Portable water heater and shower | Truck camper build

[@jokingdinosaur5473]

I love the video, classic!!! But I diffidently have to say that you are the first person I've ever seen take a shower and use soap, with their cloths on...

[@StriveSurvive]

Thank you so much!... I'm not a psychopath, that was for demonstration purpose only. I didn't have socks on though

[@wackduck2180]

i just found your channel and i didnt even know there was a way to heat up water for a camper setup !! Now when I build my own shower system i will need to do this as well!!

[@StriveSurvive]

It was a neat project for sure all that was needed really was a block heater that I got for free at first!

[@jojobinks7701]

cool idea man

[@StriveSurvive]

Thank you I thought it was a cool project that would be helpful. I plan on mounting it under my truck next spring that way I have a ghetto water system.

[@wanderingron90]

Thats brilliant!!! If you had a lid it would heat up faster. Your creative bro

[@StriveSurvive]

Thank you sir! I couldn't find a lid at the moment but it's okay I got a plan for the next one!

[@David-js6sg]

I install a Hot rod kit for rvs it gives them hot water from electricity saves on propane

[@StriveSurvive]

That is interesting seems affordable and simple plus it's a win win since that's hybrid.

[@tinkering123]

I dig making a better mouse trap. There's a million ideas out there. Keep a tinkering...

[@carolmaplesden916]

I would love that Where are you at Could I hire you to put one in my little RV

[@craigtegeler4677]

@Strive or survive, I know of a heater that is 1000 watts that is submersible AND thermostatically controlled automatically for full time use that will heat the half amount of time (provided that it is already) at room temperature and do it in half of that time! Well now that pump that you sourced just might be a dandy but if you were to consider plugging into a D.C. source of oh say 6 if not 7.5 volts D.C. instead of 5 volts D.C., you just might get more water pressure out of it, such as a 6 volts D.C. a wet cell storage 6V battery rated at 7-10 AH and that shower can chug for up to 30 minutes without issue while disrupting the flow of water after wetting yourself down such as to lather and scrub, then rinse off as needed. Well now the average person can easily utilize a full 6 gallons worth for showering without even trying, so keep this in mind! So, why not stack two 5 gallon buckets with lids and make the top bucket feed into the lower bucket at a rate of flow near equal to the output flow of the shower head or water pump output. The water volume output such as in the first full minute can help determine just how much flow that you wish for the top bucket to flow down on into the lower bucket, be it that you use a restrictor pipe of oh say maybe at 3/8" ID plastic pipe that flows directly into the path of the water heater, causing either a swirl pattern if not something similar. The bucket lid of the bucket filled with water that is stacked on top of the lower bucket that has the heater, needs to have a pin hole jabbed into the top that is oh say the size of a pencil head if not just a little smaller, certainly not more than a 1/16th of an inch. Now to increase a full on @$$ kicking shower water tank set up, you can rig two buckets with two hot water heaters that is original to your design or having both heaters firing while it will STILL take upwards of an hour to heat all 8-10 gallons, (let's just say 9 gallons), while incorporating two water pumps ganged together into a "Y" pipe configuration on the output side of the pumps AND the power source is now using 7.5 volts D.C. and to run these pumps, using a boost- buck voltage convertor that is set to 7.5 volts coming straight off of a wet cell battery of 12 volts rated at 10AH. This type of set up can make for two people to getting their showers in without having to wait a whole other hour so to speak! While the cost of materials now being around 3 times from the get go, the benefits can and will outweigh in the benefits! Once the project is totally a go and the performance is indicated as an extra value to cost is while if so well documented, in the final analysis should by far tell you that it was well worth the time and investment! My estimate of towards the overall materials list, battery, buck-boost converter and incidentals should be nearing about 130-$140.

[@StriveSurvive]

Well first let me say thank you I appreciate the comment and feedback. I'm picking up what your setting down but you left alot to unpack here so forgive me if I miss anything. I was going for as cheap as system as possible also with as little energy consumption as possible as I feel like a majority of people would find it more useful. I found a 400 watt element I was considering using instead of the "600" watt unit after I accidently melted the first one. Electricity isn't one of my strong suits I'm a novice at best but I'm learning and I would love to get an ammeter or multimeter to gauge the outputs and such. Later down the road I will... Maybe by then I can figure out a thermostat and control system as well but I was definitely thinking the same thing with 2 buckets!

[@carolmaplesden916]

​@@StriveSurvive Yes thank you We need more videos like yours All these "experts" are little to no help for average joe

[@carolmaplesden916]

Average people need basic and cheap information

[@StriveSurvive]

Thank you appreciate the feed back!

[@plebius]

Get a kettle. Heating element designed to heat water. Large surface area, and most are over 2000 watts. They are Extremely cheap,.. put it on a timer. New kettle is less than $20, and you can pick them up second hand for next to nothing. Also broken kettles have perfectly fine elements, usually its the switch or the housing. Never is it the element. Your choice of bucket is also suspect. While plastic is a great material, it losses rigidity when it gets warm, and flat out losses all atructural integrity when it gets too hot. Use a old metal bucket if you like, or place the element in the centre, not by the plastic sides or base. Safe macgyering.

[@StriveSurvive]

Thanks for the feedback and the tip i like resourcing old stuff! I will look into that setup.. Yeah. I was considering at least a heat shield for the bucket but I was keeping check on the temperature around it. I will definitely improve the design later at this point I haven't tried seeing how hot I can get the water as of yet.

[@lcarter194]

Wow, that's a long time to explain! 17 minutes. Dislike disabled owner. I wonder why?

[@StriveSurvive]

I personally like watching longer format videos. Yes i could have easily explained this briefly though. I just started making videos among the things I wish I knew how to do that's not one of them. I know I set the comments to none restricted though.

[@Pope-A-Dope]

I hope you don’t normally shower with your clothes on 🫤 Kinda weird… Also don’t think that pump was meant to be immersed in water.

[@StriveSurvive]

What was I supposed to make the video with my clothes off? This isn't National Geographics! Of course that was for display purposes I don't normally shower