What is the best portable hot water option?

Jason,

We have a coleman HWS and a Solar Shower. We use the solar shower and refill it with water warmed from the Coleman, or the Billy on the camp fire if more water is needed for the girls hair ;)


Cheers Kev

Hi Jason, we use about a 12 litre pot with lid and a 12 volt shower pump, make the water hot as you like it on the cooker or fire, and can cook Mud crabs or Cherabin/Yabbies as well, everything fits in the pot including another gas burner/welding gloves etc, works for us. Cheers, Kanga.

Hi Jason,

We bought the coleman HWOD system and all the accessories (bag, lpg hose, shower head and house hose adapter) for about $420 before the trip to Fraser at new years and even the 'I hate camping' wife said it was the best thing I had bought!

Rob.

A kettle on the stove.
A 9L plastic bucket with a female QC near the bottom topped up with cold water and the kettle full of hot.
1M of hose with QCs and a garden rose (with shut-off).
Stand the bucket on the roof.
Cost nothing, always the right temperature, uses minimum gas, bucket has other uses, takes minimal space.

OR

A built in shower and toilet and gas HWS...... :-)

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Has anyone considered modifying something like this??? Just add a suitable sure flow pump and a water source I guess.



http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230573516780&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT


Regards

Hi Jason,
our vote goes with Coleman, bought ours before our last trip to Birdsville (other than the quick Jaunt to Bathurst on top the mountain for 4 days), The Coleman is good on the gas and is hot enough to do the dishes, we fill a container with the correct showering temp and use a shower tent with a 12v shower head, no one can use more than their allocation of water this way,
we always boil our water b4 cooking and cuppas with it and the coleman "pre heats" our water for boiling,
hot water on tap makes for happy campers

you won't regret buying one if you do

cheers
Garry

Jason

Move to Tamworth, the sun does it for you.
39 yesterday, 41 today and forecast 40 tomorrow.
I'm sure there are hotter spots though

coleman by far, have tried boiling kettle - to long , those little $ 20 shower pumps don't last , need car or battery 2 run them.
tried a cheaper ( $ 200 ish ) gas hws from supercheap ,it didnt survive it's
first trip.
got the coleman & pol gas fitting so can use cannister or " big " gas bottle.
i use 20 ltr drum & heat water to desired temp, turn off gas and then use coleman pump , placing shower rose back in bucket between soap on &
rinse.
we use a ensuit type tent -- shower in 1 side chem toilet in other with zippered dividing door , clothes stay dry & no trying to reach outside for towel
etc.
cheers

Another vote for the Coleman but I don't use it often.
Usually in a group and we set up a communal shower.

My vote is for the Coleman,

It has worked well for the last 3 years. I use it only to get hot water to wash the dishes, but SWMBO can use it for long showers (10 minute jobbies) when she is out camping with me.

Cheers Wilko

Had the glind shower unit and also the companion shower unit. Nothing beats a 20l paint drum on the fire or big gas burner and a 12v pump and shower head. It has definitely been the most reliable and easy shower we have had.

Hi Jason!
I've just been through this dilemna myself - considered the Coleman HWOD, the Companion (?) Cube thing, an instant tankless HWS via ebay and even a $3000 (!!!!) Webasto diesel system.
Discounted the Coleman and Companion because I have read literally hundreds of posts and easily half of them are negative. The instant tankless would have been OK except it has no AGA approval which worries me. The Webasto - apparently brilliant, but at those dollars???!!!
We are on a 'simplify' kick at the moment and finally went full circle and decided to stick with the gas cooker and kettle!! No extra to carry, no extra cost, no set up time - in fact it makes you sit back and 'smell the roses' while waiting and after all, isn't that what camping is all about?? By the way, for a shower mix cold water with boiling water in a 4:1 ratio and you'll get a water temp of around 39 degrees - add a bit more or less boiling depending on ambient temp.

Cheers
TG

Ive had a Coleman a few years now and i only use it to shower and its brilliant,Women love it too.....

I've got the Twine heat exchanger set up on my Patrol, works fine if you recirculate the water in a bucket or pre-heat first but not warm enough if used directly from a creak or stream,has anyone looked into adding a second heat exchanger or doing something so as it would be warm direct from a creek?

Cheers.......Browny

for me camping is about doing it as cheaply as possible or free (preferred option) even if it means a little inconvienance (i.e. it is not all there at the turn of a tap). I purchased a 19L solar shower bag for under $10 & I reckon it is great, fill it & leave it in the sun for a few hours then throw it on the patrols roof rack so it gravity feeds into the small but ample nossle. If it is too cold to or runs out then it is easy to top up with boiled water to get it nice & warm. I can ussually get 3 showers from the 19L so I am happy with that! Good for the environment & good for my wallet!

I just installed a Helton Heat exchange to my rodeo yesterday. A bit fiddly trying to mount as there so little space. But once its in, its in. I decided to go a helton based on the fact i have little space to carry a larger heavier HWOD or similar unit and i dont have to worry about carrying extra gas. Solar showers may be ok but not reliable on cold or wet days. Plus i love the fact of no moving parts.

I havent actually tried it in a real shower situation, but i was playing with it yesterday and timing how long it took to heat a 10l bucket of cold water to shower temp.
i went for a quick 5 min drive to get the car to operating temp 80 degrees, hooked the 12v turbo shower pump into a bucket and it took 3 mins (not kidding) to heat the water up to a good shower temp, after 4 mins i could not put my hand in it. It cost $315 from ebay and came with all the fittings and good quality hoses etc.

I will just use it to re-circulate a bucket of water to a good temp and take it away to my shower ensuite.

As you have already used these types you know how simple they are to operate, i had also heard so many disaster stories abut the coleman, but have also heard their customer support is very good, but for me i know as long as my car starts and i have water- i can make it hot!


let us know which way you go.

doey

Hi Jason,
I also have a camper, Tambo...

For our family, take 1 12 lt flat bucket, $6.
1 12 volt shower from Jaycar. $29.95. The yellow onewith the grey bag. Its lasted for about 150 showers so far.
1 $6 kettle (for the stove) from kmart $7
and some gas to heat the water.

Used it alot and it works fine..

Try the cheap option and you may find you will save some money.

Coleman are a great unit, BUT, the water is not hot enough for a cupper.

The kettle triples up for the shower, cupper and dishes.

Hope this helps,

Matt

Thanks for the advice guys much appreciated.

The coleman seems popular as do the heat exchanger types and also there are the much simpler methods all of which I have used at various times.

Has anyone with a CT tried one of the instant gas hot water systems??

Thanks for all the info it is what I was after


Regards