Opinions on heat strip for A/C - UPDATED with Results

We have a small RV too - 24 foot Class C and are currently on a multi-week camping trip in the North East/Central East U.S.. During this trip we are beginning to see many nights in the mid/high 30's and when on hookups our small 1500 watt (5000 BTU) electric space heater will keep the living space interior comfortable (with the cab area blocked off from the main living area).

I believe that A/C Heat strips are about 1500 watts (5000 BTU) too. A couple of negatives to them are that the A/C fan that distributes the heat from them is louder than the fan in a space heater of the same capacity, and the heat from the A/C ducts is coming out high in the coach area instead of down low where heating of the air is most effective - as it does with a space heater sitting on the floor aimed horizontally or slightly upwards.

Other than those two negatives, A/C heating strips are a convenient way to get around 1500 watts of heating into an RV without a space heater taking up floor space.

OP here... Just wanted to let everyone know how the strip worked out in this past camping season.

Our 2 big trips were in early May and early October (just got back). Our spring trip was in the mountains off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and our fall trip was in the north central mountains of PA.

There were lots of night temps in the 40s and a couple of nights in the upper 30s. The strip worked perfectly!! Never turned on the furnace once. We did use our Vornado space heater during the day for quiet heat, but every night we used the A/C heat strip alone and it did the job - kept it at 71 degrees.

I think a big reason it worked so well for us is we have a small camper - and the ceiling is low.

So that's it - very happy we did it! :)

Hi noplace,

I would rather pay for electricity than feel cold and clammy, so yes, I'd run the air conditioner and a heater to remove humidity from my RV if I needed to do so.

OP here...

Since this thread was reawakened I'll add that I did open up a heat strip on Christmas morning. :)

Haven't installed it yet as it is entirely too cold out there. Maybe when it gets up into the forties I'll fire up the furnace and get out there and put it in. Can't wait!

Deano56 wrote:
don't quite understand people saying they have humidity in the winter months, unless you are in the warm south. Winter time is when its dry and you need to add humidity. We run a humidifier in the winter, not a dehumidifier

I have the same question. cold air does not hold a bunch of moisture.
now if you have a RV packed full of people putting out moisture it certainly will condense on cold glass windows.
bumpy

pnichols wrote:

At the same time, we ran the air conditioner on a low enough setting to reduce interior humidity and an electric space heater to keep from getting frozen out by the air conditioner.

Honestly, would you have done this if you were paying for electricity? (Not that we don't all pay in the end) Forgive my question if you were metered.

And I have investigated the heat strips and across the board have found them wanting.

don't quite understand people saying they have humidity in the winter months, unless you are in the warm south. Winter time is when its dry and you need to add humidity. We run a humidifier in the winter, not a dehumidifier

Hmmm ... I guess I need to appreciate a little more what Winnebago did in our small Class C.

There is a heat duct in the bathroom (and air conditioning duct also) that not only keeps it toasty warm, but also helps keep the plumbing around the shower and toilet from freezing in extreme cold. Of course this would not work if we camped in cold weather with hookups and tried to use only portable electric heaters or portable propane heaters to keep warm.

It takes the propane furnace and it's ducts to best hold off the effects of low temperatures.

I wonder if any motorhome has heating/air conditioning controls in it that would allow BOTH the propane furnace and the air conditioning fan - with heat strip - to be turned on at the same time for superb heat distribution in chilly weather?

responses in another thread on ducted air reminded me that if you have a heat strip and ducted air, a comment was made that he had no AC vent in the bathroom, and IIRC my Chieftain was the same, that you wouldn't get any of the heat where it is needed, the bathroom.
bumpy