| Author | Message | ||
| hojji firemaker (Hojjifiremaker)
Registered Member Username: Hojjifiremaker Post Number: 76 Registered: 4-2008 Posted From: 69.230.105.192  Rating: N/A |
I have a 40' 1989 102A3 MCI and would like to install a ducted propane furnace. Which brand is the best, how many BTU's, and is it safe to install in a luggage bay? | ||
| Don Fairchild (Don_fairchild)
Registered Member Username: Don_fairchild Post Number: 49 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 99.90.120.10 Rating: N/A |
I would look at both the suburban and atwood units. I had a suburbun 45,000 btu in my 26F fithe wheel and running the refer and furnace it would only use ab4 gal propane in two weeks. I was in alaske at the time. If you vent either one properly and use the proper detectors in the living courters their should'nt be an issue. You can buy them several places but if you have any trouble locating one let me know. I'll help you out. Hope that helps Don | ||
| Len Silva (Lsilva)
Registered Member Username: Lsilva Post Number: 455 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 72.187.35.208  Rating: |
You might want to consider using two smaller units rather than one large one. Advantages: Less cycling during milder conditions. Redundancy. Zoning and the ability to set two different temperatures in front and back. Probably larger total BTU's than you could get in one unit. | ||
| larry currier (Larryc)
Registered Member Username: Larryc Post Number: 351 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 207.200.116.13 Rating: N/A |
Mine is in a cargo bay. It sucks boiler fresh air and returns boiler dirty air out through the floor of the cargo bay. (OK Suburban). It also sucks fresh air for the furnace from the cargo bay although I want it to suck fresh from inside the coach, something to work on...Make a manifold... I have a 40,000 and it is a fuel hog for some reason. I'd do 2 small ones everytime if I redo it. It or they need to be as far as possible from the generator exhaust because once the furnace gets a wiff of the generator the CO alarm goes off all night long. When I change to 2 small ones, one will go pretty far foreward and the other will go before the bedroom so I don't have alot of heat in the bedroom at night. Ducted allows you to put heat into your water bay, something you may want to consider. | ||
| Larry & Lynne Dixon (Larry_d)
Registered Member Username: Larry_d Post Number: 296 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 96.253.163.11  Rating: N/A |
I have a suburban 45 or 48 hundred it is under the seat in the kitchen do like it there as it saves more space in the bays. Can turn any one of the heeat tubes on or off, to put heat where you want it. Also all three bays are heated. Doesn't seem to be to hard on fuel. Heats coach well. | ||
| hojji firemaker (Hojjifiremaker)
Registered Member Username: Hojjifiremaker Post Number: 77 Registered: 4-2008 Posted From: 69.230.105.223 Rating: N/A |
I built the layout of my bus opposite of many traditional coaches. In mine, the bed/living room is in the front, with the bath in the rear, it gives me lots of open head room, but does not allow for privacy in the bed area. (Which is fine because it is only me). Having said that, I am not too concerned about the rear bathroom staying particularly warm. I have a wood stove in my bus, which keeps it very toasty. Mainly I just want a lp furnace for cold nights when I come home late, or early mornings when I am out the door... I have a catalytic heater now, but it would be nice to just have the thermostat set to a temperature and come home and have it cozy. I do have a spot I could put it inside the coach as well, though thought I would have to sacrifice some valuable luggage bay space because of fumes. If I vent it through the side of the bus (like a rv hot water heater), will it stink inside? I definitely don't want to smell propane fumes... That is the major reason I don't like the ventless catalytic heater. It is simple, but it gives me a mild headache if I use it all day. (I do have a carbon monoxide detector).... | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1469 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 69.19.14.35  Rating: |
IF you will be living aboard in real cold you might consider the advantages of a hydronic unit rather than hot air. http://www.itrheat.com/Hurricane.html Baseboard is the best , IF it can work in your camper. The temperatures will be more even , almost no noise , but the installation is for some interiors harder. On any air unit (I would use 2 for redundancy ) the control board should be replaced with the Dinasour before installation , and be sure to power it with GOOD! sized wires. FF | ||
| Brian Evans (Bevans6)
Registered Member Username: Bevans6 Post Number: 22 Registered: 5-2009 Posted From: 65.92.54.2 Rating: |
The RV style ducted furnaces are designed to be installed in the living area of the unit so the can draw in the cold air from the coach and promote good air circulation. Mine is the the wet bay (with the black tank and resulting smelly air) and constructing a sealed cold air return down there was hard. I would recommend two or even three smaller units, I find that I have no need to heat the whole bus virtually any time, and zone control is almost impossible with a single unit since they really don't like insufficient vent flow on the hot side so you shouldn't block vents off. I would have one for the living area and one for the bedroom area - not necessarily in the bedroom, just vented into the bedroom/bath area, since they are pretty noisy. Brian | ||
| john degemis (Degemis)
Registered Member Username: Degemis Post Number: 112 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 68.118.42.248  Rating: N/A |
I have 2 Suburban one 30k for the bedroom and bath and one 40 for the rest of the coach. I can heat up the coach very fast. I can also have the bedroom cooler than the front. That makes the wife happy. Plus if she is in the bathroom she can heat it up with out cooking me up front. Of course I have given a lot of thought to what the wife would like. Who wants to be in a small space for a long time, with a unhappy wife. Plus if one heater fails I have the second,Plus the heatpumps. | ||
| Larry & Lynne Dixon (Larry_d)
Registered Member Username: Larry_d Post Number: 298 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 96.253.163.11 Rating: N/A |
We have no smell in ours, it is mounted just like a S&S rv. Do agree with the addition of the dinsour board. I haven't had any problem with just one furnace, heats well and no problems. I didn't do the conversion so live with what I have. If I could it would be nice to two of almost everything. | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 1278 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 173.202.41.99  Rating: N/A |
Why even ducted? I have two small units, one in the bedroom and one at the front passenger seat. Running all that ducting is bound to be a real pain. Cheaper to run only one smaller one when there is no need to heat the whole bus and if one fails at least you have some heat. |
