Shower Miser install-- 2021 Magnitude XG32

[RJHenry]

Hi all...forum newbie here. Thanks to all of you for all I have learned from this group. My first post---My XG32 coach is in a local shop here in ABQ to install the shower miser system. I'm tired of loosing so much fresh water to the grey tank. They have never installed one but have had a few requests...I am the first they are installing. They say they have to take out the shower stall and drop the water tank...estimated at 10 hours minimum. I say...hold on. There has to be a better way. Have any of you folks installed a shower miser in a Magnitude or Omni XG32? Any comments? Tips? This is excessive right?

 

[16ACE27]

They don't want to do the job. I doubt the Shower Miser install on any RV requires an R&R of the shower stall and FW tank.

 

[RJHenry]

They don't want to do the job. I doubt the Shower Miser install on any RV requires an R&R of the shower stall and FW tank.

Thanks. That may be.

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

Nope nope nope. If I recall, I found YouTube (of course) vids of installs. I don't have a Magnitude, but it's the same routine on every RV.

You just need access to the top of the water tank... have never heard of a motorhome without access. Run a pex pipe from the fresh tank (tracing existing pex supply pipes) back to the shower... pull the shower faucet. I won't go into every detail, but at this point you're 75% there. NO dropping tanks, NO removing shower stall. WOW... these guys REALLY don't want the job.

It's basically a home handyman job using tools most handy folks have around home.

Mine works FANTASTIC!! We save SO much water! P.S. even when using hot water at the kitchen sink we open the ShowerMiser recirculating valve and let the water circulate for maybe 15 seconds. Nearly instant HOT water at the kitchen faucet too!

 

[RJHenry]

Nope nope nope. If I recall, I found YouTube (of course) vids of installs. I don't have a Magnitude, but it's the same routine on every RV.

You just need access to the top of the water tank... have never heard of a motorhome without access. Run a pex pipe from the fresh tank (tracing existing pex supply pipes) back to the shower... pull the shower faucet. I won't go into every detail, but at this point you're 75% there. NO dropping tanks, NO removing shower stall. WOW... these guys REALLY don't want the job.

It's basically a home handyman job using tools most handy folks have around home.

Mine works FANTASTIC!! We save SO much water! P.S. even when using hot water at the kitchen sink we open the ShowerMiser recirculating valve and let the water circulate for maybe 15 seconds. Nearly instant HOT water at the kitchen faucet too!

Thank you Nomad! Im logging all the comments. Much appreciated.

 

[16ACE27]

Nope nope nope. If I recall, I found YouTube (of course) vids of installs. I don't have a Magnitude, but it's the same routine on every RV.

You just need access to the top of the water tank... have never heard of a motorhome without access. Run a pex pipe from the fresh tank (tracing existing pex supply pipes) back to the shower... pull the shower faucet. I won't go into every detail, but at this point you're 75% there. NO dropping tanks, NO removing shower stall. WOW... these guys REALLY don't want the job.

It's basically a home handyman job using tools most handy folks have around home.

Mine works FANTASTIC!! We save SO much water! P.S. even when using hot water at the kitchen sink we open the ShowerMiser recirculating valve and let the water circulate for maybe 15 seconds. Nearly instant HOT water at the kitchen faucet too!

Don't even need access to the FW tank, just tee into the FW pump suction line. If running the pump, it just recirculates until hot. If on external water, it goes into the FW tank.

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

Don't even need access to the FW tank, just tee into the FW pump suction line. If running the pump, it just recirculates until hot. If on external water, it goes into the FW tank.

I originally installed ours with a tee in the suction line because I was hesitant to drill into the FW tank. It didn't work well... lots of gurgling... acted like it was sucking air into the system. I TRIPLE checked every connection. There were no leaks anywhere.

So I finally carefully drilled a hole into the top of the tank just big enough to fit a 1/2" brass 90° elbow. The hole shard stayed on the bit (YAY!). Then used a U clamp with stainless screws to secure the pex to the top of the tank. Finally covered the elbow where it entered the tank with Geocell ProFlex sealant.

HUGE improvement! No more gurgling!!

And... opening the ShowerMiser valve when on city water directs water to the FW tank. I've filled it once that way for a proof of concept. It worked... but MUCH slower than using the gravity fill.

 

[RJHenry]

I originally installed ours with a tee in the suction line because I was hesitant to drill into the FW tank. It didn't work well... lots of gurgling... acted like it was sucking air into the system. I TRIPLE checked every connection. There were no leaks anywhere.

So I finally carefully drilled a hole into the top of the tank just big enough to fit a 1/2" brass 90° elbow. The hole shard stayed on the bit (YAY!). Then used a U clamp with stainless screws to secure the pex to the top of the tank. Finally covered the elbow where it entered the tank with Geocell ProFlex sealant.

HUGE improvement! No more gurgling!!

And... opening the ShowerMiser valve when on city water directs water to the FW tank. I've filled it once that way for a proof of concept. It worked... but MUCH slower than using the gravity fill.

Thanks all. I've been sending comments to the shop. I was hopeful a Magnitude or Omni owner could share experience if they made this mod.

I'm also calling Thor to see if I can get schematics for the new Magnitudes that come with the Showermiser.

 

[Judge64]

Some brands of recirculating shower devices tell you that the return line has to be a "zero" pressure return back to the fresh water tank.

I had an SV34 and thought about installing a Shower Miser. I did a lot of upgrades to my SV34..... including rewiring the coach to run every circuit off a 3000W Inverter after doing I Lithium Conversion..... but I opted not to do it because it was going to take a lot of work and a lot of disassembly. I was going to have to remove the shower enclosure to access the plumbing behind the diverter.

There was not enough Pex available to pull the plumbing through the hole where the diverter was located to do the necessary work. So I tend to believe it when the shop says they have to remove the shower enclosure.

I would then have had to either route some new Pex behind the wall between the bathroom and under the bed where the fresh water tank was located or I would have had to drill a hole in the floor, run the Pex under the chassis and the back up through the floor under the bed to access the fresh water tank.

I camped with full hookups more often than dry camped so I learned to live without it.

It's not that it cant be done..... it's that it should be done and is easier done when building the coach. Otherwise.... 5 - 10 hours sounds about right to me to do the job properly. I just don't know the XG32 to know if access to the fresh water tank is as easy as it is on the SV34.

 

[RJHenry]

Some brands of recirculating shower devices tell you that the return line has to be a "zero" pressure return back to the fresh water tank.

I had an SV34 and thought about installing a Shower Miser. I did a lot of upgrades to my SV34..... including rewiring the coach to run every circuit off a 3000W Inverter after doing I Lithium Conversion..... but I opted not to do it because it was going to take a lot of work and a lot of disassembly. I was going to have to remove the shower enclosure to access the plumbing behind the diverter.

There was not enough Pex available to pull the plumbing through the hole where the diverter was located to do the necessary work. So I tend to believe it when the shop says they have to remove the shower enclosure.

I would then have had to either route some new Pex behind the wall between the bathroom and under the bed where the fresh water tank was located or I would have had to drill a hole in the floor, run the Pex under the chassis and the back up through the floor under the bed to access the fresh water tank.

I camped with full hookups more often than dry camped so I learned to live without it.

It's not that it cant be done..... it's that it should be done and is easier done when building the coach. Otherwise.... 5 - 10 hours sounds about right to me to do the job properly. I just don't know the XG32 to know if access to the fresh water tank is as easy as it is on the SV34.

Thank you Judge. We dry camp 90% of the time in state parks with no sewer. We often have electric and access to water but there are either no dump stations in the park or it is inconvenient to get to them. I put a diverter valve at the shower to catch water to reuse but it takes a gallon or 2 depending on the water flow. Hmmm...what to do!

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

Judge knows the Magnitude, so I'd take his sage advice. While Thor left ample room behind the faucets for mine, that's obviously not true for all motorhomes.

As an example of "build in place", my water heater is on the driver side, but the kitchen and bathroom are passenger side. Thor somehow routed the pex from the driver side to passenger side under the "step-up" mid coach. It's buried in there... it won't budge. If it ever leaked.. ??? I'd probably have to do what Judge described - drill through the floor and run pex UNDER the coach. :nonono:

 

[RJHenry]

Judge knows the Magnitude, so I'd take his sage advice. While Thor left ample room behind the faucets for mine, that's obviously not true for all motorhomes.

As an example of "build in place", my water heater is on the driver side, but the kitchen and bathroom are passenger side. Thor somehow routed the pex from the driver side to passenger side under the "step-up" mid coach. It's buried in there... it won't budge. If it ever leaked.. ??? I'd probably have to do what Judge described - drill through the floor and run pex UNDER the coach. :nonono:

I have followed this forum for some time and have watched you senior members offer some really great info. TY! So yup...I'm listening carefully. The RV guy, the owner, (really good firm here in ABQ with strong positive rep) and I talked about several options. He wants to do the work but it is a tough puzzle. At the least he will add an accumulator. I bought one for him to install same time as the SM based on comments from this forum. It could be I can get quicker hot water via more consistent water volume.

 

[Judge64]

At the least he will add an accumulator. I bought one for him to install same time as the SM based on comments from this forum. It could be I can get quicker hot water via more consistent water volume.

I installed an accumulator tank and it helped with more consistent water from the water pump and less pulsing, it really didn't change the behavior of the Girard.

If you don't have at east 45PSI pressure from City Water, then running the pump is the way to go.

I replaced the single cartridge shower diverter with one that had separate hot and cold. Then I could make sure that no cold water would mix. Then I would set the water temp and turn the hot on full. If ambient temps are warm (or ground water is warm like it is this time of year in Florida), the Girard can heat up pretty fast.

If supply water temps are cool to cold, you can try to adjust the flow control on the back of the Girard so water stays in the unit longer for it to get hotter.

 

[RJHenry]

I installed an accumulator tank and it helped with more consistent water from the water pump and less pulsing, it really didn't change the behavior of the Girard.

If you don't have at east 45PSI pressure from City Water, then running the pump is the way to go.

I replaced the single cartridge shower diverter with one that had separate hot and cold. Then I could make sure that no cold water would mix. Then I would set the water temp and turn the hot on full. If ambient temps are warm (or ground water is warm like it is this time of year in Florida), the Girard can heat up pretty fast.

If supply water temps are cool to cold, you can try to adjust the flow control on the back of the Girard so water stays in the unit longer for it to get hotter.

Thx Judge. Just heard from the RV shop owner. He figured a way to install the SM in my "budgeted" hours. He thinks 3-4 hours to do it. From what I've read on this forum that is about right. No removing the shower enclosure and no removing the W tank. He is also putting in an accumulator. Ill share results in a week or so. Thx to all for input.

 

[mkurtz502@gmail.com]

RJHenry, Im glad to hear that as I was going to offer some suggestions on less hours and how you might do it yourself. 3-4 hours is reasonable but no more..

 

[RJHenry]

RJHenry, Im glad to hear that as I was going to offer some suggestions on less hours and how you might do it yourself. 3-4 hours is reasonable but no more..

Thanks for confirmation! I asked him to take pics as he goes. Well see. If yes Ill share on this thread so same conversation.

Senior guys...if I don't add to this thread for 10 days (I'm traveling on business...wish I were retired) will the thread be archived? Or can I add to this in that timeframe? Other Mag/Omni folks might want to see how it is done. At the least I will have the guy give me a step by step verbally...ill write it for my rig folder. Thx all.

 

[16ACE27]

Thanks for confirmation! I asked him to take pics as he goes. Well see. If yes Ill share on this thread so same conversation.

Senior guys...if I don't add to this thread for 10 days (I'm traveling on business...wish I were retired) will the thread be archived? Or can I add to this in that timeframe? Other Mag/Omni folks might want to see how it is done. At the least I will have the guy give me a step by step verbally...ill write it for my rig folder. Thx all.

Unless a thread is CLOSED by a Site Team member, it can always be updated by anyone.

 

[Dry Yachtie]

I do Own an XG32

OK I have a 2022 XG32 and am Intimately familiar with the Details back there.


Slide out the Bed Slide
Open the Tank access Hatch under the mattress
On the forward side/bottom of the FW tank is the Pump pickup and the Winterizing valve, this is easily tapped with a PEX Tee to add the tank return water from the Show Mizer
On the passenger side lower corner you will see the "EXPERTLY CUT" hole leading into the Bathroom space where the plumbing runs to the shower and Water filter
Removing the Faucet Access Panel in the Shower will allow you to feed through a pex pipe to lead back to the Tank void from the shower mizer.
You can either make it with an elbow before to feed it though to the tank area or rely on the flexibility of the pex to make the bend at the floor.
I favor the Elbow to relieve stress on the other joints/connections.
Hope this is of some help.