The Navy shower

[wrightstuf]

Greetings...
Going over systems and what not trade-offs I'll have on the RV I purchase, I've run across a few eye-openers.
I've settled on the Travato. While comparing floor plans, I noticed the hot water tank is only 4 gallons! The average American shower is 17.2 gallons. lasts 8.2 minutes, and has a flow rate of 2.1 GPM. Ok, I realize you will be taking a much quicker shower while conserving water, but jeez. At my age, to suddenly run out of hot water will likely take a year off my lifespan! I understand that RVs likely have low flow rate showerheads with on-off switches that will help considerably.
What else am I missing!?
Also, semi-related, I might allow my 24-year old daughter to use the van to attend weekend concerts or other short out and backs with her friends. Are there waterproof holders to attach to walls to enclose a checklist of sorts? And likewise in other parts of the unit to act as memory joggers? I'm a retired pilot so I know the value of checklists, I plan to have laminated "walkaround," "pre-departure," and "shutdown" checklists available.
As many of you know with kids, you can explain something to them very carefully and they will look you in the eyes and nod in agreement, but they aren't listening to a word your saying.

Thanks in advance!

[EnduroRdr]

I’m in a Travato 59K - Yes Navy showers. But I really think I could run the water continuesly for probably 5 min before the life shorting shock begins.
I should do a test just to confirm!
I was already used to Navy showers from my previous 4 campers.

Continuous hot water while on full hookups!
I did have a modification on my 5th wheel for continuous hot water (mostly in an attempt to convince my wife and daughter to go camping with me). My 5th wheel had low point water drains that exited the trailer under on driver side. I installed some valves and garden hose connections to them. Then I purchased a small camping size tankless propane water heater like this one - https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/eccotemp-l5-portable-outdoor-tankless-water-heater?a=1588405


Essentially the cold water hooked to the inlet fed the tankless heater and outlet (replace the shower head with hose to hot side drain on camper.
I closed one valve feeding my build in 6 gal hot water tank so no back feed through it.
Then we had long continuous hot water showers!

Note this only worked while at campground with full hookups for water/sewer where I left the Grey valve open.

In the Travato it’s just me and I’m used to using the cut off switch on shower head.
And I’m seldom if ever on camp ground sewer hookups.
So yea it’s a life of Navy showers!

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by wrightstuf

Are there waterproof holders to attach to walls to enclose a checklist of sorts? And likewise in other parts of the unit to act as memory joggers? I'm a retired pilot so I know the value of checklists, I plan to have laminated "walkaround," "pre-departure," and "shutdown" checklists available.
As many of you know with kids, you can explain something to them very carefully and they will look you in the eyes and nod in agreement, but they aren't listening to a word your saying.

Thanks in advance!

Not a pilot, but I very much support the use of checklists. You can get sheets of regular paper laminated at Office Max cheap, so you might just want to try there.

Now . . . . getting them to read it?
.

[wrightstuf]

Originally Posted by EnduroRdr

I’m in a Travato 59K - Yes Navy showers. But I really think I could run the water continuesly for probably 5 min before the life shorting shock begins.
I should do a test just to confirm!
I was already used to Navy showers from my previous 4 campers.

Continuous hot water while on full hookups!
I did have a modification on my 5th wheel for continuous hot water (mostly in an attempt to convince my wife and daughter to go camping with me). My 5th wheel had low point water drains that exited the trailer under on driver side. I installed some valves and garden hose connections to them. Then I purchased a small camping size tankless propane water heater like this one - https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/eccotemp-l5-portable-outdoor-tankless-water-heater?a=1588405


Essentially the cold water hooked to the inlet fed the tankless heater and outlet (replace the shower head with hose to hot side drain on camper.
I closed one valve feeding my build in 6 gal hot water tank so no back feed through it.
Then we had long continuous hot water showers!

Note this only worked while at campground with full hookups for water/sewer where I left the Grey valve open.

In the Travato it’s just me and I’m used to using the cut off switch on shower head.
And I’m seldom if ever on camp ground sewer hookups.
So yea it’s a life of Navy showers!

Wow! That's a great idea! Now you have me thinking. Wondering if you could rig it to provide the hot outdoor shower in the rear of the van? Would it fit mounted to the right side wall above the outside shower hose and a closed right rear door? That way people walking by would want your autograph because you're such a genius!
Thanks much

[wrightstuf]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

Not a pilot, but I very much support the use of checklists. You can get sheets of regular paper laminated at Office Max cheap, so you might just want to try there.

Now . . . . getting them to read it?
.

Good idea, thanks

Yea, the 1st thing my daughter said when I told her I was going to buy a Trovato was "Cool! I can take it to Burning Man!" ... It was then my turn to look her in the eyes and nod, thinking all the while "there's not a snowball's chance in h... that's going to happen."

[mumkin]

I was looking at a detail about the Travato on the Winnie website and saw the Truma Combi... not sure if it was standard or an option. If so, you would already have the option of unlimited hot water... as long as you are in a campground to be able to drain it.

[wrightstuf]

https://www.truma.com/us/en/faq/func...uma-combi.html

Now I'm a bit confused. Does it have to drain water as opposed to recirculating?
I'm an RV noob

[MsNomer]

MrNomer and I can shower in less than gallon of water each—hair gets washed elsewhere. Our new "cartridge" system is now on my build blog.

https://msnomersvan.wordpress.com/20...-water-system/

[GeorgeRa]

Truma Combi has about 2.5 gal. of hot (140F) water reservoir and over 4kW LP burner so it should provide warm shower water for as long as you have water. Water tank capacity is the major limitation unless you are connected to fresh water source.

Your future 4 gal. of water is at 140F so for shower it would be about 6 gal. of warm water. I recently posted Suburban’s table of recovery times on this forum, it can help you to assess times between showers.

I have 5kW Espar hydronic heater which can provide warm water on demand.
In regards to 17 gal showers, it would be a shower per fresh water tank.

[peteco]

Originally Posted by MsNomer

MrNomer and I can shower in less than gallon of water each—hair gets washed elsewhere. Our new "cartridge" system is now on my build blog.

https://msnomersvan.wordpress.com/20...-water-system/

Can you provide a link to the heating element you used? Thanks.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by wrightstuf

Greetings...
Going over systems and what not trade-offs I'll have on the RV I purchase, I've run across a few eye-openers.
I've settled on the Travato. While comparing floor plans, I noticed the hot water tank is only 4 gallons! The average American shower is 17.2 gallons. lasts 8.2 minutes, and has a flow rate of 2.1 GPM. Ok, I realize you will be taking a much quicker shower while conserving water, but jeez. At my age, to suddenly run out of hot water will likely take a year off my lifespan! I understand that RVs likely have low flow rate showerheads with on-off switches that will help considerably.
What else am I missing!?
Also, semi-related, I might allow my 24-year old daughter to use the van to attend weekend concerts or other short out and backs with her friends. Are there waterproof holders to attach to walls to enclose a checklist of sorts? And likewise in other parts of the unit to act as memory joggers? I'm a retired pilot so I know the value of checklists, I plan to have laminated "walkaround," "pre-departure," and "shutdown" checklists available.
As many of you know with kids, you can explain something to them very carefully and they will look you in the eyes and nod in agreement, but they aren't listening to a word your saying.

Thanks in advance!

As someone else said...it starts to refill the tank the moment you start using hot water... plus, you're mixing this with cold....

I wouldn't get too excited about this.... besides, you can always shower at a campground, RV park or even a Pilot/Flying J or Love's truck stop.... plenty of water there...

Finally, I've never hooked up to city water... these mobile Class B's are designed to be self contained .. and even if you did hook up for water.. your gray water tank would fill up in no time...

[Britmobile]

Class B Life is one if compromise to a certain extent.
We plan to join a fitness chain and have “showers” every few days and a “van wash@ the rest of the time.

Similarly we’ll carry a few gallon containers of fresh water and not drink the potable water even though it’s filtered..

[GeorgeRa]

With full hook-ups you still can have long showers, even in B.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

With full hook-ups you still can have long showers, even in B.

George- there's no practical way for me to have a sewer hose attached at a campsite.... Not an easy gravity dump.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

George- there's no practical way for me to have a sewer hose attached at a campsite.... Not an easy gravity dump.

If you are saying that because you have a macerator, it is really a non issue. Grey tanks are usually in the 20 gallon range, so just hook up the hose to the sewer dump with and adapter, dump the tank, and take a shower of up to 20 gallons, which is a long shower. Dump the tank again and you are empty and done. No big deal at all.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by booster

If you are saying that because you have a macerator, it is really a non issue. Grey tanks are usually in the 20 gallon range, so just hook up the hose to the sewer dump with and adapter, dump the tank, and take a shower of up to 20 gallons, which is a long shower. Dump the tank again and you are empty and done. No big deal at all.

It's just as easy to pull out the hose and manually dump the tank..... we're usually on the go too much to forget about the hose being attached..... would rather do it when we need to.

Now that the macerator pump and line is fixed...flows like Niagara falls...

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

George- there's no practical way for me to have a sewer hose attached at a campsite.... Not an easy gravity dump.

Sorry about that. For most folks with RVs it is reasonably practical, it was for me when we stayed on campsites with full hookup with previous RVs.

[InterBlog]

Navy showers, yes.

On the checklist issue, back when I was a newbie, this was the most functional alternative I could come up with. The problem with most checklists is that they are not interactive and tangible, so important steps can easily be omitted by accident. With this one, the required tasks are on magnets, and as they are completed, they are moved from the "red-stop" side to the "green-go" side. Only when everything has been migrated to "green-go" can the van be moved.

Of course, experienced vanners do this stuff in their heads. But for newbies, it can be very easy to forget things, so some kind of minder system is needed.

Instructions and checklist reviews in this blog post here. This sticks on the wall behind my driver's seat, not that I need it any longer.

[MsNomer]

Originally Posted by peteco

Can you provide a link to the heating element you used? Thanks.

The Monoprice Strata is on sale right now:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_...901&p_id=21594

[wrightstuf]

That's genius! Have you tried it for cooking? Love the idea of vacuum packed freezer food for RVing