Does anyone either fulltime or operate their bus in cold climates like Minnesota during the winter? How do you prepare?
What extra insulation is needed, if any? Do you have to insulate the bays?
What kind heat do you use? Hydronic heating? Wood stove?
Do you skirt your bus?
Many bus conversions are built for summer and southern use.
Extended sub-freezing conditions require specific design elements for easy/inexpensive freeze protection.
Otherwise you have to throw a lot of BTU at the bays and plumbing to stay operational.
Bay doors do not offer much protection, further insulation and heat retention strategies need to be taken in the bays.
Upstairs, heating with multiple sources allows you to throttle the energy usage according to conditions. You want a fuel burning appliance in the mix, that does not depend on the electric power failing...
40 000 btu is barely sufficient in a stock coach. Nobody complains of having too much heat... everyone describes the lengths they had to go to stay warm with too little...
Electric heaters at 1500 watts are 5000 BTU... you run out of extension cords and electric circuits in a hurry.
Burning a fuel becomes a necessity as the temps drop.
Skirting the coach has some advantages, it is very hard to stop the breezes into the front end of the coach, too many controls pass thru the floor.
Haybales work well, but mice like 'em too... boat shrink wrap has been a great success for stopping drafts where you can get it to work.
Once it snows, the snow also makes a good insulator/wind block.
This is a big topic, winter operations are very difficult in the wrong conversion, and really easy in the right one!
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Quote from: buswarrior on September 05, 2018, 04:00:31 PM
Bay doors do not offer much protection, further insulation and heat retention strategies need to be taken in the bays.
Have you insulated your bays? If so, do you have any pictures or video? I'm very curious to see what that looks like.
QuoteUpstairs, heating with multiple sources allows you to throttle the energy usage according to conditions. You want a fuel burning appliance in the mix, that does not depend on the electric power failing...
I was thinking a combination of diesel fueled hydronic heat and gasifier wood stove would work well. Have you used either?
QuoteSkirting the coach has some advantages, it is very hard to stop the breezes into the front end of the coach, too many controls pass thru the floor.
Haybales work well, but mice like 'em too... boat shrink wrap has been a great success for stopping drafts where you can get it to work.
I never thought of boat shrink wrap before, interesting idea. I was thinking of something a little more less permanent though. There are companies that create custom snap on skirting for RVs, I bet they could do something that could mimic the boat wrap.
In the past, I have had to winterize my campers and put them to bed for 6 months or more. I'd really like to be able to use a bus at least a couple times in the winter.
I like to complain about the Minnesota winters; but I grew up here, moved away, then moved back...so I really can't complain too loudly.
Another question..
I have never had the opportunity to use a diesel fired furnace. Do they produce a lot of moisture? Propane furnaces need a dehumidifier, I was hoping this might be avoided with a diesel.
Moisture mostly accumulates from the occupants. Any decent firebox will vent all combustion byproducts to the outside including the water.
I've used aluminized foam board for underpinning before around a camper. It was pretty effective and cheap if not particularly attractive. The thicker the better of course.
Jim
If you have a diesel fired heater like the kind that is used for a bunk heater in sleeper trucks, you should not need that, but you will also need more of them or a bigger system like the Webasto's. Since you are in firewood country, a wood stove might be good, but you have to have appropriate protections and spacing of materials. Insulation will be critical in sub-zero temperatures, all of the metal structures will sweat or form frost when the moist air hits them. Bolts or rivets that protrude the shell that are not insulated will frost up. The entire coach needs to be insulated, as well as the bays with tanks in them (which should have heaters). Your body and cooking activities will release moisture, and any fresh air from the outside might carry more moisture as well.
hum.... One reason for owning a fuel sucking rolling back of scrap metal is to drive it to where you don't have to ask this question. Our mission is if it's hot head south, if it's cold head north until you feel just right. LOL
Quote from: mmanning on September 05, 2018, 07:28:10 PM
...Propane furnaces need a dehumidifier, I was hoping this might be avoided with a diesel.
If your propane furnace add moisture to the inside of the bus that's an indication that either a) you're using a non-vented heater, or b) something is wrong with the furnace.
I know I'm poking at the hornets' nest here, but there is a reason that non-vented propane heaters are not permitted in many jurisdictions. Any and all CO that is produced by the heater is going directly into the living space. The only way to mitigate this is to open windows/doors to ventilate, which is very much opposite what one wants to do when insulating and battening down the hatches to stay warm in winter. Fall asleep once without proper ventilation and you may not wake up should the thing not be burning clean enough.
Quote from: mmanning on September 05, 2018, 07:28:10 PM
I'd really like to be able to use a bus at least a couple times in the winter.
Unless you're planning to keep the bus warm between trips, you're still going to have to winterize after each trip. Might make more sense if you were talking about living it in through the winter, but for just a few trips it might not.
Not sure if we're as cold here in the Milwaukee area as you are, but it gets pretty cold. We're planning a trip over T-Day to Texas. Nights will already be below freezing, so we are planning to winterize before the trip. We'll use pink RV antifreeze to flush if necessary until we drive far enough south, and then we'll fill the water tank and flush out the lines. Before leaving Texas we'll have to prep for entry into the cold again.
We have more than enough heat to keep the cabin warm, but to keep pipes from freezing we'd have to run the heating systems all the time, not just during trips. Keeping the wet bay from freezing is another issue altogether - even with a heater and insulation it's just not reliably warm down there, at least not enough for me to trust it should the temps drop below 30 degrees. I can add all the insulation to the walls and doors as I want, but to do it properly I'd have to pull the tanks and add heat pads under them.
Maybe it makes more sense to plan your trips so that you can function without the plumbing system? Or, if the trips are long enough so that keeping the water flowing makes sense, find a good/quick way to winterize after the trips so that you don't need to keep things heated all winter.
Quote from: windtrader on September 05, 2018, 09:38:30 PM
hum.... One reason for owning a fuel sucking rolling back of scrap metal is to drive it to where you don't have to ask this question. Our mission is if it's hot head south, if it's cold head north until you feel just right. LOL
You are a strange duck Don lol 8)I have saw those type ducks
Yes, we use the bus in the winter. Typically we take it to CO for Christmas. I have a diesel fired AquaHot hydronic heating system that works quite well. The biggest issue is winterizing the bus when we get back. Everything is frozen so there's usually no place to dump the tanks. Last year a guy with the city pulled a manhole cover for me! Then you have to blow out the water lines and add antifreeze. Last two years I have failed and broke the domestic water coil on my AquaHot twice. It's a real bitch to fix that! This year, I'm winterizing it in Oct or Nov and it's staying parked through the winter. At least that's the plan!
Minnesota sucks! I can't wait to get out of here and move to someplace with real winters, like Wyoming or Montana!
It really doesn't take much to keep a bus plumbing from freezing,I have been in WY at -20 and a 60w light would keep the plumbing and tanks from freezing,don't over think it when metal gets heat soaked the radiant heat will last for a long time
During the conversion of the first bus, a GM PD4108, we knew that the coach would spend winters in Maine as our youngest was in high school. Therefore we insulated everything that could be insulated. Yes you lose some bay space but that leaves a heatable area. Spray foam on the inside. Filled the roof frames with foam. Filled the caps with foam. Insulated behind the front skin. Placed foam board under the driver area. Used a Webasto DBW2010 source for the various heaters. Sometimes temperatures dipped below zero but the Webasto still cycled off. Used about 2 gallons of fuel per day during the cold part of winter. Thermostats set at 50 degrees F.
In the living area you need to prevent penetration of any metal from the outside. On the second conversion, an MCI 102A3, we used the ceramic blanket, 1/8" thick, to wrap all the metal framing, skin, and any area that was suitable for the application. Then cut and fit foam board and screwed 1/4" luan to the framing. Glued a second layer of luan to the first. Therefore no metal to conduct through the to the inside. Use thermal, dual pane, windows. Not cheap but worth the money for your comfort. Make insulating blankets to cover front windshields and side windows.
Worked for us.
Bill
During the conversion of the first bus, a GM PD4108, we knew that the coach would spend winters in Maine as our youngest was in high school. Therefore we insulated everything that could be insulated. Yes you lose some bay space but that leaves a heatable area. Spray foam on the inside. Filled the roof frames with foam. Filled the caps with foam. Insulated behind the front skin. Placed foam board under the driver area. Used a Webasto DBW2010 source for the various heaters. Sometimes temperatures dipped below zero but the Webasto still cycled off. Used about 2 gallons of fuel per day during the cold part of winter. Thermostats set at 50 degrees F.
In the living area you need to prevent penetration of any metal from the outside. On the second conversion, an MCI 102A3, we used the ceramic blanket, 1/8" thick, to wrap all the metal framing, skin, and any area that was suitable for the application. Then cut and fit foam board and screwed 1/4" luan to the framing. Glued a second layer of luan to the first. Therefore no metal to conduct through the to the inside. Use thermal, dual pane, windows. Not cheap but worth the money for your comfort. Make insulating blankets to cover front windshields and side windows.
Worked for us.
Bill
We've done OK in single digit below zero temps. The wet compartment is insulated with heat that can be diverted from one of the cabin furnaces. We rely mainly on LP for heating with electric for back up. OTR is fine as the original heating & ventilation system is still operational. While we were in the great white North in 2016 we noticed a lot of wood fired stove pipes penetrating the roof line of RVs. Seasoned Alaskans that thrive the winters have a minimum of 3 forms of heat. Wood, fuel oil, LP, & electric. At least three of the four mentioned in case one fails.
Insulation! I built my bus with 1X3 fir strips horizontally over the metal ribs thus giving me 2.25" of spray foam thickness. The coldest I was in was in Las Vegas where it got down to 28 at night, and two electric space heaters was sufficient to keep warm inside. My water system is under my bed and above the floor, so no freezing. Personally-winter sucks (this is why I live in So Cal). Most RV'rs stay away from freezing weather. Good Luck, TomC
Yvan Lacroix wrote an article about keeping warm in his bus for Bus Conversion Magazine in this months issue. He lives in Quebec so he knows a bit about cold weather. You can click on this link to read his article about how he stays warm in the cold weather up north in his 1973 GMC 4905A Buffalo. https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/september-issue-2018-sd/
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All my tanks are located in one bay and no plumbing in any of the other bays. My webasto buffer tank is also in the same bay so if i am in danger of falling below freezing there is more than enough heat dissapating from the webasto system to keep the tank bay warm. The hydronic system operates on diesel or electric, i have heat pumps on the roof which have worked well into the teens, and I also have propane heaters. No danger of getting cold for me.
Quote from: thomasinnv on September 06, 2018, 11:55:03 AM
All my tanks are located in one bay and no plumbing in any of the other bays. My webasto buffer tank is also in the same bay so if i am in danger of falling below freezing there is more than enough heat dissapating from the webasto system to keep the tank bay warm. The hydronic system operates on diesel or electric, i have heat pumps on the roof which have worked well into the teens, and I also have propane heaters. No danger of getting cold for me.
LOL and this guy lives in AZ,but we do wear jackets when it is 70 degrees ;D
Depending on the part of Minnesota he is in, it could easily get to 20-40 degrees F below zero. Serious insulation and heat sources will be needed. Perhaps it would be best to find a heated garage to park it in. Now, that would be a luxury. :o
Moorhead MN can get cold I know for sure
Back when I was young and foolish and parked my bus in NH for the winter at my folks house, all I used in my water bays was a 60W light bulb which I left on 24/7 and my tanks never froze. This in most cases is sufficient. Of course if you are away for a while, or in a much colder climate, it may be better to use two bulbs just in case one blows out. Also, you should use a rough service bulb as they are much more rugged and are less like to blow out it they get knocked with something.
Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on September 06, 2018, 12:52:42 PM
Back when I was young and foolish and parked my bus in NH for the winter at my folks house, all I used in my water bays was a 60W light bulb which I left on 24/7 and my tanks never froze. This in most cases is sufficient. Of course if you are away for a while, or in a much colder climate, it may be better to use two bulbs just in case one blows out. Also, you should use a rough service bulb as they are much more rugged and are less like to blow out it they get knocked with something.
Ho ho, Gary, you must have been in Southern New Hampshire to get away with that. I was up North past the Franconia Notch where it got down to 40 below, and we kept loaders running all the time so that we could use them. After a few weeks of below zero, it took a long time for things to recover. I miss the firewood stoves in the garages, it sure made it cozy (within a few feet of the stove). ;)
Quote from: DoubleEagle on September 06, 2018, 01:00:27 PM
Ho ho, Gary, you must have been in Southern New Hampshire to get away with that. I was up North past the Franconia Notch where it got down to 40 below, and we kept loaders running all the time so that we could use them. After a few weeks of below zero, it took a long time for things to recover. I miss the firewood stoves in the garages, it sure made it cozy (within a few feet of the stove). ;)
Yes, it was near Keene, in southern NH. It didn't get much below 20F there. But for the most part, a light bulb will generally heat a bay enuf to keep water from freezing unless you get in the very cold temps, then an electric heater will generally do it. However my propane regulator kept freezing up and I had to have Methanol in the Propane to keep it working.
Quote from: luvrbus on September 06, 2018, 05:45:53 AM
You are a strange duck Don lol 8)I have saw those type ducks
Christ, yeah - this duck flies upside down. No wonder we are always too cold or too hot. South for warm, north for cool. Guess I drank to much last nite. LOL
Gumpy - What a brilliant way to dump the tanks. Never thought about lifting a manhole cover and dumping away. Just need one of those cover lifting tools. Thanks!
And the advice you get from those who don't know the cold won't work up north...
Light bulbs won't do $#!% at steady -20... C or F!
Notice the amount of advice that is at the build/design level?
My bias is towards diesel fired hydronic heaters, heat exchangers where needed, radiant in bays, fan forced upstairs as necessary. It is hard to get enough mileage of radiator upstairs, what with all the other stuff we put in the way down the walls...
When it gets this cold, either the power pole or the generator must be in play, so no worries about availability of power for pumps and fans.
Dickinson, the marine people, make some neat appliances for keeping boats warm, some of them masquerade as "cooking stoves". Zero power consumption, if you figure out where to stash a gravity feed tank up in a cupboard...
As for returning the coach to winter storage after use, again, it's in the design... install the fittings to readily inject plumbing anti-freeze, better yet, is the system laid out so that it will all drain downhill and anti-freeze only needed for the pesky fixtures???
Design and build for the winter, summer takes care of itself...
In summer, a busnut is trying to cool 20-40 F degrees. In winter, a busnut is trying to heat 40-100 F degrees...
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Unless your like me would try to find winter because I hate summers.
Seb
Quote from: windtrader on September 05, 2018, 09:38:30 PM
hum.... One reason for owning a fuel sucking rolling back of scrap metal is to drive it to where you don't have to ask this question. Our mission is if it's hot head south, if it's cold head north until you feel just right. LOL
Winter can easily kill you. Summer... yeah but not so much. Nirvana is to follow the pleasant weather. Still chasing that dream.
Jim
My bays were insulated a light bulb did good at -20.a 60 watt bulb will be at 240 degrees if you don't believe that s*** touch one
Quote from: luvrbus on September 06, 2018, 12:15:05 PM
LOL and this guy lives in AZ,but we do wear jackets when it is 70 degrees ;D
Yes but you never know what the future may hold so I prefer to be ready to handle most any situation.
We used a light bulb in the water bay in the 4104 down in the teens with no problems. Used a rough service one or one rated at 130 volts. 60 to 75 watts. Just don't try it with an led.
Are you going to use this mainly as a stationary home? If so, 4 inches of foam around the perimeter up to the windows. You can use less foam in inside over windows you don't want to see out of. Some kind of dry heat inside with some ventilatiohn to deal with condensation.
60 watt light might be hot to touch, but 60 watts of electricity is only 204 BTU, and the teens, for a few hours overnight, is not winter.
1 BTU is the energy to raise 1 lb of water 1 degree F... a gallon of water weighs about 8 lbs...
An electric water heater, tucked in with the water system in an insulated bay, will lend its heat leakage to the cause as well.
Some cagey busnuts have installed a feedback loop from the hot water tank back to the fresh tank. Trickle the feedback valve, and some hot water gets to mix into the cold tank, 'round and 'round.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
It worked for us for years and never froze any pipes.
Quote from: chessie4905 on September 07, 2018, 06:36:21 PM
It worked for us for years and never froze any pipes.
I throw cash out the window and used a 100 watt bulb :)
Yeah, thanks for the global warming.lol
Yeah, thanks for the global warming.lol
Seems like depending on light bulbs to keep things warm means depending on electric off the pole. if boondocking, seems like you need fuel source like wood or diesel/gas.
In freezing temperatures like WY you would need to be nuts not hooked up to power what can go wrong with heating systems does when you need one the most,I have had diesel gel and the Webasto would not fire
Waterbed heating mats work well also against the side of a tank or under if you can still move yours. They are also adjustable on the level of heat.
Quote from: Dave5Cs on September 08, 2018, 01:42:20 PM
Waterbed heating mats work well also against the side of a tank or under if you can still move yours. They are also adjustable on the level of heat.
best answer, imo.
My bus has the Ultra-Heat system on everything pipes, tanks and drains but it uses electric power from some source I am sure the battery bank wouldn't last long through a inverter,it is a nice system anyways
Having survived many winters that fall into double digit negative numbers, you better have heat wrap on your sewer hose too or all the best of intentions will back up quickly. We have spray foam beneath the body, in the bay doors, and the firewall up front and rear as well as the ceiling and walls. Most of our heat is lost through all the glass (Prevost doesn't offer a thermo pane for these old girls) and we refuse to build a wall like Scott and Heather did in their MCI. (I wonder if he ever got his windows installed yet?) We rely on a 50amp service with 3 LP Catalytics for backup that are generally pressed into service when daytime highs fail to reach zero and a diesel generator as a last resort (if the fuel isn't gelled) >:( You gotta have a lots of ventilation to prevent condensation which will quickly turn to mold no matter which form of energy you use. For short term I would use diesel Webasto, but I'm not sure my bank account could keep up with the fuel bill long term. Or the hassle of driving through snow to get the tank filled :o I think BW has the best advice on this second only to Windtrader--go south in the winter and north in the summer and if you can't use electric blankets (everywhere) ;)
Good luck and stay warm,
Will and Wife
Quote from: PP on September 08, 2018, 05:37:31 PM
Having survived many winters that fall into double digit negative numbers, you better have heat wrap on your sewer hose too
A risk I have learned the hard way once.
hook up, dump, and stow the hose.
unless you're piped (PVC or ABS)
Quote from: eagle19952 on September 08, 2018, 08:17:06 PM
A risk I have learned the hard way once.
hook up, dump, and stow the hose.
unless you're piped (PVC or ABS)
The sewer hose is enclosed between 2 pieces of plastic roof gutter (1 top, 1 bottom) and tied tight with string after laying in a length of heat tape. This also protects the sewer hose from UV, which causes deterioration also. I have a 120V outlet in the sewer bay just for the heat tape on the water and sewer plus several light fixtures connected to a thermal block that turns them on if the temp drops below 38? F in the bay to protect the dump valves. So far I've only lost 1 water filter system in the past 9 winters of cold. :'(
Will
I forgot to add. if I disconnected the sewer hose and put it up, I'd need to dig through 6+ foot deep snow when I needed to dump and possibly find a frozen solid dump hole. We've woken up to snow so deep we couldn't get the front door open.
Quote from: PP on September 09, 2018, 09:27:29 AM
I forgot to add. if I disconnected the sewer hose and put it up, I'd need to dig through 6+ foot deep snow when I needed to dump and possibly find a frozen solid dump hole. We've woken up to snow so deep we couldn't get the front door open.
When that snow cleared I would be south bound in a hurry
Quote from: PP on September 09, 2018, 09:25:12 AM
The sewer hose is enclosed between 2 pieces of plastic roof gutter (1 top, 1 bottom) and tied tight with string after laying in a length of heat tape. This also protects the sewer hose from UV, which causes deterioration also. I have a 120V outlet in the sewer bay just for the heat tape on the water and sewer plus several light fixtures connected to a thermal block that turns them on if the temp drops below 38? F in the bay to protect the dump valves. So far I've only lost 1 water filter system in the past 9 winters of cold. :'(
Will
Most people don't go that much effort.
Long term, I'd go PVC/ABS and heat trace and 4 inch insulation(foam).
Not a fan of slinkys :) but they are a necessary evil.
Quote from: luvrbus on September 09, 2018, 09:47:16 AM
When that snow cleared I would be south bound in a hurry
That almost sounded like an offer... ;D ;D ;D FWIW I'd only need a 15 amp hook up down there, hint hint.. ;D
Think of all the fun you'd have working on my bus, fuel filters, lubing, ... Shucks-that ain't anywhere near enough to keep you entertained. Maybe next year, sorry :'(
;D :D Too much football and rum today, ::)
Quote from: PP on September 09, 2018, 04:14:06 PM
That almost sounded like an offer... ;D ;D ;D FWIW I'd only need a 15 amp hook up down there, hint hint.. ;D
Think of all the fun you'd have working on my bus, fuel filters, lubing, ... Shucks-that ain't anywhere near enough to keep you entertained. Maybe next year, sorry :'(
;D :D Too much football and rum today, ::)
Come on down but 15 amps won't cover the AC units but I have you covered with 15,30 or 50 amps ;D
I haven?t read all the replies, but we have fulltimed in two different buses now for 8 years and have seen -22?F and 114?F and stayed truly comfortable in both of those extremes. If anyone is serious about cold weather busing and is interested in hearing thoughts on the subject more than just forum banter, PM me and I can share some of our experience. My best advice is to Purpose-build your coach for winter weather. This means laying out your plumbing in a way that keeps it all in one bay, and runs the lines into the inside of the coach from that bay and branching off to various places from there from WITHIN the coach. This way you only have to heat one of your bays. I installed 150 gallon tanks so I generally do not like to rely on heat tape on water hoses because I have never ever been able to rely 100% on a section of the hose or faucet not freezing in extreme temps. Once they freeze, getting the water flowing again is a major ordeal. Trust me. I generally fill my holding tank and it will last me almost a week. My hose is retractable on a reel and is stored inside the heated bay. I have never had a sewer hose freeze full. I?m guessing this is because of the hot shower water and kitchen sink water that keeps things moving. Some people add some softener salt pellets to their toilet as they flush to lower the freeze point of their sewer water. I don?t recommend this nor have we ever needed to do such. You will fight condensation in your bus no matter what. We heated with electric space heaters and now with our coach spray foamed we only need a couple of them to keep it toasty inside.
And Scott's bus has a significantly reduced window area, along with spray foam.
Designed for winter operations, ground up...
Running south sounds like "I surrender"...
When did this become the "American Way"???
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Hey, Scott, welcome back! I bought a room dehumidifier for my bus after a rainy week of bus camping. It also acts as a heater putting out warm air, and it automatically shuts off when the water condenser bowl gets full and needs to be dumped.
--Geoff
Quote from: Scott & Heather on September 10, 2018, 06:13:16 AM
I haven?t read all the replies, but we have fulltimed in two different buses now for 8 years and have seen -22?F and 114?F and stayed truly comfortable in both of those extremes. If anyone is serious about cold weather busing and is interested in hearing thoughts on the subject more than just forum banter, PM me and I can share some of our experience. My best advice is to Purpose-build your coach for winter weather. This means laying out your plumbing in a way that keeps it all in one bay, and runs the lines into the inside of the coach from that bay and branching off to various places from there from WITHIN the coach. This way you only have to heat one of your bays. I installed 150 gallon tanks so I generally do not like to rely on heat tape on water hoses because I have never ever been able to rely 100% on a section of the hose or faucet not freezing in extreme temps. Once they freeze, getting the water flowing again is a major ordeal. Trust me. I generally fill my holding tank and it will last me almost a week. My hose is retractable on a reel and is stored inside the heated bay. I have never had a sewer hose freeze full. I?m guessing this is because of the hot shower water and kitchen sink water that keeps things moving. Some people add some softener salt pellets to their toilet as they flush to lower the freeze point of their sewer water. I don?t recommend this nor have we ever needed to do such. You will fight condensation in your bus no matter what. We heated with electric space heaters and now with our coach spray foamed we only need a couple of them to keep it toasty inside.
Thanks Geoff. we used a dehumidifier too until we installed twin roof airs with the dehumidify feature. But that does help a lot. As you guys know we also sealed off the cab area from the living area. This made the biggest difference by far
A/C's with dehumidifiers? Is that the same as heat pumps?
Quote from: Scott & Heather on September 11, 2018, 07:15:22 AM
Thanks Geoff. we used a dehumidifier too until we installed twin roof airs with the dehumidify feature. But that does help a lot. As you guys know we also sealed off the cab area from the living area. This made the biggest difference by far
Yeah basically. Our digital control panel has a ?dry? option in which is somehow manages to kick the compressor on and off at intervals to keep the air dry without overly cooling it or heating it up.
I installed a split unit a/c heat pump inverter at the house that has the same type of dehumidifying system . when on you have to go outside to watch the fan to see if it is working it is that quiet and wow does it work great . when can we get this type of a/c heat pump in a coach
dave
I have heard that heat pumps cannot keep up with heating demands after temperatures drop below 40 or 30 Fahrenheit, can they still function as a dehumidifier in 0 to-20 degree weather? Can roof mounted air conditioners with the dehumidification option operate at those low temperatures?
Assuming we're still talking about winter here (sub-freezing or below) and not just a cool fall day...
If the temps are as cold as we're discussing and the humidity levels are high enough that a dehumidifier needs to be used I'd wonder if there is adequate fresh air entering the interior. The problem with winter cold is usually dry air, not humid.
Or, if non-vented propane heaters are being run they will dump tons of moisture into the interior (and possibly poisonous gas as well.) Again, adequate fresh air intake is important.
Our house in Wisconsin is small (less than 1400 sq ft). In the winter the problem we have is dry air, not excessive moisture. The only places we have any moisture are the older windows that don't have well insulated glass. De-humidification is not going to fix that problem unless we drop the humidity to lower than is comfortable or recommended. Because our home is older and built of largely organic materials, it breathes. We also have a ventilated attic to avoid moisture build up there.
Some newer homes around here do have a problem with excessive moisture because they are too tightly sealed, and various methods are used to bring fresh air into them in the winter to avoid problems.
Seems like if the air in a bus is getting too humid from showers or people breathing, the solution might be to let in a little fresh air.
Coach does not have nearly the capacity or materials to absorb the moisture of living.
Sit in your car, shut off, watch the windows fog up, same thing.
Yup, WAY too many coach conversions have inadequate air exchange.
Today's heat pumps are way better than yesterday's. We have Alaska busnuts using 'em in fixed dwellings...
Same as deciding a computer is no good, upon hearing a story about the "blue screen of death"... just another horse a buggy story that got us to where we are today...
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior