Hot Water Delivery System With Yakima RoadShower Components - DIY Writeup

[CT_AZ_4x4]

Has anyone set up a camping electric water heater for shower/general use .please share your ideas

CT_AZ_4x4's RoadShower Components for Cybertruck Hot Water Delivery System

Wash dishes, clothes, shoes, boots, dirty dogs, dirty children, take a shower, even possibly use the Yakima RoadShower as a heat source like some do with hot water bottles. Put it in your Roof Top Tent and have heat! Do all the amazing stuff that you have been doing with your awesome Cybertruck, just better! And you’ll only use about 200 watts an hour or so, depending on the heating element that you choose!

All of the parts needed are listed below including simple step-by-step instructions.

The RoadShower has a few quick-connects. One is a shower head and the other is a spray nozzle. I suggest buying both. The shower attachment is separate from the RoadShower unit itself but worth it IMHO. The RoadShower has a Shraeder valve that lets you pressurize the tank with a bike or tire pump. It also has a pressure relief valve that pops around 55 PSI. It has 2 connection points for 1/2 NPT. One of these will be where you add a heating element using an adaptor. The other is for your water delivery point / water hose / shower head. Enjoy, fellow Cybertruck nuts!

Yakima RoadShower Aluminum Canister / Delivery System

https://www.rei.com/product/191518/yakima-roadshower-portable-shower-4-gal

$479 at REI (or more for larger than 4 gallon-sized)

Threaded 36-48 volt DC 200 or 400 Watt Heating Element M14 Threaded Stainless Steel

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJZ3PNFW?ref_=pe_386300_442618370_TE_sc_as_ri_0&th=1

$39 at Amazon

1/2 Inch NPT Male to Metric M14 M14.1.5 Female Brass Adaptor

https://www.ebay.com/itm/162362536500

$13 at Fittings Space at Ebay

(1) Tie into your roof accessory 48 volt and run that where you will be installing your water heater. (I like using XT connectors for their ubiquity and ease of connection/disconnect.)

(2) Thread the heating element into the M14 female adaptor. Hand tighten FIRMLY. There is a gasket and it should be firmly seated against the adaptor.

(3) Thread the 1/2 inch NPT to Metric adaptor with the heating element already installed into the RoadSHow water canister. Tighten 1/4 turn to 1/2 turn past initial bottom out using a 7/8ths inch wrench.

(4) Tie the pigtail ends of your hot water heating element into your roof accessory 48 volt feed. Use a detachable connector close to the RoadShower to allow for quick disconnect as there is no thermostat in this system.

(5) When you want hot water, turn on your roof accessory 48 volt feed from your awesome truck’s touchscreen! Make sure to monitor the water temperature as there is no thermostat as described. Use the sticker thermometer that comes with the Yakima RoadShower and make sure to test the water before using it so that it doesn’t burn anyone. If it is too hot, add some cold water to the RoadShower until the desired temperature is achieved.

(6) I added a temperature sensor to the exterior of the RoadShower (the canister is aluminum and magnets don’t work) that I purchased through Home Depot and then added a longer strapping wire to fit the circumference of the RoadShower.


https://www.homedepot.com/pep/31950...65877eb60f2ef3ff5c4d9e07d7c380bfede62fd0c21e9


$13 at Home Depot

I added a thermostat so that my Cybertruck’s water heater shuts off when the water reaches 118 degrees F (47 degrees C).

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[bosshog]

Thanks . Much appreciated . Will definitely look into that for sure

 

[tmeyer3]

Love it! Thought, it does seem expensive for a self-built heating system. Don't get me wrong, I love this set up; however, wouldn't it make more sense to just get a Rinse Kit with an electric heating element all built in for almost $200 cheaper?
https://rinsekit.com/collections/portable-showers/products/rinsekit-pro

 

[hemiarch]

So J, what’s the advantage of inserting an element inthere over running the pressurized water through something like this?
https://a.co/d/19NPmdt
Cost? Space?
the advantage I see to the dedicated tankless is a real thermostat and speed/instantly hot water.
also, I guess if for some reason you have access to a hose, you don’t have to even fill the tank contraption.

 

[CT_AZ_4x4]

So J, what’s the advantage of inserting an element inthere over running the pressurized water through something like this?
https://a.co/d/19NPmdt
Cost? Space?
the advantage I see to the dedicated tankless is a real thermostat and speed/instantly hot water.
also, I guess if for some reason you have access to a hose, you don’t have to even fill the tank contraption.

An instant hot water heater could be a good choice. Considerations are space, semi-permanent installation/piping, and energy drain. The instant hot water heater can pull 8 kilowatts as compared to the DC heating element only pulling 200 watts or so. So there is a huge energy use difference. Another difference is water piping and delivery. Installing a semi-permanent instant hot water heater requires piping AND a pressurized water source. The Yakima Roadshower solves those two issues. And when you aren’t using the RoadShower you can simply disconnect the 48 volt line to it and store it in your garage. There is no additional piping to mess with. Another difference is cost. The DC heating element is about $40 compared to more than a few hundred bucks.

The Yakima Roadshower with a heating element solves those above issues in a simple and cost edfective way.

The best thing about our trucks is the modularity and variability. One’s solutions might not be everyone’s, and that is really what is awesome about the Cybertruck. I’ve never owned a vehicle that would allow me to do so much of the things that I enjoy in a single vehicle. For me it isn’t about screaming to the world, “look at me!” It’s about enabling and providing opportunities for me and my family’s enjoyment while getting us there safely. And if Elon is paying my fuel costs on top of it with free Supercharging, all I gotta say is “hell, yes!”

 

[CT_AZ_4x4]

Love it! Thought, it does seem expensive for a self-built heating system. Don't get me wrong, I love this set up; however, wouldn't it make more sense to just get a Rinse Kit with an electric heating element all built in for almost $200 cheaper?
https://rinsekit.com/collections/portable-showers/products/rinsekit-pro

The rinsekit could be a solution. But the rinse kit system requires a separate heater with propane that’s an additional $250 or so. And you then need to haul propane. Or their smaller unit has a heating element that runs off 12 volt DC. You’d need to add a buck down-converter to drop your 48 volt accessory feed. The very bottom line rinsekit for a few hundred dollars is not an apples-to-apples comparison as the least-expensive unit does not have heated water on its own and the nase rinsekit unit is not a roof rack system. And then there are the additional complexities of adding propane or at least a buck converter.
I also plan to use my Yakima aluminum water heater as a possible potable water source, and I wouldn’t want to heat black plastic-stored water for potential consumption because some black plastic, particularly those made from recycled electronic waste, can contain toxic flame retardants, like decaBDE, which can leach into food, especially when heated.
But there are many possible solutions!

 

[tmeyer3]

The rinsekit could be a solution. But the rinse kit system requires a separate heater with propane that’s an additional $250 or so. And you then need to haul propane. Or their smaller unit has a heating element that runs off 12 volt DC. You’d need to add a buck down-converter to drop your 48 volt accessory feed. The very bottom line rinsekit for a few hundred dollars is not an apples-to-apples comparison as the least-expensive unit does not have heated water on its own and the nase rinsekit unit is not a roof rack system. And then there are the additional complexities of adding propane or at least a buck converter.
I also plan to use my Yakima aluminum water heater as a possible potable water source, and I wouldn’t want to heat black plastic-stored water for potential consumption because some black plastic, particularly those made from recycled electronic waste, can contain toxic flame retardants, like decaBDE, which can leach into food, especially when heated.
But there are many possible solutions!

True, true

 

[hemiarch]

An instant hot water heater could be a good choice. Considerations are space, semi-permanent installation/piping, and energy drain. The instant hot water heater can pull 8 kilowatts as compared to the DC heating element only pulling 200 watts or so. So there is a huge energy use difference. Another difference is water piping and delivery. Installing a semi-permanent instant hot water heater requires piping AND a pressurized water source. The Yakima Roadshower solves those two issues. And when you aren’t using the RoadShower you can simply disconnect the 48 volt line to it and store it in your garage. There is no additional piping to mess with. Another difference is cost. The DC heating element is about $40 compared to more than a few hundred bucks.

The Yakima Roadshower with a heating element solves those above issues in a simple and cost edfective way.

The best thing about our trucks is the modularity and variability. One’s solutions might not be everyone’s, and that is really what is awesome about the Cybertruck. I’ve never owned a vehicle that would allow me to do so much of the things that I enjoy in a single vehicle. For me it isn’t about screaming to the world, “look at me!” It’s about enabling and providing opportunities for me and my family’s enjoyment while getting us there safely. And if Elon is paying my fuel costs on top of it with free Supercharging, all I gotta say is “hell, yes!”

Couldn’t agree more.

 

[hemiarch]

You never cease to impress CT_AZ_4x4

 

[Urander]

Might be the most practical and budget-friendly water setup for the Cybertruck I’ve seen yet!

 

[koolio]

Might be the most practical and budget-friendly water setup for the Cybertruck I’ve seen yet!

Love seeing what and how people strap their gear in the bed. Gives me ideas

 

[resellpanda88]

Love it! Thought, it does seem expensive for a self-built heating system. Don't get me wrong, I love this set up; however, wouldn't it make more sense to just get a Rinse Kit with an electric heating element all built in for almost $200 cheaper?
https://rinsekit.com/collections/portable-showers/products/rinsekit-pro

fish tank heater?

 

[hemiarch]

How do those rinse kits heat? Doesn’t look like there is any heating setup.

 

[tmeyer3]

How do those rinse kits heat? Doesn’t look like there is any heating setup.

You just swap out the lid for a resistive element.

fish tank heater?

pretty much, works great

 

[koolio]

Love it! Thought, it does seem expensive for a self-built heating system. Don't get me wrong, I love this set up; however, wouldn't it make more sense to just get a Rinse Kit with an electric heating element all built in for almost $200 cheaper?
https://rinsekit.com/collections/portable-showers/products/rinsekit-pro

Thanks for linking to Rinsekit. Just bought one…primarily to wash out two English labs after they’ve gotten muddy or sandy from hiking with them.

If anyone else is interested, you can get it from Costco for $160 (vs $250-$325).

But back to the topic, the OPs setup does look awesome!

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