TAB 320 Hot Water Basis Running Time

DNL2021
DNL2021 Member Posts: 8
in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
Hello, we just bought a 2021 tab 320 boondock and received it on 05-21-2021. Let me say it's beautiful and everything we've ever wanted (seriously!) however with it being new and in the honeymoon phase, we are having a hard time figuring out the hot water. The water gets hot about 15 seconds and then goes cold and putters. I've read about the mixing valve/etc. But I am mostly wondering what the baseline of how many minutes of hot water a normally running unit is supposed to deliver on a good day so I can base my OCD tendencies correctly. I get it's a tiny trailer and not expecting 30 minutes of hot dreamy showers of long ago but I have no information on how long, when/if you do run the hot water, how long is it designed to last. Thank you so much.
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    I can tell you that we do not run out of hot water, but we never run the shower continuously.  Our mixing valve is set to very hot water, so we can cut in a fair volume of cold water at the tap and prolong the shower supply.  We don’t want to fill up the gray tank, so navy showers is the rule.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • pthomas745
    pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,572
    Welcome to the Forums....but you need to adjust your mixing valve.  The Alde heats a tank of water that is roughly 2 1/2  gallons.  You have probably noticed that the water isn't exactly rocketing out of the shower head, but it should be strong enough to wash and rinse with a reasonable amount of water.  (2 gallons of water.....is a lot of water.)  Not sure which shower heads come in the new trailers, but many owners have changed over  to the Oxygenics shower heads.  They just seem to work more consistently.  Allegedly, they push about a gallon per minute through the shower head.  (Maybe..reviews vary). 
    So...which mixing valve do you have?  The old skool one with the black cover?  Or the new thermostatic valve with the red cap?

    PS:  Some people just use pump/pressure spray bottles ( a garden pump sprayer) for cleanups, including showering.  Heat the water on the stove, fill up the bottle, spray away. 
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • DNL2021
    DNL2021 Member Posts: 8
    Thank you for your responses! 2 gallons is plenty for us. I would just like consistency more than 10 seconds!

    pthomas745: the mixing valve is the new red cap one. When I took the cap off to have a look, the screw was about 1/2 threads above the valve. My concern is if I turn it the wrong way, it will unseat and I'll have hot water everywhere. My fiancé read on Facebook forums that this has happened to someone already. 😐
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    @DNL2021 - have you seen the explanation at the bottom of this thread?

    https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/13395/hot-water-problems-thermostatic-mixing-valve-2021-tab-400
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • ChanW
    ChanW Member Posts: 3,165
    When we first got our Tab, I did a "shower test" - if I remember, a full warm shower lasted 5 minutes before it turned cold.
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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  • N7SHG_Ham
    N7SHG_Ham Member Posts: 1,261
    To maximize your hot water, use propane, turn the boost on for a cycle and then watch your water temp in the service menu. When it is around 170-180 F then it is as hot as it will get at the Alde tank. Now turn boost off and then back on. This will reset the 30 minute boost timer. This method will provide max hot water.

    If still going cold at the tap in a few seconds, then you need to adjust the mixing valve. They come from factory too low, so you almost assuredly need to adjust that valve.

    Once you get it all set you can have lots of hot water and if you Navy shower, almost continuous hot water.
    2019 T@B 400 Boondock Lite
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  • pthomas745
    pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,572
    @DNL2021 the new thermostatic "red cap" mixing valve is a different type of valve compared to the black cap one that requires a bit more hands on work. I'm not sure the new one can be "unseated".  But, yes, people have wound up with a pile of parts in their lap from the old one.  It happens. Even with warnings in every mixing valve thread about it. 
    Check that thread in the post above by Sharon_is_Sam, and the other post in that thread. 
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • DNL2021
    DNL2021 Member Posts: 8
    Thank you all for the suggestions. We are camping this weekend so I will putz around with it and report back. My gut says the valve is all the way open allowing the maximum amount of cold water. 
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  • DNL2021
    DNL2021 Member Posts: 8
    Hi all. Reporting back. I finally got around to messing with the mixing valve this weekend and happy to report it worked! The valve I think was all the way open (many threads exposed)...not sure if this was from the factory but I turned it clockwise and took a little effort to turn; it then popped, when it broke free, a little water came out at the threads but went away as I continued to tighten. The end result was about 2 threads above the main locking nut...viola hot water that lasts longer than 5 seconds!!!! Yay!

    Also, I noticed that they have moved the alde electrical outlet to the side of the valve vs. below it like I've seen in other post pictures for the 2021. Still near water but if it drips from leaking, it won't go on the outlet.

    Love our tab and enjoy this forum!!!
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