Best Tankless Water Heater: A Space Saver for Vanlifers

Heating water for daily use can be very expensive, and the traditional tank style is efficient only for a short period as it takes up space on your van. However, there is a better alternative for that: a tankless water heater that saves you space and money. If you consider buying one, here are the best deals on tankless water heaters you can consider.

The best electric water heaters in the market include Rheem Performance 7.03 GPM, Ecosmart ECO 18 and ECO 11, Bosch Tronic 3000 T series, and the Sio Green IR288. While for gas tankless water heaters, Rinnai RL Series HE+, Rinnai V53DeN, Takagi T-H3-DV-N, Camplux Enjoy Outdoor Life, GASLAND Outdoors BE158SN, Fogatti 55000BTU, and Furrion ‎FWH09A-1-A.

Electric Tankless Heaters: An Extremely Convenient Option 

Electric heaters are undoubtedly convenient, especially if you usually camp on grounds with shore power. This type of heater also maintains water’s temperature better and is less expensive than gas heater types.

Rheem Performance 7.03 GPM: The Classic Look You Cannot Get Enough

If you are trying to replace your old conventional heater, then this seven GPM model from Rheem is widely known for its performance and is very easy to operate. It appears gray with a stainless steel finish and is wall-mounted. 

This has a digital temperature, and its unit is set to heat the incoming water; you can also adjust its degree from 70-130 or 140 even by using its knob.

Even though it is small in size, measuring only up to 21 inches long and 18 inches tall, most consumers or clients still prefer this over the bulky ones. 

This electric type of tankless water heater keeps you up with your hot water needs for most of your van life and even households. It can supply hot water even up to five showers and two sinks simultaneously.

The con you may encounter in this product is that installation may be hard; hence you should read the manual thoroughly. 

You can buy this product on Amazon for $582.

Ecosmart ECO 18: An Affordable Choice For The Most RVers

The ECO 18 is an affordable option for the rest of the tankless water heaters, and it closes the gap between the tank and tankless water heaters. This heater comes in the color white. 

This tankless water heater can support up to 2.5 gallons per minute and can support two of your showers simultaneously if you have two showers in your van.

It also has digital features you can enjoy and is easy to set and target the temperature you want to achieve. 

This budget-friendly tankless water heater offers you easy installation since it runs on electric power. It also has a lifetime warranty that you can take advantage. 

What is great about this product is its self-modulating technology. It only uses the right amount of energy needed to heat the water, making you save more energy in your motorhome.

However, its lower price and the smaller size mean it is also limited in terms of capacity, so you would also want to consider that knowing you would be traveling a lot, and might be colder as you travel. You would need more hot water than you expected. 

This might be a limitation since the heating capacity of ECO 18 primarily matters also from the inlet water temperature. Inlet temperature dictates how well it can function, and each state you travel to may have different inlet temperatures requiring more electricity usage.

But it is powerful enough to serve as a full van tankless water heater only in areas with approximately 62° Fahrenheit incoming groundwater.

When buying, you can see a guide on the inlet temperatures in the states that you can use to aid you in choosing the right Ecosmart model. You can get this model from Amazon for $499. 

Ecosmart ECO 11: The Perfect Choice For Small Rigs

This type of tankless water heater gives you the option to run one or two water fixtures at a time, like the sink and shower. Like the Ecosmart Eco 18, this model runs on self-modulating technology and is perfect for small vans with lower hot water demands.

However, this tankless water heater can only heat up to 2 gallons per minute. It can supply hot steamy water, but if your incoming water is 72°, you’ll be more careful in choosing the hot water tap; this can only run up to two sinks in cold weather.

This unit has a lifetime warranty but is limited only to the heater and not the incidental damages.

It is one of the most bought tankless water heaters on Amazon, but you might need another model if planning to have multiple showers in your campervan.

Another downside is that it must be regularly checked and clean to avoid mineral build-up that can cause it to malfunction.

Check this model on Amazon for more details on its specifications and its price.

The Bosch Tronic 3000 T Series: A Compact Heater For Your Van

The actual point of using tankless water heaters is to fit the van and make sure it’s compact enough. Also, to boost the hot water availability in your van. One decent choice you can make is to buy one of the Bosch Tronic T Series. 

These heaters are powered by Bosch Thermotechnology and can have a capacity of 2.5 to seven gallons depending on the model. 

This Bosch Tronic 3000 T series model comes in white color, and it can easily be mounted on your wall or even the cabinet floor.

You might find this product good since it can easily blend with your van design because of its color and sleek size. It is also very great for small spaces in your van. In addition to that, it even has a 98% efficiency rating.

The downside of this product is since it is small and compact, it is only designed to support one sink but delivers hot water on the spot and saves you energy for the mini model.

The warranty is also only for six years, and you might want to turn it on at least an hour before you use it to ensure that the water is well heated. 

If you want to try this Bosch Tronic 3000 series, you can check Amazon for a starting price of $333 for the mini tankless heater. 

Sio Green IR288: A Safe Option For Your Rig

The Sio tankless water heater is unique because it produces no calcium deposits that prevent corrosion and early part maintenance. This heater uses quartz elements that heat water without contacting metal. 

A smart system also automatically calculates the needed energy to heat the water to the desired temperature. It only applied the required power making it energy saving. 

It also has a user-friendly knob to turn for the water temperature you like, easily seen on the LCD. To maximize the use of this tankless water heater, make sure that you know the inlet water temperature in your area provided by the guide or sales agent when you purchase this model. 

The Sio tankless heaters have many available models you can choose from that can accommodate larger gallons of water for bigger RVs. Other models are IR30 with a smaller wire gauge, IR260, and SIO18.

On top of these, it also has overheated and high-limit temperature cut-off fuses that ensure safety in your RV. 

You might want to consider this when buying the SIO green because you cannot easily buy it from any other store. The supplier comes from Florida, which might be a limitation living in another state, especially if repaired. 

Also, the manufacturer requires a licensed plumber to install it to be entitled to your warranty, so you cannot just do it on your own.

If you buy this product online, you should always check its availability. You can get this on Amazon, but most models easily get out of stock. So, better watch out when it’s in stock.

Gas Tankless Water Heaters: The Go-To For The Off-grid Lovers

As I have said, electric tankless heaters are the convenient options you can choose, but gas heaters are also one to consider if you travel in more remote areas with limited access to water or shore power. Here are some models with their pros and cons.

Rinnai RL Series HE+: A Worthy Choice To Environment-Concern RVers

This type of tankless water heater uses natural gas and is an efficient way to have a readily available hot water supply on demand, perfect for the cold weather. 

The Rinnai RL series of tankless water heaters offer great efficiency and value. This natural gas tankless water heater has faster flow rates than the electric ones. 

The Japanese make Rinnai himself is known for making and producing the most reliable tankless water heaters that have made quite a recognition internationally. 

This Rinnai RL75i offers you up to 7.5 GPM of hot water and can even support up to four different fixtures. Well, it also depends on the incoming groundwater temperature. 

So even if you live in a cold climate, this gas-fired tankless water heater can supply hot water to at least three fixtures if the water temperature is at least 57°. 

This model is also equipped with Rinnai Circ-Logic recirculation technology, which gives you the option to optimize the energy usage of its recirculation pump.

If you plan to take advantage of the recirculation temperature, you will have to purchase the Rinnai kit and Control-R model, increasing expenses. 

One downside to this product is you have to keep the water running to heat it, and it takes time to change from one temperature to another.

Another con is that it is an expensive water heater with $1,434 for 9.8 GPM while $1,183 for the 7.8 GPM model. You can purchase this is in Amazon. 

Rinnai V53DeN: Boast an Outdoor Functionality

The Rinnai brand is one of the major companies that promotes tankless water systems. By simplifying a tankless water system, you will not worry about having any available hot water inside your RV. 

The design of Rinnai is commendable because it promotes high-heat efficiency with a sleek design that consumers will love.

This five-GPM natural gas tankless water heater designed for outdoor installation saves up space in your van since it is ideally installed outdoors. This heater can support up to two showers.

The brand boasts that it saves more energy by heating only the water demand of your RVs. At the same time, it is considered high heating efficiency with outstanding features and maximum output. It is ranked as Amazon’s choice with a rating of 4.5 and is included in the brand’s V-models. 

If you buy this online, the manufacturer ensures that the units are individually checked before shipping ensuring their quality. 

The downside of this brand and model is that a special condensing kit is needed for the water heater, but it is sold separately. You have to ensure that you can buy this together to completely install the product in your RV. 

You can check out its price on Amazon. 

Takagi T-H3-DV-N: The Best Energy-Saving Unit

There’s a lot to spend when you choose a condensing tankless water heater, but these models guarantee to work extra hard for you. They capture energy, thus improving its efficiency. 

This Takagi T-H3-DV-N model is capable of making 10 GPM of hot water. This heater is about 199,000 BTU tankless water heater from Takagi, a Japanese product, and is known for its dependability without skipping up a beat. 

It runs on natural gas, which is specific for indoor use only. It weighs around ‎58 pounds with body dimensions of ‎11.25 x 17.75 x 24.88 inches which is a medium size for water heaters. It can support two showers in warmer climates and lesser in colder areas. 

Like other tankless water heaters, this model also relies on the inlet water temperature and has a range of 100 to 140 degrees celsius of heating.

Note, though, that installing this unit will not be easy, and it would be a challenge to find a technician to fix this type of heater when damaged or if you need some help with troubleshooting. 

At the same time, this gas water heater has a higher initial cost than electric models and other condensing versions like the premium value ones. Still, they also represent some of the most efficient energy.

You can check this on Amazon and try this product for yourself.

The Camplux Enjoy Outdoor Life: Not Just A Water Heater

Most of us love to enjoy the finer things in life and make the most. This portable tankless water heater is right if you want your hot water to go well. 

This portable tankless water heater connects to a propane tank and offers up to 1.32 GPM hot water on your showers and sinks. 

This is battery powered ignition and just easy to operate. This is great for campers like you; easy to set up and has a minimum water pressure of 3.0 PSI. 

It comes in the color white with a compact size and sleek design. It also has safety features such as anti-freezing, flame failure, and oxygen depletion.

Since the ignition is battery operated, you can certainly use this when you go off-grid or in remote areas where electricity is not readily available. 

Other models from this brand are also worth checking, characterized by different water flow and maximum power output. 

A downside to it is that by design, it shuts down when not in use. You have to wait for quite some time before using it again to allow the water to heat up. 

The low-quality shower attachment that comes with it may also find unappealing in this product. The showerhead may also be short for some users. If you are hoping for it to last long, you should replace it with quality ones. 

This can be a quick remedy to your hot water needs in any cold off-grid adventure. You can buy this on Amazon for $189.

GASLAND Outdoors BE158SN: Packed With Safety Features

The Gasland tankless water heater brags a maximum power output of 41,000BTU/Hr to give you your hot water needs. It has a low water pressure start-up requirement and can be fully adjusted.  

It is one safety option since it’s packed with flame failure devices, overheating, and anti-freezing features. It will not freeze in cold areas even without use for a long time with anti-freezing.

It also has an energy-saving feature with a lightweight design. 

Its portability is very handy since you can also use it outdoors with its wall bracket that only takes a few minutes to install. 

You have to watch out for placing it in a well-ventilated area since it runs on propane as fuel. You should also ensure that the water pressure is not under 2.5 PSI for the system to ignite the unit. 

If planning to go on high altitude areas and with strong wind conditions, this unit might not be ideal since this is not water-proof and windproof. With this, you have to keep it covered when it rains. 

Despite this, it is one of the highly-rated products on Amazon with few downsides. You can purchase this Gasland tankless water heater at this link. 

Fogatti 55000BTU: Sturdy and Space-Friendly Unit

This model is one of the new tankless heaters in two colors, namely black and white. It is manufactured by Fogatti, a trusted brand for tankless water heaters. It has a dimension of 13 x 13 inches. 

It can heat water efficiently and deliver a good supply with its 55000 BTU powered by propane gas. It is easy to use with its wall-mounted remote controller. It also has safety features like overpressure protection. 

It also prevents unpleasant smells from producing carbon monoxide due to partial propane combustion. It also comes with a one-year warranty. 

This model is ideal if going off-grid since it is designed to withstand strong vibration. It is also easily installed and has a short waiting time for hot water to come out. 

You have to purchase a pressure relief valve and a plumbing tee separately to install in the hot water outlet. Also, you have to caution that this tankless water heater needs 12V to ignite. 

This can be one go-to product for off-grid RVers and a quick fix to your hot water needs. You can check more features of this product on Amazon, which has $599.99.

Furrion ‎FWH09A-1-A: A Decent Option For Your Motor Home

The Furrion tankless water heater is not the most affordable option, but it is worth trying with its 2.4GPM capacity and 60 000 BTU heating power. 

It automatically shuts the power off when the water breaks the safe limit because of its pressure relief valve. It is engineered to withstand vibration from bumpy road travels and uneven terrain. 

What is great about this product is can constantly maintain the desired temperature even when hot and cold water mixes because of the Furrion Vortex Technology. It only takes a little time for water to warm up. It can work in both propane and electric power. 

The downside that you may encounter is the installation difficulty. You will need someone with knowledge of wiring to install this properly on your RV.

It can also freeze when the temperature drops below the freezing point, so make sure it is outdoors rather than outside your motorhome. 

If you want to try this out, you can purchase this for $647.51 on Amazon. 

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are still wondering what to buy and why you should try tankless water heaters, here are some frequently asked questions that might be useful. 

Why are tankless water heaters essential?

Tankless water heaters allow you to save up space and offer you the opportunity to have a greater experience because it gives greater efficiency than any other conventional water heaters. 

The best way to describe this is that it never runs out of hot water, and there is no storage tank to deplete. 

Are tankless water heaters better than tank ones?

A tankless water heater is a better value than a tank. Tankless water heaters also last twice longer as normal tanks do. 

They also have a warranty and help you save up energy because you can have the option to heat water only when you need to. Consumer rebates and financing are already quite of a deal.

Since these water heaters are tankless, they will not run out of supply, and you will never have to choose, whether doing a load of your laundry, a piping hot shower, or even simply running your dishwasher.

Your hot water is always made available for you.

At the same time, every tankless water heater is individually checked and tested for its quality before shipping them.

Unlike many other companies, these types of water heaters make the vast majority of their key components, which allows them to be consistent in controlling their quality.

That’s why most consumers nowadays prefer them over having just a tank. They have sleek modern designs and many benefits and features to choose from that can fully satisfy you and your family in your van.

If you still want to know about tank water heater options, you can check this article.

What are the advantages of a tankless water heater?

These tankless water heaters are built for convenience and to save space in your RV. It has technology that improves your way of living. These heaters have recirculation technology and are also wi-fi ready, which allows you to get hot water schedules or, put it on demand, give you hot water instantly. 

Reducing water waste and saving you time, you can also integrate them with your smart home technology for greater control.

Should I Go For a Gas or An Electric Tankless Water Heater For My RV?

Choosing the best tankless water heater for your RV might be daunting with the wide array of models with unique features. The factors that will help you choose the right buy include the space, need, usage, and budget. 

If you are fond of going to remote areas with limited to no shore power, I suggest you go for gas tanks since they can be a life-saver.

However, note that it might be hard to find a replacement nearby once you deplete your propane gas supply.

Suppose you want to camp in areas with shore power and save your budget, then you can choose an electric tankless water heater.

This is the most convenient and inexpensive option to serve the hot water you want during and after camping.

Final Thoughts 

All of us may have a lot of expectations, especially with this kind of high-technology tankless water heater, and I can say that these do not disappoint. You will surely enjoy and have fun using them as they are reliable and very efficient for your RV life. Once you get to try one, you can enjoy even the coldest season and will not worry about taking a shower after swimming or taking a dip in your favorite camping ground. You already have many options; choose what fits your lifestyle and budget. By trying these out, who knows, the conventional tanked water heaters may be a thing of the past. 

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