mweiner Report post Posted January 27, 2018 Most Class B's have "wet baths"...and limited hot water... usually 6 gallon tanks OR, a tankless system with on demand hot water.... even so, the supply of hot water depends on your fresh water tank... usually around 30 gallons.... Plus, they are very small.. ours is about 20 inches by 30 inches if that on the Roadtrek RS... small rectangular space... The doors do pivot to give you some extra room, but, it's like being in a small closet.... There's a very powerful fan to exhaust the steam and an on and off shower head, BUT to conserve water you have to turn on the water when you want to rinse off...in other words, you CAN'T leave the water running like you do at home or at an RV park.... Because we like longer showers and don't want to deal with refilling the tanks often, we haven't actually used the shower YET, but, it's an option.... I've actually met people at RV parks who admit they do the same thing in their Class A and C units.... And, the "wet bath" retains a lot of moisture and requires you to wipe down the inside shower curtain and walls.... SO, what do you actually do in your Class B's?? Again, it's very nice to have a place to shower in a pinch... but, if I can find a regular shower somewhere else...I'm going to use that first... I wonder how much water you really need and if you have successfully been able to get two showers for you and your spouse in the Class B?? I would probably wait at least 30 minutes for the water heater to replenish the hot water in the tank... The "wet bath" is certainly one of the weakest features of the Class B's... BUT, I'm glad they are there....one good thing is that everything in the bathroom is waterproof..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted January 28, 2018 We don't have a Class B, but for comparison's sake our 35-foot Custom Coach bus conversion also has a 6-gallon hot water heater. Had the same thing in our previous conversion. It was more than enough for two quick showers if we used the pause feature on the shower head. Easy-rinse liquid soap helps quite a bit as well (we use Dr. Bronners). We carry far more fresh water than you do, but to be honest it doesn't amount to longer showers due to the water heater. Takes only about 15 minutes for the hot water heater to recover. I think that to make the shower situation work in most RVs takes a change of mindset more than a change in hardware. There are lots of things we look forward to when we hit the road, but showers in the bus are not among them. I think back to my days in basic training and take some comfort knowing that even though the shower will be just as quick there is not a DI yelling down our throats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 28, 2018 1 hour ago, richard5933 said: We don't have a Class B, but for comparison's sake our 35-foot Custom Coach bus conversion also has a 6-gallon hot water heater. Had the same thing in our previous conversion. It was more than enough for two quick showers if we used the pause feature on the shower head. Easy-rinse liquid soap helps quite a bit as well (we use Dr. Bronners). We carry far more fresh water than you do, but to be honest it doesn't amount to longer showers due to the water heater. Takes only about 15 minutes for the hot water heater to recover. I think that to make the shower situation work in most RVs takes a change of mindset more than a change in hardware. There are lots of things we look forward to when we hit the road, but showers in the bus are not among them. I think back to my days in basic training and take some comfort knowing that even though the shower will be just as quick there is not a DI yelling down our throats. Richard, thanks for your input... I think you're right it's a change of attitude.....I'm kinda surprised that you only have a 6 gallon tank...but, it's good to know that it only takes 15 minutes to recover... I thought that as soon as the tank starts going down on the hot water... fresh water will start filling up immediately behind what gets processed in the tank. We replaced our original shower head with a pause feature. I imagine that you have a dry bathroom and that it's larger than ours. We use Dr. Bronners as well. Nice looking bus conversion...is that an old Greyhound ? How long have you had it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 28, 2018 Every coach that I had or knew about, Class A's, had a 6 gallon water heater and you get used to it. No, we did not have liquid soap back then! Around 1985 they came out with the 10 gallon heater, we still did not use it all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 28, 2018 OK, thanks for letting me know....SO, 6 gallon is a standard size and some have 10 gallon tanks... even on the Class A rigs... What do you think about the tankless water systems? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 28, 2018 No Mark. Prior to mid 80's it was standard....then the 10's came out. What is standard today? I don't know! My last 3 coaches have and had Aqua Hot (continues hot water as long as water is available and gray tank is dumped or valve left open)! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 28, 2018 36 minutes ago, manholt said: No Mark. Prior to mid 80's it was standard....then the 10's came out. What is standard today? I don't know! My last 3 coaches have and had Aqua Hot (continues hot water as long as water is available and gray tank is dumped or valve left open)! Thank you.... I imagine that the six gallon tank on my Mercedes Benz is designed to save space, although, I think that Roadtrek makes at least one model with a tankless system. I don't think it's worth upgrading and wouldn't consider it unless my system failed. We don't use the shower because of the limited space and if we're near a RV park or something, we'll just shower there... The mildew factor in a wet bath is a problem if you don't meticulously wipe down all the surfaces and shower curtain... again...it's available in an emergency. We're NOT full timers and wouldn't be doing it full time in a Class B. I really don't think we'll ever be full timers....not a financially wise move in my opinion. We can have plenty of fun doing part time.....hey, just came back from a three month journey....who says you can't do extended trips..... BUT, I have to admit, after 3 months, I was very grateful to return home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blakeloke Report post Posted January 28, 2018 Mark, Does your Roadtrek have both the propane and electric feature on the hot water tank? I ask because when I want to take a marathon shower I turn both on and usually don't run out of hot water. Granted, can't do that when we're boon-docking because long showers just eats up fresh water and holding tank capacity. But if you're hooked up you might be able to use both functions for a longer shower. Blake Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 28, 2018 48 minutes ago, blakeloke said: Mark, Does your Roadtrek have both the propane and electric feature on the hot water tank? I ask because when I want to take a marathon shower I turn both on and usually don't run out of hot water. Granted, can't do that when we're boon-docking because long showers just eats up fresh water and holding tank capacity. But if you're hooked up you might be able to use both functions for a longer shower. Blake Blake, I think I only have the propane feature on the hot water... there's a switch on the wall for this and we usually leave it off until we actually need hot water and mainly use it for dishes..it heats up pretty quick. My RS Adventuous is a 2012... not as new as your rig... does your rig have the electric/propane feature? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 28, 2018 Blake, just reread your post above and see that you have both...😀 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted January 28, 2018 RV water heaters come with up to THREE sources of heating: 120 VAC Propane Motor-aid (a circuit off the main engine that circulates through the water heater to provide hot water while/after driving). VERY handy. Looking way back, our 1993 Foretravel had this additional heat source. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 28, 2018 Anything about the Pleasure Way that convinced you to choose that from the other brands.... Winnebago, Airstream, Leisure Travel, or Roadtrek??? All of them are very nicely finished.. We just were lucky to find our Roadtrek RS Adventuous five years old with only 26,000 miles... in great condition.. Figured that I wanted to save money on depreciation... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 28, 2018 3 minutes ago, wolfe10 said: RV water heaters come with up to THREE sources of heating: 120 VAC Propane Motor-aid (a circuit off the main engine that circulates through the water heater to provide hot water while/after driving). VERY handy. Looking way back, our 1993 Foretravel had this additional heat source. Interesting about the "motor aid". ...do any Class B s have this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted January 28, 2018 Mark, Sorry, I don't know the answer to that. Most frequently it is off the hoses that go to the dash heater core. The further back the water heater is located on a Class B, the less likely it would be because of the extra hose runs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted January 28, 2018 The motor aided system is often used when there is also a Webasto or Aqua Hot system installed in a coach. If the heat exchange coil in the water heater was connected to the engine only, then you'd have hot water to use in the shower or sink while driving or however long it stays hot in the tank. If you have a Webasto or Aqua Hot system, then whenever those are running to keep the coach warm you'd also have hot water in the hot water heater. Very handy. It wouldn't be that difficult to run the pipes from the engine of a Class B to the water heater, but I'm not sure that it would get you enough benefit to warrant the expense. Unless you already had a water heater with a heat exchange coil built in, you'd also need a new water heater. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted January 28, 2018 17 hours ago, MWeiner said: Richard, thanks for your input... I think you're right it's a change of attitude.....I'm kinda surprised that you only have a 6 gallon tank...but, it's good to know that it only takes 15 minutes to recover... I thought that as soon as the tank starts going down on the hot water... fresh water will start filling up immediately behind what gets processed in the tank. Mark, the water just continues to fill the tank as long as pressurized water is available, as soon as the temp drops below the threshold setting for the tank to start reheating, that begins to happen, which means that the water will start getting cooler until you are uncomfortable. This may be 12 gallons or more because the heated water is mixing with the cooler water. Then the recovery time actually begins. In Richards case that is about 15 minutes, others may be slower or faster. I have 80 gallons fresh water on board and use an electric water heater, 5 gallons, the wife and I can shower one behind the other and have comfortable baths. Yes, we are conservative bathers while on the tank, but when fully hooked up, we tend to stay somewhat longer, and still have never been too cool. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 28, 2018 1 hour ago, kaypsmith said: Mark, the water just continues to fill the tank as long as pressurized water is available, as soon as the temp drops below the threshold setting for the tank to start reheating, that begins to happen, which means that the water will start getting cooler until you are uncomfortable. This may be 12 gallons or more because the heated water is mixing with the cooler water. Then the recovery time actually begins. In Richards case that is about 15 minutes, others may be slower or faster. I have 80 gallons fresh water on board and use an electric water heater, 5 gallons, the wife and I can shower one behind the other and have comfortable baths. Yes, we are conservative bathers while on the tank, but when fully hooked up, we tend to stay somewhat longer, and still have never been too cool. OK....on our Roadtrek, we have 30 gallon fresh water tank....so, while I don't know , it seems unlikely that I would have to use up 12 gallons, more than 1/3 of the total tank to have hot water to start heating up again. Regardless, I'm not going to look into making an upgrade to the "motor aid" feature at this time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Best way to find out how well it works and how long it takes for the hot water heater to kick in again is just to use it a few times. You'll know pretty soon how long a shower you can take and how much water you use. I'd be surprised if it takes more than a few gallons total to get yourself clean with a modified Navy shower. If you've got a powered vent in the bathroom it shouldn't take too long for things to dry out in there once you're done if you leave the door open afterwards. If this was me, I'd try it out a few times in the driveway just to see how it works and what to expect. I just looked through the brochure for your coach. Nice looking rig inside and out! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Thanks Richard, YES, there's a powerful vent in the bathroom.. and the RS Adventuous is beautifully finished on the inside. Here's an inside picture of our rig. It's small but deluxe, the rear seats double as our living room during the day and they fold down electrically and transform into a king size bed for the night.. airline style bathroom, kitchen sink, microwave convection oven and overhead cabinets with closet space, all natural cherry wood. I absolutely love the way it drives, 18-20 MPG on the road, diesel engine, pretty quiet, quick and powerful. It has 190 HP and 325 foot pounds of torque. We don't need a tow car as we drive this everywhere we need to go. . And parks just about anywhere. I added solar panels, satellite navigation, front and rear cameras, backup proximity sensors, tire pressure monitor, and more.. makes it easier and more comfortable for me. The RS Adventuous has an ample towing capacity, as well as power to carry up to seven passengers if you don't install the optional armories behind the front driver and passenger..we have the extra seats in the garage.. figured that we could make better use of the cabinet space with just the two of us.. but, you can load up to 3,000 pounds of passengers and gear... SO, we'll never have a weight problem, just a space problem.. We just take less stuff.. all the extra gear is really not necessary even on a long trip. We found it unnecessary.. if we really needed it, we picked it up a long the way. I am impressed by your " big rig"... I'm sure it's very nice inside? Please provide a picture.. if you can. I've seen some very nice customized rigs . ----MARK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Forgot to mention the small refrigerator on the left side bottom of the cabinet, it is a little smaller than we like, but, again, it's a class B. The picture I posted was the day we decided to purchase the rig at the dealership ... The people who traded it in we're original owners and wanted a Winnebago Navion.. I thought that we were going to purchase a Navion as well, but, I really liked the Roadtrek Adventuous more.. better handling, more agile and stable ..the double rear wheels on the back of the couch are not inset like the Navion, and come right to the edge of the chassis like my car. The dual rear wheels were an absolute must for me.. Also drove a Winnebago Fuze...on the Ford Transit chassis , 5 cylinder diesel, not as smooth, horrible road dynamics. Felt like I was on a swaying boat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 29, 2018 TCC is in the process of servicing my AQ and I looked at some of the circuits, it's a AQ450 and the control module is a Webasto....had no idea they was related. My system is the same as Brett's. Mark. There really isn't much difference between your B and my A. We have the same stuff on the inside, diesel engine...the big difference is Storage, MPG and Maintenance Cost. Little house, large house! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted January 29, 2018 My 2008 had a 10 gallon HW tank. When plugged in, which was all the time we stopped, it was on electric. If we needed back to back showers we would turn both the electric and propane on. Heated up the water real fine. We also had the motor-aide and after about 50 miles down the road we had hot water. Consider the on/off switch on the shower-head. Rinse down, shut off shower head. Soap up and then rinse off. Just the small amount of time the shower head is off the water will be heating up and most thermostats are set to high so it will heat up sooner as the water chills. We have never run out of HW. Now with the Aqua-hot 450D we can have continuous HW. There is price to pay with having the Aqua-hot. Space. It takes up a lot of space that cold otherwise be used for storage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 29, 2018 My AH is located in the same bay as City water reel, so at most I lose about 6cu. ft. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted January 29, 2018 Ready for this. Mine is in the same bay as the electric reel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mweiner Report post Posted January 29, 2018 16 hours ago, manholt said: TCC is in the process of servicing my AQ and I looked at some of the circuits, it's a AQ450 and the control module is a Webasto....had no idea they was related. My system is the same as Brett's. Mark. There really isn't much difference between your B and my A. We have the same stuff on the inside, diesel engine...the big difference is Storage, MPG and Maintenance Cost. Little house, large house! Absolutely correct.. I'm fine with the small house.. less maintenance and fuel costs. The whole reason I purchased the Mercedes Benz was the diesel engine and drivetrain.... Someone suggested that I might be "lucky" to get 85,000 miles...😁........ I met people who have gone 800,000 kilometers... that's about 500,000 miles... 😁😁😁 My coach is perfect for us... two people, no pets. Enjoy your rig... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
