portable propane water heater query

[awtistiaeth goch]

Hi All and Blwyddyn Newydd Dda/Happy New Year.
I have built a motorhome by attaching a caravan to a crew cab Ducato that used to be a recovery vehicle/transporter. Rather than have a propane water heater in the living area, I would prefer to have a 10l/p.min portable shower unit on the outside attached to the steel framework that the caravan is attached to. That way, I could use the same unit to run an external shower (we don't intend to have an on-board shower) and have a pipe running up to the kitchen sink through the lving space floor. How much room would I need to leave above the heater? I would likely build a vented cupboard with a mesh top to house the unit in?

Any other issues about this rather unconventional way of providing hot water that people can think of?

Diolch/thanks

 

[Squiffy]

A bit difficult to think without a visual photo of where you intend to place the unit or indeed how large the unit will be.
Wether it is supplied by a high pressure pump and what sort of head pressure the pump will supply, what pressure does the shower unit need to operate correctly, is it Gas or mains is it dual? Are you going to access the controls internally or will they be external, lots of things you have obviously thought about but difficult to visualise from the description . Phil

 

[awtistiaeth goch]

Thanks for your response and fair play. more info would've been helpful.

I'm happy to use the controls outside the living area as we'll just set up a shower tent. We're thinking of something like this

portable unit



So, Propane only for off grid camping (when using campsites, we're happy to use the onsite facilities)



Water to be pumped to the unit from an onboard water tank.

Starting water pressure 0.25~8bar

Overall Size: 33x14x52cm



I'll take some pictures of the area I intend to place the unit next time I go and visit it. We're currently fitting new windows and repairing some of the timber and glassfibre braces.



Thanks again.

 

[Squiffy]

This is a unit that I had considered when I was building my daughters van last year, however because it was a medium wheelbase Ducato I went in the end for a Truma 10ltr gas/230v water heater as space was paramount.
Saying that I did study how it would be incorporated into the build if I'd gone ahead with it, I do remember that the top exhaust flue would have to be vented to the atmosphere and the bottom vents would be open to the living space through vents set into the cupboard that I would have built for it.
I feel that the top flue so long as it protrudes through the roof with fire proofing and a rain proof cowl then the ceiling height from the top of the case would not have to be massive as the enclosing case is after all is a buffer to most of the disopated heat from the burner and most of the heat would be exhausted through the flue. Again in my opinion and it is only an opinion, the space around the casing would be about 150-200mm from unit case to cupboard surround. Of course this would be inverted if your cupboard is external but would have to be fairly weather proof.
Phil