Want to "convert" RV heat...

[ModRob]

Well, here's another in my long line of quests that are pretty-much nonsensical...

I'd like to change the furnace in my RV (1987) to something electric. Or at least when it's parked at home, I could use this other system and plug up to another complete circuit running from my house, as I tend to have a lot of family visit, and need the extra living space. I'm just not a fan of using the LP stuff...

I thought about buying a "garage-type" heater that runs on 240, as they are small and compact, and could be fitted in near my existing LP furnace, and fashioning some type of "box" that would access the existing ducts that attach to the LP furnace. I'm sure the Electric unit would not have a big enough blower, so I'd thought about using the blower in the LP unit, which runs on my 12v RV system, which when parked at the house is plugged into my shore power outlet at the back of the house.

I have a ceiling air unit that has a heat strip in it, but it is not much for cold temps. And when I use it, and a portable 1500 watt household heating unit, it trips my household breaker, but I think that's because it's only a 20 amp circuit (didn't put a lot of planning into it when installed, as I just wanted to be able to run the AC during the summer, and the basic lights in the RV...that worked fine)

Ideally, I'd like to be able to install something that would run while parked, and while traveling. But I think that's the crazy part. I only have an Onan 4000 watt generator, which handles the AC and other stuff OK in the summer, but for heat the old trusty LP furnace system has been the norm...

Any thoughts out there?
thanks,
Tim

[frhrwa]

http://www.eco-heater.com/index.html check out this heater.. looks like it would do the job easily.. I'm going to check them out for my RV also..

[Dean Huster]

We have a 1988 model Jayco fiver that was made before a lot of attention was given to good insulation. We've lived in it full-time a couple of different times, the last time from June through the end of February in Oklahoma City where the temperatures got well-below freezing and into the low teens on a lot of nights.

The first thing I did was to install that heat-shrinkable window covering over ALL the windows. Condensation on the aluminum-frame windows was a major issue (humans emit all kinds of moisture), and the film helped that out a lot. I also had to deal with making sure I had a freeze-proof water line, but that's another issue.

Do you really think that the 400-watt "Eco-Heater" will really heat your RV? I'm from Missouri, and I don't think so.

Two 1500-watt space heaters would keep the temperature comfortable. When I'd get home from work, I'd turn them both on and after a couple of hours, I had to turn one of them off. I installed a special outlet for the one I ran most of the time (especially during the day to keep things from freezing) down by my electrical panel so that I didn't have to worry about burning up the small-gauge wiring in the RV.

You really do need to install a regular 30a RV receptacle. That way, you can run decent heat and the A/C during the summer if you needed. Space heaters are inexpensive compared to a specialty unit for RVs, and considering the limited use they'll receive, it's the way I'd go.

Propane is expensive in an RV. The first time we tried using the furnace and had to refill the bottles after about a week was when I decided that there had to be a better way. I wouldn't pull the propane furnace and replace it with an all-electric unit, however. If you ever stop overnight at a Wal-Mart during the late fall will make you wish for the convenience of propane when you don't have the availability of shore power.

[CeaSaR]

ModRob,

I was going to suggest the extra insulation, but Dean beat me to it.

As for his space heater suggestion, how about a pair of those ceramic cube heaters you can get almost
anywhere at this time of year for ~ $30 US. I have one that we use for spot heating in the house and it
will make the kids school room hot in about 30 min. - 1 hr. then it gets turned down to low or off until
needed again. Almost all of them nowadays are tilt / overheat protected so you can feel very safe using
them in close quarters. Plus they are VERY small, maybe 9"x10"x6".

CeaSaR

[mthornton]

Just remember that all electric heaters have exactly the same efficiency rating (100%), so spending money on a voodoo miracle heater... you may as well just burn the cash for the heat.

However, for your RV space, the effectiveness of distributing your hard-earned heat to wherever it brings you the most comfort, is what you should focus on.

Eliminating every & all forms of cold drafts & minimizing heat-loss through radiation, especially through your windows, will be repaid many times over. When I was a young buck, I lived for two winters in the Canadian Rockies in a converted school-bus, and we were very comfortable even during the coldest of cold snaps (-40). All the windows were doubled up & a thick layer of snow on the roof kept us snug.

M

[kheston]

Tim,

I'm writing you this from my 24ft trailer parked in the middle of nowhere with no power lines in sight. It's a comfy 70 degrees, thanks to my LPG force-air furnace. I'm not sure what you have against LP heat, but you couldn't get me to part with mine. My battery bank wouldn't power one of those 1500w Wal-Mart jobs for more than 3 or 4 hours (if that). With propane, I can go the whole weekend without running my generator.

Just speculating here, but perhaps the fault you find with LP may be in the emissions or expense of burning propane. I haven't actually done the math, but I'd guess that using an electric heater would be no less expensive than your electric bill at home will be or the added gas to power the unit on the road will be. Unless your utility has gone nuclear, you wouldn't be saving the planet from any excess CO2 either. If propane is a pain to get where you are, well, that's a different problem I guess.

As an aside, I was in northern Minnesota a couple of weeks ago in a tent trailer with a buddy (whose tent trailer it was). This time of year, 30 degrees F is considered balmy, with 10 or 20 more the norm. My friend had been having trouble with the on-board propane furnace so he bought a 1200w ceramic oscillating heater to use in its stead. What a joke that was! We left it on all day while out in the woods and it hadn't raised the temp in the trailer 10 degrees. After some fiddling with the electric start in the propane unit, we got it going and were taking off our jackets inside of an hour.

HTH