out the Girard and putting in a 10 gallon tank heater. Our exact rig came with the 10 gallon unit the previous year of production so it should be an easy swap. The biggest draw back is the outside door has to be changed and ours has many colors going through it. Your idea may be the solution for us.

I will be following this thread to see if anyone actually answers your question as to whether they have installed the 2.5 gallon heater. If you do it, I hope you will follow up on this thread with your results.

__________________
2019 Miramar 37.1
2013 Honda CR-V Toad
2004 Georgetown XL 370TS - Sold
funmoneypit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2019, 12:31 PM   #22
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: challenger 37FH
State: Delaware
Posts: 688
THOR #13399
Thanks your Miramar is almost the same as my challenger I think I'm going to do the aqua view valve don't want to convert to 10 gal tank to much involved. With the pass through space we have getting the return line back to freshwater tank shouldn't be hard. I also connect my gray tanks together when dry camping cheap easy set up.
__________________
wrapped is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2019, 01:26 PM   #23
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: Michigan
Posts: 116
THOR #12333
Ok, so you are going to use a diverter valve. Are you going to put it on the shower? I guess that helps with the water waste but doesn't really address the other issues we would like to be better if I understand how the valve works. It's so frustrating when you just want a little hot water out of the sink faucet and have to wait. Plus the zap of cold when you have the hot water on, turn it off and then back on.

I am still going to research your small tank heater idea. I can use the washer/dryer prep for electric. I just need to find a good spot to put the tank.

Let us know how you like it.
__________________
2019 Miramar 37.1
2013 Honda CR-V Toad
2004 Georgetown XL 370TS - Sold
funmoneypit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2019, 04:51 PM   #24
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: challenger 37FH
State: Delaware
Posts: 688
THOR #13399
FYI,just checked there web site they have a lot of new products including a sink miser, same principle just different hardware for the sink.
__________________
wrapped is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2019, 07:52 PM   #25
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2018 Siesta 24ST
State: Ohio
Posts: 99
THOR #15089
I am going ahead with the install. I was originally going to order the Bosch 2.5 gal, but tight install space forced me to instead order a smaller 1.6 gal "off brand" one. I decided that tank size was unimportant anyway, since the Girard will always refill the emptying mini tank with hot water at full flow, and the tank won't have to reheat electrically. Should have it installed in the next week or ten days, and I'll report the results.
__________________
steve2777 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2019, 07:54 PM   #26
Junior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: Alabama
Posts: 5
THOR #13017
There is a shower miser product that recycles water and give indication when water is up to temp

Btw thank you Thor Engeneer that put the tankless heater all the way across the RV to create this issue
__________________
Lugo2214 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2019, 08:46 PM   #27
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2018 Siesta 24ST
State: Ohio
Posts: 99
THOR #15089
Lugo, if Thor put your heater far fom your sinks, that certainly doesn't help the situation. But even if it was 6 inches from your sink, you'd still get the subsequent "cold sandwich" that happens while the Girard gets up to temperature. The only solution I can see is the secondary mini-tank. Soon as I've finished the install, I'll know how it works.
__________________
steve2777 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2019, 10:03 PM   #28
I Think We're Lost!
 
Bob Denman's Avatar
 
Brand: Still Looking
Model: Tiffin Wayfarer 24 BW
State: New York
Posts: 22,195
THOR #8860
Good luck! We're all waiting to hear the glorious results!
__________________
"What: me worry?"
Good Sam Member 843599689
Current coach: Tiffin Wayfarer 24 BW
Bob Denman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2019, 02:57 AM   #29
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: Michigan
Posts: 116
THOR #12333
Quote:
Originally Posted by steve2777 View Post
I am going ahead with the install. I was originally going to order the Bosch 2.5 gal, but tight install space forced me to instead order a smaller 1.6 gal "off brand" one. I decided that tank size was unimportant anyway, since the Girard will always refill the emptying mini tank with hot water at full flow, and the tank won't have to reheat electrically. Should have it installed in the next week or ten days, and I'll report the results.
I will most definitely be interested in your results. I seem to have gotten you and wrapped mixed up. Where are you going to install the tank?
__________________
2019 Miramar 37.1
2013 Honda CR-V Toad
2004 Georgetown XL 370TS - Sold
funmoneypit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2019, 03:58 AM   #30
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 30.1
State: Ohio
Posts: 176
THOR #14952
We have the tankless system in our house. Everyone always thinks that means "instant hot water". They don't think about the difference in the lines it takes the hot water to arrive in that part of the house. I love that we never run out of hot water, once it reaches the destination. Same applies for a RV. Never thought about your idea, good thinking. I hope it works well.
__________________
lal22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2019, 02:29 PM   #31
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2018 Siesta 24ST
State: Ohio
Posts: 99
THOR #15089
This 1.6 gal. tank will JUST fit between the Girard and the drawer mount frame under my bed. The Bosch 2.5 gal was too big. Only a single short connector hose was necessary to insert it in the hot water line.
__________________
steve2777 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2019, 05:47 PM   #32
Junior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: California
Posts: 5
THOR #13831
The only thing I can think of is how will it work when your not plugged in and then you have 2.5 gallons of cold water in line after the on demand water heater to flush out of the line before you get any hot water.

Just a thought 💭
__________________
RickyRacer87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2019, 06:06 PM   #33
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2018 Siesta 24ST
State: Ohio
Posts: 99
THOR #15089
Ricky, good point, and I thought about that. I want to see how long the mini tank keeps the water hot, or at least warm, after disconnecting from 120ac. Some figures I've seen for some other brands are 12-24 hours. That would be doable for boondocking since we'd be using hot more often than that. Also I'll be using a 1.6 gal tank now, and smaller quantity would be easier to keep hot from the Girard. Finally, if I find out it's going to be a problem, I'll put a bypass hose and valves in, so that with the turn of 2 knobs the mini tank will be taken out of the circuit. I'll see where testing leads me.
__________________
steve2777 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2019, 06:31 PM   #34
Junior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: California
Posts: 5
THOR #13831
It’ll be fun to see how it all works out. I’ve got the same issues as you and it really frustrating and a major waste of fresh water as well as filling the grey water tank with extra water when all your trying to do is get a little warm water.
__________________
RickyRacer87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2019, 02:13 PM   #35
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2018 Siesta 24ST
State: Ohio
Posts: 99
THOR #15089
The Mini-Tank heater is installed and working!

I've finished installation of my mini-tank water heater, which feeds the outlet of my Girard tankless heater into the inlet of the mini-tank, whose outlet then goes to the hot water line to sinks and shower.

The biggest problem I had was finding a mini-tankless that was small enough to fit the space next to the Girard, under the left side bunk (space in a Mercedes Sprinter is very tight). My original plans for the Bosch 2.5 and others went out the window for that reason. I found only ONE, in the entire internet world, that would fit: a 1.6 gal. unit from China, for 80 bucks on Amazon, so I decided to take a chance. Here is the Amazon link for the heater:

https://www.amazon.com/BoTaiDaHong-1...0668861&sr=8-1

It is Chinese but shipped from a U.S. warehouse. I was looking for a more name brand item, or one with good feedback, but the exterior dimensions were the smallest of any unit I could find, and the only one that would fit the small install space on my coach. It appears to be working as I hoped. Install instructions are TERRIBLE, and if you follow them you'll have it wrong. Customer service is by email to China, but is actually ok and prompt. It took me a half dozen email exchanges to establish that the written instructions are crazy wrong, and to understand that the unit's labeled "inlet" versus "outlet" are not consistent depending on whether you are installing horizontally or vertically, but it's in and working. Because the on/off/temp knob will be difficult to access under the bed, I installed a lighted switch next to the bed, that controls a satellite AC outlet wired to the 20 amp breaker for the air conditioner (on my 30 amp service I can't use the AC and the heater at the same time anyway, but the heater fully heats the water in about 5 minutes, and it so far appears to stay warm for at least 5 or 6 hours, so joint use of the breaker seemed to make sense.) I'm uploading a couple of pictures of the install.

With the limited testing I've done so far, I can't vouch for the heater's long term performance or longevity, but it seems capable of doing what I hoped. In November I'm going on a 3 week trip to really test the system. I did not install a bypass; I want to see how long it stays hot while boondocking, and how well I can refill it with hot water by a blast from the Girard, without needing shore power. If I have to refill it with hot water from the Girard, I'll let the initial cold water run into the coffee carafe. Alternatively, I might find that running the generator for 5 minutes will allow the tank to be heated by AC current. By the end of November, I should have a better picture of how it will all work, and I'll update.

Meanwhile, if anyone else actually orders this unit through Amazon, message me, and I'll forward you the installation instructions from Beijing. It'll save you a lot of grief!
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	1009191219.jpg
Views:	74
Size:	99.1 KB
ID:	20748   Click image for larger version

Name:	1009191220.jpg
Views:	71
Size:	95.6 KB
ID:	20749  

__________________
steve2777 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2019, 02:30 PM   #36
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: Michigan
Posts: 116
THOR #12333
Nice job! Will definitely be interested in the results.
__________________
2019 Miramar 37.1
2013 Honda CR-V Toad
2004 Georgetown XL 370TS - Sold
funmoneypit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2019, 06:14 PM   #37
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2018 Siesta 24ST
State: Ohio
Posts: 99
THOR #15089
Well, I'm back from a 3 week East coast trip, about half with full hookups, and half boondocking, and I'm pretty happy with the 1.6 gal. water heater working in conjunction with the Girard tankless heater. I'd give the setup an A-.

When boondocking, I'd run the generator and the heater for 5 minutes, before parking for the night or in the morning, and I had 1.6 gal. of HOT water instantly, which stayed pretty warm for a good half a day. And if I ran the hot at full flow, the tankless heater also kicked in, and I had as much hot water as I wanted. Of course, I didn't want full and endless flow much when boondocking because of limited grey and fresh water capacity, but the 1.6 gal. was more than sufficient for anything except a shower. If I used less than full flow, the water stayed hot for 1.6 gal., then got cold.

When I had full hookups, I had both instant AND endless hot water. The lowest heat setting on the 1.6 gal. was hotter than the highest setting on the Girard, so I might have to mix in some cold at first.

All in all, I'm very happy that this setup pretty much eliminates the "cold sandwich" problem with the Girard.
__________________
steve2777 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Thor Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.




All times are GMT. The time now is 04:55 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2