If you've seen discussions on the benefits and negatives of Instant Hot Water Systems for campers then you've probably read "They're not for boondocking, they waste too much water" and "It fills the gray tank with fresh water". Guess what, there's an easy solution so you get the benefits of an instant hot water system without wasting water.

It's pretty simple.
Don't let the water go down the drain waiting for it to get hot...
You just need a jug to put the fresh water in until the hot water reaches you. A wide mouth jug is better so you can spray the shower head into it. Make sure the jug isn't too tall to fit under the kitchen faucet also. If you have a bathroom sink with a low clearance, just use the shower head to get the hot water to the bathroom.

Rubbermaid makes a gallon jug with a wide mouth that fits a shower head that both Walmart and Amazon sell that has worked well for me. Rubbermaid® 2122604 Mixermate™

I have a gravity feed fresh water connector outside so a funnel from FreshWaterTankFunnel.com makes pouring the water back into the fresh water tank easy. You can buy it directly from them or get it on Amazon.

This is a very simple solution to a problem many say is the reason they don't want an instant hot water system when boondocking.


Hint on using a Instant Hot Water Heater:
You don't want to have to mix cold water with hot water to drop the temperature. That's inefficient and wastes water.
Set the temperature control to shower temp. (typically 110/111 degrees) and just use the hot water, no cold. That keeps the water flow steady in the heater so you don't get cold bursts and doesn't waste cold water cooling what you just heated.

I've been asked what Instant Hot Water system I installed. I installed the FOGATTI InstaShower 9 Pro because it contains a built-in mixing tank so there's less chance of getting cold burst of water when you frequently turn the hot water off and on while washing dishes or taking a shower. See Photo