I want to add an Isotemp water heater to GX460. OK idea?

[SantaMon]

I am a newby here. I am exploring installing an Isotemp 4.2 gallon Slim Square water heater in my 2020 GX460 Luxury. I have deleted the rear two rows of seats from the cargo area and now have a flat plywood floor. I have an Ecoflow Delta 3 pro and extra battery for heating it with electricity. I would however like to also use the engine coolant to connect to the water heater so I can heat the water while I drive. I intend to find a professional to do the install. I have a few questions.

1. I understand that many folks put these isotemp hot water units into vans and motor homes. Should I have any reservations about connecting to my coolant system / heater hoses in the GX460?
2. I assume that I could tap into the heater hoses with tee's and ball valves before they go through the engine firewall and running hoses to the rear cargo area where holes would need to be drilled through the cargo area floor and up to the inlet and return of the water heater. Probably want ball valves on that end too. Would this be the best route?
3. The GX460 has a rear heater core, I think, I find replacement 2020 GX460 rear heater a/c evaporators for sale online . It seems like it might be easier to tap int the rear heater hoses with tee's and then run heater lines to the hot water heater. After install, I would assume that I would need to turn on the rear heat via the existing controls to get hot coolant running through the water heater loop.
4. Would I be better off using a purely electric 110v water heater designed for RVs/Food Trucks? I have 8kw of battery and an 800W alternator charger, so I can recharge the battery fom the alternator when driving or with solar panels.

I appreciate any insight on this.

 

[efjayatee]

Will thIs be a dedicated camping/adventure rig- for weekends or weeks at a time? How often vs how $$ could be worth it or not.
What's the intent of hot water? Showers?

Maybe there are other options your intended use

 

[SantaMon]

It will be weeks at a time. I am retiring next May. This is an overlanding rig (with rtt, winch, extra jerry cans, double spare tires,…) that I intend to container ship to Southern Africa for an extended expedition. I have driven on month long trips to Namibia, SA, and Botswana in the past using rental 4x4’s, but want to ship my own vehicle and spend a year or more and visit Angola and Mozambique as well. The first trip for this rig will be a drive from the US Midwest to do the Dempster Highway in Northern Canada and back in June as a shakeout cruise and then shipping it to Africa after that. I am trying to avoid carrying propane if I can manage it as I find locating propane and having proper adapters a pain in the more remote areas of other countries. I would like a hot shower and a hot tap for my on board kitchen. I have been camping this summer without propane and using my Ecoflow power station for cooking and that seems to work fine, but it would be nice to have hot water without propane as well.

 

[efjayatee]

Congrsts on your retirement.........a Diesel rig would be better suited in foreign countries when needing fuel.
You probably dont need hot showers in S.Africa due to humidity. I would spend the $$ on making sure you have capable tools and accessories. I would do a portable induction burner and install a 400w solar panel and an Ecoflow 800W DC alternator charger to top off your power station while driving.

 

[SantaMon]

Congrsts on your retirement.........a Diesel rig would be better suited in foreign countries when needing fuel.
You probably dont need hot showers in S.Africa due to humidity. I would spend the $$ on making sure you have capable tools and accessories. I would do a portable induction burner and install a 400w solar panel and an Ecoflow 800W DC alternator charger to top off your power station while driving.

Thank you for your reply. Agree on the diesel rig, but this is what I have. I am a a Toyota devotee and I live in the US and diesel Toyotas are not available. I have never had a problem finding petrol in Africa. Lots of petrol vehicles there. I have however been stuck before on trips due to low quality petrol in both Central Asia and the Amazon, so yes, I wish it was diesel as I would worry less about it.

The biggest problem in Africa, in my experience is not that the petrol is not high enough quality or is not available, but that fuel stations are often quite far apart, especially in Namibia, so I have a set up to get 1000km+ of range.

I have tools and know how to use them I used to operate and maintain particle accelerators, although my career the past few years involved designing and building analytical biology labs and making them operate and using them for research. I have also restored and/or repaired my own vehicles since I was a farm kid, including a 1973 6_wheel drive Pinzgauer Ambulance (I wish it had power steering or I would take it to Africa, coolest truck ever). I am experienced at 4x4 in many parts of the world (Bolivia, Oman, Colombia, Baja, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, even Venezuela when it was still possible). I have been bogged in sand or mud more times than I care to remember. I have a winch and know how to use it safely.

I have an Ecoflow delta 3 pro and 8kw of battery total with an alternator charger and 800w of solar blankets. I have currently been using it while camping to power a Ninja Foodie air fryer/pressure cooker and that works great. The ecoflow even allows me to have a small ice maker and Ecoflow Wave A/C. I have come to love my Ecoflow. The only problem currently is that most shippers don’t like big hunks of lithium on their boats due to fire hazard and I don’t blame them. So I am guessing that I will need to leave my current Ecoflow setup at home and purchase new in South Africa where Ecoflow has vendors. Of course, when I finish in Africa, I will need to dispose of that one (by giving it away to some deserving party) so I can container ship the rig back home.

I am willing to spend $$$ to eliminate propane on my rig. I was just looking for advice from anyone who has gone down this path.

 

[WTITW]

Sounds like quite the adventure.

Install wouldn’t be much different than a sprinter, have asked on expedition portal?

I think electric is a way safer route with remote expedition than tapping into cooling system since you’d be introducing another 20’ of hose to the system. I don’t recall seeing any water hoses in my rear ac area but @Acrad can probably confirm by memory. Its probably in center console if exists since all heat comes from the floor.

If you go cooling system, you might be a bit limited to right when you stop, or burning some fuel. Electricity is free with that setup.

With 8k lithium you should be able to heat all you want. Boiling one liter of water with my electric kettle takes 2.5ah=30wh@12v

8kwh/2.5ah= 266 liters

Thats a lot of singing time : ) probably an instant electric water heater out there somewhere.

Good luck. Send pics!

 

[efjayatee]

I would invest in a long range auxiliary fuel tank, under your spare tire..(LRA)

 

[suitcase]

I have nothing to add other than to say that sounds like an awesome adventure. I hope you can post some pics and stories.

 

[r2m]

Regarding running hoses up the through the rear, there are a couple of round holes with rubber sealing grommets already there. The holes, if I remember right are about 1.5 inches in diameter. I ran my 1 AWG wire through them for my 3K watt inverter I have in the back. I ran the cables, or in your case hoses, tucked up into and along the rock sliders to keep them out of harms way. You'll see what I mean if you go through my build thread link below.

This is just a thought, taking a North American spec'ed GX to SA, you may run into issues for parts and repair.
Having had a couple of 100 series Landcruisers myself, and now with my GX setup for overlanding (see: Builds - R²M 2013 GX 460 Overland Build - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/r2m-2013-gx-460-overland-build.1104719/), or GX is WAY better than our old Hundy's. But... those 100 series are known and used around the world, which would be easy for any repairs or anything else that may happen while overlanding in the south of Africa. Having been to Africa a couple times, I didn't even see any Prado's, albeit, I was Kenya and Tanzania, not as far south as you plan on going. Just keep in mind you may be stuck a while waiting for shipping of parts to yourself if anything breaks.

Just food for thought and good luck!
Also, keep us all posted with pics of your adventure if go!! Or better yet, do a Youtube series of your trip!

 

[Acrad]

GX 460 3 zone has both AC refrigerant for evaporator and lines from cooling system for heater core back there.

I’m trying to remember now if it was cooling or heating lines I’ve seen under need the door sill scuff plates on right side and whether bundled or routed separately.

I do have a spare 3rd zone HVAC unit up in my spare parts bin.

 

[MotoDave]

I personally am in favor of keeping add-ons separated from the vehicle systems. If something goes bad in your coolant loop you now have a whole vehicle that you cant use rather than just not having hot water. You already have a solid electrical system, I'd do a standalone water heater system that uses that (actually i'd just use a gas camp stove and a kettle)