Duel Fuel vs On Demand Water Heaters - Opinions

[ctechbob]

I'm sure many of us has watched Josh's videos on new trailers on more than one occasion. Something I have been noticing lately (Mid 2023) is that a lot of manufacturers seem to be moving to 'tankless' IE Propane only water heaters on their new units. Both large and small.

Now, this is a hill that I will die on.

I prefer my dual fuel unit. I use the parks electricity 80-95% of the time, only kicking on the propane when we need to do back-to-back showers, and I have never had a complaint out of my wife/daughter that we've run out of hot water. I've intentionally taken long showers and still had scalding hot water at the end.

Now, I know this is just me being a cheap @#$, but we're over a year of traveling and still not through one of our two 20# tanks, and that is with pulling grill and fire pit gas off of the main tanks.

Personally, I will stick with the dual fuel unit in anything I buy new. I will have one swapped in if necessary.

Fight me!!

Really, I'm just interested in everyone's opinions, in case my world-view is bent.

 

[Wayne]

manufacturers seem to be moving to 'tankless' IE Propane only water heaters on their new units.

That's news to me, but I haven't looked at water heater options in about 3 years.

Manufacturer motivations seem to be highly driven by cost. I can imagine that propane only water heaters are cheaper to manufacture. The sales guy then has to convince the buyer that propane only water heaters are better.

I prefer my dual fuel unit. I use the parks electricity 80-95% of the time, only kicking on the propane when we need to do back-to-back showers, and I have never had a complaint out of my wife/daughter that we've run out of hot water. I've intentionally taken long showers and still had scalding hot water at the end.

Our method of use is virtually the same as yours. Propane isn't cheap and there is no additional cost to use the park's electricity, so that's what we do.

Now, I know this is just me being a cheap @#$, but we're over a year of traveling and still not through one of our two 20# tanks, and that is with pulling grill and fire pit gas off of the main tanks.

We also power our generator with propane and will have a hard time using a full bottle of propane (we have 2 40# tanks) in a season.

The big exception is cold weather. Last December we were in Fort Collins for a month when they had a near record cold snap. Two nights at -16° F and the average high for the month was about 25°F. We had 2x1500 watt electric heaters running and still burned about 160# of propane.

Personally, I will stick with the dual fuel unit in anything I buy new. I will have one swapped in if necessary.

I can't find a way to disagree with you. Like I said, eliminating the electric option is likely about reducing manufacturing cost, not about real benefit to the end user.

The only way I could agree that propane only is better is if I were looking to find the cheapest trailer possible.

 

[ctechbob]

That's news to me, but I haven't looked at water heater options in about 3 years.

Manufacturer motivations seem to be highly driven by cost. I can imagine that propane only water heaters are cheaper to manufacture. The sales guy then has to convince the buyer that propane only water heaters are better.


Our method of use is virtually the same as yours. Propane isn't cheap and there is no additional cost to use the park's electricity, so that's what we do.


We also power our generator with propane and will have a hard time using a full bottle of propane (we have 2 40# tanks) in a season.

The big exception is cold weather. Last December we were in Fort Collins for a month when they had a near record cold snap. Two nights at -16° F and the average high for the month was about 25°F. We had 2x1500 watt electric heaters running and still burned about 160# of propane.


I can't find a way to disagree with you. Like I said, eliminating the electric option is likely about reducing manufacturing cost, not about real benefit to the end user.

The only way I could agree that propane only is better is if I were looking to find the cheapest trailer possible.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. I did a quick search on Amazon for the difference in price between a tankless and a 6 gallon unit. The tankless was actually about $20 more expensive, but that is just the unit. They may well be cheaper to install when everything is considered. It could well be too that it isn't cheaper, but it gives the finished camper a more 'high-end' appeal.

As far as marketing, I don't think they'll have any problem. 'Tankless' has been pounded into people's heads over the last 30+ years as being the cats meow if you're looking for 'endless' hot water.

Looks like Forest River is doing it on all of the Grey Wolf's that I've looked at this evening. Same model as I have but now it's tankless.

 

[spasm3]

I wonder about the propane usage. I'd like to see a comparison of tankless propane and a regular propane/electric water heater , set to propane.

I would think the burner would have to be huge to work tankless.

 

[ctechbob]

I wonder about the propane usage. I'd like to see a comparison of tankless propane and a regular propane/electric water heater , set to propane.

I would think the burner would have to be huge to work tankless.

I wonder if they are set as high as a 'normal' WH as well. I don't know where mine is set, but it is up there, presumably to give you more usage out of it since you'll have to mix it with more cold, stretching out the limited amount of hot.

Although, I guess it would take the same amount of propane either way now that I think about it. Dang physics.