Adding a hot water heater....

[Buddy]

My 2008 17' Escape does not have a hot water heater. What make and model would you suggest if I were to add one on?

[thoer]

Originally Posted by Buddy

My 2008 17' Escape does not have a hot water heater. What make and model would you suggest if I were to add one on?

Hi and welcome. I'd go with the same model Reace uses as it will fit well into the space you have for it under the left side rear cushion. I am assuming you don't have the hole cut in the fiberglass for access to the heater? So you will need the heater itself and the outside access door. If not one else has it in easy access, I can try to look in my manual to see model numbers for you later.

[cpaharley2008]

The other issue is running the propane line, not sure where it is in the 17?

[thoer]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

The other issue is running the propane line, not sure where it is in the 17?

Since it is not too far from the stove to the hot water location and the cabinets are against each other it should be fairly straight forward.

[jamman]

Originally Posted by Buddy

My 2008 17' Escape does not have a hot water heater. What make and model would you suggest if I were to add one on?

I think I would phone/email Escape and ask them for a price to do it. If you choose not to have them, ask Reace about any gotchas installing it.

[thoer]

I checked - the one in our 2010 17B is a Suburban SW6DE - we have the dual fuel (LP and electric) model.

[Buddy]

Thanks for all of the input.

[daveandsandyclink]

Hi Buddy,
You never said why your 17 doesn't have a hot water heater. To save weight, money, or just needed a place to sleep without washing up.

[Buddy]

Originally Posted by daveandsandyclink

Hi Buddy,
You never said why your 17 doesn't have a hot water heater.

I bought it used and it never had hot water, nor a full shower. Toilet but no shower. Not sure why it was built that way but that's what I have. Dry weight is 1900 lbs.

[float5]

A unit possibly was sold without hot water and a shower. Very strange. Maybe the OO took them out for another trailer.

[gbaglo]

Not that strange if the purchaser ordered a 17 plan A. ( no bath ) with a toilet.

Complete Bathroom (Plan B)

• Interior Shower Pkg.
  (6 Gal DSI H/W tank, 26 gal grey tank, 19 gal black tank, full fiberglass shower insert, sink with hand-held shower unit & holding tank monitor panel)
• Ceiling Vent
• Thetford Aqua Magic 5 Toilet

[Brian B-P]

A lot of trailers don't have water heaters, especially the ones without a shower. In this size (17') of Boler, all had toilets but only the ones with a shower had a water heater. That makes Buddy's 17B without shower or heater equivalent to a non-shower Boler 1700.

It doesn't look like it's a combination in Escape's normal offerings, but it doesn't seem difficult to build. I assume it was a reduced-cost variation of a 17B, rather than a optioned-up 17A, in order to get the right cabinets.

A lot of people apparently never use the shower in their trailer, and don't have enough need for a water heater to justify the cost, weight, and maintenance. Personally, although we don't generally use the shower in our Boler, I like having the water heater.

[Donna D.]

I've owned my Scamp nearly 12 years. Used the shower exactly twice in that time. I don't like all the dampness in the trailer, but I can't imagine NOT having a hotwater heater. Sure makes washing dishes nearly painless along with washing my face before bed. I don't find the maintenance issues painful at all vs the convenience factor. YMMV

[Jim Bennett]

The 17' Bigfoot we bought my mom this year has a toilet and sink in the bath, but no shower, but it does have a water heater.

Like Donna, we rarely have showered, but still turn the hot water at times for the convenience. Almost always at suppertime, and sometimes in the mornings.

Our last trailer we rarely used it, as we had to light a pilot light on it, and it seemed to be poorly insulated, as it sure did run often.

[barry]

Originally Posted by Buddy

I bought it used and it never had hot water, nor a full shower. Toilet but no shower. Not sure why it was built that way but that's what I have. Dry weight is 1900 lbs.

The early 17B's came with a toilet but the shower package was a $1000 option; this is how it was listed on the invoice of my previous 2005 17B.

Barry

[daveandsandyclink]

I hope I didn't come across as being nosey. I thought it was odd for an Escape and must have been a special request. For me, opting out of hot and cold running water and a full bathroom will never happen. The day after we started RV camping, I knew we would never tent camp again and I could forget about bush-craft skills. I soon learned how much more fun camping was when my wife had a dry, secure bed with her own clean toilet, shower, and small indoor kitchen. And now she has a camping/traveling bucket list for the years ahead for us.

[Buddy]

Probably was ordered without the shower package. There is no fiberglass liner but it does have a vinyl liner, no bathroom sink, no hot water heater. Just the toilet and thankfully, the ceiling vent :-).
My "first mods" may be installing a hot water heater and perhaps an outdoor shower. I liked the idea of putting the outdoor shower on the "door" side of the trailer so it can be used for washing dishes outside but I don't know how practical that is to install.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by Buddy

... My "first mods" may be installing a hot water heater and perhaps an outdoor shower. I liked the idea of putting the outdoor shower on the "door" side of the trailer so it can be used for washing dishes outside but I don't know how practical that is to install.

It is useful to have the outdoor shower available on the door side if the most you are going to use it for is washing dishes, and are not spilling water onto the ground. If you do spill water on the ground while showering, washing your dog/feet, etc, you may end up creating a muddy area that is much easier to track into your trailer. My preference is to have the outdoor shower on the side opposite the door. It is available for showering, and if I want to use it for water to do dishes, it is only a few steps around the corner to do so.

[JohnB]

I agree with ice-breaker about the merits of having the ext. shower on the driver side and not the passenger side.
It works great for us for multitude of uses - and don't have to worry about soaking down the high traffic area on the door side of the trailer. We get enough water here on the coast so don't need to add more!

[float5]

I am surprised that a toilet can be put in and that code allows no sink or no sink with hot water. Of course, the $1000 would certainly explain why someone did not have the shower and hot water but I see the $1000 included the toilet. So a shower and hot water is a few hundred apparently.

Hot water is one of the greatest features of the trailer AFAIAC. In fact, it can be downright scalding. May have to make sure it isn't if taking a shower. We hardly use the shower either but when we need it, we really need it. Wouldn't do without it.

Gray water being dumped onto the ground is often specifically listed as prohibited by many campgrounds. It contaminates groundwater and attracts animals. It is one of the problems created by campers in the kind of places we like to go.

I wish we had the outdoor shower but mostly for washing sand and dirt off of feet. Don't know if there is reinforcement to put one in now. Would be nice to use for a shower in hot weather, too.