A Detailed Review of the Best RV Tankless Water Heater

Just like at home, the need for hot water cannot be ruled out in a recreational vehicle. One area where you will need the hot water is when taking a shower after a day packed with activities. Sometimes the change in weather pattern can be so adverse that if you don’t have a way of heating your water, then you might end up with a ruined trip.

Most of the hot water tanks built for the recreational vehicles have small capacities of about only 6 gallons. Such sizes aren’t recommended for group camping. This is why you need to buy the best RV tankless water heater as they can hold more water.

Apart from being able to access limitless amounts of hot water, the tankless heaters do not consume much power and these are some of the reasons why you need to have one installed in your motorhome. What do you think about that?

Before you get one, you need to go through this article and know everything about RV tankless water heaters. Read along.

A review of the top 4 RV tankless water heaters in 2019

The process of searching for the Best Tankless Water Heater for your recreational vehicle is so challenging and confusing. And it even becomes worse when you lack knowledge about the product you are just about to purchase. This issue has been clearly addressed from the list below of the Best 4 RV Tankless Water Heaters.

Pay close attention to these four products that will help you settle on the best item for your RV.

If you are the type who likes camping in the off-grid areas, then this is the ideal pick for you as it has the ability to thrive with the little energy it has. It also has a sturdily constructed and stainless steel made rain cap for perfect performance. This is an awesome product due to its ability to supply up to 2.6 gallons of super-hot water in every one minute. It is of great advantage and will ensure plenty of water for you and your friends while enjoying your outdoor stay.

Eccotemp L 10 Portable Tankless Water Heater has a 20 minute shut off timer that is excellent for safety. This makes it reset automatically when the water supply stops and, thereafter, starts up. It is wise for you to know that this product has dimensions of 8 by 14 by 25.5 inches. It is white in color and weighs 27 pounds.

This water heater has been well built for outdoor use and hence proves to be the one you always dreamt of. It is of 2.6 GPM and uses CSA regulator and liquid propane. This probably calls for use with the grill propane tanker of 20 lb. capacity. What’s more, it is also backed up by a one-year warranty.

What’s more, this product has a digital temperature control that greatly helps in controlling the hot water in about one-degree increments. Its compact design is widely appreciated as it won’t take much space of your RV. This specific water heater also has a limited lifetime warranty and hence is a long lasting item.

Did you know that this product weighs just about 6.5 pounds hence portable enough for you to even carry it alone? Let your stay in your RV be fantastic by having this awesome product whenever on your outdoor trips.

This kind of heater serves as a supplement to the primary source for heating water. With this product, you are assured of plenty and limitless water supply to your recreational vehicle during camping. This is not a product to gamble with since upon its purchase and use, you are likely to encounter a minimal loss.

This product weighs about 29.5 pounds and also white in color. It has a glass lining that provides additional durable and super insulation to the tank. With this product, you will not waste your precious time waiting for the water to heat; instead, its quick recovery rate makes the heating a one-touch thing.

It has an external dial that simplifies your work of controlling the temperature range thereby ensuring that your safety is fully enhanced. How amazing do you think you will find working with such an adorable product to be? What’s more, this product has a warranty of six years for the inner tank and two years limited warranty for other components.

Most of its parts are replaceable and serviced while operating with outside door. This helps you save the amount of money you would have used to hire a service personnel to the inside area of the RV. Its limit switch for high temperatures enables you to have full control over your equipment and hence ensuring its safety being.

Atwood New RV 6 Gallon GC6AA-10E Water Heater has a direct spark ignition as well as a capacity of 6 Gallons. The input is about 1400 watt and comes in a dimension of 21 by 17 by 15 inches. This quality product goes hand in hand with the price and the result is high performance in your RV.

It has a heated gas capacity of about 12,000 BTU together with an electrical wattage of up to 1440 watts. To ensure higher recovery while at the campground, both the electric and gas elements can be called into action simultaneously. This product has dimensions of 25 by 19 by 18 inches and weighs 34.3 pounds when empty.

You also need to take note of its cut out dimensions of 12.75 by 12.75 by 19 3/16 inches in length, width and depth respectively. This product is usually accompanied by a polar door which is white in colour.

Factors to consider when looking for the Best RV Tankless Water Heater

You have probably made a decision to buy the best RV tankless heater by now, but what are some of the most important considerations that you need to make? To lay your hands on the best products alone and nothing else, here is a guide that you need to look at. These are the same factors that we considered when choosing the above 4 products.

Here they are:

RV tankless water heaters can be classified into three groups based on the source of power. These products draw their energy supply from propane, electricity and natural gas. You, therefore, need to buy a water heater based on the power source that is available in your RV.

If you happen to have more than one power source, then you can weigh the available options before deciding on the type of heater to buy. However, you need to know that electric heaters are usually the best as they require little to no maintenance. The electric models, on the other hand, are quite costly so you need to be financially prepared to own them.

There is absolutely no need to buy a product which you are still not sure of how to power. It is important that you buy a water heater that will be beneficial for your usage. With that said, you also need to be sure of how much propane will last you the entire trip or the amount of electricity you will need. This will make sure that you are well-prepared for the road trip.

The energy consumption of the heaters varies from one another but they consume lower than the standard water heaters do. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for the heaters that have Energy Star certifications as this will help you save further. Who really doesn’t want to save?

The RV tankless water heaters are smaller in sizes compared to the standard water heaters. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look for one that has sufficient space to supply you with enough water every single time of use. What is the minimum number of campers that will be in your RV?

If you plan to always go on group camping, then you need to buy a large-sized tankless water heater for your recreational vehicle. Such units can even be used for an entire household which makes them possible to be used to run different applications at a go.

You should also know that the tank’s capacity affects the flow rate of the water. The bigger the tank, the higher the flow rate is likely to be. Smaller tanks can only handle a single faucet which is ideal for just one camper.  

The flow rate is usually indicated in gallons per minute (GPM). The amount of water that the RV shower head is capable of delivering depends on the tank’s flow rate.

The durability of an RV tankless water heater is dependent on the type of materials that have been used to make it. Well-constructed heaters can be operational for close to 20 years if properly maintained. But how can you know that the product you are about to buy will last long?

It is very simple! Just look at the warranty then make a choice based on that. A product with a warranty spanning years will serve you for a long time. There are some models that are even backed by lifetime warranties. This is just a way of showing how the manufacturer trusts its products.

This refers to the heat levels that the heater can provide. This is denoted by British Thermal Units (BTU). If the heat output is high, the heater is considered very effective as it will heat the water in a short time. This makes such products more reliable.

Buy a tankless water heater that has a higher BTU and spends the least time possible to get the water hot. This saves your time as you can spend the rest of your time doing other stuff.

Tankless heaters are compact in size and will not take up most of the space in your RV. But the heater will still occupy some space which means that you should have enough space for its installation. Even if you will be storing it after every use, you will need to have enough proper storage space for such purposes.

Once space is there, installing the heater will be easier and faster. 

You also need to weigh all the available options based on the additional features that they possess. Which is the most cost-effective product based on its extra features? Some of the additional features that you can always look out for are temperature and pressure adjustments.

These can be present in the form of simple knobs or panels with automated controls from where you can adjust the temperature and pressure to levels that will suit your needs. Other important features you can look at are the safety-related one. You shouldn’t buy a heater that will endanger the lives of its users.

If the heater has a glass lining in its tank, know that it is highly likely to last longer since the lining minimizes corrosion.  The digital displays are very important as they will make customization and monitoring of the heater easier. You will be in the best position to monitor tank and collector temperatures among other parameters.

You can also check the drain valves. They are normally placed just close to the heater’s base to ensure proper draining of water. This makes you less worried about issues like unclogging your RV toilet holding tank. If you need to have the drain valves then you need to buy the ones made from brass as they are more durable compared to the plastic-constructed ones.

Importance of the best RV tankless water heater

The tankless heaters consume less energy; whether propane or electricity. This is one of the greatest benefits that you will enjoy with the heater. Your energy bills will be low and you will end up saving a lot.

Secondly, the rate of water flow is constant when it comes to the use of tankless water heaters. By just turning the faucet on, you will get water at the right amounts that you need it. No hassles and complications at all.

Nothing feels refreshing as taking a hot shower after a busy day in the wilderness. The shower alone will make you enjoy a comfortable night sleep, therefore, making you wake up rejuvenated for the next day’s activities. The only product that can ensure you enjoy all these is the best RV tankless water heater.

Of all the 4 products reviewed above, none beats the Eccotemp L10 RV Tankless Water Heater. It is portable, has higher heat output, easy to install and has an automatic shutoff timer for improved safety. Its pressure and temperature can also be adjusted to levels that will be within your comfort levels.

This doesn’t mean that the remaining three products are sub-standard; they are also great picks that can serve you based on your needs. We hope you enjoyed reading this piece and you plan to buy any of the above products for your future use.