# Calorifiers for Motorhomes



## 100512 (Aug 13, 2006)

I have never heard these devices talked about much. They are very common in boats with the engine coolant heating up the domestic hot water.

Out of interest does any one use them ?

We used to make them out of a 9 gallon stainless steel beer barrel and fit a coil to it. It would also work fine in a Motorhome if you could carry the extra weight around.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Interesting question, Dave. I'd not thought of that before.

I think there's a difference - in a narrowboat (for instance), it's quite normal to run the engine for a while to heat up the water, especially if you;re 'wild camping' on the canals. This would be frowned upon parked next to other motorhomers on a site.

Also, you'd have the choice of adding a separate calorifier (not enough room, unless you have a garage), or making a special immersion heater / gas heater / calorifier type of boiler. Wouldn't that be too complicated? Space and weight are more important in and around a motorhome - more so than a boat.

Gerald


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Calorifier*

Hello there,

Please read through to get to your point:

I am a third of the way to fitting one. We have an MB Sprinter with a Factory fit Eberspacher 5kW Hydronic ADD heater. I have converted this with an eberspacher kit to make it into a parking/auxillary heater.

The next step is to connect this into the rear heat exchanger via some kind of relay (any help or guidance from the techy ones reading this would be gratefully received (the rear heat exchanger fan currently only comes on when the key is in the ignition)).

Finally I intend to install a calorfier into the van somewhere, probaly in the garage above the Truma gas heater with some kind of changeover switch/valves for switching between the two. The calorifier will have a 1kW immersion heater fitted so we can make full use of higher amp hook-ups when on site, as it miffs me when we pay for a 16amp hook-up when we only charge the batteries and use our gas to heat the water.

I have found a supplier on ebay who sells various sizes of calorifier. However, it may seem a bit silly to go to this extreme to get FREE hot water from your engine and value for money on hook-up only to pay £200+ for a decent calorfier.

However, the project keeps me out of the pub to the wifes delight and if we just go wildcamping it is suggested that the water will stay hot for at least 24 hours, even warm for up-to 48. Whilst I am going through the project stage-by-stage, I intend to keep looking on ebay for a bargain, so far to no avail.

With ever increasing gas prices and more and more camp sites charging exortinate rates for electricty (French sites tend to be lower than most) I think you are well advised to go for it.

With reagrd to weight; As far as I see it water is just as heavy if you carry it hot or cold so this does not matter.

If it is sunny and you want FREE hot water, here is a tip that I gleaned from this site.

Take a couple of 2litre pop bottles ( I suggest the old black Tango ones) fille em most of the way up water and place them in your cab window. Give em a few hours and they will be warm enough for washing up at least.

Hope I have not gone on toooooooomuch but if you need any help, have any queries or require any further information. Please do not hesitate to send me a PM or reply on here.

Trev.

PS if you are going to feed the hot water pipes from the engine under the van, best to place them in some form of protective sleaving.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Yes, I have a calorifier. Seems a sensible setup to me and I don't understand the comment on weight.

It is driven, as is the space heating, by a small diesel-powered burner that you can hold in your hand. However, when the motorhome's engine is running that does all the work instead (once everything is up to temperature, anyway).

Hot water is available for several hours after stopping, which means that during the summer months, the diesel heater only gets fired up once in the morning for showers & washing up, etc.

The electric heater is integral for use when on hookup.

I refill the gas cylinder once in a blue moon as it is only needed for cooking.

Dave


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Black bottles*

Hi

I too have used the black bottle method for hot water! Excellent for washing up. Oscar has his own solar shower and I have a swimming pool known as Lake Garda!

The calorifier thing seems an excellent way of conducting business. It is a shame it is not standard fit. A three gallon tank of hot water - which has warmed up whilst driving, would, if insulated stay hot for a good while.

Rapide561


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## 100512 (Aug 13, 2006)

Thanks all for the comments.

The weight issue may be red herring in that I had considered it a retro fit so more water would be carried, (say 5-9 gallons or so for the previous devices I had built). This would add to the load of the vehicle but may or may not be a concern, clearly as pointed out water is not heavier if hot or cold. Stainless beer barrels are very light when emptly, you need a leagal means of obtaining them though. I live right next to the river Severn and sadly many are seen going up and down on the tide, we rescue as many as we can so have a few around that have been salvaged.

I take the point about narrow boats etc but also when traveling in the MH it seems that the 'free' heat could be used benificilay here. I guess it rather depends on how much you move around to the benifit provided.

We have a Truma hot water heater fitted but the unit has no means of connecting to the engine that I can see and I dont know if theres an option to retro fit one or a device that has a coil fitted to a new unit. It seemed to me to be a useful alternative to consider to heat water (if your moving of course)

I like to pop bottle idea or perhaps one of those solar shower devices fed through the 'galley' window that campers use, not engine driven but still free water heating.


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## 93350 (May 1, 2005)

hi dave i have a calorifier thingy fitted as standard in my motorhome when it is cold i can switch on my central heating pump and have heat for free (if you deduct cost of motorhome)the calorifier is not large at all sits behind a panel in the van good luck mercman


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

mercman said:


> hi dave i have a calorifier thingy fitted as standard in my motorhome when it is cold i can switch on my central heating pump and have heat for free


What provides this heat?

If it is the hot water in the engine then for how long can it provide any useful heat?


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