Heat while on the road

[Melbo]

I removed all the bus heat but have a 4024 inverter that will run two small electric heaters.

I have never been in REAL cold country but have driven through a snowstorm

The two heaters do just fine but one needs to be in the very front of the bus while driving

So if you have drivers heat and an inverter I would think you should be fine for some cold driving.

Melbo

[Chopper Scott]

Thanks everyone. I wasn't aware that I could run the Suburban while going down the road. Thanks for answering my question.

[Busted Knuckle]

Or you could put in a fireplace. Shoot the wind going over the smokestack should pull enough draft to keep her burn'n
  BK 

[Chaz]

Ok, here is a crazy thought....... (I have them fairly often) 
I have an old Model A stainless radiator housing. I was planning on getting a radiator at a swap meet to fit and attach an electric fan used to cool Hot Rods behind it. The PO had a heater, of sorts, plumbed into the line in the AC bay (of my 4108) going to the front defrost so I was going to use that and see if I could create a cool looking heater. It would be kinda narrow so I think I could just make a stand for it.
  Now the questions:
  Anybody even try this or something like it?? Is that something like you did Glenn?? Will that take too much heat from the line going to the defroster?
 
Always thinkin  (and gettin into trouble for it)
  Chaz

[Busted Knuckle]

Chaz,
By golly I think you do use yer head fer something other than a welding helmet holder!

Sounds like it should work!

I'd run the flow thru the defroster first and then thru the "heater" that way it's sure to have defrost and heat!
  BK 
(I still like the idea of a fireplace, and cutting, splitting, and stacking the wood gives you the extra benefit of staying warm while doing the work !)
  BK 

[Jerry32]

I kept the bus heat for up front area and also installed two diesel hot air heaters front and rear. Jerry

[Paso One]

I have the original heating systems in the bus as well as the front heater and defroster.

I took a second front heater out of my parts bus and installed it in my utility room.

This allows me to route the webasto  water thru the add on heater, or while running down the road.

I also have the air top heater to install also.  Over kill yes  but I live in the frozen north and to get outa town it 36 hours before you hit warm weather

[Tenor]

Chaz,
That's an awsome idea!  Only drawbacks, is that you can't duct the heat and you would want to keep curious fingers from getting burned.  You could hang it from the wall (with hoses run in the wall) and put a set of Model A headlights and light bar up too!  That would be sweet!

Glenn

[Busted Knuckle]

Chaz,
That's an awsome idea!  Only drawbacks, is that you can't duct the heat and you would want to keep curious fingers from getting burned.  You could hang it from the wall (with hoses run in the wall) and put a set of Model A headlights and light bar up too!  That would be sweet!
Glenn

Those curious finger will learn real fast to stay away! Look at all the lessons we all had to learn that way! (beside if my memory serves me correct Chaz is unmarried and has no "little fingers" running loose in his bus, besides his dates should all be old enough to know better by now!  !)
  BK 

[Tenor]

Gee, BK,
Can ya tell I've got a 3 year old boy? 

I've also got an old model A shell.... Nah.  Too much else to spend money on!

Glenn

[Nellie Wilson]

Hi Ed H. -

You said:

"We don't have a furnace in our 5A, when going down the road we use the bus heat and it works just fine."

Same as me... but what about when you're parked? After this last couple weeks, I see I've got to do something different. Thought I could just follow the sun and be okay, but that ain't workin' out so good. I see you're full-timing too, so maybe you're thinking likewise?  (Or maybe you find better weather than I do?) Anyway, just wanted to pick our brain.

I'd hoped to nab one of Bruce's Pro-Heats by now, but finances haven't permitted. BTW, what's a 'suburban' heater? I see it's pretty popular.

Nellie Wilson

[Nellie Wilson]

Okay, sorry... forgot a couple things.

Tenor, you said,  "I removed the original bus heat, but used fittings to plumb in a smaller heater core from a 5 ton army truck..." What's the advantage... don't you still have to run the coach engine to get heat?

I see others have also removed the coach heat and replaced it with something else. Why? The A/C I understand ($$$) but if the coach heat works, why replace it? What am I missing here?   

Maybe I'll just go with wood. 

Thanks,

Nellie Wilson

[Tenor]

Nellie,
I pulled the original system out because it just put out WAY too much heat since the wall ducting had been removed along with the temperature controls.  It also took a huge amount of space in the first bay.  I put 4 milk crates of stuff and a hot water heater in the same space!  When I'm parked, I use 2 Suburban brand propane furnaces that put out about 19K BTU each.  I like these over the Atwood brand because you only need to put 2 small holes in the side of the coach for intake and exhaust.  The Atwood brand requires a large hole big enough to put the whole furnace in from the outside.  When I first started planning the conversion, I thought about a Webasto, or another diesel fired system, but since we use our bus as a well built camper, I couldn't see the expense and necessary maintenance.  Additionally, we already needed propane for the stove and the fridge while dry camping.  I hope that kinda helps all of this make sense.

Glenn

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Nellie,  1st off, be aware that Glenn has a 7.  Has one more bay than we do in our 5's.    We have a couple of small cube type electric heaters that we use when we are plugged in somewhere.  We also have 2 Olympian catalytic propane heaters that we can use if it gets really chilly, but we try to be somewhere warmer before we need to use those.   Our bus was converted in 1983 and the PO spent a lot of time in  Mexico so i don't think it is insulated real well, for one thing the insulation available back than was not near as good as what you can get today.  We did put in new double pane windows which were spendy, but did make a difference as did new window shades.  And i guess there is always the option of more clothes.

[mikelutestanski]

Hello;  heating and cooling can be an issue.  We opted for a webasto with a few extras because comfort is #1 whilst travelling and boondocking. A webasto system is in the bus with an industrial heat exchanger connected into the old bus heating system lines. THe original system is removed.  The dash heat is the only part that is still in use. If needed I can turn a switch and the bus motor heat is piped through the webasto system and provides heat into the coach while underway.
    When boondocking the webasto provides heat thru 5 fan heaters  .  Three thermostats are installed so that each area can be modulated  front; bath; and bedroom (rear).   The other option is that if required the webasto can pump heat back into the engine to warm it up for a cold weather start.   One other option is a valve and some lines into the rear bay to keep the bay warm during extreme cold. Have not had to use that one yet.
   So far the system has performed well.  We had to install a bigger water pump than the system originally called for because other people had problems  and we did not want to go down a similar road.
     The system has worked well so far with one year of operations now.  Probably 7 or so full days use and 10 or so one time runs to get the coach warm.   
    We are very happy with the system.  The price is steep around 3500 although now you can get proheat units used out of trucks and buses for a more reasonable figure.
  Regards and happy bussin  mike