Builder Offering Hydronic Heat?

This system runs at 190F and has a loop for the potable side. I currently have a version of this from Weil McLain in my home and it's been flawless for 22 years. I don't know how much of a weight hit it would be since the furnace and conventional water heater are replaced and there is no large holding tank for hot water. I like the idea of separately controlled zones and the nearly silent operation as opposed to the furnace roar. And it will stretch battery life when dry camping.

Jim

I used to work on big boiler systems with domestic HW sidearms in commercial/apartments bldgs in the 70s. Those boilers ran at 180 and they required a tempering valve for the domestic HW. Those systems were the bees knees in big bldgs but I'd rather keep it simple in my RV. The conventional RV stuff will be cheaper to keep running and repair! Craig

Thanks all. I was just wondering if manufacturers had started offering this as an option. I'm familiar with a couple of custom and semi-custom builders but anything with 6 digits in the sales price puts it out of my league. We currently have a catalytic heater in our Montana and it does a pretty good job replacing electric heaters when dry camping. We're about a year away from going from weekenders to long timers and plan on retiring our current trailer so I'm in that exciting phase of trying to spec out our next one. Anybody have a clue where I can get everything in one trailer . . . for under $10,000 . . .

:R

Jim

There was an article in Trailer Life last year that had an after market system you could install. Looked interesting but was expensive and labor intensive to install.

RoyB wrote:
I have been contemplating abandoning the noisy propane heater in my OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer for some time now. It is way too big for my small foot print trailer and a couple of others have come up with a pretty simply hydronic system to replace it with...

This is the basic concept


I would come up with something like this to produce heat from my on-board hot water heater.


I would probably use this heat exchanger with 12VDC axial fan blowers.


Here is a couple of google photos where something similar was built up in small floor plan TT trailer.


I believe this would be just the thing for my small one room POPUP trailer layout.

A bigger trailer you could run several zones using the same idea.

Roy Ken

The problem with this is the typical 6 gallon water heater is only about 8,800 Btu's input or about 7.200 Btu's output. So most furnaces are on the size range of 30,000 Btu's input or about 24,000 Btu's output. While this causes them to cycle on and off a lot, running only about 10 minutes at a time, the furnace will provide a lot more heat than the water heater can hope to produce.

Most of the time when I am in a campground I use fairly quiet electric heaters. When dry camping, I rarely use the furnace, but use a Olympic Catalytic heater instead. If above 55F, I just shut the windows and leave the furnace off until morning. IF below 55, I will open the roof vent and kitchen window, and run the 6,000 Btu Olympic heater.

Fred.

This company can put just about anything that you want in a fifth wheel. But expect to need a F-350 dually or larger truck to tow it. They start with a really heavy chassis, and build up from there!

Great RV to full time in too! But kinda expensive compared to the average travel trailer.

http://www.horizonsrv.com/

They commonly install a 300 - 400 watt solar system, 4 batteries, larger than average inverter, and normally come with a 50 amp power system. Designed to last well over 15 years in full time use, it is heavy! and well built too.

One of the biggest advantages to having in the floor heat system in a DP is that the engine can warm the system while driving, so you end your day with a hot take of water and warm coach. In your fifth wheel, you will not get this 'free' heat. And it will take a water pump and fan to distribute the heat, not just the pump found in the underfloor systems in the DP.

Most are just happy with a $800 furnace, even though they are noisy. IF you want something really quiet, try the Platinum Cat heater, or Olympic Catalytic safety heater. Both are low wattage and silent infra-red heaters.

Fred.

Good luck!

Fred.

I have been contemplating abandoning the noisy propane heater in my OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer for some time now. It is way too big for my small foot print trailer and a couple of others have come up with a pretty simply hydronic system to replace it with...

This is the basic concept


I would come up with something like this to produce heat from my on-board hot water heater.


I would probably use this heat exchanger with 12VDC axial fan blowers.


Here is a couple of google photos where something similar was built up in small floor plan TT trailer.


I believe this would be just the thing for my small one room POPUP trailer layout.

A bigger trailer you could run several zones using the same idea.

Roy Ken

The unit I'm talking about is an LP version of a hydronic heater you find in diesel pushers and road tractors. It heats a glycol/water mixture and circulates it to point of use heat exchangers. There is an additional heat exchanger for potable hot water. 90 gallons per hour! The unit replaces the LP furnace and the water heater.
Jim

The water heater on my 5er works off of electric or LP gas, as do most. As far as a space heater goes, it is a lot of extra water to haul around.