Endless hot shower from your vehicle

**BigAl** · 2013/08/20, 12:19 PM

I have been toying with the idea of fitting a heat exchanger to my defender to make hot water for a shower when camping in remote places. I have battled to find one locally so decided to make one myself. It works really well and fits neatly into the void under the turbo on a TD5. The exchanger heats river water to 40 degrees Celsius in real time on one pass through while the engine is idling. I have uploaded a video to Youtube showing how it works http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj10ZyKWRaY

Sure makes for happy camping in remote places as hot showers are no longer a prerequisite.

**Ystervark** · 2013/08/20, 12:34 PM

Please give more details on the actual exchanger. do you have coiled copper on the inside?

**Alan Eveleigh** · 2013/08/20, 12:36 PM

Very interesting, how would /could a person adjust the temperature/ flow rate so that one doesn't burn oneself?

**BrendanR** · 2013/08/20, 12:40 PM

any chance of some pics for those of us with no youtube access at work?

**Ystervark** · 2013/08/20, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by All -in -one

Very interesting, how would /could a person adjust the temperature/ flow rate so that one doesn't burn oneself?

Guess you could put a tap in the line (radiator water line from engine) to manage the amount of hot water to the exchanger?

less hot water flow = colder water?

**BigAl** · 2013/08/20, 12:50 PM

Yes there is a copper coil in the exchanger. Was trial and error as to how long it had to be and how far to compress the pipe in order to extract sufficient heat. But there is a trade off between the amount of heat you draw out the cooling system as the more efficient the process, the quicker the vehicle cools down. I think I have the balance right now as I am getting hot water for at least 10 minutes and the vehicle temperature is stable.

**Alan Eveleigh** · 2013/08/20, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Ystervark

Guess you could put a tap in the line (radiator water line from engine) to manage the amount of hot water to the exchanger?

less hot water flow = colder water?

I was thinking perhaps a bigger pump in the cold water, then regulate that flow. Obviously the faster you pump water through the heat exchanger the less time it has to get hot, and vice versa, ...............

or have I got it all wrong

**heine** · 2013/08/20, 12:53 PM

Here is my version

http://heine9999.com/bo/bo-modificat...t-mods/shower/

**BigAl** · 2013/08/20, 12:59 PM

I have taken the coolant supply going to the heater and passed it through the exchanger. If one kept the heater in "series", then the heater dial in the vehicle would control the flow rate of coolant passing through the exchanger and thereby control the water temperature. The submersible pump is delivering water through the exchanger at 2 litres per minute, so I fitted a flow regulating valve on the shower hose. If I need the water to be hotter, then I simply slow down the flow rate. It is only the first bit of water that has been standing in the copper coil that comes out at the same temperature as the coolant when you first turn the pump on. It is really hot!

**NeilFourie** · 2013/08/20, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Ystervark

Guess you could put a tap in the line (radiator water line from engine) to manage the amount of hot water to the exchanger?

less hot water flow = colder water?

Or put a branching pipe between the submersible pump's pipe and the shower head outlet pipe with a valve so you could udjust the amount of cold water mixing with the hot water.

**BigAl** · 2013/08/20, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by heine

Here is my version

http://heine9999.com/bo/bo-modificat...t-mods/shower/

Thanks Heine

I saw this setup on line - If you have the tank already, then you can get away with a smaller heat exchanger. I wanted to get around the need for a storage tank. I have found that it only takes 2 minutes to heat half a bucket of water if you circulate the water.

**heine** · 2013/08/20, 02:06 PM

Mine comes out the exchanger at about 65 deg if I set the heater control in the car to max. I don't circulate the water to heat it , but rather to prevent you having to switch it off while showering , as this causes the water in the pipes to get dangerously hot

**GaryFrank** · 2013/08/20, 03:59 PM

Nice stuff this modern technology.....
in the old days, we used to wrap a copper pipe around the exhaust and heat up a tank of water.....was a bit of a bastard to regulate the flow when you had a bucket shower.......too hot , just right, too cold

**terratiger** · 2013/08/20, 04:35 PM

That's brilliant. Showering right in the river not exactly environmentally friendly though

Having a collapsible tank would resolve that though.

Care to divulge more on the dimensions and cost of the project.

**wild spike** · 2013/08/20, 07:08 PM

Seen that idea many years ago. Good if you traveling. If I had to do that with my rangie it would cost me R40 every shower. V8 powered shower is not that effective. I prefer using a copper coil over a gas burner. Instant heat, no need to let the vehicle idle for half an hour waiting for it to get up to temperature.

**heine** · 2013/08/20, 08:22 PM

Mine is ready after 5 min. Depends on the size of your heat exchanger

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

**hunter26** · 2013/08/21, 09:51 AM

BigAl,fantastic set up.Did u buy the heat exchanger unit or make it up.

Craig

**BigAl** · 2013/08/21, 01:10 PM

Hi Craig. Made the exchanger up myself with lots of trial and error - kinking the copper pipe becomes expensive!!!. A friend has asked to me to make one up one for him, so I will do a more accurate costing and post when I have finished. Dimensions of the exchanger are 420mm long and 120mm in diameter at the widest point.

**Bulletjie** · 2013/08/22, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by NeilFourie

Or put a branching pipe between the submersible pump's pipe and the shower head outlet pipe with a valve so you could udjust the amount of cold water mixing with the hot water.

+1

**DiscoMad** · 2013/08/22, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by terratiger

That's brilliant. Showering right in the river not exactly environmentally friendly though

Having a collapsible tank would resolve that though.

Care to divulge more on the dimensions and cost of the project.

TD5's only leak oil either from the oil filter area, drain plug, front inspection cover, vacuum pipe, rear of rocker cover gasket and diesel from the fuel pressure regulator.

This was carefully planned to drip down the area between the front bumper and driver's door.

So in this case the "inventor" made every effort to park his vehicle, exactly with the front wheel in the clean water stream & upstream from the submersible pump in order to detect any pollutant as soon as it runs down his face...

The TD5 has a fuel cooler on the other side doing exactly what you want... ever wondered if it's really needed for fuel?