Heating and Cooling on the road

[Mile_High]

I'm probably a little naive on this coming from a 5th wheel, but when rolling down the road with passenger is a class A, are you pretty much stuck with the generator running the whole time to cool behind the cockpit? Or will the inverter operate any of those 3 AC/heat pumps?

[2gypsies1]

I can't recall where we ever had to run the genie for AC. The dash air was sufficient. Of course, when it's hot, we're someplace cool - like your state, Mile High. 🙂

[RayChez]

pianotuna wrote:
That depends. My inverter easily runs the roof air. 13500 btu Dometic.

RayChez wrote:
The inverter will not run a AC or Heat pump. You have to run the generator.

OK! You must have a lot of batteries because any inverter will convert DC to AC, but for how long? Usually the batteries are the one that takes the hit. Most diesel pushers will only have four house batteries and they will not last very long.

[Ivylog]

Yes a big inverter will run a roof AC but when you burn up your alternator because of the 100+ amps for hours... 0,5 gallons/hour for fuel for the generator will look cheap and much easier to supply.

[pianotuna]

That depends. My inverter easily runs the roof air. 13500 btu Dometic.

RayChez wrote:
The inverter will not run a AC or Heat pump. You have to run the generator.

[Mile_High]

Thanks for the tip on the Dash air - we test drove it today for an hour to try out stuff I forgot to check before. Dash air worked marvelous, and I also found a dash switch to start the genny that I didn't know was there, so its all coming together :).

[Mile_High]

Busskipper wrote:

Mile High wrote:
Unfortunately the hydronic equipped units were out of our budget, so this one will have 3 heat pumps and 2 LP furnaces that somehow coordinate with each other through one thermostat.

If you plan on using this in the winter in Colorado expand your budget or buy a little older but Hydro Hot equiped.

We've spent more than just a couple of Winters in Our Coach in Golden, -17 for 10 nights straight - "No Problem"

If you purchase wrong - good chance you'll have Buyer Remorse.


JMHO,

No-no. Nothing like that. We are vacationers and I don't think we will ever try to live in it. But I appreciate what you are saying. If we trade up at later in retirement I would hope we could justify the hydronic.

[RayChez]

The inverter will not run a AC or Heat pump. You have to run the generator.

And for those that say you can cool a big class A over 36' with the dash when it is 110 degrees outside. My answer is that they are dreaming. The dash will cool just in front, but the rest of the coach will get pretty hot. So that is when you fire up the generator to run both of your AC/heat pump which ever you need. In the winter I use the furnace instead of the heat pump if the temperature is below 34 degrees. The furnace will warm up the whole coach. Just set the thermostat at what ever you want inside the coach.

[Effy]

trikepilot wrote:
I don't understand why people are so averse to running their generators. I put 26 gallons of fuel into my rig every 2 weeks and run a 10K generator for 9 hours a day. That is just over a quarter gallon per hour. To stay comfortably cool or warm and have every electrical and electronic device a choose at my disposal. Been doing it for over five years now. Change the oil and filters three times a year. They are designed and built to run and run and run yet many people never turn them on. I just don't get it.

X2 - I bought my MH so my family and I could travel in comfort. Not to stuff pillows and curtains in places and confine people to the front 3' of the coach. I mean that totally defies one of the purposes of owning a MH. Might as well have a TT and ride in the truck.

Gensets last longer when they are exercised as opposed to sitting dormant. To each his own I guess.

[rockhillmanor]

If there is no one or no pets sitting in the back of the MH you should stay cool up front with the dash air.

When traveling in 'real' hot weather there are pillow inserts that go into all the roof vents.

This keeps the hot out and the cool in. This makes a BIG BIG difference on how hot it will get inside the coach. And in winter how cold it will be.

Buy them at any camping store. IMHO the inserts with material with silver backing are the best ones.

[Mr_Mark1]

All I keep hearing from mechanics is that the generator LOVE'S to be run. In a year and a half, we have only 171 hours on the genny but I plan on using it a lot this summer.

We have four 3,500 watt 24 volt Outback pure sine wave inverters and four alternators on our coach so we can run all 4 roof airs as needed. The 20K Kohler genny is hungry for some watts!

I always, especially in the summer, try to arrive at the campground with a cool coach as the electricity at most campgrounds can be a little iffy. So, all I might need on arrival once we get plugged in, are 2 air units at the most to stay cool.

MM.

[pianotuna]

26 gallons of fuel over two weeks where I live is about $6 per day. It sure makes solar power look attractive.

trikepilot wrote:
I don't understand why people are so averse to running their generators. I put 26 gallons of fuel into my rig every 2 weeks and run a 10K generator for 9 hours a day. That is just over a quarter gallon per hour. To stay comfortably cool or warm and have every electrical and electronic device a choose at my disposal. Been doing it for over five years now. Change the oil and filters three times a year. They are designed and built to run and run and run yet many people never turn them on. I just don't get it.

[trikepilot]

I don't understand why people are so averse to running their generators. I put 26 gallons of fuel into my rig every 2 weeks and run a 10K generator for 9 hours a day. That is just over a quarter gallon per hour. To stay comfortably cool or warm and have every electrical and electronic device a choose at my disposal. Been doing it for over five years now. Change the oil and filters three times a year. They are designed and built to run and run and run yet many people never turn them on. I just don't get it.

[Busskipper]

Mile High wrote:
Unfortunately the hydronic equipped units were out of our budget, so this one will have 3 heat pumps and 2 LP furnaces that somehow coordinate with each other through one thermostat.

If you plan on using this in the winter in Colorado expand your budget or buy a little older but Hydro Hot equiped.

We've spent more than just a couple of Winters in Our Coach in Golden, -17 for 10 nights straight - "No Problem"

If you purchase wrong - good chance you'll have Buyer Remorse.


JMHO,

[DSDP_Don]

I think you'll find that you'll be more than comfortable. Obviously, this is only an issue in hot weather. When the temps start getting above 90 degrees, we find the dash A/C does fine until about 1pm-2pm. We'll then turn on one roof A/C and eave it running until we're parked at our campsite and plugged in. This way, you're not trying to cool a hot coach once you're park for the evening.

I'm always trying to get my best mileage as it's a challenge to me, but comfort trumps my anal tendencies when it's hot.

I look at it this way.....when I bought m first DP in 2005, diesel was $3.50 a gallon. It later went to $4.00 and there was one summer when it hit $5.00. Right now, I can buy diesel for $1.30 less a gallon that I could 11 years ago. I'm going to burn some diesel this year!!!