Heater , water heater? Combi boiler?

Susanrich93

Free Member
Posts
4
Likes
1
OK after seeing the truma combi boiler in person/boiler yesterday, It seems over kill for what I need (maybe)
What sort of other options are there for heating the van but also heating water?
Who doesn't have running hot water? Do you have a shower in your van?
I could just boil water on the stove but that will create steam!
Also while we are talking about the truma combi boilers can anyone tell me the difference between the 2e and 4e?
 
2e = 2Kw heat output, 4e = 4Kw. Have not checked but its likely the 2e is smaller in physical size. e = electrical option.
 
Ours is a mark one water heater (kettle).
We don't need running hot water, we have time to wait till it boils before we wash up. Our shower is a plastic 'bin' with a submersible pump using a domestic hose and shower head.. 1 kettle of hot and 2 of cold gives us an excellent shower.
We have just one gas pipe feeding the 2 ring stove and one gas bottle lasts all season usually. There are no vents to cut, no water and gas pipes to run and the space that a truma takes up is better used as a cupboard IMHO. I suppose some peoples lives are so hectic that they need running hot water, ours isn't! :)
 
I love my Truma 4e. Having tent camped until getting the van 10 years ago I really appreciate the comfort it gives in the winter particularly and it’s great to have plentiful hot water for the shower.
 
I fitted an electric heater in my Camper and even though it doesn't have a shower fitted, I do like having hot water literally "on tap"!
There are quite a few different ways to get hot water, from the "kettle on hob" method (which works very well but fairly manual) to a fully plumbed in Gas+Electric boiler. In the Motorhome I have a Trauma Ultrastore (standalone 10L gas+electric boiler which provides hot water to sink, basin and shower and I like it :) )

Something which I looked at but decided it wasn't for "my" way of operating, but seems to suit plenty of other folk is a "sous vide" style of water heating.
Sous Vide is essentially a cooking method, but a few people in the US adapt the Sous Vide heaters for their campers - an example: https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/62461/#post-617922

PS. "I could just boil water on the stove but that will create steam!" - you don't need to get the water THAT hot really :)
 
Truma also do a 6E variant which is usually an option if ordering a new vehicle.
As with all of them the output on electric is a max of 1800watt which I have found can be inadequate in the depths of winter but as I’m always cold, may be ok for most people.
 
My next van will have the Truma 6kw diesel/electric heater c/w Inet.
Currently I have the Gas/electric 6kw version c/w inet.
I find the bluetooth control and the ability to remotely set the heating using a SIM card when away excellent.
When Hillwalking in winter I send a text message about an hour before we get back to set up the heating.
Also if you put on the heating only, it heats the water to 40c
In winter if hooked up to EHU, you may need to use both gas an electric, as the lecy is only 1.8kw max.
But the boiler will only use gas if required, prioritising the use of the Lecy.
 
If you can still buy pop in a black plastic bottle (Tango used to be in them), stick a couple of bottles on your dashboard top in the Sun. This time of year you will have loads of hot water.
 
Hopefully it won't be long before manufacturers switch to deisel heaters as lpg is dwindling fast ,
 
Fisherman said:
My next van will have the Truma 6kw diesel/electric heater c/w Inet.
Currently I have the Gas/electric 6kw version c/w inet.
I find the bluetooth control and the ability to remotely set the heating using a SIM card when away excellent.
When Hillwalking in winter I send a text message about an hour before we get back to set up the heating.
Also if you put on the heating only, it heats the water to 40c
In winter if hooked up to EHU, you may need to use both gas an electric, as the lecy is only 1.8kw max.
But the boiler will only use gas if required, prioritising the use of the Lecy.
Click to expand...
I don't do the Hillwalking, but I like that idea :) does that work for both gas and electric?
 
We have a Combi 4 (non E), on convenience terms wish we had specified the 4E as we have spent more time on EHU than we had anticipated.
We have a shower and use the water heating when running that, but don't leave it on for constant hot water, for small amounts of water we boil a kettle, but saying that if running the hot air system it produces water hot enough to wash up with.
One of the big benefits of the blown air side of heating is, if routed correctly, it will heat entire van leaving no cold spots which might attract condensation, and indeed if using electric heaters when on EHU we still turn on Combi blown air occasionally.
 
wildebus said:
I don't do the Hillwalking, but I like that idea :) does that work for both gas and electric?
Click to expand...
Yes David, it makes no difference. You can select what you want gas only, electric only, or a combination of both.Basically when in the van or within 10M you use bluetooth from your phone, and you get a lot more information from the bluetooth than the touch control. The Inet box carries a SIM card and its connected to the mobile network. You simply go to your Truma phone App and put in what you want. IE temperature 20C water too Hot. You get a text back confirming its all done. When you get back your water is ready, and the van is nice and warm.
Remind me next time we meet to show you it in operation.
If you have the Truma combo installed you can buy the inet box for around £220. It simply plugs into the touch control. It came as standard on our van.

www.ebay.co.uk

Truma iNet Box Central Control Unit For Truma Combi & A/C Systems – 36400-52 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Truma iNet Box Central Control Unit For Truma Combi & A/C Systems – 36400-52 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!
www.ebay.co.uk
 
Fisherman said:
Yes David, it makes no difference. You can select what you want gas only, electric only, or a combination of both.Basically when in the van or within 10M you use bluetooth from your phone, and you get a lot more information from the bluetooth than the touch control. The Inet box carries a SIM card and its connected to the mobile network. You simply go to your Truma phone App and put in what you want. IE temperature 20C water too Hot. You get a text back confirming its all done. When you get back your water is ready, and the van is nice and warm.
Remind me next time we meet to show you it in operation.
If you have the Truma combo installed you can buy the inet box for around £220. It simply plugs into the touch control. It came as standard on our van.

www.ebay.co.uk

Truma iNet Box Central Control Unit For Truma Combi & A/C Systems – 36400-52 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Truma iNet Box Central Control Unit For Truma Combi & A/C Systems – 36400-52 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!
www.ebay.co.uk
Click to expand...
I have the older Truma Ultrastore (Gas + Electric Water), Ultraheat (Electric Room) and Traumatic (Gas Room) Units. It would be technically possible to combine and add remote capabiliity for the Ultrastore and Ultraheat, but the Trumatic is a physical dial for the gas setting plus push ignition.
Maybe someone has made an aftermarket for the Ultras?
I added SMS control to one of the Chinese Heaters for a friend who liked Winter Fishing and going back to a warm van and he loves it :)
 
Here's an unusual Calorifier type hot water system where the energy source is from your engine
trouble with this is you only have hot water when you have driven or run the engine.
 
When our Carver water heater started to leak, I took it out and it's still on a shelf ( a fellow WC er supplied me with a blanking plate to cover the hole),and we don't miss it. A kettle works fine and if we fancy a hot shower, a bucket and portable 12v shower does the job. We've also got one of those plastic bag jobbies that you hang in the sun
 
DnK said:
Here's an unusual Calorifier type hot water system where the energy source is from your engine
trouble with this is you only have hot water when you have driven or run the engine.
Click to expand...
That sort of system is fitted in my Burstner. It has an Alde heat exchanger fitted which can use engine cooling fluid to heat the Aldi central heating and give a tank of hot water while driving. Handy for Winter travelling. As well as the radiators being heated from the engine, there is also a fan on 2 radiators to give extra blown hot air in the kitchen and bathroom areas. The system also works in reverse. ie the hot central heating fluid can be used to warm up the engine quicker.
 
Last edited:
oppy said:
When our Carver water heater started to leak, I took it out and it's still on a shelf ( a fellow WC er supplied me with a blanking plate to cover the hole),and we don't miss it. A kettle works fine and if we fancy a hot shower, a bucket and portable 12v shower does the job. We've also got one of those plastic bag jobbies that you hang in the sun
Click to expand...
But what about heating?
 
Interesting thread to show how varied peoples ideas are.
We've had a fair few boats, mohos and campers. We've had water heated by calorifier, gas, elect and diesel.
When we were planning the build of our current van we decided on the KISS principle. We fitted what we needed, not what all the adverts, experts etc said we needed. Ended up with a comp fridge, eberspacher diesel heater and a combined smev 2 ring hob and sink.
Look through any MH forum and the most common problems are with water heaters and 3way fridges.
 
Edina said:
Interesting thread to show how varied peoples ideas are.
We've had a fair few boats, mohos and campers. We've had water heated by calorifier, gas, elect and diesel.
When we were planning the build of our current van we decided on the KISS principle. We fitted what we needed, not what all the adverts, experts etc said we needed. Ended up with a comp fridge, eberspacher diesel heater and a combined smev 2 ring hob and sink.
Look through any MH forum and the most common problems are with water heaters and 3way fridges.
Click to expand...
Well Chris the fridge is a difficult one for me.
Ok I have a preference for a compressor fridge, less to go wrong, not to affected by not being level or outside temperature, more efficient with fuel usage.
But in the winter when solar is almost non existent, every amp counts.
And even with two 120amp solar panels and two 95ah batteries we struggle.
Also we like a large fridge, our current one is 133 litres.
To be honest I would settle for either, and accept the differences.
Possibly a 3rd battery or lead carbon batteries might do the trick Chris.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top