The down and dirty of coach heat

[buswarrior]

Found it, Jan 10, 2010 in the BNO archives:

http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/33190.html?1263610080

Approximately 20k BTU of electric heaters took 6.5 hours to raise the internal coach temp from 0 degrees to 52 degrees. Stock coach, all the stock dual pane windows, 2 roof airs mounted, stock insulation.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Oonrahnjay]

... Approximately 20k BTU of electric heaters took 6.5 hours to raise the internal coach temp from 0 degrees to 52 degrees. Stock coach, all the stock dual pane windows, 2 roof airs mounted, stock insulation. ...

    And 52 degrees, when you're sitting quietly, or cooking food, or checking your email, is just not going to be comfortable.

[Lin]

Gas heat is an efficient, safe, and proven technology.  It is used by hundreds of millions of people without problems.  The issue you describe, combustion gases entering the living space, is simply because you bought a used unit that was already shot.  I have a tendency to look for deals on used things, but since you need something that is going to be completely dependable and trouble-free, you would be best off doing the research on getting the best new unit you .

Tikvah-- there is a compromise you can make between blocking off your windows and accepting their heat loss.  For example, if you covered part of the windows with 2 inch foam, you would save that much heat.  I would think that one could even place the foam around the perimeter of a window and put clear plastic over the opening to create a temporary double pane.

[Sharkbait]

I've spent a couple of winters in the Sierra's near Yosemite. I ended up tapeing bubble wrap over the windows. Still let the light in but retained a lot of the heat. I had an installed propane catalytic heater. I ended up using a 20 lb. Propane bottle every 3 days. Then I installed a small wood burning stove (I had unlimited access to wood). Dropped my heating cost to zero and stayed plenty warm but it's an unconventional solution. With the advent of the tiny house movement there are many more wood stove options. Just something to think about. Phil

[skihor]

We have single pane windows, big ones. For the front windows I bought sheets of 1 1/2" foam panel and cut 3 "windows" in it then covered the window holes with some shrink plastic window film. works GREAT.

[sledhead]

why not something like this
https://jet.com/product/detail/6499c8e98006435b880d891519d92072?jcmp=pla:ggl:home_garden_a1:household_appliances_a1_other:na:na:na:na:na:2&code=PLA15&k_clickid=1eee7873-15e5-45ba-87f5-abcdede01993&gclid=CO2rnIDg_8kCFU82gQodBwoDHA  

or better yet how about a tiny wood stove like

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/sig-marine--cozy-cabin-solid-fuel-heater--8760340?cm_mmc=PS-_-Google-_-Shopping_PLAs-_-8760340&adpos=1o4&creative=54604246324&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CNqd2bzh_8kCFYcjgQodsMgBrw

I have infloor heat + a fan forced rad heater 32000 btu that works off a pro heat 45000 btu heater . it works really good when on the road or on the poll .but uses a lot of power when off the poll

I think a small efficient wood stove mounted up high as no little ones could get to it would work the best . heck you could use a bag of camp wood for about a week if you had to . just need to cut the wood down in size
I live up north and have a I C F house and had to find a very small wood stove that was efficient as to not over heat the house . but love the wood heat the best and all we burn is wind fall wood off of our land . we had 2 kids that learned to stay away from the wood stove. you would not have to carry a lot of wood with you as the small units do not burn much wood , but that small 18000 btu stove puts out heat all the time and in a tiny house ( coach ) it would heat up fast and dry out all the condensation that forms on the inside of the coach    

in my coach garage it is heated with a house propane on demand water heater through a closed loop in floor + 4 36000 btu fan rads , that heats up the inside air fast but the propane heater is 87% efficient but still uses a lot of propane

there are lots on the internet   https://www.google.ca/search?q=small+boat+wood+burning+stove&client=opera&hs=03O&tbm=isch&imgil=EeCi__83d6E6iM%253A%253BZkG-CUrZo2sw-M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fforum.woodenboat.com%25252Fshowthread.php%25253F125184-New-wood-stove-burning-stove-for-boats&source=iu&pf=m&fir=EeCi__83d6E6iM%253A%252CZkG-CUrZo2sw-M%252C_&biw=1280&bih=690&usg=__Jw20CdJRmvN7riQfmAuagC5sEWU%3D&ved=0ahUKEwjc4qrG3__JAhWDRiYKHQJAC4YQyjcIVg&ei=zcqBVpzIMIONmQGCgK2wCA#imgrc=vcBHcE4hz3B64M%3A&usg=__Jw20CdJRmvN7riQfmAuagC5sEWU%3D

dave

[Lin]

We have single pane windows, big ones. For the front windows I bought sheets of 1 1/2" foam panel and cut 3 "windows" in it then covered the window holes with some shrink plastic window film. works GREAT.

That's just what I was referring to.  Glad to see that the thought is not crazy.

[Scott & Heather]

Ok so to clarify:

Tom we don't use an unvented heater. I think that it's a little scary to do that. That's another conversation.  It was an Atwood furnace and yes I bought it used and yes it's pooped out on me. A new unit would probably do the trick. Dave, we have double pane Windows, and it helps. We can keep remarkably warm with three 1500 watt space heaters even down below zero since our windows are small and we are insulated well. Issue is that when on generator it isn't practical to do this. In our new bus, I actually plan to build a folding divider wall to separate the drivers area from the living space because if you plan on fulltiming anywhere Cold or even hot, it's a losing battle with the windshields. Again, another conversation. As to the thoughts on hydronic using a water heater, I was referring to a gas water heater and yes they make 30,000 BTU gas water heaters. I basically want to keep the propane and flame and combustion stuff completely separate from coach. Hydronic seems to be the safest way to do this.


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[Seangie]

Scott,

I still have this Webasto heater sitting in my coach that needs to go.  Angies been bugging me to get rid of it as its just taking up space.  It works great but it does burn diesel and it takes batteries or power to run the water pumps.

Because of that we just stay in warmer places and run electric and heatpump to keep warm.  Oiled filled heaters are the ones that really keep the coach warm and humid on a cold (down to 15 degrees overnight) dry day.  We pull those out when it gets below 25 or so at night.  And our coach is very poorly insulated up front.  Like you can see out  the bottom of the door and when it rains pretty hard when Im driving I feel water droplets on my feet at the gas pedal.

But the webasto will keep you hot and snuggly once it gets up to temp.  You can run pex all over and it will keep your genny and engine warmed up as well.  If I planned on staying in the cold I would keep it but I cant make no sense of being in 0 degree weather when you got 4 wheels and a tank full of diesel.

The best option dollar for dollar though is a wood burning stove.  Nothing beats that for heat.  And you can cook and boil water on it too.  And as long as your parked next to the woods somewhere fuel is pretty cheap to run it.

See you soon...I hope.

-Sean

[darryl97420]

Have you considered a heater buddy type propane heater?  I full time in my Airstream while building my bus and use the Big Buddy 4K - 18K BTU heat. Its 38 outside here in Coos Bay, not near as cold as you, and when I got home an hour ago it was below 50 inside, turned on the heater to HI for about 20 minutes then down to low and its 65 now. I will leave it on low till l I go to work in the morning. On low setting (4K btu) a 20 lb tank will last a little over 100 hours.

It wouldn't do squat at keeping your water tanks or bays from freezing but...

[Scott & Heather]

Shanksy, we are home in Michigan visiting heathers parents and giving them some special time with their new granddaughter we eventually will be back to Texas and should hopefully see you guys in March I do think a webasto might be in our future. Cliff and I have been private messaging about a possible webasto solution. The oil filled heaters still only provide 1500 watts of heat...a little over 5000 BTU's an hour. Electric heat is electric heat, and when we had 30-40 mph winds all night here an 24 degrees this week, we needed all three 1500 watters running nonstop to keep it a comfy 72 in here. Again, even though I have these nice shiny brand new twin Honda 3000is inverter gennies, 4500 watts of them are going straight to resistance heat and there's hardly any wattage left for the pump, fridge and chest freezer not to mention the 1500 watt water heater and microwave or toaster or washer or dryer. So yeah, I want my 4500 watts back please. besides the fact that when we load the gennies that hard, they guzzle gas like a Prius gone rogue. I would like to offload my power needs for heat to propane or diesel for sure. When the furnace was working properly, of course it used propane but not in huge quantities and it sure warmed up the coach and the floors nicely. Space heaters are annoying because of how local the heat is. Cold spots, hot spots. Blech. Can someone tell me what exactly a "good" maintained schedule on. Webasto looks like?


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[scanzel]

There are three new Proheat X45's on Ebay, one 12v and two 24v, I have a brand new 12v I would like to eventually exchange for a 24v or sell the 12v and buy a 12v.

[Lee Bradley]

This is the unit I put in my Neoplan Cityliner. This one is better than the one I bought as it comes with the exhaust and intake mufflers. My Cityliner still was most of the factory single pane windows. I removed three windows the front of the bus still looks like a greenhouse.  I have four toe kick heaters, two in-floor sections and aux heater for the drivers area. With the blinds closed it will keep the bus 65 to 70 degrees in 30 degree outside and the Webasto still cycles. That is it doesn't have to run continuously to keep up with that load. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUXILIARY-HEATING-WEBASTO-THERMO-TOP-C-DIESEL-UNI-SET-/291630654495?hash=item43e68aa41f:g:yK4AAOSwg3FUa0UC&vxp=mtr

[Oonrahnjay]

This is the unit I put in my Neoplan Cityliner. ...

     What's the size of this, Lee?  It looks really compact.

[Scott & Heather]

Jay, the thermotop c is a 17,000btu unit. I'm looking for something in the 30,000btu range. And shanks, I do really think we are considering a wood stove when we are parked.


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