If anyone wants to send me the pics, I'll host them and publish them in this thread. I am thinking of the same project here as well.

Mike

Phil,

If you want to do this as a project I can completely understand (I'm a do it yourselfer too) but do you know that there's already a company that makes these?

I don't recall the details of the top of my head but I remember them being advertised in the back of 4wd & sport utility.

Lloyd has one set up in his rig which we used at the last Sierra Challenge after a long day of wheeling. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Edit:
Found it. Here's a link to a place that sells them online.
http://www.hotcampshowers.com/new51788.html
Here's a couple of pics...



Lloyd has his mounted to the radiator area.

Ray

Yeah thats the one I've been thinking of replicating - but the price! Its all hardware store stuff, the heat exchanger would be the only daunting part.

It just seems too doable as opposed to paying for one.

Maybe make something like this? Just a quick illustration...

The 1/4" pipes are radiator feed inlets and outlets.
The 1/2" pipes are for the shower
The unit can be about 12" long

How long does the hot water last, assuming the engine is hot, or does the heat stay pretty consistant? I guess the flow rate and the size of the exchanger would determine this. I am just tring to get a ball park idea. I am ex Navy, so I am used to the Navy shower concept.

[color:"green"] And for you smart a$$es out there, i'm not talking about Clinton's Navy. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />[/color]

Thats what I'm thinking Ray, but i think you have the pipes backwards. The shower water goes through the coil & smaller dia. pipe. The radiator fluid dumps into the main chamber with a larger inlet/outlet. Some of them I've seen have baffles in to slow the fluid flow down.

My biggest question is as Wyleone states - how big/long for each? Too big or two small could make a huge temp difference.

With some data, this page ( link ) should be a big help. The site is www.exergyinc.com . That stuff looks pricey, but I'd bet an enterprising plumber could build one...

Mike

I have been looking at these Portable Water Heater Don't know how well they work but $179 dose not seem like a bad price

How about some copper tubing coiled around the exhaust?

hmmm might not be too bad of an idea!