Damaged tankless on demand water heater

[Gentz]

Well I'm new to the forum but have 2016 Grayhawk. my brain disengaged and I didn't winterize my rig and temps got below zero. Needless to say I've got water leaks and damage. My question is about tankless water heaters. I'm going to replace my damaged one which is an older model. Will the new one fit? Do you like the Girard gen 2? I'm paying a repair shop to do it but need some knowledge so I dont get ripped off. Yes it still happens if you dont know anything about a product. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

[Hivoltage98]

I have a truma aquago and we absolutely love it.
German engineering went into this fine machine and we have hot water that’s perfect every time.

[Hivoltage98]

https://youtu.be/5dNEiS_6wFs

[Rice1951]

I would not replace it with another Girard because it is too finicky and doesn’t work well with lower water pressure. If you are going to stay tankless then go with the Truma AquaGo Comfort model. It’s a little pricey but it will work just like your shower at home and in all situations.
Otherwise you can replace it with a 6 gallon or 10 gallon model with a tank. Get whichever one fits in the same space. The Girard would only run on propane and so will the Truma. If you go with a 6 or 10 gallon model with a tank you will need to have it wired for electric and then you can run it on either electric or gas. Make sure you have a water heater bypass kit installed for winterizing purposes. Good luck.

[Gentz]

Originally Posted by Hivoltage98

https://youtu.be/5dNEiS_6wFs

Thank you. Very informative

[Gentz]

I do like the tankless. I dont do alot of dry camping and I'm okay with propane only. I had heard that many people were unhappy with Girard so I'm definitely looking into the Truma. Thank you!

[Rustynuts]

Rice1951 pretty much said what I was going to. I have a Truma in our Seneca but had it upgraded to the Comfort model to give better cold weather protection, be able to decalcify myself and to have hot water to the faucet faster as we boondocking a lot. If you go Truma I would not get the basic model, get the Comfort or better yet the Comfort plus.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Gentz

\I'm going to replace my damaged one which is an older model. Will the new one fit? Do you like the Girard gen 2?

There are three (at least three) models of the Girard. The GSWH-2 is actually Gen 3. I have Gen 2 in my 2016 Greyhawk.


I know I'm in the minority, but we've come to like our water heater. That said, if it dies, I'll see about upgrading to the Truma.

[javamon]

Originally Posted by pconroy

There are three (at least three) models of the Girard. The GSWH-2 is actually Gen 3. I have Gen 2 in my 2016 Greyhawk.


I know I'm in the minority, but we've come to like our water heater. That said, if it dies, I'll see about upgrading to the Truma.

We have at least 400 showers on our GSWH-2 and have absolutely no complaints. I think the Truma is quite a bit more $$$ so I'm not sure it would be worth it based on my opinion and my experience with the GSWH-2.

[Rice1951]

The Truma Comfort Plus is only available on OEM installations and cannot be used as a retrofit. As Rustynuts stated go with the Comfort model. You will not be disappointed.

[whporwil]

x3 on the newer Girard. if i'm in a campground with low water pressure i use water from my fresh water tank.

[DonaandDon]

Water supply pressure seams to be the turning point for the tankless water heater. Just about everybody carries a honey wagon for sites that do not provide sewer connection. We supplement pressure by turning on the FW pump too. After having our tankless for over two years and as full timers with 13,000 miles on our North Point I will say; Have you looked into the area the tankless where it is and what size of a tanked heater you could fit? I would go for a 12-15 gal tanked heater. My Gen 3 works great, the DW still doesn't like wasting water but loves taking long hot showers. It's the push pull things in life that keeps us tuned into other possibilities.

[BeachRetreat]

Having had both a Gen 2 and now a Gen 3 Girard, I can say 2 things-

1) The gen 3 is a significant improvement to the previous ones.
2) If I had to replace it, it won't be with another Girard. We've figured out the shower, but there's never hot water to the kitchen sink to rinse dishes, and forget about actually using hot water in the clothes washer (it doesn't have a way to discard the water until it is hot)

That said, are you sure your water heater needs replaced? Girard's design has a sacrificial tube that freezes and breaks before the heat exchanger. When that happens, the water heater self drains before further damage typically happens. That tube can be replaced separately. Water normally appears to be leaking at the pressure relief valve.

[blujay40]

A little late to the game but I have had both a Gen 3 Girard (replaced 3 times) and now have a Truma AquaGo Comfort. NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE!

They are pricier but you definitely get what you pay for with the Truma.

1. Hot water at a trickle (I am NOT kidding) thanks to a multi stage burner.
2. No control panel or adjusting how hot the water should be.
3. Mix as much or little cold as you want, just like at home.
4. Mixing tank eliminates the cold water sandwich when turning the hot water on/off/on and allows use in below freezing temps.
5. Easy winterization, you simply open the drain lever.
6. Self descaling by inserting a few cleaning tablets, setting the control knob and flushing a couple hours later so no dealer trip necessary.
7. No worries if the source water coming in is too warm or cold. Our Girard couldn't handle warmer source water in Florida and refused to stay on.
8. 120 degree max temp to avoid scalding risks.
9. Operates with low water pressure so no need to fill the fresh water tank "just in case".

But above all else, the WAF (aka: wife acceptance factor) is thru the roof! She balked when I told her the cost but now she knows why and absolutely LOVES it!

But to answer your original question, a Gen 3 Girard will fit in the same hole as an earlier version but so will a TRUMA! lol

[DonaandDon]

Originally Posted by blujay40

A little late to the game but I have had both a Gen 3 Girard (replaced 3 times) and now have a Truma AquaGo Comfort. NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE!

They are pricier but you definitely get what you pay for with the Truma.

1. Hot water at a trickle (I am NOT kidding) thanks to a multi stage burner.
2. No control panel or adjusting how hot the water should be.
3. Mix as much or little cold as you want, just like at home.
4. Mixing tank eliminates the cold water sandwich when turning the hot water on/off/on and allows use in below freezing temps.
5. Easy winterization, you simply open the drain lever.
6. Self descaling by inserting a few cleaning tablets, setting the control knob and flushing a couple hours later so no dealer trip necessary.
7. No worries if the source water coming in is too warm or cold. Our Girard couldn't handle warmer source water in Florida and refused to stay on.
8. 120 degree max temp to avoid scalding risks.
9. Operates with low water pressure so no need to fill the fresh water tank "just in case".

But above all else, the WAF (aka: wife acceptance factor) is thru the roof! She balked when I told her the cost but now she knows why and absolutely LOVES it!

But to answer your original question, a Gen 3 Girard will fit in the same hole as an earlier version but so will a TRUMA! lol

Great info. What is the cost ?

[blujay40]

Originally Posted by DonaandDon

Great info. What is the cost ?

I paid about 1400.00 and change during a promotion they had a couple years ago that also included the cost of installation and a 25.00 travel charge to come to my RV site from their service center in Lakeland, Florida to my RV site 2 hours away. That was a LOT of soda can deposits to save up but it has been well worth it.

But to get current pricing and such, you need to contact them either by phone or thru their site: https://shop.truma.net/products/aquago. The standard AquaGo doesn't have the mixing tank where the next step up, which is the Comfort model, does. I recommend the Comfort model if you truly want a "residential" experience with your Truma. With that said, the standard model can be upgraded at a later date for a few hundred as well if that is more preferable but ask them about that as well.

Tthey have promos occasionally as well. This past spring, they had a 300.00 rebate if you upgraded from another tankless heater and I have seen promos at some of the larger RV shows as well so inquire about any possible ones right now or when might be coming up which could help mitigate the cost.

Although there are dozens of RV dealerships out there that are authorized dealers for Truma, unless one is nearby that you trust completely, I would suggest if nearby, having one of the service centers sell the unit and do the install vs. just any authorized dealer. When the service center did ours, they not only registered it on the spot for the warranty but extended our warranty to two years for free. YMMV. Right now, the only two service centers I know of are in Elkhart, Indiana and Lakeland, Florida. The price quotes I got from my dealer before going to the service center was a couple hundred higher to start with for some reason AND they were charging an hourly labor rate vs. a flat rate from the service center so who knows what it would have cost in the end if they ran into issues.

I, along with any other Truma owner can also get you a 50.00 referral coupon. It's not much in the grand scheme of things but 50 bucks is still 50 bucks.

[Malyhupe]

You should look for something else. We have this system in our MH and we do not like it. Whenever there is low pressure in camping ground, no hot water. I always have to switch from the city water to the tank reserve and with the pump, there is enough pressure. Not sure why this happen, but annoying, especially on a newer MH.

[TnHiker]

I have the Gen 3 Gerard. At first I didn't like it but once I learned how to use it I like it a lot. We have two seasons on ours and over 100 night camping. It uses very little propane, some others have said if you have low pressure it is a little flaky. I haven't been anywhere that I had to use my fresh tank to get consistent heated water. I have found over the years of camping one of the main reason some complain of pressure problems is the regulator they are using. If you have a quality regulator that displays pressure and is adjustable it will solve a lot of water flow problems. Good luck.

[LI-Camper]

I also have a 2016 Greyhawk. The original Girard worked very poorly. I wrote to Jayco service and they sent me a Gen 3. My neighbor replaced the old heater with the new for me. The Gen 3 has a digital control panel where you can set the exact temperature setting you want. It works well. I believe it is much less expensive that the Truma water heaters. I’m sure that the Truma works well but it depends on how much you want to spend. I suggest that you consider contacting Girard. I have read that they are good with customer service. My Gen 3 Girard requires no extra procedures to winterize it. Just run antifreeze thru it and you are done. Also, if you leave it turned on it will protect itself against freezing by heating the water automatically. I always winterize with antifreeze so I haven’t used this feature. So to sum up, I am pleased with the operation of the Gen 3 Girard water heater.

[LI-Camper]

I also have a 2016 Greyhawk as does the OP. I have replaced the original Girard with a Gen 3 Girard. Jayco service sent me a free replacement when I wrote that the original did not work as expected. The Gen 3 is much better and has a digital control that allows you to set the exact temperature that you desire. It also will prevent freezing if you leave it turned on. It will protect itself from freezing by heating the water. I haven’t used this feature because I always winterize with antifreeze. There are not extra steps in winterizing the Gen 3 water heater - no valves to turn, just run antifreeze thru the hot and cold water faucets. I am pleased with the operation of the Gen 3. I have upgraded the stock shower head with an Oxygenics shower head and the results are very good. Maybe the OP could call Girard service for advice. I hear from others that Girard service is very good. Apparently the Truma brand is an excellent water heater. It is very expensive, so it depends on how much a person wants to spend. I’m sure it is worth the cost to some RVers.