Truma Hot water heater questions

[Patriot]

Ollie owners that have the Truma hot water on demand system: how do you like it? Any reliability issues or concerns? Are you happy overall with the Truma system? We are new prospective buyers and we are going over our build sheet, thoughts and feedback very much appreciated. 
Thanks in Advance.

David

Edited January 29, 2020 by Patriot

[Landrover]

53 minutes ago, Patriot said:

Ollie owners that have the Truma hot water on demand system: how do you like it? Any reliability issues or concerns? Are you happy overall with the Truma system? We are new prospective buyers and we are going over our build sheet, thoughts and feedback very much appreciated. 
Thanks in Advance.

David

If you search the forum there was a discussion on this issue.  I almost opted for the Truma. For those who have it they love it.  For many years of rving the standard 6Gal worked great no problems. Plenty of hot water for two.  I keep mine on elec setting then when its shower time i use the propane setting never ran out of hot water yet. Plus the cost of the Truma option, you can replace the standard water heater with another new one and still  be ahead of the game. 

[Overland]

I would say that overall we’re happy with the Truma, with the caveat being that it has definitely been the most finicky and delicate component on the trailer.  I can’t say whether I’d opt for it again if I were doing it all over. Probably...not?

[Trainman]

We passed on the Truma water heater, not for the reasons that you don't get all the hot water on demand, but because of our gray tank storage and more water into the tank just requires more dumping of the gray tank. Now true dumping the tank is rather easily done as long as you are at a camping ground that has sewerage access in your site. As we have found that we are now taking most of our showers at the camping ground facilities rather then using the shower in the trailer just because of the gray tank filling too quickly and I like long showers. I will say here that we have the Rinnia Tankless Water Heater in our home and it's wonderful, but for trailer use I just can't see the additional cost and not much return on your money spent. 

trainman

[The Shackelfords]

7 hours ago, Trainman said:

We passed on the Truma water heater, not for the reasons that you don't get all the hot water on demand, but because of our gray tank storage and more water into the tank just requires more dumping of the gray tank. Now true dumping the tank is rather easily done as long as you are at a camping ground that has sewerage access in your site. As we have found that we are now taking most of our showers at the camping ground facilities rather then using the shower in the trailer just because of the gray tank filling too quickly and I like long showers. I will say here that we have the Rinnia Tankless Water Heater in our home and it's wonderful, but for trailer use I just can't see the additional cost and not much return on your money spent. 

trainman

I agree, not to mention you get an extra 5ish gallons of freshwater in the hot-water tank itself. That is the reason we were opted out of the upgrade. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by The Shackelfords

[Patriot]

It also appears that the standard hot water propane/electric hot water heater is easier to have serviced opposed to searching for a Truma dealer/technician should a problem arise. All interesting comments, thoughts and feedback very much appreciated. Thank you.

[SeaDawg]

For those of you in Florida, or traveling through,  Truma opened a corporate sales and service office in Lakeland, just a few minutes off of I-4. (That's about halfway between Tampa and Orlando.) I spoke to the manager there a few months ago when I  was looking into their new furnace.

Sherry

Edited January 30, 2020 by SeaDawg

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 1/30/2020 at 2:22 AM, Patriot said:

It also appears that the standard hot water propane/electric hot water heater is easier to have serviced opposed to searching for a Truma dealer/technician should a problem arise. All interesting comments, thoughts and feedback very much appreciated. Thank you.

This is true, especially if it is still under warranty.  Truma certified techs are few and far between, at least on the West Coast where we live.

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by Susan Huff

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 1/28/2020 at 5:02 PM, Patriot said:

Ollie owners that have the Truma hot water on demand system: how do you like it? Any reliability issues or concerns? Are you happy overall with the Truma system? We are new prospective buyers and we are going over our build sheet, thoughts and feedback very much appreciated. 
Thanks in Advance.

David

We are in the same position - on the fence. We've had the standard tried and true tank heater.  I like that it is electric and LP.  We usually shut it off at night and when we were away from the RV for long periods of time.  Sometimes had to wait for the water to heat up if I forgot to turn it back on.  Other factors: there is the maintenance aspect of periodically draining, flushing and replacing the anode; the additional water (40#) adds weight, but it also gives you 5 gal more onboard water.  Our current RV has a Truma Comfort Plus.  We've had no problems with it and are satisfied with the performance.  However, unless options are changing, Oliver installs the Truma Comfort model.  The difference being the Comfort Plus has a recirculating pump that keeps the water in the pipes hot at all times, thus saving on water usage (an issue with the standard heater and the Truma without the Plus option is water usage when boondocking).  I don't know that I would opt for the Oliver Truma unless the option changes to the Plus model.  I like having instant hot water and the inside control knob is an improvement (standard with both Comfort models).  Also the ability to decalcify. I don't know how this works, but I assume it is easier than draining, flushing and inspecting/replacing the anode in the tank heater.  Our camping style is 50/50 hookup/boondock.  Most of our hot water usage is at the kitchen sink, so it is easy to adapt water use when "off the grid".  We don't use the RV shower often enough to be concerned about water storage.  Between Truma (Oliver model) and tank WH, the big main difference between tank and Truma is LP consumption.  The Truma will use less LP, but the tank heater can run on 110 when you have shore power.

The other consideration that you already mentioned is the scarcity of certified techs.  I did ask our local preferred shop about having ours decalcified, as we have an older model that doesn't have the control inside the RV with the "clean" option.)  I was told they have a tech who can service the Truma, but he is not (yet) certified, thus it would probably void the warranty.  It's a toss up; I'm waiting for more feedback (Truma Comfort or Tank WH) from other owners before making a decision.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Susan Huff

[Patriot]

Boils down “pun intended” 😄 to what your most comfortable with and naturally how you plan to use the hot water system in your Oliver.
Many praise both systems and both surely have their own merits. We opted for the Truma system after much discussion, thought, research, and what we felt like would work best for us. 
We have a Rinnai system in our home and have been very pleased with the efficiency and performance. This probably influenced our decision some on choosing the Truma.

Best of luck in your choice!
 

-Patriot

Edited June 8, 2020 by Patriot

[Ray and Susan Huff]

Another note on the Truma. if Oliver should ever offer the Truma Aqua-go Comfort Plus as an option, while the recirculating hot water setting (Comfort Mode) has the advantage of reduced water usage and lessens the amount of water going into the grey tank, be aware that the recirculating pump does make noise, which might be bothersome.  For sure, you would want to switch the heater to Eco Mode before retiring for the night.  In Eco the heater will fire occasionally to keep the water in the tank warm.  Unless it is going to be freezing overnight, we turn it off because even the burner firing wakes me up.   Unfortunately, our Motor home's Truma Comfort Plus is one of the older versions and does not have an inside control.  The newer models do, so you don't have to go outside, after you are tucked in for the night, to turn it off.

[BackofBeyond]

Most of the time - when we are done with hot water - I turn it off. 

[wlonghurst]

We have the Truma.  It has not  worked from the first night of camping at David Crockett State Park.  We should have gone back to Oliver the next day but headed for home (New Mexico) thinking that we just had not been properly operating it.  Now it is June and still not working.  Oliver washed their hands of it saying that we had to go through Truma even though it was a faulty unit right from the start.  Truma is mostly shut down because of the corona virus.  I suspect it will be several more months of camping until it can be replaced.  We would not have opted for a Truma (Trauma) if we had known about the troubles we have had.

[mossemi]

Have you tried any of the Truma service partners in your area?  Would you care to share any details about what is not working?
Mossey

 

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, wlonghurst said:

Oliver washed their hands of it saying that we had to go through Truma even though it was a faulty unit right from the start.

I don’t know what Oliver could do unless you drove back to Hohenwald.  If it is a defective unit I would check out one of the Truma service centers in your area, as Mike suggested.  It could be something simple but even if the entire unit needs to be replaced it should be under manufacture warranty.

[SeaDawg]

Take heart, though. Even though you didn't go back to Hohenwald,  I'm sure Truma stands behind its product, like most of the notable TV accessory and appliance manufacturers.  

Most local businesses here have extended returns, and warranties,  if they were unable to respond due to the covid 19 shutdowns. 

I'd advise you to continue to communicate with Truma. Were it me, I'd use email, so that I  had a paper(less) trail. I'm assuming you are still under Truma warranty?

Sherry

 

[Overland]

Does the remote switch light up, or is it flashing?  

[wlonghurst]

Our Truma turns off and  flashes an error code #6,  possible valve problem.  Truma sent us a new circuit board but the error code persisted.  We plan to have the unit replaced.  Truma recommended Desert Skies RV repair in Mesa, Az and we are working with them.  My issue is that the Truma did not work from the first night and this should have been picked up by the factory before delivery to us.

[John E Davies]

wlonghurst, I feel for your concerns, your Truma problem should have been caught before delivery. However, you stated above:  “It has not  worked from the first night of camping at David Crockett State Park.  We should have gone back to Oliver the next day but headed for home (New Mexico) thinking that we just had not been properly operating it.“

The whole point of personally picking up your new trailer in TN is so that you can give it a thorough shake-down over several days, testing EVERYTHING, and give the factory the opportunity to fix any problems BEFORE you end up 2000 miles away. So maybe you should consider not being so harsh on the nice folks in Hohenwald. Did you attempt to contact the Service Department to ask about your Truma before you headed west? If so, what was their response?

If a buyer is unwilling to linger in TN for a few days, it seems more sensible to me to just have the trailer shipped by truck to your home town.

John davies

Spokane WA

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by John E Davies

[SeaDawg]

2 hours ago, wlonghurst said:

Our Truma turns off and  flashes an error code #6,  possible valve problem.  Truma sent us a new circuit board but the error code persisted.  We plan to have the unit replaced.  Truma recommended Desert Skies RV repair in Mesa, Az and we are working with them.  My issue is that the Truma did not work from the first night and this should have been picked up by the factory before delivery to us.

We deliver new rvs to Alaska most years. Not this year, due to travel restrictions through Canada. 

Occasionally, things that work at checkout, don't always work a day or two later. It stinks, but we have learned to deal with it. It's the nature of the rv equipment beast. Stuff does happen.

I totally understand your disappointment.  Yes, you probably should have returned to Hohenwald when you were close, but that's water under the dam. Too late. Now, you're in the truma zone, not the Oliver zone, geographically.

Truma will take care of you, I'm sure. Since you have documented your issue. 

Sherry

[Overland]

On 1/28/2020 at 9:57 PM, Overland said:

I would say that overall we’re happy with the Truma, with the caveat being that it has definitely been the most finicky and delicate component on the trailer.  I can’t say whether I’d opt for it again if I were doing it all over. Probably...not?

I need to amend this comment slightly.  One of the finicky things that we've had problems with on the Truma is getting consistent hot water out of it.  Sometimes it's hot, sometimes warm, sometimes frigid, and often during a shower you get all three.  Not great.  

Well, as part of my plumbing renovations, I'm thinking about swapping out all of the plastic pex fittings with brass, and while I was counting fittings this afternoon, I was staring at the connections at the Truma and just had to laugh when the mistake that's causing my problems was suddenly obvious.  On my unit there are three connections: cold water goes in the bottom, hot water out the top, and the circulation return is in the middle.  Let's see if you guys can spot it, too (the blue pex you're looking at is the winterization bypass).  

🙄  😂

I can't be too hard on Oliver for this one, since mine was the first unit with the circulator that they installed.  But I was told that there's one other Ollie out there with the same unit, that was on the line next to mine - so I'm sure it has the same problem.  

Edited July 25, 2020 by Overland

[bhncb]

In spite of how it's drawn in the Truma connection diagram, the return line should not be connected to the bypass circuit.

[Overland]

Yeah, the Truma diagram is a bit confusing. They draw the bypass in a different shade of grey to show that it doesn’t intersect the return; but printed or at a distance, it’s easy to assume that it does. Of course, logic tells you that it shouldn’t.  The way it’s connected, the bypass creates a short circuit in the circulation line. 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Overland

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 7/25/2020 at 3:39 PM, Overland said:

I need to amend this comment slightly.  One of the finicky things that we've had problems with on the Truma is getting consistent hot water out of it.  Sometimes it's hot, sometimes warm, sometimes frigid, and often during a shower you get all three.  Not great.  

Well, as part of my plumbing renovations, I'm thinking about swapping out all of the plastic pex fittings with brass, and while I was counting fittings this afternoon, I was staring at the connections at the Truma and just had to laugh when the mistake that's causing my problems was suddenly obvious.  On my unit there are three connections: cold water goes in the bottom, hot water out the top, and the circulation return is in the middle.  Let's see if you guys can spot it, too (the blue pex you're looking at is the winterization bypass).  

🙄  😂

I can't be too hard on Oliver for this one, since mine was the first unit with the circulator that they installed.  But I was told that there's one other Ollie out there with the same unit, that was on the line next to mine - so I'm sure it has the same problem.  

When you say yours is the first unit with the circulator, do you mean the Comfort Plus model that recirculates the water supply in the lines, as needed, so the water between the heater and the faucet is always hot?  This is the model we have in our motor home.  It makes more sense, from a water conservation standpoint, since you don't have to run a bit of cold water in order to get hot from the lines.  This would be a more attractive option for us, but I still feel the "tried and true" standard heater scores more points.  1.  We don't use the shower that often  2. Even with our Truma Comfort Plus, we only turn it on when we need hot water.  I can live with having to turn on the tank heater a bit sooner.  3. Truma is a bit more "finicky", but easier to drain.  That being said, I hesitate to get one because, in our area it is hard to find someone certified for warranty work (the nearest is 2 1/2 hrs away with only 5 in Oregon). 4. With the standard heater, you have the option of using LP or 120v power.

Our installation is a bit easier to use bypass valves since it is mounted under the galley sink.  When I can get to our RV, I'll post a picture of the Truma installation.  Maybe it will make it easier to understand; it makes more sense to me.

Edit: here are pictures of the Truma AquaGo Comfort Plus installation, located under the galley sink of our Leisure Travel Vans Unity

Edited August 5, 2020 by Susan Huff
additional info

[bhncb]

12 hours ago, Overland said:

Yeah, the Truma diagram is a bit confusing. They draw the bypass in a different shade of grey to show that it doesn’t intersect the return; but printed or at a distance, it’s easy to assume that it does. Of course, logic tells you that it shouldn’t.  The way it’s connected, the bypass creates a short circuit in the circulation line. 

It's easy to see why an installer could make this mistake. The drawing should show either connection points or jumps. I'm sure you'll make this a lot cleaner. Seems to me you could replace three of those valves with one bypass and a check.