On board Hot Water Shower setups?

[badmix]

Welp I did a search and didnt come up with anything. I know there is a company R&M that is about the only company that makes one that utilizes your factory heater hoses and what not. But its $400bux +/- for the kit, Its jus a heat exchanger and a bilge pump along with some other hoses and hardware. Well, it seems the biggest obstacle is the heat exchanger.

Well, I jus found a source for some heat exchangers that are remarkably jus like the ones R&M sell with their kits. Only this one would cost me $40bux. Id still have to get the pump and all other stuff, Im hoping to build one close to theirs for under or at $100bux. Im pretty confident it can be done now that ive found the heat exchanger.

I tried calling R&M to get some inside info on how it works to an extent. My biggest thing is temp control. They say its done with your normal heater controls. I jus dont see how that is possible. My heater controls effect the DOORs and Heater box. It doesnt dictate the flow goin thru the heater core. Isnt that flow consistant with the pressure in my system.Meaning its continously flowing?

The othe thing is how they have the flows. The one that I found has 1 1/8" OD of the main thru tube and 1/2" for the lil tubes at each end. The main tube is straight thru and the other tubes feed water thru it that circulates around the main tube. Picture tube inside of tube.

Anyways, the rest is jus a matter of putting it together. Once I get some of the parts sorted out. Ill do a write up with pics once I get all the goods. I need to take some measurements for hoses and fittings and go back and get the parts.

Stay tuned.................

 

[ntsqd]

Some vehicles use a valve in the heater hoses to control temp. Scout II's come to mind. Could likely just use a gate valve to the lo bux version.

I'm curious about the heat exchanger. When I was in college a couple of us cornered the Thermal Prof one day & discussed this. It's not a simple thing to get enough surface area in that small of a package.

 

[badmix]

Well here is the kit im tryin to duplicate

http://www.hotcampshowers.com/new51788.html

So, dunno how they are doin it, etc. But the heat exchanger i found looks exaclty like this one more or less.

 

[ryoken]

Marine applications have hundreds of heat exchanger styles..

I would think you would need some sort of accumulation tank for that setup... No way your gonna get that fast a heat build-up...

Heck, they have small hot water heaters in the boats that are electric or engine coolant heated...

 

[badmix]

I dunno, the articles ive read says that particluar kit really works. Ya gotta figure , coolant is around 180-210degrees. So if you have 50degree water running around it and its goin slow enuff, it could heat it up. I dunno. reason I wanna do this cheap incase it doesnt work. lol. RIght now the pump will be the main expense.

 

[ryoken]

That looks just like a water puppy pump for freshwater systems in the boats... They ain't cheap.....

 

[Brians89K5]

you can get that pump from a Camper store. Its the same 1.6 GPM pump they use on trailers I believe. GOod luck, I want to do this too. Once you get it done I really gotta hear how it works!

~Brian

 

[ryoken]

Maybe an RV one would be cheaper, I know the marine versions run $150+...

After rereading his first post.. I see the heat exchanger he found has 1 1/8" and 1/2".. Sounds eerily like a an oil cooler for boats.. Some come from Sen-dure... http://www.sen-dure.com/

 

[MattK]

very cool.

 

[ryoken]

I forgot to mention the pdf catalog for Sendure is big... But you could get any hose or NPT fitting size you wanted...

Can't say they'd be $40, thats for sure....

 

[badmix]

Maybe an RV one would be cheaper, I know the marine versions run $150+...

After rereading his first post.. I see the heat exchanger he found has 1 1/8" and 1/2".. Sounds eerily like a an oil cooler for boats.. Some come from Sen-dure... http://www.sen-dure.com/

Naw, this isnt an oil cooler. its a straight up heat exchanger. But I see that company has both and many other things.

 

[ryoken]

same thing dude...

 

[ryoken]

the only thing you'll find different among heat exchangers is how the fluid being heated/cooled, is routed in relation to the heating/cooling liquid...

A "tube in a tube" style is by far the least effective.. good exchangers run multiple tubes full length that are surrounded by the heated/cooled fluid... But they vary, price too....

 

[roadnotca]

The answer is its too doah hot. The inner tube is a copper coil, about 3/8 dia. So whatever your engine coolant is at, figure maybe 5* less. I've used it once, (at 8000 ft.). Thats correct, the water isn't regulated. What I was thinking of doing is getting a hose mixing valve and use two 5 gal. buckets, or you could use two hoses, one to fresh cold water and one through the heater. 5 gal. is just about enough to wash the hair and armpits.

 

[badmix]

Whats that?

 

[roadnotca]

I had to check to see if CK5 would take the pic size.
BTW, that is the R&M.

 

[badmix]

ah. well non regulated hot ass water isnt my idea of fun. Im goin to do more planning and figuring this out b4 spending any money. Some of the reviews said they regulate the hot water by the shower nozzle itself. Not sure how that works, its hot water coming out weather its fast or slow.

 

[chalet2506]

I've been thinking installing a Zodi in the back of my truck and using the works from the original furnace to vent it and installing a showerhead on the back. This looks like it could be a better idea. Keep us updated.

 

[roadnotca]

ah. well non regulated hot ass water isnt my idea of fun. Im goin to do more planning and figuring this out b4 spending any money. Some of the reviews said they regulate the hot water by the shower nozzle itself. Not sure how that works, its hot water coming out weather its fast or slow.

For my "used once", I just ran a bucket full of hot water and let it cool down to "Ahhh"

 

[ryoken]

ah. well non regulated hot ass water isnt my idea of fun. Im goin to do more planning and figuring this out b4 spending any money. Some of the reviews said they regulate the hot water by the shower nozzle itself. Not sure how that works, its hot water coming out weather its fast or slow.

It's the restrictor.. It's what slows down and keeps the water in exchanger longer.. Thus more heat...

I think the fact your conserving and using a pail of water, leaves it in long enough to get real hot... whereas if you had a garden hose hooked up to it, you could keep the temp down...