New Aqua Cube

[boobook]

FWIW For those interested, I found out from Companion that there will be a new model Aqua cube available in about 4 weeks.

It appears to have a digital temperature read out and an integrated battery like the Coleman style. I think it will be $100 more than the current one.  I was also told it has the same flow rate and top temperature of about 50 degrees.

[Followme1]

Iam over them sick of all the problems

George

[Fun Police]

Iam over them sick of all the problems

George

Interesting....tell me more.  We were/are tossing up between them and Coleman.

[boobook]

Yes I am interested too. I have done some research on this and other forums as well as asking about feedback in a few shops. Out of Coleman and Companion, the conclusion I came too is. And, yes. I know you can use a billy too!!!

1)The Aquacube Mark 1 had a lot of problems with the over temp sensor being too aggressive.
2)The Aquacube mark 2, ie the current one, seemed to fix this.
3)Many of the Coleman units have a lot of problems with ignition restarting and impeller failure.
4)Coleman is good for 70 degrees, but Aquacube is only 50ish degrees unless you remove the over temp sensor then it is about 60.
5)The Coleman is hard to regulate the temperature for showers and can go hot / cold if you stop / start.
6)Coleman is super sensitive to any impurities in the water, rendering it unusable.
7)Coleman has an internal 6V battery making it more portable, but it can be a pain to keep charged.

A couple of stores said they get about a third of the Colemans back and used to get a lot of Aqua cubes back but they have settled down. I am paraphrasing here.

I decided that in summary if you want hot water for cuppa's on demand then Colemans probably the best bet. But for washing and showers then Aqua cube seems to be the bet. Also it seems you have to fiddle with the coleman's settings and cleaning quite a bit.

I currently have a small ebay Instant HWS similar to the Red rock which was $150, and  has been fantastic but it too cumbersome to store and set up. So will go the Aquacube.

[ozbogwam]

I wish we could get the Zodi or Ecotemp ones from the US here but shipping costs are the killer

[LC]

Yes I am interested too. I have done some research on this and other forums as well as asking about feedback in a few shops. Out of Coleman and Companion, the conclusion I came too is. And, yes. I know you can use a billy too!!!

1)The Aquacube Mark 1 had a lot of problems with the over temp sensor being too aggressive.
2)The Aquacube mark 2, ie the current one, seemed to fix this.
3)Many of the Coleman units have a lot of problems with ignition restarting and impeller failure.
4)Coleman is good for 70 degrees, but Aquacube is only 50ish degrees unless you remove the over temp sensor then it is about 60.
5)The Coleman is hard to regulate the temperature for showers and can go hot / cold if you stop / start.
6)Coleman is super sensitive to any impurities in the water, rendering it unusable.
7)Coleman has an internal 6V battery making it more portable, but it can be a pain to keep charged.

We have a Coleman and have it for about two years, the following are my observations in response to your comments

3)The only time I have had ignition problems was when the unit got left out overnight and was covered with condensation in the morning, once it dried out properly it was fine.
5) I would agree that for showering the coleman is not ideal, ours runs off the gas bottles on the front of the camper and if you only have a limited supply of water then turning it on/off continuosly whilst trying to keep it dry is a PITA. For that reason we use it to heat a bucket of water and then use a 12v shower. The hose that coleman supply to run it off LPG bottles is only 1.2m or so long, so if your gas bottle is plumbed in to the camper then where you use it for showers is limited to being within reach of the gas bottles.
6) We have only ever put river water through ours and have never had any problems with the impellor not working.
7) We easily get four or five days out of the battery and when it needs charging, just plug it into the camper overnight. Only problem is that you cannot charge the unit and use it at the same time, or once the voltage gets too low it will not ignite.

We only use ours for heating water for showers and for washing the dishes.

[WogsRus]

I wish we could get the Zodi or Ecotemp ones from the US here but shipping costs are the killer

Hay Mate

have a look at my post here, Ecotemp deliver from teh US for $130 all up, delivered in 4 days

http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=19231.msg296148#msg296148

[ozbogwam]

Nice to know will check it out

[dav]

I got a aqua cube. Yes the thermostat  is to quick to turn the burner off then cold water for 10 seconds but its a pita for making hot water for washing up ok for showers. So I bridged out the thermostat for washing up and have a switch to turn it back on for showers.

[Tractor88]

We have a Coleman System and have had it for around 3 yrs and can honestly say to date have 0 problems. Its been a great unit and for 90% of the time used for showering with river water. I have never found it to clog, loose heat or fail in any way. I do clean it and recharge it after each camping trip and throw it on the charger before we head out again. So from me a big thumbs up.
Cheers.

[Followme1]

We have had to send so many back for repairs  apparently they have sorted the problems but I don't have time to give them another go

[boobook]

Interesting, the feedback on Coleman on this thread is 100% good and Aquacube gets a bad wrap.

Now I am totally confused. I think I will give the Aquacube a go based on it's size, weight and positive feedback elsewhere, then if it is no good move on to the Coleman.

Nuthin is simple...

[rockman]

I used our ' aqua-cube 2 ' for about 2 weeks over Christmas .
I was only chasing a shower arrangement for the kids , to make it safe for them to be able to shower by themselves .
Cant fault it so far .
Apparently the 1's they had a lot of drama's with and got them sorted with the 2's , who know's .

Had a coleman and found it to be a pain in the asre .

Cheers 

[HEM19X]

We had 2 AC2's. 1st replaced as the hottest it go was luke warm, 2nd lasted less time - even tried bi-passing the thermostat but still no good.

Now have a Gas HWS that is fantastic for both washing up & showering. Still have the Coleman, after 4 years of no problems, I can bring myself to selling it - pity it wouldn't fit in the space that the AC2 came in.

Boobook, personally I would wait for the AC3's to come out if you can, they might be worth a shot.

Regards

Hem