| Author |
Message |
mleibelt@maqs.net (66.187.36.39)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 11:12 am: | |
Has anyone but radiant heat in a coach...Was thinking the plastic tubing under the floor and heat water with Aquahot or simular system???
Pro- Cons???
Coach is a MCI 102A3
THX
Mark |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.41)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 11:40 am: | |
I talked a friend into baseboard heat for his Eagle, just a copper tube with fins. Heated with a Webasto, he is thrilled with the results. Even heat, no hot wind blowing on you, no hot spots, no fans blowing, no battery depletion (except for the Webasto of course..) |
John Feld (Deacon) (150.199.209.23)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 11:57 am: | |
Don, can you give more information on this, sketches, photo's, materials used, etc.? Any information on low temp. used in without adding another heat source?
John 4104 |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.47)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 12:55 pm: | |
Baseboard radiant heating is nice to have, IF you can work it into your floor plan. I found baseboard heaters by doing a search on hydronic heating on the internet, but decided I didn't have the room for it and just used a couple of box heaters for my Webasto. The box heaters give out heat without the fans, and the hot water circulates in the wall so the wall acts as a radiant heater also. After heating up the bus in windy 40 degree weather I can just let the Webasto circulate and it keeps the bus cozy without the fans. I put the fans on a separate thermostat so they come on if the temp drops below 70. I haven't been camping in any colder weather yet so I don't know how my system will work without fans if it gets any colder.
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.40)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 2:43 pm: | |
I will try John, but these darned Bus People, are hard to track down in the winter sometimes. |
jmaxwell (66.81.208.183)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 4:02 pm: | |
Geoff: Why would u want to go anywhere that goes under 40 degrees? But, i suppose u could get "trapped" overnight while heading South!
I removed the baseboard radiant heaters and the Webasto, which didn't work, from the Neoplan and gave them away (4ea. 14'sections) just so I would never feel "equipped" and get tempted to travel North except during the Summer months. Me and my bus are allergic to snow. |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.35)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 4:09 pm: | |
A truly intelligent plan. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.86.118)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 5:28 pm: | |
I think Mark is asking about "In Floor" radiant heating--Which I am also interested in.
the problem is though--One misplaced self-tapper and you got big problems.
Gary |
Merlin westphal (Merlin) (67.75.218.55)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 6:31 pm: | |
There is a product out called "Warm Board" 1 1/8 plywood ,has an aluminum sheet with grouves for the pex tubing already to cut and install but kinda spendy $150.00 per 4x8 sheet,but would make a super nice radient heat install, all your floors nice and toasty!! look up warm board on google to find a dealer |
john wood (209.137.231.81)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 1:19 pm: | |
Wirsbo has a product that is only 1/2" thick made of aluminum and plywood with a groove for 3/8" tube. This may be a better product for a bus. I would place a high density foam, prob. 1/2" under the trak board to keep downward losses to a min. Unless you have already insulated floor.
You will still need some aux heat (fan coils) in really cold weather, as the radiant floor is good for about 30 btu per sq ft at best. This means using tile or similar product as a finish.
One other thought is to use tile backer strips with 1/2" tube at 6" oc and set tile directly on backer board. Good thermal characteristics, altho a bit heavier. 1/2" tube will allow use of a smaller pump as will short lengths, ie 100' lengths.
In short, I'd do it myself if I was building a coach! Best and most comfortable heat you will ever experience. I've installed a lot of radiant in homes and can attest to it. |
donn reeves (67.83.157.50)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 4:16 pm: | |
I think the problem with using in floor radiant heat in a bus is that there isn't enough floor area to make it work.If you ran it up the walls thre might be enough surface area. Donn |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.86.118)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 4:24 pm: | |
I still worry about the damage that could be caused by a stray sheetmetal screw.
Gary |
jmaxwell (66.81.32.173)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 4:48 pm: | |
I have to go w/Gary and even go beyond that. Regardless of the cause, the potential for leaks and the resulting water damage is tremendous. I know that some of the Very High End conversions have thermal blanket floor systems that use hydronics, but I wonder just how sound this stuff is for the high impact mobile use that it is applied in.
I know of two units that wiped out wood composition floors with leaking connections on unit heaters that went undetected until their floors started buckling. I just have to wonder about the soundness of a hydronic system in a bus environment, given the road conditions that exist thruout the country. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.86.118)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 4:59 pm: | |
Damn.
I was hoping you would talk me out of my concerns, other than the potential for punctures, I really like the idea.
Gary |
John Feld (Deacon) (150.199.209.8)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 11:05 pm: | |
I really would like some input from those that have done this.
My thought was to use larger, 5/8' OD copper placed in slots through the center 3 foot of floor from rear to front, ie: 3/4 floor base, 3/4 sloted ply, cover with 1/2 ply sub-floor. Use a closed loop water anti-freeze mix plumbed to a small wabesto heater.
An outer wall line can be used to heat the sides, insulating where it passes behind fridge or other area's I don't want full heat.
The heat would also keep the bays above freezing in all but the coldest temps.
Most likely I won't get to this until warm weather in the spring.
John 4104 |
Dale MC8 (66.81.131.118)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 4:36 pm: | |
John, just reading your post makes me think you could use a regular water heater/pump system to move hot water through the system. If you use a gas/electric W/H you have the option of using a power pole. FWIW Dale |
Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy) (24.196.191.70)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 5:39 pm: | |
I seriously doubt that a gas or electric W/H would produce the necessary BTU's to heat a bus. You need something in the 30-40,000 btu output range to provide adequate heat for the coach, and that is using forced air heat exchangers. I suspect you might need considerably more for a radiant system.
Richard |
jmaxwell (66.81.43.233)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 6:24 pm: | |
DML is correct. The general hi-capacity hi recovery household W/H is in the 12-15k btu range, and that's a good one! Not nearly enough to heat the average conversion. |
Dale MC8 (66.81.132.18)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 11:53 am: | |
OK, I'll accept that, but I thought a underfloor system was only to provide a warm floor. Even a small W/H should be able to do that with a recirculating closed loop system. A case of 'slow and steady wins the race', might take longer but still do the job. I'm willing to be convinced I'm wrong.
Dale |
john wood (209.137.231.73)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 5:52 pm: | |
If you want a power pole radiant system, keep in mind that there are a slew of mfg's of electric heat mats for radiant floor systems. Side benefit is that they are thin and light and most are easy install. Negative is that they need lotsa kW so you need to run a large genset or have a current bush handy.
jw |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.99.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 6:02 pm: | |
Is there a KW per sq ft on the electric mat ones?
I have wondered about those.
Gary |
john wood (209.137.231.73)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 6:10 pm: | |
They vary. Try watts radiant, they make a product. Also find the RPA site. I believe it is rpa-info.org for a links page.
Good hunting.
jw |
larry (24.108.189.79)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 8:37 pm: | |
In floor radiant heat in a bus won't work well, as the floor of the bus will have to get too hot to stand on to generate enough heat to keep you comfortable. anything over about 120 degrees is too hot for comfort.
Larry |
john wood (209.137.231.103)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 3:10 pm: | |
Hence the advisory above that you use a fancoil for the backup! Best temp for a warm floor system is a surface temp of about 85F. This could require water temps of up to 140F depending on the floor finishes "R" factor. Tile is the most transmisive and wood (R=1 per inch) or carpet (R varies greatly with the cheapest generally having the greatest R factor) is least transmissive. The composite type "wood" floor might work well if it is the type that glues down as it would have good thermal contact as well as being very thin and dense.
www.rpa-info.com is the trade assn website for good info. |
FAST FRED (65.154.177.85)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 6:37 am: | |
You get almost the same great silent well distributed heat with simple baseboard units and a small circ pump.
You can use electric underfloor heat if you like toasty feet departing the shower , or warm visits to the Crapper.
FAST FRED |
daddytoocool (216.166.136.129)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 4:00 pm: | |
i met a guy in belgrade mt. with a flxible highliner had floor heat and it worked beautifully. he had the bays and coach floors laid with 1 in. plywood grooved out 1/2" deep x 3/4" wide. he then had 4" wide aluminum strips with clamp on the underside to hold 1/2" flexible tubing. all he had for heat was a5 gallon hotwater heater, electric, with a flow pump out of a hot tub, low amp {1/2} and coolant was also routed through a propane rv style heater when shore power was not available. very impressive at 15 degrees outside. i will be doing the same thing |