Using house furnace in an RV ?

free radical wrote:

RoyB wrote:
You might want to look into these Platinum CAT Propane Heaters...

This one shown on GOOGLE is mounted to a RV cabinet door and is vented to the outside.





Roy Ken

That's a Nice unit,but still needs electrical power to run,right?
so if the battery died it wouldn't work I'm guessing..

Ill keep searching the net some more to see what's available

It's a GREAT unit, and barely uses any electrical power. Less than 2 amp hours per day! Just some power to run a tiny fan to exhaust the flue gas, and ignite the flame on the burner.

However that unit was not available when my Olympic Catalytic heater was made in 1994. I have a 6,000 Btu unit on feet, and a quick disconnect gas line under the stove. I need to keep 'A' roof vent open about 1/2" and a window open about 1/2" - just like while cooking on the propane stove. I actually open all 3 roof vents about 1/3" and the kitchen window (over the formica and kitchen sink - in case rain comes in) so that I make sure I have plenty of ventilation. It does not have any outside air vent for the combustion gas, but also does not produce "Much" Carbon Monoxide. My CO detector has never gone off.

My RV I installed a 'e-meter' that monitors the power used by the batteries. I consume about 35 amp hours daily to run the CO meter, propane detector and run the refrigerator. I have 220 amp hour battery bank, and that will run the RV for a long weekend before recharging via a generator.

I have a pair of 120 watt solar panels, each can put out 35 AH.

If you are really worried about running the battery dead, then get a couple of 100 - 150 watt solar panels.

SunElec.com sells solar panels for about $1 per rated watt. You will also need a PWM solar controller if you select 12 volt nominal solar panels (actual 21.0 volts open circuit) and you can also use a MPPT controller, however it's extra cost is no longer cost effective. (cheaper to buy 20% more panel wattage than to get the more expensive MPPT controller). With 34 and higher open circuit solar panels, then you are required to use MPPT controllers. Some can take in as much as 150 volts and still put out 13.5 to charge your batteries.

Why higher voltage? IT all has to do with voltage drop. With a RV, you only have a 30' wire run (unless you have one of those fictional 60' long RV's) and there is barely any voltage loss. However you will use smaller wire with the higher voltage panels. With 4 panels in series, say 24 volt nominal output, you will have 100 - 150 volts open circuit voltage, and only about 4-6 amps of power. Still will be putting out 400 - 800 watts, but not much amperage.

Have fun camping!

Fred.

tatest wrote:
Wall furnaces are still made, like this one which is probably too big, but the type was once common in RVs.

I had one in the back extension of my old house, to complement the floor furnace heating heating the original front of the house, but it was eventually replace with a ducted forced air system, to enable whole house air conditioning.

I think there is a reason these are no longer used in RVs, where air supplies are low because of small volumes and a tighter box than formerly. Note that you are suppose to open windows and run a forced air vent, just to use the range, which is a much smaller combustion source than these furnaces, even with all burners going.

Yes, there is more to heating any space using combustion than just connecting the supply of fuel and starting the flame. Both combustion exhaust and fresh air supply will need to be thought out carefully and there should be some diligence about how the interior environment is subjected by the heater. Using a heater that requires a window to be opened or an air grate for supply is somewhat backwards, IMO. There is also the flue gas volume and where that will be drawn from. Most flues use three or four times the amount of air that is used for combustion. That flue air usually comes from the adjacent area and must be replaced by air from somewhere. Typically, it's replaced by small cracks and leaks in the structure. I piped in combustion air and flue air with a 1 1/2" pipe that draws from the outside. I have a full flow valve on that pipe so it can be closed when not in use. I don't have to have windows open but I usually leave a ceiling vent cracked to help dissipate moisture and allow for some fresh air to enter.

Picture of Sportsman heater:

We have a gas stove in our house that does not require any electricity at all. A battery operated thermostat controls the temp. They make small ones that put out fewer BTU's that could be retrofitted into an RV. Needs to be vented. Of course they are heavy, need wall clearance and probably would not travel well. But for someone just hangin out in an RV park, it could work.

Wall furnaces are still made, like this one which is probably too big, but the type was once common in RVs.

I had one in the back extension of my old house, to complement the floor furnace heating heating the original front of the house, but it was eventually replace with a ducted forced air system, to enable whole house air conditioning.

I think there is a reason these are no longer used in RVs, where air supplies are low because of small volumes and a tighter box than formerly. Note that you are suppose to open windows and run a forced air vent, just to use the range, which is a much smaller combustion source than these furnaces, even with all burners going.

Travel trailers used to have gravity fed Heaters. I would check RV Salvage yards

RoyB wrote:
You might want to look into these Platinum CAT Propane Heaters...

This one shown on GOOGLE is mounted to a RV cabinet door and is vented to the outside.





Roy Ken

That's a Nice unit,but still needs electrical power to run,right?
so if the battery died it wouldn't work I'm guessing..

Ill keep searching the net some more to see what's available

Google " mobile home propane heaters" you will find a number of manufactures that make propane & natural gas "ventless" systems. Typical radiant or flame available models. I have one in my garage & it works great. It is mounted directly on the wall. Many are thermostatically controlled, & no power source required. These should work just as well in an RV application.

You might want to look into these Platinum CAT Propane Heaters...

This one shown on GOOGLE is mounted to a RV cabinet door and is vented to the outside.





Roy Ken

Nuway propane stoves
They are one of the few left to make them. I use a "Sportsman" stove (no electricity). It is basically a gas ring burner inside a steel can. For an RV, you will need Class B gas flue and I outfitted mine with flue vent and combustion air piping from the exterior. I also built a surround of masonry for fire protection. The Sportsman is now heating it's third RV. Output is 20K BTU and it is a treat to use, easy on gas and no noise.

If you want to use a natural gas fired furnace, the orifice will need to be changed to operate with propane.