Totem Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I am not positive but I think that I got 5 minutes maybe tops? maybe 4 mins? before I used all the water in the tank while hunting couple years ago. I I'd say I got half a decent shower before there was no more water and the pump started jack hammering its sucking of air. couple weekends ago we camped with several relatives that all had tow behind full size campers. I noticed right off they were all able to take long showers and had presumably much larger water tanks. I remember an oxygenics showerhead post in here the other month... So My main wondering is how long should the tank last for a shower totally stock; vs. the oxygenics or other enhanced water saving head? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinite no longer here Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Totem, When I use my shower, I turn off the flow at the little showerhead button while I soap up and wash down. I can get about four to five short, but effective, showers that way. If you take a normal, household shower, you'll be lucky to get two showers out of a full tank. My tank holds twenty gallons in my 20-foot Dolphin. What does your's hold? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 The water heater is only 6 gallons and they can't keep up so when it starts to get cold you have gone through about a 1/2 tank of fresh water I think mine held 15 gallons and I believe most were in the 12-15 gallon range. What I tried to do with my heater was to lower the water temp to a point that I did not need to add cold water it was moderately successful the thermostats are not real accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 My 1972 Jayco camping-trailer gets used every night as a kitchen and shower while in the Adirondacks. Still has the original 1.25 GPM shower head and 6 gallon hot-water heater. Works fine for one shower if time isn't wasted. First 5 minutes are hot and then it gets less warm, and them cool. Works OK for me. Not as nice as at home when water never runs out but certainly beats taking a sponge bath out in the woods somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Although my shower is functional, I've never used it. We stop at an RV park every few days to shower and laundry. Also, I don't believe the Toyhouse shower heads are the low-flow type. Submarine Shower. - I spent a couple months on a submarine, Although water wasn't a rare commodity, everyone on the sub took a sub shower. absolute minimum water usage. turn the water on to wet down, then turn it off, lather up, then turn the water on to rinse, then turn it off. The shower heads were all low flow, I would guess a shower could be had for less than 5 gallons of water. John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdboltdude Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 I installed a oxygenics shower head in my mini cruiser w/ 6gal water heater it was my first shower w/oxygenics and I did not want to get out of shower great peasure and hot hot water..prob about 10mins of time I filled 1/2 my holding tank up.. after a couple showers and washing hands and doing dishes I'm sure I would have to drain holding tank... not sure about if you save water with oxygenics head but the water pressure is worth every penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 for me the pressure is fine with the 12 volt pump; too much almost; i literally run out of water after about 5 minutes. I am thinking I do not have a 20 gallon tank... Does anyone know what the 86 sunraders had for tanks? Usually Derek up North comes out of the woodwork with the stats on this kind of thing or maybe linda. I know for sure I have the 6 gallon hot water tank.I am thinking I have a 10 or 15 gallon fresh tank? or maybe the pressure is just too much and its blowing through the water too fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Only one thing to do. Fill up the fresh water tank and run cold water from the shower head in to a gallon jug and see how much water you have. Well maybe 2 things, you could measure the tank and see how many cubic inches it is. 231 Cubic inches equals a gallon of water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 the thing that always baffles me more than anything is that it seems to take twice as long to fill the tank as it does to empty it... I have a shallow well at home it cuts out low pressure above ground pump at 36 psi... I think my camper pump maybe makes more pressure than my well at home? good point WME; i can fill gallons and then pour those into it till it overflows. I will try this tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 the thing that always baffles me more than anything is that it seems to take twice as long to fill the tank as it does to empty it... I have a shallow well at home it cuts out low pressure above ground pump at 36 psi... I think my camper pump maybe makes more pressure than my well at home? good point WME; i can fill gallons and then pour those into it till it overflows. I will try this tonight Water comes out faster then it goes in because out-water is from trapped-compressed air pushing it. In-water has to be pumped and you've got an above ground pump that is extremely inefficient. It is impossible to pump water out of the ground at more then 28 feet deep (at normal altitudes). Thus the reason why shallow-well jet or piston pumps are used at water depths to no more then 25 feet. If deeper- and an inefficient jet pump is still used - the jet itself is stuck down the well while motor stays in the house. Two pipe in-well pumps can work down over 100 feet but waste a lot of electricity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 All Sunrader models had a 21 gallon fresh water tank. . Original water pumps were 2.5 gallons per minute so best case scenario with water on full blast is a little over 8 minutes of water. With water conservative shower head and low flow on the water you should be able to double this figure. On my mini 18 footer the issues is long before the water is gone I'm going to be standing in crap. Only a 9 gallon black tank and that's what the shower drains into. I have an outdoor shower that contects to my sink but usually resort to camping by lakes and streams or hit Flying J or other truck stops to clean up when on the road. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 Thanks linda and yes; I left out the pooh geyser effect as mine too drains to black. I had an empty black tank though and went for it couple hunting trips ago. I do seem to recall getting a bit longer shower once off of the tank when we gave our girls a bath one time en route to Maine but certainly never more than 8 minutes of continuous flow. Yep its all in the technique i see now; Wet, shut down, lather, turn on brief rinse, out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Yours is a rear kitchen and side bath or rear big bathroom. The big bathroom has an 18 gallon black tank and the side bath has a 13 gallon black tank so either way more room for the nasties than I have. If side bath your grey tank has to be right next to the black one. Can you replumb shower to grey tank. That has an 18 gallon capacity Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 actually mine is rear kitchen with very smallish corner bathroom that has toilet shower and sink all in one place very small compact. The sink, toilet and shower all hit the black tank which seems to be twice the size of the grey tank that sets under the rear kitchen sink.. so I think I already have an 18 black, 13 grey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 actually mine is rear kitchen with very smallish corner bathroom that has toilet shower and sink all in one place very small compact. The sink, toilet and shower all hit the black tank which seems to be twice the size of the grey tank that sets under the rear kitchen sink.. so I think I already have an 18 black, 13 grey According to the Sunrader brochures on the toyota-campers site it's the opposite. 13 gallon black and 18 gallon grey for that model. Maybe someone switched them? Have no idea Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boots Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 the thing that always baffles me more than anything is that it seems to take twice as long to fill the tank as it does to empty it... I have a shallow well at home it cuts out low pressure above ground pump at 36 psi... I think my camper pump maybe makes more pressure than my well at home? good point WME; i can fill gallons and then pour those into it till it overflows. I will try this tonight Well this is not necessarily on topic, but if you want to improve things, then go out shopping for a larger tank, something in the order of 750 - 1200 gallons. What will happen of course, is that your well pump will run longer to fill up that tank, but once you have it filled ( 1 -3 days estimated) then you should have pretty close to a full day's water supply (which is 1440 gallons). Of course you will have to put in a second pump to supply the house with water at 40 - 50 pressure but that is the way to cure the problem. I might say that shallow wells are becoming a thing of the past because health authorities do not like them, because they are more prone to bacterial disease and parasites. Good luck. Boots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted July 2, 2013 Author Share Posted July 2, 2013 No worries Boots, my threads are open to any discussion until a moderator gets itchy , I believe in all of the amendments to the constitution especially the 1st. This is my first home with a shallow well and I noticed right off the bat that the pressure is not as good as I would like. When we were making an offer on the house i had contingency on passing all tests including independent water testing; everything passed. I have it tested every couple years it always passes. You seem very knowledgeable about wells and water; mind if I pick your brain? When you mention the crazily huge tank are you referring to a pressure tank? I already have the largest one they had for sale from the home repot; it sets in the well hole outside; could i add another in the house? would that help? you also mentioned adding another pump; could that be added in the house or would that need to be in series next to the other one; how would those work together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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