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A/C with Heat Pump, worth it?

Bellpr
Explorer
Explorer
We continue to shop for a new 5er. We see many manufacturers offer a A/C unit with a heat pump option.

1. Do you have that option?
2. Do you think it was worth it?
3. I assume it has limitations just like home heat pumps?
65 REPLIES 65

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
pianotuna wrote:
Cummins cheap heat doesn't fail over to propane if the power goes off.

Cheap heat does have a 30 amp setting but it does only a little more than a 1500 watt heater.


Yes I did know the electric/propane was not auto change over.

Good news on the 30A does it automatically adjust to 30A shore power?

No system is perfect but so far the CheapHeat is a winner!
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

RustyJC
Explorer
Explorer
pianotuna wrote:
Cummins cheap heat doesn't fail over to propane if the power goes off.


And what does propane fail over to if you run out of propane? Perhaps an automatic changeover is critical to you (it would be easy enough to do with a relay), but it's no big deal to us. If the power goes out and I start getting cold, I'll crawl out of bed, turn on the light (12VDC powered, of course) and flip the switch over to propane.

Rusty
2014.5 DRV Mobile Suites 38RSSA #6972

2016 Ram 3500 Dually Longhorn Crew Cab Long Bed, 4x4, 385/900 Cummins, Aisin AS69RC, 4.10, 39K+ GCWR, 30K+ trailer tow rating, 14K GVWR

B&W RVK3600

pianotuna
Nomad III
Nomad III
Cummins cheap heat doesn't fail over to propane if the power goes off.

Cheap heat does have a 30 amp setting but it does only a little more than a 1500 watt heater.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
CheapHeat is added by the dealer, not the factory. So it is a "retro fit".

The propane furnace is still totally functional with a toggle switch that says electric/propane.

The only downside for me so far is the system only works on 50A someone please correct me if I am wrong.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

pianotuna
Nomad III
Nomad III
Those equivalency numbers are pretty strange. They must be using "new math". As them how many amps or actual watts of output there are. They removed that information from their web site. I do not know if they are reposted it or not.

At 10 F I would need the DH50 and I'm in a 29 foot Class C with beefed up insulation.

I would insist that the installation used a fail over relay so that the propane furnace could be used as a back up.

I use a twin window fan to replace the cold air return for the furnace and I can heat electrically down to -37 C (-34 f). I get my cake and eat it too, because I can leave the propane furnace set a few degrees lower than the various electric heating units I use. As a bonus I can use propane and my electric heat at the same time. Last year that meant I got up to acceptable heat levels in less than one hour.

I would never retro fit a "cheap heat" system but if an RV came with one it would not be a deal breaker--so long as they would modify it to allow propane use on a fail over situation.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

outwestbound
Explorer
Explorer
deleted
2011 F350 6.7L, 4WD, DRW, 8' bed, Reese Elite 25K
2011 Carri-Lite 36XTRM5, MOR/ryde IS, 8K disc brakes, 17.5" wheels/G114s
Solar: 960 watts, 3,000 hybrid inverter, 830 AH bank, 2 controllers
IT: weboost 4G-X, WiFi Ranger Elite Pack

ramyankee
Explorer
Explorer
A big NO to the heat pump if you are in cooler weather. In our area of Northern California it is totally worthless. As said before, under probably 40*, good luck...
Rick and Patti ๐Ÿ™‚
2 Proud Christian CONSERVATIVES ๐Ÿ™‚
2002 Chevy Silverado, 8.1, Crew, LB, 3.73, 4X4
2020 Mesa Ridge 291rls
Now living in North Idaho (formerly Northeastern California) ... but the heart is with MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
dapperdan wrote:
WE "sprung" for the heat pumps on our Suites, so far we like it. We've been here in Door County since Saturday and haven't had to run the the furnace yet. Between the heat pumps and the fireplace heater we're toasty.

I can't say they are or are NOT worth it as we haven't used ours all that much but so far so good. We were told by DRV that below 40 degrees these things become pretty much useless but for us we don't do a lot of really cold camping so the heat pumps made sense to us.

Dan


Our grand plans were to never spend another cold winter but things do change! After wintering in the NW a couple winters ago and temps down to single digits using 3 -4 space heaters we decided the CheapHeat was for us.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
RustyJC wrote:
pianotuna wrote:
No, the cheap heat is not as efficient as a heat pump.

8ntw8tn wrote:
I'd probably go with the Cheap Heat option. I think it would be just as, or more, efficient that the heat pump


Not as efficient in terms of watts converted to BTUs, but more efficient in terms of constant heat output as ambient temperatures fall and heat pump heat outputs drop.

Rusty


One of the biggies as you said earlier is with the CheapHeat the basement is heated.

We really like the CheapHeat and Fireplace also.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

Dustytuu
Explorer
Explorer
Yes it is worth it!
2008 dodge 5500, diesel,Laramie
2008 Carriage Carri-Lite, 36SBQ, 4 slides,dishwasher,washer/dryer,2 fireplaces,6500 gen.
D & D
3 Schnauzers

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/Dustytuu/

Kindness, and good manners are important.

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
Eyeland wrote:
In my RV I put heat strips in both of my units and it worked very well.. Had Heat pump in my house in Louisiana. Below 40f it was worthless.


actually my houses were more comfortable below 40 f. stupid HP shut down and electric coils heated up. air not 85 degrees, got up to 105 IIRC using "real" heat.
bumpy

Eyeland
Explorer
Explorer
In my RV I put heat strips in both of my units and it worked very well.. Had Heat pump in my house in Louisiana. Below 40f it was worthless.

Coach-man
Explorer
Explorer
We usually use portable ceramic heaters to keep us warm. In the morning we then run the reverse cycle AC to take the chill off. As stated that works until the temps fall below 36 to 38. We then have to use the furnace. The problem we have with the furnace is no matter how clean you keep it when you first fire it up, it smells! DW can not stand that smell, so we try not to use it. Being from FLA usually not a problem, however we do like to go north in the fall and early winter.

RustyJC
Explorer
Explorer
Well, I guess that's a non-issue for me since I don't plan on being in -30F temperatures. To your point, though, is it any different than not having the CheapHeat and running out of propane, freezing up a regulator, or?? There's no back-up for that situation either insofar as furnace operation is concerned.

I don't use the CheapHeat when our 5th wheel is in storage. Our CheapHeat system is wired for 50A, and our covered storage bay has only 30A service. On the few nights on the Texas Gulf Coast that it might drop below freezing, I use electric heaters backed up by the propane furnace.

The system works fine for us. If it doesn't for your application, that's OK as well.

Rusty
2014.5 DRV Mobile Suites 38RSSA #6972

2016 Ram 3500 Dually Longhorn Crew Cab Long Bed, 4x4, 385/900 Cummins, Aisin AS69RC, 4.10, 39K+ GCWR, 30K+ trailer tow rating, 14K GVWR

B&W RVK3600

pianotuna
Nomad III
Nomad III
Hi Rusty,

If you are NOT in the RV and it is cold (and I mean in the -30 range) and the power goes off the cheap heat system does not fail over to the propane furnace. That is a deal breaker for me. They could solve that with a relay but they choose to not do so.

In addition you can not use both the propane furnace and electric heat at the same time via cheap heat.

I do heat 100% electrically but my propane furnace is ready to jump in should the power cord be knocked out, or the campground power fail. I have 3 shore power cords, the OEM 30 amp, a 20 amp, and a 15 amp. Peak load is 7000 watts.

Last March when I returned to the frozen north I got my RV out of storage, turned on all my electric heat, and ran the propane furnace. It was all warmed up within an hour.

RustyJC wrote:
pianotuna wrote:


There are ways to heat 100% electrically without the cheap heat system while preventing plumbing freeze up while NOT disabling the propane furnace.


I don't understand what you're saying. The CheapHeat system in our 5th wheel doesn't disable the propane furnace. Ours has a rocker switch in the control cabinet with the thermostat that allows the user to select either "Electric" or "Propane" mode for the furnace. I've operated the furnace in both modes.

Rusty
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.