In regards to Reflectix, we also found if you install it on every exterior wall that is hidden you will see a big difference. Examples of this is within cabinets, drawers and etc. It will help as much as doing your windows. Love gratefulglamper....
We have a Hi-Tech water saver. We use a HD 5 gallon bucket. We fill the bucket until the water is hot.. it only takes 1 to 2 gallons. When done we either use the water to flush in the toilet. Use it to rinse dishes or dump it outside
Mmmm..... 12 v soleniod valve -- couple of check valves - tee in the hot water line --- and a couple (1 per faucet or area) //// want hot water, push the button, 12v solenoid opens and dumps the ?cold? hot water back into the fresh water tank (no waste) hold for 10? secs or so release the button and open the hot water faucet - hardest thing (not hard at all) was the return line from the tee to the fresh water tank. No wasted hot while getting it hot.
@@billb48843- been using this exact setup with button temp sensor for 5 years. So simple even a bucket person could use it… Turn the Coach water pump on, push a button at the lavatory sink, button turns red and water pump runs while cold water in the hot line is diverted back to the fresh water tank. Once the cold water in the hot line gets hot, diverter solenoid is closed and red light in button turns blue. Depending on size of system, one could easily save 1/2 to one full gallon of water with each use when off grid. Plus, sloshing water spilled from a bucket while being transferred to the toilet or sink has never been an issue.
If you want to add some fabric to the Reflectix, if you sew the fabric to the Reflectix using vertical lines you can then fold it along those lines for easier storage. You can use bias binding either glued or sewed to the edges to stop them getting messy too. This makes the Reflectix a lot more durable and much easier to store. I got the idea from Create with Verity
We have the Truma AquaGo Comfort Plus gas tankless water heater. Provides hot water in 10 seconds. Also have generic boat decking on our steps. Cheaper than boat deck brand.
I completely agree with the AC soft start mod. Another one that I have enjoyed having is my Roku. I bought it for my Dad in the 90's. When Dad died, Mom Didn't understand to set the input select on the TV to HDMI and she gave it back to me, I quickly put it in our motor home and have no regrets we definitely use it way more often than the antenna. We really like it on longer trips like our snowbird trek down to see our Floribama relatives. We've been thinking of getting a newer one because as a 90s unit, it has a limited selection of veiwing options. Today's units are 30 years newer and way more powerful,.
@@IWillSmurfYou You're probably right. If your looking for an argument, you won't get one from me. As a two time stroke survivor, my memory isn't as perfect as it once was. The one I have is still old and under-powered. Still, Roku is a great addition to any RV. It would also work great for stealth campers because no TV antenna on your van makes your camping even stealthier.
We agree the best mod is converting the 2 way (propane & electric) fridge to 12 volt. We just had our Dometic fridge converted by JC Refrigeration as well and no longer need to use the Yeti for those long travel days.
Recirculating pump uses power keeping the water hot plus it runs the tankless heating the water and uses propane. Unless you manually turn a pump on till water is hot putting the cold water back into fresh water tank. Look into the water mizer that they put in the Winnebago micro mini FLX. Awesome idea and it works great. You can build your own by pass system.
+1 on Unique Camping & Marine! We have had much less "black tank stink" since we started using it on our first travel trailer four years ago. It just works!
We bought the magnetic lights and use them on our steps, just magnet to the underside of each step or on the inside underneath at a diagonal and set them to motion detection mode. They work pretty great for getting in and out and as a bonus if you need a light, just grab it, take it with you for a walk, use it under the hood when working on the engine, or the axel when underneath our trailer. MAGNETS!
When we traveled to very cold country in late fall we used diving suit material for the windows and vents. Worked excellent but it was very dark inside.
@2:08 I have a tankless water heater and I tested from the unit to the kitchen sink I waste 2 cups of water before it's hot. Also tested the bathroom sink and shower and water just under 2 cups of water. I'm using a Ridgeyard 12L 3.2GPM cheap heater and for the price it works great with super low water waste
Our son had a trailer with the on-demand heater and it worked fine, except in our area (west Texas) we have very hard water and lots of minerals in it. We've found that we can heat up our 6 gallon capacity hot water heater and it stays usable for 6-8 hours before we have to turn it back on. Of course we can't take unlimited length showers, but we're camping, not in a spa ;)
Those Temu light bars are awesome! They can be set for motion sense and hold a charge for quite some time. Great for the bathroom, inside your entry and inside cabinets. Super cheap
Nice video; thank you. I work in a hardware store, and I get a lot of customers who are setting up StarLink in RVs. While I am a full-time RVer, I don’t have StarLink. These customers tell me of a specific cable that StarLink uses that is too large for the common plates we carry, but it looks like you’re just passing the EtherNet connection through. Perhaps you could go into a bit more detail about your StarLink setup? Also, for most situations, I consider on-demand water heaters to be a waste for a variety of reasons, especially boondocking. I typically use less than one six-gallon tank of warm water per shower, which helps me ration my freshwater supply; replenishing water in the dry regions I normally camp in is annoying. I heat the water till it’s about 105°F, shut off the heater and wash dishes, then shower using JUST the remaining hot water, no cold mix. (I normally use three dishes over and over, not the consumption-oriented full suite of show-offs; I eat out of my cook pot or tray, as well.) when I can avoid showering, I heat dishwater in a tea kettle. Saves a lot on energy and water. Reasons not to use on-demand heaters for normal American tastes include much heavier maintenance requirements and expense. This video was well made; thank you for that :)
I had a cabin in the redwoods of California years ago. We installed a recirculation pump system into that cabin, and we always had hot water all the time. This was when I was pregnant with my 30-year-old daughter. Might be a bit different, but I think what you are looking at would work even better because it is modern. LOL
Hot water IMO the best system is VanL ife Tech Tjos is a closed hydronic system heated floors heated water on de.and and heated air. Awesome system!! I looked into recirculating but the filters that must be replaced often is expensive and a hassle. Go with a closed system Hydronic!
Very best instant rv water heater retrofit is TRUMA gas only in instant mode 120 degree hot water constantly. In econo mode about 1 quart until 120 degrees. When full hook up never get cold showers again. Had ours now for three years. Happy wife
Hi guys, I actually have come to prefer doing the dishes in a plastic tub on the tailgate of the truck. A wire drain rack sits beside the tub for air drying, and the gallon or two of dishwater gets dumped on the ground. My RV is a cargo trailer to RV conversion that I built myself. A 100 gallon plastic farm tank sits in the bed of the truck and is my fresh water tank.A hose runs to a water inlet in the nose of the trailer. Combined with an on demand water heater, I have long hot showers out in the middle of nowhere without worry about running out of hot water. Or running out of water period. And all the load of 800 lbs of water gets tranfered to the truck, which has lots of excess weight and space capacity.
Glad to see you changed your fridge to a 12v compressor fridge. We installed this type of fridge and as long as you have the correct house battery setup it is the best way to go. By the way I am in Australia.
Some good mods. Sad that some people gouge for RV items like "dump buddy" no way it's worth $42.00 ! How many of these item's are sent to UA-cam channels to promote only to see them on at a later episode of junk to ditch on there RV. Thank you for your videos. Safe travels
I installed a tankless water heater in my rig about 7 years ago. I had the same issue with wait time. I solved it by plumbing the tankless inline with a 20 gallon propane. The tankless is first, then propane. This has done three things. Provides hot water sooner to use, lowering water usage. Second, tankless heater provides hot water to the propane heater tank keeping propane use down because the propane doesn't kick on when the supply water is already hot. The propane only runs to maintain hot water in the tank, which isn't often when the water is used normally. The third, and discovered afterwards, because the tank heater is insulated, I can travel a considerable distance and still have hot water available. ( I do not travel with propane supply on. I believe those who do are beyond stupid to do so.) I'll add, because my tankless is AC electric, (generator or dock power), I have never been without hot water unless all utility supplies are absent. (I've been without propane on a few occasions due to time at a location). Hope this is helpful for you. Happy trails!
Every users has their own customizations . We have an off road travel trailer and mostly boondock. My wife uses a cpap and it normally runs off AC voltage. That required us to have the inviter on all night. I was able to buy a 12 volt adapter for her cpap and now I do not need to have the inverter on all night. I am not a fan of instant water heaters but in my travel trailer the manufacture provided a Truma Combi. It has a small hot water tank. I find I can wash dishes in the eco mode if I am careful on use of hot water. Many people do not like them but I had a composting toilet installed. No black water tank. We boondock and the water savings is huge.
I bought lights similar to the magnetic lights at Home Depot. They are sold single or ina 2pk with a charging base that you can put up to 4 lights in. The base has a USB A x C cord. The lights can be charged with or without the base. I mounted 2 in my workshop under the cabinets over the work benches and I have 2 in the house under cabinets. I bought a total of 8 so that I can rotate them when they need charging.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this about waiting for the water heater to heat water, but I saw this on another video and it made sense: collect the water in a container until it gets hot enough to use. If you can, take that container of water and add it back in to your fresh water tank. In the video, the guy used a one-gallon milk jug to collect the water since that made it easy to pour in to his water tank. I think he said he collects a couple of gallons a week.
@@kittycat8222 No, add the cool/tepid water to the tank; once the water out of the tap is hot, use it for washing or whatever purpose you needed the hot water.
Was at Tampa Supershow actually going over tankless water heaters, dash cams and any other goodies. I did decide to just order another tank water heater after looking at options, costs and mod requirement. I like to boondock.
Do those 12v wall adapters have on/off switches? They're still transformers to convert from 12v to 5v for USB power, so if they are always on, they are adding to your phantom load.
I actually stole a mod from y'all that I don't think you've mentioned before...or I missed it. The Solar on the AC shroud, got a 50 watt on mine thanks to y'all, preciate it.
We have a newer camping trailer and it's funny how some of your mods are already on our unit. Ours came with a 12V fridge and a quick connect to run our grill from our propane tank. But we purchased an AC soft start to give us the ability to run ac while boon docking after watching your channel. Can't wait to try it this summer. (FYI, we tried one that you just plug into your power supply and that was a failure.)
My favorite feature in our new RV is propane quick connects. Base Camp stove, Griddle, Fire pit, Grill... Al on and off in seconds. I got some wyes and don't have to disconnect one to connect another.
forget the recirculation pump. instead install showermiser values at the kitchen and the shower. I did this in my cougar and it works awesome. all Rv's should come this way. I have a write up on the 24RDS group page on my setup.
Hot water heater is not incorrect, because in some circumstances, you use a water heater system to keep the entire water system from freezing. So it's not wrong for some people it's a little cumbersome, but I've seen plumbers refer to hot water tanks as hot water heaters.
About the tankless hot water heater, are more newer campers coming with them or an option? Those magnetic light bars we use at home under the cabinets. Ports come on new RV’S? Those Governor water leak sensors should come no charge placed around brand new RV’S. Keep the videos coming!
Re: the on-demand hot water heater... came to same realization as you did - and I'm primarily a boondocker - so I went to boiling water in kettle onn stove as needed. Will be interested in your remedies.
Saying hot water heater is fine, especially for a conventional tank type one with heating elements. The water in the tank is already hot, when more heat is applied to it after it cools off 10 degrees or whatever, whether due to heat loss or cold water getting mixed in as you run hot water. It normally is actually heating water that is already considered to be hot. And even in the case of heating water from cold to hot, as in a true tankless, it is creating hot water. There is nothing in the English language saying that something can't be named for the end product it creates, versus the beginning product which it worked its magic on. For instance: Meat loaf pans are not called raw meat pans Muffin pans are not called dough pans Compressed air tanks are not called uncompressed air tanks
LOL, I've caught myself saying 'unthawed' and thinking Why? Maybe we have used words like 'defrosted', 'untied', etc. so often that simply 'thawed' seems lacking.
Great video! As for your on demand water issues, look into the showermizer and watermizer set ups. Same system you find in Rockwood fiver and travel trailers.
@GratefulGlamper of course! Depending on your tank set up, it could be a big project to put the mizers in, but frankly, IMHO, it'd be an awesome DIY segment. Also, I've been curious, what are using for a temperature monitor? We've been using the MicroAir thermostat with excellent results so far (4 months F/T)
Hello, great videos! My trailer came with a quick disconnect propane line. My question / statement is I see you are using the regulator that came with the Blackstone. The propane coming out of the RV has already been regulated down, so using the regulator is limiting the gas flow, correct? I attach mine directly to the Blackstone and the firepit without a regulator and it works as it should. ; - )
Loved the rechargeable idea of the motion sensor magnetic light strip ! Mine failed quickly though - at the USB port. It became loose and unconnectable
We love Reflectix. We use it on our dash behind the windshield of our Class A MH. That said, I do not recommend it in behind dual pane windows as it can cause the rubber gasket between the 2 panes of glass to overheat and come loose. We had to have 5 of our dual pane windows repaired and the windows defogged as a result, which is quite expensive.
Could you tell me how you added the LP quick connect to your firepit? I have one and would love to be able to use the RV tanks instead of carrying around an extra tank. Thanks, and we LOVE your videos - my wife and I have used many of the organizational ideas!!
In our Van we've installed taps that make hot water in the tap itself... Electric. Therefore also had to install just 1(cold) water circuit for hot water is made at the very end...
It doesn't look like the Dump Buddy would work on the typical sewer connection you showed was an example. You said the Govee water leak detectors have worked really well. Have you had a leak that they detected?
Our rig came with reflective window covers but they were held in place by duct tape. Is there a better way to attach these? I like a solid dark interior so using Velcro leaves a few gaps where light comes through. Thx
Thanks for sharing all these mod's that you have done to your RV. I'm interested in learning more about the Closet Maid shelving you installed in cabinets. Do you have a video of doing the installation? My husband isn't convinced that we can install them in our 5th wheel RV. Many thanks for all the great ideas and helpful RV living tips you share.
In the External Ports section of the video you referred to and showed the external port that you use for Starlink. But I don't see the associated link in the links section of your comments. Can you please provide that link, and also, is that a shielded port? Thanks,
We added a 12-volt water valve on the hot water line and plumbed it go back the freshwater tank. We found that holding the water valve switch for about 10 seconds we have hot water at our sink.
Hi, maybe you guys would know or maybe recommend to someone about having a switch the turns on a pump to use grey water tank water to flush the toilet? For boondocking it make sense to reuse what we can, I haven’t seen any rigs with that type of system have you?
I was traveling in a Class B Roadtrek, during HHelene and had the worst time with one bar of internet connectivity. I'm only 20 feet long. The roads in kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri don't have shoulders. THere is just a solid white line then a ditch. No wonder it's called the Bible Belt as I was praying hard while trying to find a pull off to check maps. What can I use for better internet connection ?
I'm having trouble finding the starlink external connector you showed in the video. Can you help me with a specific link? I see the link for ports, but that isn't helping me know the exact item I need. Thanks.
We did the JC fridge mod..(we had it done professionally) well after 2 failed fixes .the freezer never worked after the mod.. its coming out this year and we are replacing it with residential.. we could have saved a ton of money had we just went to residential begin with. So that mod is not 1 I would ever recommend. I'll deal with a smaller frigde/freezer rather than having no fridge at all
Hi, the Amazon link for the SeaDek step covers you have is not correct. The site does not post the size of the cover, and when mine came a couple days ago, they were much smaller and made of a different material than the one that you presented. I looked at SeaDek's store and could not find them either. ~ Thanks for your videos!
@@GratefulGlamper Thanks, I found them yesterday. The covers on Amazon are designed for boat ladders (about 4" x 13"). After you read this, I will delete my comment. It was really just an FYI. ~Take care
I have been thinking about a tankless water heater. I thought I could avoid the cold water waist by putting a push button valve by the kitchen sink and in the bathroom to feed the old water back into the watrr tank. This would also allow me to run hot water into the tank after I fill up in deep mid winter. Fill up with water near freezing and my heater (air+water) will dump the entire contents of the tank via the hot water anti frost drain valve.
Might I suggest that you include the orientation of these modifications, including installation costs and/or DIY time. Some of your suggestions are, I expect, costly and may not be worth it over time. You might remind your husband, while you still have him, what he was supposed to learn in high school science, when lighting a burner, it's fire FIRST, then gas.
I’d love to know what you end up doing about the tankless heater. Our new rig came with one and I hate it, I would love a solution that doesn’t involve buying a new tanked heater.
In the Navy Submarine Fleet, the CO and XO have a recirculating pump attached to their tankless hot water heater so that they get instant hot water. Those bastards.
That was pleasant, painless and productive. I cheated at 1.5 speed. I use the upside-down shelving-racks trick in my brick and mortar home. I don't like stuff falling off of high shelves.
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In regards to Reflectix, we also found if you install it on every exterior wall that is hidden you will see a big difference. Examples of this is within cabinets, drawers and etc. It will help as much as doing your windows. Love gratefulglamper....
We have a Hi-Tech water saver. We use a HD 5 gallon bucket. We fill the bucket until the water is hot.. it only takes 1 to 2 gallons. When done we either use the water to flush in the toilet. Use it to rinse dishes or dump it outside
Good plan!
Mine only takes a quarter. Maybe it's closer to the shower. Either way don't let it flow into the tank.
Mmmm..... 12 v soleniod valve -- couple of check valves - tee in the hot water line --- and a couple (1 per faucet or area) //// want hot water, push the button, 12v solenoid opens and dumps the ?cold? hot water back into the fresh water tank (no waste) hold for 10? secs or so release the button and open the hot water faucet - hardest thing (not hard at all) was the return line from the tee to the fresh water tank. No wasted hot while getting it hot.
@@billb48843 Amazing idea.. any chance you have a drawing, pictures, or video on this? I can sort of understand it, but visual would help.
@@billb48843- been using this exact setup with button temp sensor for 5 years. So simple even a bucket person could use it… Turn the Coach water pump on, push a button at the lavatory sink, button turns red and water pump runs while cold water in the hot line is diverted back to the fresh water tank. Once the cold water in the hot line gets hot, diverter solenoid is closed and red light in button turns blue. Depending on size of system, one could easily save 1/2 to one full gallon of water with each use when off grid. Plus, sloshing water spilled from a bucket while being transferred to the toilet or sink has never been an issue.
If you want to add some fabric to the Reflectix, if you sew the fabric to the Reflectix using vertical lines you can then fold it along those lines for easier storage. You can use bias binding either glued or sewed to the edges to stop them getting messy too. This makes the Reflectix a lot more durable and much easier to store. I got the idea from Create with Verity
Great idea!
We have the Truma AquaGo Comfort Plus gas tankless water heater. Provides hot water in 10 seconds. Also have generic boat decking on our steps. Cheaper than boat deck brand.
I completely agree with the AC soft start mod. Another one that I have enjoyed having is my Roku. I bought it for my Dad in the 90's. When Dad died, Mom Didn't understand to set the input select on the TV to HDMI and she gave it back to me, I quickly put it in our motor home and have no regrets we definitely use it way more often than the antenna. We really like it on longer trips like our snowbird trek down to see our Floribama relatives. We've been thinking of getting a newer one because as a 90s unit, it has a limited selection of veiwing options. Today's units are 30 years newer and way more powerful,.
Thanks for the comment and for watching
First Roku set top box was released in 2008 Kevin...
@@IWillSmurfYou You're probably right. If your looking for an argument, you won't get one from me. As a two time stroke survivor, my memory isn't as perfect as it once was. The one I have is still old and under-powered. Still, Roku is a great addition to any RV. It would also work great for stealth campers because no TV antenna on your van makes your camping even stealthier.
We agree the best mod is converting the 2 way (propane & electric) fridge to 12 volt. We just had our Dometic fridge converted by JC Refrigeration as well and no longer need to use the Yeti for those long travel days.
Recirculating pump uses power keeping the water hot plus it runs the tankless heating the water and uses propane. Unless you manually turn a pump on till water is hot putting the cold water back into fresh water tank. Look into the water mizer that they put in the Winnebago micro mini FLX. Awesome idea and it works great. You can build your own by pass system.
+1 on Unique Camping & Marine!
We have had much less "black tank stink" since we started using it on our first travel trailer four years ago.
It just works!
We bought the magnetic lights and use them on our steps, just magnet to the underside of each step or on the inside underneath at a diagonal and set them to motion detection mode. They work pretty great for getting in and out and as a bonus if you need a light, just grab it, take it with you for a walk, use it under the hood when working on the engine, or the axel when underneath our trailer. MAGNETS!
When we traveled to very cold country in late fall we used diving suit material for the windows and vents. Worked excellent but it was very dark inside.
The magnetic lights are great! We use them in our home. They are great in cabinets and come in two lengths.
Good to know!
I have them in my deep pantry shelves. Gamechanger.
@2:08 I have a tankless water heater and I tested from the unit to the kitchen sink I waste 2 cups of water before it's hot. Also tested the bathroom sink and shower and water just under 2 cups of water. I'm using a Ridgeyard 12L 3.2GPM cheap heater and for the price it works great with super low water waste
👍
Our son had a trailer with the on-demand heater and it worked fine, except in our area (west Texas) we have very hard water and lots of minerals in it. We've found that we can heat up our 6 gallon capacity hot water heater and it stays usable for 6-8 hours before we have to turn it back on. Of course we can't take unlimited length showers, but we're camping, not in a spa ;)
Thanks for the comment
Those Temu light bars are awesome! They can be set for motion sense and hold a charge for quite some time. Great for the bathroom, inside your entry and inside cabinets. Super cheap
Nice video; thank you.
I work in a hardware store, and I get a lot of customers who are setting up StarLink in RVs. While I am a full-time RVer, I don’t have StarLink. These customers tell me of a specific cable that StarLink uses that is too large for the common plates we carry, but it looks like you’re just passing the EtherNet connection through. Perhaps you could go into a bit more detail about your StarLink setup?
Also, for most situations, I consider on-demand water heaters to be a waste for a variety of reasons, especially boondocking. I typically use less than one six-gallon tank of warm water per shower, which helps me ration my freshwater supply; replenishing water in the dry regions I normally camp in is annoying. I heat the water till it’s about 105°F, shut off the heater and wash dishes, then shower using JUST the remaining hot water, no cold mix. (I normally use three dishes over and over, not the consumption-oriented full suite of show-offs; I eat out of my cook pot or tray, as well.) when I can avoid showering, I heat dishwater in a tea kettle. Saves a lot on energy and water.
Reasons not to use on-demand heaters for normal American tastes include much heavier maintenance requirements and expense.
This video was well made; thank you for that :)
Thank you!
Love your solar power system, internet set-up and fridge conversion. Next level mods, for sure!
I had a cabin in the redwoods of California years ago. We installed a recirculation pump system into that cabin, and we always had hot water all the time. This was when I was pregnant with my 30-year-old daughter. Might be a bit different, but I think what you are looking at would work even better because it is modern. LOL
Good to know! Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching
We had it on ships.
Also had showers that had temp regulator.
Set it. Next shower temp was the same.
Hot water IMO the best system is VanL ife Tech Tjos is a closed hydronic system heated floors heated water on de.and and heated air. Awesome system!! I looked into recirculating but the filters that must be replaced often is expensive and a hassle. Go with a closed system Hydronic!
Another great video! Practical advice and reviews that you can use. Your channel always get’s me and my wife figuring out what we need to do next.
Thanks so much! Glad it’s helpful!
Very best instant rv water heater retrofit is TRUMA gas only in instant mode 120 degree hot water constantly. In econo mode about 1 quart until 120 degrees. When full hook up never get cold showers again. Had ours now for three years. Happy wife
Hi guys,
I actually have come to prefer doing the dishes in a plastic tub on the tailgate of the truck. A wire drain rack sits beside the tub for air drying, and the gallon or two of dishwater gets dumped on the ground.
My RV is a cargo trailer to RV conversion that I built myself. A 100 gallon plastic farm tank sits in the bed of the truck and is my fresh water tank.A hose runs to a water inlet in the nose of the trailer. Combined with an on demand water heater, I have long hot showers out in the middle of nowhere without worry about running out of hot water. Or running out of water period. And all the load of 800 lbs of water gets tranfered to the truck, which has lots of excess weight and space capacity.
Glad to see you changed your fridge to a 12v compressor fridge. We installed this type of fridge and as long as you have the correct house battery setup it is the best way to go. By the way I am in Australia.
Some good mods. Sad that some people gouge for RV items like "dump buddy" no way it's worth $42.00 ! How many of these item's are sent to UA-cam channels to promote only to see them on at a later episode of junk to ditch on there RV. Thank you for your videos. Safe travels
Thanks for watching
I installed a tankless water heater in my rig about 7 years ago. I had the same issue with wait time. I solved it by plumbing the tankless inline with a 20 gallon propane. The tankless is first, then propane. This has done three things. Provides hot water sooner to use, lowering water usage. Second, tankless heater provides hot water to the propane heater tank keeping propane use down because the propane doesn't kick on when the supply water is already hot. The propane only runs to maintain hot water in the tank, which isn't often when the water is used normally. The third, and discovered afterwards, because the tank heater is insulated, I can travel a considerable distance and still have hot water available. ( I do not travel with propane supply on. I believe those who do are beyond stupid to do so.) I'll add, because my tankless is AC electric, (generator or dock power), I have never been without hot water unless all utility supplies are absent. (I've been without propane on a few occasions due to time at a location). Hope this is helpful for you. Happy trails!
Every users has their own customizations . We have an off road travel trailer and mostly boondock. My wife uses a cpap and it normally runs off AC voltage. That required us to have the inviter on all night. I was able to buy a 12 volt adapter for her cpap and now I do not need to have the inverter on all night. I am not a fan of instant water heaters but in my travel trailer the manufacture provided a Truma Combi. It has a small hot water tank. I find I can wash dishes in the eco mode if I am careful on use of hot water. Many people do not like them but I had a composting toilet installed. No black water tank. We boondock and the water savings is huge.
Thanks for sharing.
We. Have a tankless water heater and love it. We frequently boon dock and have not found it to be a problem. We wouldn’t have an RV without tankless.
Good to know!
I bought lights similar to the magnetic lights at Home Depot. They are sold single or ina 2pk with a charging base that you can put up to 4 lights in. The base has a USB A x C cord. The lights can be charged with or without the base. I mounted 2 in my workshop under the cabinets over the work benches and I have 2 in the house under cabinets. I bought a total of 8 so that I can rotate them when they need charging.
I have gotten so many things from Temu for our RV. You should do a Temu RV hack video!
Not sure if anyone mentioned this about waiting for the water heater to heat water, but I saw this on another video and it made sense: collect the water in a container until it gets hot enough to use. If you can, take that container of water and add it back in to your fresh water tank. In the video, the guy used a one-gallon milk jug to collect the water since that made it easy to pour in to his water tank. I think he said he collects a couple of gallons a week.
So add hot water to the tank?
@@kittycat8222 No, add the cool/tepid water to the tank; once the water out of the tap is hot, use it for washing or whatever purpose you needed the hot water.
@@UrbanSpaceman thanks
Was at Tampa Supershow actually going over tankless water heaters, dash cams and any other goodies. I did decide to just order another tank water heater after looking at options, costs and mod requirement. I like to boondock.
The show is a great place to research!
Do those 12v wall adapters have on/off switches? They're still transformers to convert from 12v to 5v for USB power, so if they are always on, they are adding to your phantom load.
I actually stole a mod from y'all that I don't think you've mentioned before...or I missed it. The Solar on the AC shroud, got a 50 watt on mine thanks to y'all, preciate it.
Might as well put that empty space to use! :) -Ben
We have a newer camping trailer and it's funny how some of your mods are already on our unit. Ours came with a 12V fridge and a quick connect to run our grill from our propane tank. But we purchased an AC soft start to give us the ability to run ac while boon docking after watching your channel. Can't wait to try it this summer. (FYI, we tried one that you just plug into your power supply and that was a failure.)
My favorite feature in our new RV is propane quick connects. Base Camp stove, Griddle, Fire pit, Grill... Al on and off in seconds. I got some wyes and don't have to disconnect one to connect another.
forget the recirculation pump. instead install showermiser values at the kitchen and the shower. I did this in my cougar and it works awesome. all Rv's should come this way. I have a write up on the 24RDS group page on my setup.
👍
Wow, finally a video that is actually what it says it is. No blah blah. Just the facts. I found three things to put on my list...maybe four.
Glad to help!
Would like to see more information about how you decided what 67 design rails to use, especially for Garmin GPS and how you performed the installation
Thanks for the idea!
Flat mounted our starlink dish. No more taking it down and storing when travel.
Nice!
Hot water heater is not incorrect, because in some circumstances, you use a water heater system to keep the entire water system from freezing. So it's not wrong for some people it's a little cumbersome, but I've seen plumbers refer to hot water tanks as hot water heaters.
About the tankless hot water heater, are more newer campers coming with them or an option? Those magnetic light bars we use at home under the cabinets. Ports come on new RV’S? Those Governor water leak sensors should come no charge placed around brand new RV’S. Keep the videos coming!
Some new Rv’s come with tankless water heaters - just depends on the trim package. Some new RV’s come with external ports also. Thanks for watching
There's a reason we start the flame source before we turn on the gas.... Glad you survived!
Re: the on-demand hot water heater... came to same realization as you did - and I'm primarily a boondocker - so I went to boiling water in kettle onn stove as needed. Will be interested in your remedies.
We will keep you posted!
Got a tankless? Need to install a AcuView ShowerMiser... that'll solve the wasted water concern
Great tips! Where did you get the Starlink port? Didn’t see a link.
amzn.to/42bBBfN
Really great tips! I say hot water heater too, it is a little redundant. Always ❤ the bloopers.
Have you ever tried this for your windows? One way Window Privacy Film. Were you using the other for keeping things warmer?
We do have some privacy film on some of our windows. But it hasn't done a great job of blocking out heat/cold.
I have the lights from Temu and have been using Velcro to fasten them instead of the magnets.
Good to know - thanks for watching
"that was on hi, don't do what i did!" Lol another great video, bloopers are wonderful!
Saying hot water heater is fine, especially for a conventional tank type one with heating elements. The water in the tank is already hot, when more heat is applied to it after it cools off 10 degrees or whatever, whether due to heat loss or cold water getting mixed in as you run hot water. It normally is actually heating water that is already considered to be hot.
And even in the case of heating water from cold to hot, as in a true tankless, it is creating hot water. There is nothing in the English language saying that something can't be named for the end product it creates, versus the beginning product which it worked its magic on.
For instance:
Meat loaf pans are not called raw meat pans
Muffin pans are not called dough pans
Compressed air tanks are not called uncompressed air tanks
I installed the tankless as well. Had some issues, it was the inverter. Had to upgrade to larger W. So far all good. Hint to help
Thank you for everything you do for the RV folks. Enjoyed all your valuable tidbits.❤️🇺🇸
Thanks for watching
Great tips. Hot water heater and unthawed always drive me crazy. If something is unthawed it is frozen. 😂😅😂😅
😂
LOL, I've caught myself saying 'unthawed' and thinking Why? Maybe we have used words like 'defrosted', 'untied', etc. so often that simply 'thawed' seems lacking.
Great video!
As for your on demand water issues, look into the showermizer and watermizer set ups. Same system you find in Rockwood fiver and travel trailers.
Thanks for the tips!
@GratefulGlamper of course! Depending on your tank set up, it could be a big project to put the mizers in, but frankly, IMHO, it'd be an awesome DIY segment.
Also, I've been curious, what are using for a temperature monitor? We've been using the MicroAir thermostat with excellent results so far (4 months F/T)
Hello, great videos! My trailer came with a quick disconnect propane line. My question / statement is I see you are using the regulator that came with the Blackstone. The propane coming out of the RV has already been regulated down, so using the regulator is limiting the gas flow, correct? I attach mine directly to the Blackstone and the firepit without a regulator and it works as it should.
; - )
The light bar is genius! Love that. I’m not a Temu fan though so will look for it somewhere else. Thanks!
It's also on Amazon here: amzn.to/42wPOUI
Temu mines your data, never connect to Temu, their predators
Loved the rechargeable idea of the motion sensor magnetic light strip ! Mine failed quickly though - at the USB port. It became loose and unconnectable
Very, very helpful! Thank you so much for putting this video together. You’re awesome!
Glad it was helpful!
We love Reflectix. We use it on our dash behind the windshield of our Class A MH. That said, I do not recommend it in behind dual pane windows as it can cause the rubber gasket between the 2 panes of glass to overheat and come loose. We had to have 5 of our dual pane windows repaired and the windows defogged as a result, which is quite expensive.
Good to know! We had ALL our windows defogged and new gaskets installed (lifetime warranty) right after we purchased our RV in 2017.
I use it for sky lights.
I was concerned about heat .
Thanks for information.😊
Could you tell me how you added the LP quick connect to your firepit? I have one and would love to be able to use the RV tanks instead of carrying around an extra tank. Thanks, and we LOVE your videos - my wife and I have used many of the organizational ideas!!
I replaced the existing hose with this one and it works great! amzn.to/3SvOaxJ
In our Van we've installed taps that make hot water in the tap itself... Electric. Therefore also had to install just 1(cold) water circuit for hot water is made at the very end...
It doesn't look like the Dump Buddy would work on the typical sewer connection you showed was an example. You said the Govee water leak detectors have worked really well. Have you had a leak that they detected?
Our rig came with reflective window covers but they were held in place by duct tape. Is there a better way to attach these? I like a solid dark interior so using Velcro leaves a few gaps where light comes through. Thx
How many 12v batteries is it required or recommended to boondocking
Thanks for sharing all these mod's that you have done to your RV. I'm interested in learning more about the Closet Maid shelving you installed in cabinets. Do you have a video of doing the installation? My husband isn't convinced that we can install them in our 5th wheel RV. Many thanks for all the great ideas and helpful RV living tips you share.
Hi Darlene, see here: ua-cam.com/video/9BsUFl09gA0/v-deo.htmlsi=M5wLPGyYq7IKz5iY&t=838 also you’ll need these clips: amzn.to/49bsrC4
@@GratefulGlamper thank you so much for the quick reply!!!
In the External Ports section of the video you referred to and showed the external port that you use for Starlink. But I don't see the associated link in the links section of your comments. Can you please provide that link, and also, is that a shielded port? Thanks,
We added a 12-volt water valve on the hot water line and plumbed it go back the freshwater tank. We found that holding the water valve switch for about 10 seconds we have hot water at our sink.
Thanks for the info!
Saw at least 2 new ideas and a bunch more that I been planning to do.
Awesome! Which one was your favorite?
Hi, maybe you guys would know or maybe recommend to someone about having a switch the turns on a pump to use grey water tank water to flush the toilet? For boondocking it make sense to reuse what we can, I haven’t seen any rigs with that type of system have you?
We’ve not, however when boondocking we use a basin to wash dishes and use that to flush to the toilet
I was traveling in a Class B Roadtrek, during HHelene and had the worst time with one bar of internet connectivity. I'm only 20 feet long. The roads in kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri don't have shoulders. THere is just a solid white line then a ditch. No wonder it's called the Bible Belt as I was praying hard while trying to find a pull off to check maps. What can I use for better internet connection ?
I'm having trouble finding the starlink external connector you showed in the video. Can you help me with a specific link? I see the link for ports, but that isn't helping me know the exact item I need. Thanks.
I have been unable to find ( with the link) the Starlink connection outlet. Could you please let me know.
Thanks for all the information.
Russ
I agree. Must be some sort of USB to Ethernet adapter on both sides of the wall.
I hope the link is provided soon
I find Color Coding Dots are much easier to match Reflective or anything that needs paired.
Love your creativity.
Do your Unique discount codes work for deliveries to Canada? Do they deliver to Canada?
When are going to swap to mini split HVAC?
I assume the Starlink is backup to peplink? Wondering how use both, email, streaming?
Correct, Starlink is a backup
Bloopers are fun 😅
What outside plug and cable did you use for Starlink? I have a gen-3 dish.
It;s the Neutrik one in our Amazon store: www.amazon.com/shop/gratefulglamper We did mod the end of our cable for the hook up.
We did the JC fridge mod..(we had it done professionally) well after 2 failed fixes .the freezer never worked after the mod.. its coming out this year and we are replacing it with residential.. we could have saved a ton of money had we just went to residential begin with. So that mod is not 1 I would ever recommend. I'll deal with a smaller frigde/freezer rather than having no fridge at all
That’s strange! We DIY’d ours and no problems 2 years in.
USB outlets are 5 V output. They are connected to the 12 V power, but supply 5 V USB compatible power.
Can you recommend how to buy a mattress for rv
Hi, the Amazon link for the SeaDek step covers you have is not correct. The site does not post the size of the cover, and when mine came a couple days ago, they were much smaller and made of a different material than the one that you presented. I looked at SeaDek's store and could not find them either.
~ Thanks for your videos!
You can also find them directly on the Sea Dek Website: www.seadek.com/product-category/rv-step-covers/
@@GratefulGlamper Thanks, I found them yesterday. The covers on Amazon are designed for boat ladders (about 4" x 13"). After you read this, I will delete my comment. It was really just an FYI. ~Take care
These mods are not only great for full time Rvers but for that rv part time.
Correct, great for any RVer. Thanks for watching
I have been thinking about a tankless water heater. I thought I could avoid the cold water waist by putting a push button valve by the kitchen sink and in the bathroom to feed the old water back into the watrr tank. This would also allow me to run hot water into the tank after I fill up in deep mid winter. Fill up with water near freezing and my heater (air+water) will dump the entire contents of the tank via the hot water anti frost drain valve.
They make a Shower Miser valve that accomplishes this.
Great idea
Good to know!
I have a question regarding your govee water detector. I do not have wifi in my RV, will govee still work with my smart phone?
Usually Govee has a bluetooth option. But if you are away (out of range) you will not get the alert like with the wifi enabled option.
What a good boy Alaska is!
Might I suggest that you include the orientation of these modifications, including installation costs and/or DIY time. Some of your suggestions are, I expect, costly and may not be worth it over time.
You might remind your husband, while you still have him, what he was supposed to learn in high school science, when lighting a burner, it's fire FIRST, then gas.
Hello!!!! Can't wait for rv season 2024
We agree!
Great tips! Especially the water leak detectors. Thanks!❤
Thanks for watching
Can’t find where you have the boat step strips, interested in a link to buy those.
Apparently their Amazon listing isn’t showing but you buy direct here: www.seadek.com/product/rv-step-treads/
Thank you for making this!
I’d love to know what you end up doing about the tankless heater. Our new rig came with one and I hate it, I would love a solution that doesn’t involve buying a new tanked heater.
We will keep you posted!
“60 percent of the time, it works every time” 😊
Isn't that supposed to be 5V through the USB adapters???
We've had a tankless WH in a previous MH, hated it, hard to control and long time to get hot water to the faucets. not good for boondocking.
No link for the StarLink quick disconnect. Please add.
I cannot find your starlink port anywhere. Does anybody know ? thank you
You are my new gods, because i'm joining the fleet of the RVer 😃
Welcome to the RV Community!
In the Navy Submarine Fleet, the CO and XO have a recirculating pump attached to their tankless hot water heater so that they get instant hot water. Those bastards.
Why not upgrade to two 12volt AC systems?
That was pleasant, painless and productive. I cheated at 1.5 speed. I use the upside-down shelving-racks trick in my brick and mortar home. I don't like stuff falling off of high shelves.
Thanks for watching
Great mods. Thanks. Well done!
Glad you like them!