Quote:
Originally Posted by Wild4Williamsburg
Initial research tells me I am looking at $1500-$2500 for an installed Truma tankless heater. A replacement Girard unit is roughly $500 and considering installing it myself. Is the Truma really that good? Who is willing to tell me how much they paid for the Truma and if they have had issues?
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Your initial research is correct. The Truma is quite expensive but is also in my opinion, the ONLY "on demand" RV water heater out there that was specifically designed and addresses issues that are unique to an RV. I was lucky in that I had mine installed on our site for free by a tech from the new Truma service center in Lakeland Florida (travel charge below) during a grand opening promotion which probably saved me a couple hundred dollars. The average install is 2-3 hours so factor that labor charge in as well as any costs to have the door painted, if that is something that needs to be done. My Girard door was black and so is my Truma door. I also obtained a referral rebate code from another Truma owner that gave us both a 50.00 prepaid Visa to help a little more. My costs were as follows:
Truma AquaGo Comfort unit - 1233.00
Black XS Door (extra small) - 119.00
Travel Charge (on site install) - 39.99
Sub total - 1391.00
Tax (Florida - 7%) - 97.44
Grand Total out the door - 1489.43
Minus 50.00 Rebate Coupon from Mike - 1439.43
Our Eagle had enough propane hose to reach so we didn't need the conversion kit.
I could go into a diatribe between all the "issues" (mechanical and operational) we and many others have had in the first year with our Girards but that has been beaten to death in other threads on this board and many others. But suffice it to say that we went thru 3 different Girard units in our first year and that doesn't say anything to all the "operational quirks" one must deal with to get a satisfactory result from the Girard and other "on demand" units out there. But there are two, totally separate results of the Truma install that says more than anything. First, I can't seem to GIVE my previous, fully functional Girard Gen 3 WH away!! So if I can't find someone that wants it in the next couple of weeks, it will be tossed in the trash. And second, but by far the most important, I REALLY went out on a limb in promoting the Truma as the "holy grail" of water heaters and I am glad to report that the DW (aka: the "accountant") has moved on to other things to complain about!!!
Since having our Truma installed, the difference is night and day. Have had absolutely NO issues with it since day one. Actually, I haven't had to touch it once since it's install for anything! It has been basically a "set it and forget it" solution. No more cold water sandwiches when turning the hot water on and off again like during a navy shower or doing dishes. Adjust the temperature of the water at the tap by mixing as much or little cold water as you wish instead of adjusting the hot temp at the control panel and not using cold at all. No more worrying about someone flushing or running a faucet while another is in the shower. No more concerns about sites with low pressure/flow that used to require us to partially fill the fresh water tank and use the pump. Much higher BTU rated AND variable burner that handles much colder water sources and still get up to temp. Doesn't overheat and shut down with much warmer water sources, such as in Florida. Much quieter. Can now easily descale it myself. Hot water much faster at the tap due to the "mixing tank" and the "comfort mode" setting. Built in freeze protection, .............., etc.
I completely understand the concerns about the cost difference, but the Girard (and others) are basically residential "on demand" water heater technology where incoming water temps, pressure, flow, etc. are constant and predictable. That "tech" was then crammed into a box that fits in an RV. The Truma was obviously designed from the ground up to operate in the various RV environments it may encounter. The Truma was the answer we were looking for and we couldn't be happier with it.
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