Showering

raypa · Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 36

It was a cold night and the enjoyment of taking a nice hot shower in the morning came to a screeching halt after about 4 minutes of hot water as I stood there with soap all over me and the fresh, ice cold mountain water was coming out of the shower head. Very pleasurable.

Anyways, we have the hot and cold knob and the shower head on a flexible hose. Is there a gizmo made that would allow me to shut the water off at the shower head during lathering without having to readjust the hot and cold? Conserving water brings on a whole new meaning with a 52-degree morning shower.

Thanks,
ray
_________________
2002 GMC 2500HD Duramax/ 1997 Starcraft Leisure Star 24

Pittsburgh,PA

utmtman · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:18 am Post subject:

Most shower heads have a shutoff on the head itself. The RV I have now as well as the trailer I had previously both had shutoffs on the shower head.
_________________
Lee and Fran
Holiday Rambler Vacationer
While traveling down lifes paths, stop to smell the flowers.

raypa · Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 36

If it is that easy, I will have to kick myself. I will be checking that shower head out tonight after work. I'm assuming that if it doesn't have one, I guess I can purchase one.

Thanks,
ray
_________________
2002 GMC 2500HD Duramax/ 1997 Starcraft Leisure Star 24

Pittsburgh,PA

porscheracer · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:06 am Post subject:

My bet is you'll be kicking. Very Happy

I don't think I've ever seen a shower in an RV that didn't have a little push-button cutoff somewhere on the shower head or the supply hose attachment.
_________________
Norm & Janet
'08 Winnebago View 24H / '09 Escape XLT AWD toad
'05 Winnebago Vectra 36RD / '03 Dakota QC 4x4 toad, or a 24' trailer with another car;
Probably somewhere in NA - or maybe on another continent.

elh3946 · Joined: 06 Nov 2005 Posts: 1650 Location: Sioux Falls, SD

DXSMac · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 619 Location: Pacific Northwest

I'm on my third RV. All of mine have had the shutoff, handy for exactly what you described!

JJ
_________________
Please check out my blog on RV'ing without a tow car:

http://rvingtoadless.blogspot.com/

Feel free to leave me any comments.

raypa · Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 36

YEP. I'm kicking myself.

Who would have thunk it. Thank all of you for the replies. As I sit humbled...and soapy. Well not now, but you get the point.

But that is great. That is what I'm looking for. See, I should have invented it first.

Oh, then there is the anti-freeze story. Some other time.

Ray
_________________
2002 GMC 2500HD Duramax/ 1997 Starcraft Leisure Star 24

Pittsburgh,PA

Kirk · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:34 pm Post subject:

If your shower only lasts for four minutes, there must be something wrong with the water heater or something. Try flushing it to make sure that it isn't full of mineral deposits or something. I can easily stay in ours with constant hot water for at least ten minutes. Of course, we do wait for the water heater to completely recover from the previous person before the second one begins.

The other thing is that if you have a water heater that has both electric and propane options, you will want the propane on when taking more than a quick shower. You can operate with both electric and propane on at the same time which gives the best supply of hot water. Propane has a far higher heat output than does the electric element, so it has a far better recovery rate and hot water will last much longer.
_________________
Good travelin !................Kirk
URL: www.adventure.1tree.net
Sent via Starband, Manual Flyer dish.

LindsayRichards · Joined: 19 Feb 2006 Posts: 53 Location: Tavares, FL

Most RVers take a "Navy" shower where you wet yourself, turn off the water with the valve on the shower head, soap up and scrub down. Then you can turn on the water and rinse down. Works out real well and only take a few gallons of water. We do it all the time even if we are hooked up to the sewer at a campsite. You might also check to see how hot the thermostat is on your hot water heater.

vfrmarc · Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 33 Location: Central Ohio

[quote="LindsayRichards"]Most RVers take a "Navy" shower where you wet yourself, turn off the water with the valve on the shower head, soap up and scrub down. Then you can turn on the water and rinse down. Works out real well and only take a few gallons of water. We do it all the time even if we are hooked up to the sewer at a campsite. You might also check to see how hot the thermostat is on your hot water heater.[/quote]

I had to teach my wife how to do it, but now that she knows, we can take back-to-back showers without running out of hot water on our 6 gallon heater. We can use either or both propane and electric, but I'm cheap and only use electric unless boondocking.

Speaking of boondocking, we just got back from a weekend at a state park and in Ohio, most campsites only supply electric and 30 amps at that. So that means water management or else you will be running to the shower house or running to the dump station and water hydrant to purge and refill. We find that we can shower every day, use our toilet, wash dishes and generally get by all weekend and still have 25+ gallons left in the fresh water tank and room in the black and grey tanks.

Even though I enjoy full hook-ups if I can get them, I find that bringing my own soft water from home versus what you get in the campground is a nice luxury. Cool

raypa · Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 36

How do you run both propane and electric at the same time? I tried to get mine to fire and it wouldn't. I figured it was because I was hooked up to electric.

I know the navy shower. I just didn't know I had the on off on the shower head. Adjusting the water everything was a bit challenging.
_________________
2002 GMC 2500HD Duramax/ 1997 Starcraft Leisure Star 24

Pittsburgh,PA

vfrmarc · Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 33 Location: Central Ohio

raypa,

All I have to do it leave both the propane and electric switched on. When the water temperature in the tank drops far enough, they both turn on.

Although some heaters may not allow that, I would check the manufacturer's website with your model number in case you don't have an owner's manual for the water heater.

Good luck.

mnsprk · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 10 Location: Cincinnati

Did you check to see if there is a winterizing bypass on the water heater? If it has one and the actual bypass valve is partially open, that will also cause you to run out of hot water rather quickly.

harkerr · Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 13

I have made an index mark on the cold water handle at the position that yields the right temp with hot full on. When turning back on, go to the index mark and resume your shower.

Happy showers
Roger
_________________
Roger

Kirk · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 6:28 pm Post subject: