Freightliner heat

Well Gang,
After reading this thread and all the responders, we took our coach, an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330HP CAT out last night for a fuel up in prep for a trip on Monday. The outside temp was fluctuating around 53-56 degrees, based on the reported temp on dash gauge. And, while on the way back home from the fuel station, I put the heater on the floor and, turned the speed up to 3/4 of the way.

Now, this was after about a 4 mile run, from our home, on city streets (I really can't get it up to good road speed using this route)to the fueling station. And, on the way back, was my "heater" test. Well, I can say for sure, it heats my foot area pretty darn nice. I reached down while driving and could feel a ton of air coming out of the foot vents and, it was not "HOT" but, it was darn warm.

Now, the wife couldn't tell 'cause her feet don't touch the floor when she's in the Co-pilots seat. This is a Freightliner "Evolution" XC Chassis. We don't run in that cold of weather on most of our trips so, the use of the heater, is a bit rare for us. We use the A/C waaaaay more than the heater. So, anyway, that's the report from this Freightliner chassis owner on the front heater area situation.
Scott

pointrow wrote:
New Fleetwood Providence on Freightliner chaise . I can't get enough heat down on my feet when driving in 30 degree temps. Got down and checked the diverter valve and it turns for each setting but I don't see any duct opening for the feet. That and there seems to be some cold air flowing in from the firewall but no visible openings.
Any ideas?

thanks
pointrow

Same problem with a 2000 freightliner chassis. Good heat at low speed, and then not much at highway speed. Running the heat on recirculate helps a little. Running genset with electric heater helps a lot.

Fred

My coach has about two inches of the spray foam all over. Fact I even thought they had gone wild spraying that stuff because when I had to change out a light bulb in the rear taillight, I had to dig through all that darn stuff. It is not easy to take it off. They sprayed the firewall in the front behind the generator, all underneath the coach.
It does insulate the coach pretty well. When I go deer hunting in Utah or Colorado whether gets around 10 degrees and it stays warm inside.

So yes to insulate the front firewall, use the spray foam. We used to use it in the railroad to insulate the walls of refrigeration cars and wine loading box cars.

ooppss,phat phinger double post.:o

They don't put any insulation in the nose of these things and so the cold air can blow through all the litle nooks and crannies up there. When I changed out the front tv, I put some of those insulation bats up against the front cap. It sure ain't pretty,but I don't have to look at it after I got the tv in and I guess it works. I sprayed the pink side pretty heavily with a contact cement and just stuck them up there. If I can get up the ambition and some help,I may just pull the covering off the front,momma's side of the dash, and do the same thing. I met a guy from Canada that pulled the whole thing apart and used that spray foam,very carefully and he says that he can go out in the middle of winter and still keep pretty warm. Said it only took him two weeks to do it by himself and it was a real bugger to get it all back right.

Our Expedition was the same way. There is a corrugated hose that just blows the hot air towards the feet in ours. It wasn't directed right in the feet area but just generally heated that area. We repositioned the hose to blow more at my feet. It helped a lot. But that front end gets awful cold driving in the winter.

Sounds to me that the vacuum Evans valve is not opening up all the way to allow heat to come in. That actually happens quit often and the valve has to be replaced.

It is located under the dash, next to the heater motor.

Not FTL fault but the coach builder. Our old DSDP on FTL will burn you out

The rest of the outlets blow plenty of heat just none at my feet. Might have to put a hole in one of those ducts and possibly insulate the fire wall. Sure would be nice if the lower center shroud could be removed easily.
Also I think I can get to the front of the firewall when I pull the generator forward for service.
thanks everyone
pointrow

Sounds like the Journey/ Meridian design too. It's "sealed, but not well insulated, and there isn't much warm coolant from the engine by the time it gets all the way up front. I redirected the hose and it helps, but not perfect.