Best RV Water Heaters

For some people, roughing it is part of the appeal of camping. That doesn’t have to be the case, though, in your RV. In fact, shouldn’t part of having an RV be the wonder of taking a hot shower while camping, no matter where you are camping?

Of course, in order to take a hot shower in your RV, you have to have a hot water heater. And that’s where things can get awfully confusing. Fortunately, we’re here to help.

Let’s take some time to examine each of the different types of hot water heaters you might examine for your RV, and then take a closer look at the best option for each kind.

RV Hot Water Heater Types

First, though, those kinds of hot water heaters.

A few things to note:

  1. Most RV hot water heaters utilize either a 6-gallon or 10-gallon tank. In neither case is that enough water to take one of the long hot showers you might be used to taking at home, but it is enough hot water that you can, indeed, take an actual hot shower.
  2. Most RV hot water heaters are made by a handful of companies, such as Suburban and Atwood. The big thing to know here is that their tanks are built a little differently. Suburban uses a steel water tank (porcelain-lined) with an anode rod, whereas Atwood uses a lightweight aluminum in their tanks. Other than that, though, the tanks are all pretty much the same.

More specifically, if you’re looking at RV hot water heaters, you’re likely looking at one of the following types of tanks:

  1. 6-gallon manual LP gas water heater
  2. 6-gallon LP gas with direct spark ignition
  3. 6-gallon LP gas/DSI/electric water heater
  4. 10-gallon LP gas/DSI/electric water heater
  5. On-demand RV water heaters
  6. High-end hydronic heating systems

We’ll look at each option a little more closely so you can determine what might work best for you and your budget.

Let’s start with the simplest and least expensive, and then go from there up to the more expensive and fancier options.

1) 6-gallon manual LP gas water heater

As we noted earlier, most water heaters are either 6-gallon or 10-gallon. At the most basic end of the spectrum, you can expect a 6-gallon tank which runs on liquid propane (LP) gas and requires manual ignition. That may be either a striker or a long match, but in either case, you have to manually ignite the heater.

For most 6-gallon tanks, you can expect the water to heat reasonably quickly from when you light it, usually thirty minutes or less, and because it is a smaller tank, you can expect it to produce up to 7 gallons of hot water per hour. If you’re looking at entry-level RVs, you can expect this sort of heater.

Two of the best are the Atwood 96110 Pilot Ignition Water Heater and Suburban 5120A Water Heater. They’ll each generally run you between $300-400, depending on where you shop. If forced to choose, though, we’d give a slight edge here to the Atwood.

The Atwood is significantly lighter (14 lbs as opposed to 31 lbs) and smaller (20 x 17 x 14.3 inches as opposed to 21.4 x 14.3 x 14.3 inches) and as a result, can be easier both to mount and to light.

As far as precise specs go, the Atwood can produce 7.4 gallons of hot water per hour at 70% efficiency to a temp of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and because of the smaller size and the way the unit is built, it’s far more serviceable than most units. In fact, 95% of components are accessible via the exterior door. And the two-year warranty doesn’t hurt, either.

Similarly, we just prefer the aluminum construction, as it’s lighter and doesn’t require an anode rod, unlike the Suburban model. All that said, Suburban is still a very trusted brand, and there’s no shame in going that route, either.

2) 6-gallon LP gas with direct spark ignition

First and foremost: This is essentially the same water heater as the previous model, with one important update. Namely, direct spark ignition (or DSI) means that rather than needing to manually light the water heater with a match or striker, it can auto light with the simply flip of a switch inside the RV.

And when it’s cold enough or windy enough, that automation can be a huge plus. As long as you have liquid propane in the tanks and the gas supply isn’t turned off, flipping that switch is all you’ll need to do. In every other respect, though, these are the same water heaters as the pair we looked at previously.

Again, your best choices are either Atwood or Suburban. Personally, though, our preference for the best 6-gallon LP gas water heater with direct spark ignition is an Atwood (though Suburban is still plenty good here).

Once more, the price points are generally pretty comparable, anywhere in the $300 – $500 range depending on brand and model, but the lightweight and smaller size of the Atwood models is our preference. With dimensions of 16” x 12.5” x 16.9”, it doesn’t take up much room, and at only 16 pounds, it’s certainly light as well. In comparison, the Suburban model we’ve linked has dimensions of 21” x 13” x 13” – and weighs 35 pounds.

For us, valuing weight and space, that difference matters. For you, though, you may have different priorities. Given that the underlying specs (7.4 gallons per hour at 70% efficiency, etc) are generally the same, too, these water heaters are not much different than the manual ignition models we discussed earlier.

As a result, it’s hard to go wrong with a well-reviewed Atwood or Suburban model as long as the dimensions will fit your RV and the model will work for your required lifestyle.

3) 6-gallon LP gas/electric DSI water heater

This is where we have our first real step up when it comes to 6-gallon water heaters. While the underlying metrics remain comparable to the gas-only models discussed above, it is no small thing to be able to run a water heater on either propane or electric power sources.

One thing to keep in mind: These models are offered both with manual and automatic (DSI) ignition. Personally, I’d never want another water heater without automatic ignition again, but it’s always a matter of your budget and what makes sense for your particular circumstances.

The biggest advantage of a combination powered water heater is that you can always use it. When you’re plugged in, you can save on gas by running it with electric power. When you don’t have power, you can run it off the gas. The key point is that you can use it anywhere, and the option to use it on electric power allows you to save gas when that is an option. And it’s not as if the prices are exorbitant, either; models generally run between $300-$500, or a comparable range to other 6-gallon water heaters.

Again, Atwood and Suburban are your best bets. Let’s look briefly at our favorite model from each.

The Atwood GC6AA-10E, for instance, offers a recovery rate of 11.6 gallons of hot water per hour on gas; 6.2 gallons/hour on electric power, and 17.8 gallons/hour on combo power. At only 21 pounds and 21 x 17 x 15 inches, it’s hardly as if it is big, either.

Similarly, the Suburban Sw6De has some impressive specs: 10.2 gallons/hour on just gas, 6 gallons/hour on electric power, and 16.2 gallons/hour on combo power. At 32.9 pounds and 25 x 19 x 19 inches, it’s hardly large, either. Larger and heavier than the Atwood, sure, but also generally a little less expensive. In either case, though, you’re guaranteed a good hot water heater.

4) 10-gallon gas/electric DSI water heater

With a 6-gallon tank, even with a combination power heater, you can really only expect the hot water to last so long. These are not the hot showers you take at home. With a 10-gallon tank, however, you can start getting a little spoiled.

As a general rule, these are high recovery, high BTU/hour water heaters, with the obvious caveat that you get what you pay for. These are going to be much better, more enjoyable showers, though do keep in mind that when you use the water heater with one of the electric modes (electric only or combination power), it will limit the power you have available to you for other devices and appliances.

And also, because you are getting so much more hot water, you can expect to pay more; these generally cost in the range of $500-$1000, depending on the brand and model you choose.

Once again, our favorite options come from Suburban and Atwood. Let’s take a closer look at two of our favorite models, the Suburban 5123A 10-gallon combination water heater and Atwood GC10A-4E 94018 10-gallon combination hot water heater.

Let’s start with the Suburban. 49 pounds empty, it’s significantly heavier than the smaller water heaters. And don’t forget that water weighs 8 pounds/gallon, so when full, that’s another 80 pounds, or 129 pounds total.

But 10 gallons of hot water, with recovery rates of 10.3 gallons/hour on gas, 6.1 gallons/hour on electric, and 16.4 gallons/hour on combination power, means you can take much longer hot showers with a 10-gallon water heater than the 6-gallon models. For many, that’s reason enough to upgrade. The three-year warranty doesn’t hurt, either.

For the Atwood model, the recovery rates are comparable; what is not is the weight. Instead of 49 pounds empty, it’s 32 pounds empty. At this scale, however, that 17 pounds likely doesn’t matter much to you, and most of the Atwood models offer only a two-year warranty.

Again, though, you can’t really go wrong with either brand.

5) On-demand RV water heaters

This is the big leagues when it comes to RV water heaters. On-demand systems are as close as you’ll find to what you have at home, and they’re incredibly efficient, too, as the water is only heated when you need it.

Additionally, rather than the standard 8,000, 12,000, or even 14,000 BTUs heating your water, on-demand systems often offer as much as 50,000 BTUs. As a result, it isn’t a matter of waiting for the hot water heater to warm up, taking a short shower with the water you have, and then waiting until you next have hot water available again.

Instead, you can just take a hot shower and trust the water will stay hot, because the system will continuously heat water as it’s needed—at a rate commensurate with the water being used. You simply turn on the hot water and mix with cold as needed to get the temperature desired. It’s really that simple!

No wonder most newer RVs are being built with on-demand water heaters. And just as nice, they can be adapted to replace just about any brand and model 6- or 10-gallon hot water heater.

The biggest issue now is that finding them can be a little difficult. Suburban and Atwood, for instance, both make great on-demand hot water heaters, but they can be difficult to track down. Other brands, such as Nautilus, for instance, can work, but be sure you do your research.

6) Hydronic heating systems

These are the newest and best heating systems, which of course also means they are the priciest. Hydronic systems use tubing to run hot liquid into heat exchangers that disperse heated air for heating and coils, with potable water running through them, wrap around the boiler to transport hot water to faucets and appliances.

A variety of heat sources can be used, depending on the system, but most use some combination of the vehicle’s surplus engine heat, diesel or propane fuel, and AC shore power. Hydronic is spendy, but has the added advantages of even heat you can rely on, instant hot water, quiet, odor-free heat, and it tends to keep its value well, so it adds to the resale value of your RV.

Odds are good that the list above has given you a great start on finding the right water heater or system for you, but if not, let us know!