DIY Tiny Camper Water Heater

Have you always wanted hot water for your tiny camper or teadrop but was not sure how to do it? Follow along as we show you how we added an on demand hot water heater to our teardrop camper!
Materials used:
Harbor Freight Apache 4800 weather proof case
www.harborfreight.com/search?...
Eccotemp on demand hot water heater
www.chewy.com/eccotemp-portab...
Amazon 1 lb LP cylinder adapter
www.amazon.com/dp/B082MBGVXN?...
lp regulator
amzn.to/4djAe3R
#teardropcamperwaterheater
#BraxtonCreek
#Bushwhacker
#ondemandhotwaterheater
#Eccotemp

[@bushwracer]

Thumbs up to. Went to harbor freight and picked up the apache 4800 box and it works perfectly. Again 👍 to you for the information

[@gawdzalien2811]

Very well spoken, presented, no nonsense video. Subbed

[@reneschmelzer7692]

i love the idea of the one pounder directly attached, if you run out of gaz, just refill with from your 2o lbs bottle. i'll do it like this too. don't know why i never thought about it.. thx

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you for watching and hope it helps.

[@mattwaters6987]

Great mod. Happy camping! 😊

[@bradfordpalmer2298]

Have one like that, and man, it's amazing!

[@assistantchief51]

Thanks for putting this together. Looking forward to tackling the project soon!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Glad I was able to help. If you have any questions just give me a shout.

[@TheDeisel11]

Great MOD. I followed your video and did the exact same MOD. After the first trip using the little green propane tank I purchased a 12’ Gas hose that will run under the camper and plug into the quick connect on the other side of the trailer. I find this to be a little easier over all. Thanks for providing these videos as I have done a few of your other great MODs to my 10HD. Keep them coming!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thanks for watching. Glad the videos help!

[@gregspeakman9337]

Great video. I especially like the adapter setup for the 1 lb propane tank.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thanks Greg!

[@billeldridge2725]

Great information. I am tackling mine this next weekend. Thank you.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you Sir, hope the video helps.

[@jamie.andrews]

This is on my list of mods to do. Great job as always Sam and Cindy!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thanks Jamie. I have to admit I did it for Cindy, but I am hooked on it!

[@benfrantzen5779]

Great production value 🎉

[@kathymintexas1556]

Brilliant mod! Thanks for sharing.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

You're very welcome and thank you for watching. I really like the fact that we can leave it all hooked up and shut the door and seal it up. Once we get to a campsite and get it set up we can leave it hooked up the whole time we're there. A lot of the other ways to install it you have to take it apart each time.

[@dottiechristopher2792]

Once again another great video. Please keep them coming.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thanks Sis, ypur just buttering me up so I fix your bumper. I know you 😆

[@tomfowler3653]

Another great mod Sam!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank sir. Hot water is best for washing bluegill grease off plates!

[@davidowen888]

Great Mod 👍 I would suggest painting or uv protection for that plastic box it's susceptible to sun damage over time ☮️

[@gwrulzmylife]

great idea 💡 👍

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you!

[@darrellthomas1404]

Great content!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you Sir

[@vizio213]

Great ideas!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank sir, hope it helps.

[@stevepark8428]

Genius! Thanks for another great one. You should open up a RV mod shop as a main line of work. 😄😄😄

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Your too kind Steve. Far from genius, just making things work the way I want them to.

[@ChadGerstmeyer-vr1sg]

I need this!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Its been an awesome mod! I had no idea how much I would use it tipl I installed it. I use it all the time!

[@cindysadventuresinstitching]

Can’t wait for my shower station!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

It's on its way Babe!

[@bryanbryanmccoy7094]

Pretty awesome Mod. I am looking forward to seeing how you line it up with the opening on the shower room. That is the thing I had the most issue with. the ladder helped put the box in the right location. Thanks for mentioning the Bushwhacker Boil. July 24-30, 2024

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thanks Bryan, we have what we think is a really neat idea for the shower room, if it ever gets here. I think it's strapped on the back of a turtle! Can't wait for next year's boil, only 353 days to go!

[@tammyduriavich-cd6nn]

@@adventuresofthememorymakers what is said Bushwhacker Boil, please? Sounds interesting!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

@tammyduriavich-cd6nn it is a teardrop camper rally in Hot Springs North Carolina in late July. It was a great time. Looking forward to this year's rally! Look up Bushwhacker Boil on FB.

[@rockcrusher4636]

Excellent, new sub. Cheers.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you sir, appreciate it!

[@twloughlin]

Sam, wonderful mod! A great luxury for a lot of people. But the retired English teacher in me can't resist - "hot water" does not need heating. A "hot water heater" would be useless. A "water heater," however, is invaluable! 😉

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

You got me there Tom 😆 I will say that now that I am doing KZbin and writing more, I do wish I paid better attention in English class. I swear I proofread, but between auto correct and my phone having a mind of its own God only knows what winds up on the screen when I hit enter! Now that I know you were an English teacher, I will have to make sure that what I write is at least close to being correct!

[@twloughlin]

@@adventuresofthememorymakers I would trade all my skills in English grammar to have half your skills in tools and engineering! I should have paid better attention in shop class!😆

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

@twloughlin It always seems like we learn we should have paid better attention after the fact!

[@RoughRide]

Great job! really enjoying your content and how indepth you go. 👍

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you. Hope it helps out!

[@jonluchessi1643]

You’ve done a very similar set up that I’m in the process of doing I recently purchased the same case at Harbor freight and ended up returning it today realizing that when I install the heater I would not be able to service the batteries for the igniter, I tried but when I put it in the box there wasn’t enough room for the door of the battery to open to replace those batteries, I think I have the same unit as yours but mine is black in color so now I’m going to purchase the pelican 1600 which I didn’t want to do because it’s about triple the price, I like your set up I basically have the same trailer, mine is extremely modified for ground clearance extreme off routing etc. I’ve been debating whether to drill into the body or create a system which I’ve already started that mounts from the top of the rack down to the fender like you were speaking of in your video of people installing a ladder but I would do something a little different with more strength, you did a good job thanks for the video but I am curious how you were going to service those batteries I can’t tell from the video if your unit is a little bit shorter than mine and maybe you have clearance to get that little battery door open?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you for taking the time to watch. You are correct, you cannot change the igniter batteries in the unit with it in the case. That said, I put a new set of batteries in the unit at the start of the season, we used it all season, and they were still going strong. It only takes me a couple minutes to change them, I remove the bottom mounting screw, loosen up the top screw, remove the heater, swap put old batteries for new, then re install them. We love the setup, probably one of the most used mods on the camper.

[@jonluchessi1643]

@@adventuresofthememorymakers thank you!!!😊👍

[@crxbonar3009]

Love the set-up. But for me, I dont see enough gain in mouunting it to the camper. You have to hook it all up when you get to the campground anyway. I was thinking of somehow hanging it off the roof rack and hooking it up just like your set-up. Am I missing something? Thank You

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

That would definitely work but I wanted a more permanent setup so I didn't have to carry the water heater separately. Thank you for watching. Hope the video gave you some ideas that will help you.

[@jamesmerritt4032]

Love your content. Did you consider reversing the box, attaching the water heater to the lid and attach the lid to the trailer? Now the body is a big door and there's no need to drill the holes

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

James, I have seen that done and I did consider that but after playing with the box I did not feel like the lid structure was strong enough to support the weight of the heater. Plus it would have put more of a pull on the mounting points on the camper with that weight being held that far off the camper wall so I just did not feel comfortable with the heater attached to the lid.

[@IFHSP2]

Any reason this wouldn’t work attaching the unit to the lid? Therefore, keep the top open to vent and no access holes in the bottom with easier access. Great idea.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Two reasons I didn't attach to the lid. The Apache box isn't strong enough to carry the weight on the lid. I can shut the lid with the water heater all hooked up this way but had I mounted it on the lid I could not.

[@OverlandCO]

I have the same tankless water heater and it is a POS. It always goes out. The water is never consistently hot. Your better off boiling water in a pot and using a bucket and pump for a shower.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

We are hoping we have better luck. So far so good.

[@danpatterson8607]

I had trouble with my L5 today but figured out it was a bas ground wire. I also pushed the thermal couple inward.

[@JohnMichael-gk4rh]

I love this and have several questions. Do you have a video on adding a side water port or finding the trailer supports? Do you have a patreon membership. I have a bushwhacker 2021 10HD.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

@@JohnMichael-gk4rh , thank you very much for watching. No sir, I do not have a video on moving the water port, its basic plumbing. As far as the locating the structure on a Bushwhacker, you can slide something in the wall on the inside of the galley wall where the electric wire comes through the wall. There is a gap around that where you can slide something long and skinny forward till it makes contact on the vertical tube. Do a little measuring and that should get it for you. I am flattered about the Patreon question but I wouldn't pay anything for our videos so there is no way I am going to ask others for money.

[@JohnMichael-gk4rh]

Thanks that helps a lot.

[@jefferyspringer]

Great video. One question. Did you use the original water pump or did you upgrade the water pump?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Yes we are and it works great. But I have relocated it to under the camper and removed all the kinks in the water lines that were there from the factory.

[@CynDir-ri5tr]

I’ve been through two of those L5 heaters from Eco-temp (same unit you have). I’ve had very bad luck with both and am wondering how it’s doing for you after using it for a few months. Let me know. Thanks.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Still working great!

[@tequila_and_friends]

Nice video! I'm planning on doing something similar but with a Pelican 1600 case and the heater mounted to the lid; mainly so I can store all the hoses, pump, etc. inside the box. I'm wondering about your mount points in your camper walls. Did you use screws for this or through bolts? My trailer is all aluminum, including the wall studs, and I'm trying to determine if self-drilling screws would hold or if I need to bolt all the way through and secure with a nut on the inside. Thanks!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you for taking the time to watch. On ours I used sheet metal screws to hold it and that's worked fine. On the ones I'm out for customers I remove a speaker to access the inside of the wall and use bolts with large OD washers and Nylock nuts on the inside. The downside to mounting one to the lid is you can't have it all hooked up and then shut it back up. The way I did ours I'm able to leave it hooked up for days while we're at camp and shut the lid.

[@tequila_and_friends]

@@adventuresofthememorymakers Thanks for the reply. I totally get your lid point, and I may end up going that direction, but my present goal is to get as much freed up of the limited storage space inside the trailer as possible. Right now my water heater and accessories is essentially occupying an entire plastic bin and, as I'm sure you know, it would be amazing to have that precious cargo space available inside!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

@@tequila_and_friends absolutely storage space is golden in a tiny camper. The Bushwacker is blessed with quite a bit of it then people go and remove the underbed storage. I personally don't know how we can live without that area

[@ernie5187]

SO when your towing the camper , you remove the water heater from the pelican case correct?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

No sir. It stays in the case. Has about 6000 miles on it so far. I just remove the water lines and the pressure regulator, insert the plugs in the holes on the bottom and it's good to go.

[@patrickgorby8715]

Tips on how to find a regulator like that? I've had trouble finding one on Amazon.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Sure thing. This one is threaded on both sides so you can use fittings to adapt to what you need. amzn.to/4djAe3R

[@sabrinashelton918]

Is there some way of connecting quick connectors to the water intake and output so that when u get to your destination u don’t have to try to fit your hand in that tiny spot and screw the fittings on

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Depending on which water heater and box combination you use there might be room for them. I personally have never been fond if fhem.

[@user-di8jn9po2w]

I'm surprised you didn't mount to the door of the hard case, how much heat comes out of the top of the water heater?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

I know a lot of people Mount them to the door but the door is not designed to carry weight. I ran the water heater through 24 gallons of water out of the water tank. The top of the the box was the same temperature as the sides of the box. The heat deflector does a good job of getting the heat outside of the box. The important thing is during use when you're taking a shower at Camp it probably doesn't run more than two or three minutes at a time.

[@teresapickering5817]

I am making a rain water system for a shower but I'm using an elect tankless heater so do I pit the pump in between the water storage tank & heater or do I put the pump after the heater & into shower head?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you for taking the time to watch. You will want to put your pump between your storage tank and your water heater. The pump will suck water out of your storage tank and then force it under pressure through the water heater then to your shower head.

[@teresapickering5817]

@@adventuresofthememorymakers I thought that but wanted to make sure. Thank u

[@seangray5238]

What all was needed to convert it to use a 1lb tank?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

You will need a 1lb lp adapter amzn.to/47M30Xl It has been a while so I don't remember the exact fitting but I had to convert from the fitting on the heater to the male ¼" pipe fitting on the adapter. A good hardware store can fix you up with the fitting you need.

[@tammyduriavich-cd6nn]

I have this tank & want to use it in my horse trailer "cowboy shower". I need a water pump for boondocking. Can you advise what kind of pump to use & will it work with a 12v dc-out portable power supply? Thanks! Looking forward ro horse camping but being able to shower before going into town so I dont smell like my horse!

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Tammy, thank for watching. Totally understand, having a shower is awesome! I use this 12v pump amzn.to/4afyk2r It will pump 3 gallons per minute. Yes, it will run off the 12v cigarette plug off a power station as it only pulls about 5 amps and most of those ports on PPS will put out 8-10 amps depending on which one you have. Since the pump is going to basically on a constant run when your taking a shower you probably do not need a accumulator tank.

[@tammyduriavich-cd6nn]

@@adventuresofthememorymakers that's exactly the pump I was looking at! Thanks!!! Can't wait to be able to wash dishes & take a shower w/o using a hot pot for water!

[@dougpolston7765]

What is the model of the water heater?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

@@dougpolston7765 the one I used is no longer available. I use this thermo mate heater on our installs now. amzn.to/4cugwl5

[@ChasingDreamsLivingLife]

where did you get the quick connect water supply fitting and mount to the trailer?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Thank you for watching. There were no quick connect fittings. I used ½" FIP to pex fittings that thread onto the fittings from the water heater.

[@ChasingDreamsLivingLife]

@@adventuresofthememorymakers I am talking about the one that goes into the side of the trailer. Looks like a quick connect.. Water Supply side.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

@@ChasingDreamsLivingLife , gotcha, that was the factory quick connect port that was by the sink I reused it and then shortened the hose that came with the camper.

[@cannywf1]

You didn’t explain how you connected the electric??

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

The only electric are 2 d cell batteries that go in the water heater to fire the igniter.

[@TheLanning23]

What water inlet are you using ?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

I cut the end off the factory water quick connect hose. It plugs into the port on the side of the camper then I used a ½ pex to ½" pipe connector to connect to the water heater.

[@Pap3rPlanesss]

do you need a water pump for it?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Yes

[@rongates8224]

Is this an Eccotemp L5 unit?

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

It was a 1.5 gal unit

[@StevenPenny]

Stupid question, I assume you need some sort of water pump? Do the pumps maintain a certain psi? I would assume you don’t have to keep turning it on and off all the time.

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

Not a stupud question Sir. Yes, you need a water pump. Most Rv water pumps have their internalnpressure switch that turns the pump on and off as needed. Something like this one will work great with this heater set up. www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8BE6S8/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_apa_gl_i_BRKP2H7X22FQV810NX4C?linkCode=ml2&tag=adventur0592c-20

[@StevenPenny]

@@adventuresofthememorymakers Thank you. I will buy it with your link if I go that route. Still trying to figure out what I’m doing. Bought a military trailer with a hardtop that I’m going to convert into a camper, lots of planning and lots of money I need to properly do it. I am watching your videos and some others, my main thing I want is some comforts so I’d be more likely to use it, like hot water and ac.

[@danpatterson8607]

The L5 model needs a minimum of 20 psi or it will shut off.

[@NewsThatMatterUsa]

Cool build but no way that will last 10 hours on a 1lb tank . Heaters are the least efficient appliance there is regardless the type of. Heating water is no different. I would love an update tho to know what actual usage is .

[@adventuresofthememorymakers]

@@NewsThatMatterUsa will it run 10 hours on a 1 lb tank? No. Did a one pound tank last us 28 nights camping, Yes. The way we use the water heater it does not run for that long at a time. It might run 3 to 4 minutes at the longest when Cindy rinses her hair.

[@JeepTRVL91]

Well, you’ll be selling the house for her $300,000 Tiffin shower soon. I hear that in her laugh. I’ll stick to keeping my pension and filling a 6 gallon container with painting it black on the roof using gravity fed water to take my outside shower…😂😂😂