Max weight in luggage bay

eagle19952 · January 17, 2016, 05:20:13 AM

you can/could easily and safely heat a tank with a waterbed heater...i mean it sits under tons of water. against a plastic bag...

buswarrior · January 17, 2016, 05:33:32 AM

yes!

waterbed heater has been done, Fred Hobe used to do it and recommended it.

In all these years, I don't think I have ever read on the boards of a busnut reporting a failure of this strategy???

happy coaching!
buswarrior

Scott & Heather · January 20, 2016, 11:30:47 PM

Are they fairly low wattage? We have an all electric coach except the stove/oven so our electrical needs are already high. Trying to keep them as manageable as possible

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buswarrior · January 21, 2016, 05:12:58 AM

Water bed heaters are found in the 375 watt range. That's somewhere around 1250 Btu.

Not a heavy hitter by itself, if you plan to go skiing...

However it will satisfy many sun seeking busnuts' need for freeze protection, and can be useful as part of a tiered defense for arctic freeze protection.

Though only 375 watts, being placed directly under the tanks, the busnut is able to get the maximum effect from that small heat source. All of the heat is going where you need it, provided the whole thing has an insulating layer underneath it.

A waterbed heater will be useful to a busnut so long as:

It is turned on early and some warmth gets into the tanks BEFORE they freeze;
375 watts isn't a lot of power for getting UN-frozen;
Temperatures don't stay well below freezing for too long;
The tanks enjoy some isolation/insulation from the outside cold in order to slow the loss of heat.

For many busnuts, freezing is a race.

The rate at which your water system has the heat sucked out of it by the cold outside, the rate at which you introduce heat to the system, and how much longer until the temperature outside gets back up above freezing.

There are those coaches that freeze up right away, at the first sign of frost, there are those others that freeze up only after a couple of days of extended below freezing outside temps. And those rare few that never freeze.

Designing economical freeze protection into your coach is as tricky and opinionated as any other system we discuss on here!!!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

RJ · January 21, 2016, 11:08:07 AM

Scott -

Sent you a PM re: waterbed heaters.

A tank 7'L x 3.5'W x 1'H = 184 gallons and 1,564lbs. If you could squeeze in tanks that were 18" tall, then you'd up your capacity to 275 gallons and 2,343lbs.

Fresh water tank on the bottom, grey/black on top, sloped to street side. Waterbed heaters under fresh tank will also heat black/grey if on top = 2 for 1!

Straight shot from toilet to black is best.

Discreet grey drain discharge thru "hump" in back bay wall opposite rear axle pumpkin? Could serve double duty as grey venting if plumbed properly, with black venting parallel alongside, but not connected?

I would seriously consider using a 3" "wye" for incoming grey, with two electric dump valves. Set valves up in such a way that when in "discreet" mode, grey tank fill valve is closed and discreet valve is open, then reverse when in grey fill mode. One switch to control both, if wired correctly. Throttle discreet line after valve from 3" down to 1.5".

Single "wye" for the valves: http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/b8/b8874b8f-020f-44fa-8dc6-9a06248597c7_400.jpg

Triple "wye" upstream of the single to collect from kitchen sink, bathroom sink and shower: http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/ca/ca7e2cd5-435c-4bd2-916f-eeabdbd0959e_400.jpg This could actually be in the center bay if it's too tight in the back bay.

Single "wye" mounted with 45^o side pointing down, then a 45^o fitting to turn it horizontal to the dump valve then into the side of the grey tank. Straight side of "wye" connects to discreet drain line which would rest/lay across top of grey tank (possibly adjacent to the tunnel?) before turning down and then out.

Electric dump valve: http://drainmaster.com/site/products/full-view/265 MSRP can probably be reduced with online shopping.

Shower and/or washing machine fills grey fastest, but you already know that. . .

Of course, set up grey tank itself to either drain separately or thru black to flush, with a "backflow prevention device" (aka: check valve) to eliminate possibility of black flowing into grey.

Oh, and don't forget a drain on the freshwater tank, too! Just in case you need to for some reason.

FWIW & HTH. . .

kyle4501 · January 21, 2016, 02:45:53 PM

I would put the tanks side by side if at all possible.
If they must be stacked, I would not want black water stored over my fresh water !

luvrbus · January 21, 2016, 02:58:05 PM

Install the fresh water tank under the bed pedestal then don't worry about the freezing,there is never much need for that hatch on a MCI C

eagle19952 · January 23, 2016, 06:22:26 AM

Quote from: luvrbus on January 21, 2016, 02:58:05 PM
Install the fresh water tank under the bed pedestal then don't worry about the freezing,there is never much need for that hatch on a MCI C

i think Scott already uses a ladder to get into his raised platform sleeping arrangement...and are there not engine access to be dealt with too ..just thinking out loud ..

John316 · January 23, 2016, 11:34:08 AM

Quote from: luvrbus on January 21, 2016, 02:58:05 PM
Install the fresh water tank under the bed pedestal then don't worry about the freezing,there is never much need for that hatch on a MCI C

Hey Cliff. You have one under the bed, and another one in the bay. But you probably already knew that....

Scott & Heather · January 23, 2016, 03:54:29 PM

Interesting. Thanks RJ, will be in touch via pm. Don, you're right, our bed in our 9 is raised and there's a small play room underneath for Emma. I don't think I'll put fresh tank there....but maybe...need to chat with Heather on that one.

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