Joolca Hot Water System

[threedogs]

Yer thats a good way of doing it 3D with the buckets, only prob we go camping a lot in the summer months and here in W.A. the have a lot of fire banns,which sucks theres nuthin better than havin a campfire .So restricted to using gas burners most of the time (I just use the butane single burners) . If i was to get something like the JOOLCA HOTTAP would have to add a gas bottle to the mix as well

I take it then these are{joolca} are a better option than an On board Say Glind shower system.
A friend brought an impressive heat exchanger and made his own

[the evil twin]

I take it then these are{joolca} are a better option than an On board Say Glind shower system.
A friend brought an impressive heat exchanger and made his own

Joolca et al are stand alone, instantaneous, well at least while the LPG lasts... Glind mean you have to have the vehicle warmed up.

[threedogs]

Joolca et al are stand alone, instantaneous, well at least while the LPG lasts... Glind mean you have to have the vehicle warmed up.

Just thinking hot water is hot water, so which is the most cost effective??

[the evil twin]

Just thinking hot water is hot water, so which is the most cost effective??

The $2 shower at the ablution block

[MudRunnerTD]

Just thinking hot water is hot water, so which is the most cost effective??

I had a Glind kit fitted to the GQ for a few years. The problem is the engine needs to be hot. You need to plan your shower for as soo as your stop driving or you have to warm the car up. You then have to cycle the water through until it's hot enough then use it. I wasn't a fan.

I have a Coleman and to be honest rarely use it. It's ok but a bit of a hassle.

The Joolca unit or similar permanently mounted yo the camper would get used continuously I think. On my list

[NissanGQ4.2]

The Joolca unit or similar permanently mounted yo the camper would get used continuously I think. On my list

http://www.joolca.com.au/drawbar-mount

[BigRAWesty]

I had a Glind kit fitted to the GQ for a few years. The problem is the engine needs to be hot. You need to plan your shower for as soo as your stop driving or you have to warm the car up. You then have to cycle the water through until it's hot enough then use it. I wasn't a fan.

I have a Coleman and to be honest rarely use it. It's ok but a bit of a hassle.

The Joolca unit or similar permanently mounted yo the camper would get used continuously I think. On my list

And for $51!!!!!!!
Why wouldn't you!!

[Cuppa]

I had a Glind kit fitted to the GQ for a few years. The problem is the engine needs to be hot. You need to plan your shower for as soo as your stop driving or you have to warm the car up. You then have to cycle the water through until it's hot enough then use it. I wasn't a fan.

I had one of those too at one stage, but like you say, needing to run the motor up to operating temp, & then having to keep it running whilst using the hot water, combined with somewhat imprecise water temperature control (using the vehicle's heater controls) made me not a fan either.

However the idea of heating water effortlessly & for free was appealing, so what I now have (& the second vehicle I've had one in) is a variation on the same theme. A Calorifier. Essentially works like a Glind, but instead has a copper coil inside a larger & insulated tank, which means you have hot water whenever you arrive at camp, & insulation on the tank keeps it hot for 2 or 3 days. Tank size can vary to suit use/space available. Mine is a commercially made unit which admittedly are somewhat more expensive than these gas instantaneous units, (price comparable to other caravan type hot water systems) but for those handy at fabricating/adapting stuff a DIY version shouldn't be too much of a challenge. A tank with a copper coil running through it connected into the engine cooling system, plus an inlet & outlet for water into the tank. A pressure relief valve is required for safety, & a tempering valve - which automatically mixes cold with hot at the outlet to give a precise & constant pre set temperature. The water in the tank heats to engine coolant temp, typically up to around 90 deg.C which when tempered with the added cold to give safe temperatures 'extends' the tank's capacity significantly. A 30 minute drive is sufficient to have a tankful of hot water (for my 25L - larger tanks may take a bit longer). Of course a pump & a water tank are also required, whereas the instant gas heaters can be run from a bucket or even directly from a creek or other water supply.

Just in case anyone is thinking of mounting an instant Gas water heater inside a camper - this is seriously not a good idea. It's also probably illegal. I say probably only because canvas structures may be a legal grey area (which doesn't make it safe). They need to be mounted outside to be adequately vented in order to prevent risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. (Like the Joolca drawbar mount - needs to be set up each camp). Ones which can be mounted inside have to have proper venting to the outside & are far more expensive & essentially a different product altogether to those being discussed here. IMHO the instant gas water heaters as being discussed here are most suitable for those who set up a base camp rather than those who move on daily.