A portable tankless water heater is the most elegant way of getting hot water outdoors. If you go camping or want to use hot water in your RV, mobile home, or camper, the outdoor portable tankless water heater is the way to go; especially if you hate cold showers.
Here is a quick summary of how a portable tankless water heater works:
- Portable tankless water heaters are basically the same as standard household units; they are, however, lighter (below 30 lbs), have a lower flow rate (up to about 3 GPM), and cheaper (even the best exterior tankless water heaters cost less than $500).
- They are powered by liquid propane. You usually have to get a 20 lbs propane tank and connect it to the unit (it’s just a plug-in thing), and you can get up to 80,000 BTU/hour heating output that, in turn, heats up the water incredibly fast.
Now, if you are going to choose a portable tankless water heater, you would probably want to choose the best one. There are quite a few of these outdoor hot water heaters; some of them are not the best, others are good, and brands like Camplux make the best portable tankless water heaters on the market.
Good Small Camping Tankless Water Heater: Camplux 5L
Camplux 5L is the most appropriate for outdoor camping. If you want to have a hot shower while camping, this 5L unit will do its job well.
Given that it is a smaller unit, the Camplux has a heating element that can produce up to 28,000 BTU/hour of heating output. That means it has a rated flow rate of 1.32 GPM; something akin to a household shower GPM rating.
It can produce hot water with a maximum temperature of 114.8°F. That is usually enough for showering but other better outdoor tankless heaters can produce up to 140°F hot water.
The main advantage of Camplux 5L is how very compact it is. With 14.8×11.4×4.3 inches dimensions, it is one of the smallest 5L portable tankless water heaters.
It also has a bit higher $160+ price tag which is deemed a higher-than-average price for a 5L camping tankless water heater.
