non vented furnace

Question

Absolutely enjoyed the full time lifestyle for a number of years, then back to a 'sticks and bricks' home. Now...looking for just a small(non slide out) Class C for some weekend and vacation trips. I miss traveling easily, the fun, meeting the great people along the way, etc. I'm leaning toward a Winnebago Minnie Winnie/Itasca Spirit due to the availability of dual pane windows, and ducted a/c. But most of the smaller floorplans, 22 to 25 ft. do not have a ducted furnace. I'm wondering how well a non ducted furnace keeps the rig warm in general, but especially for trips to the bathroom during the night or for showering in the morning. We live in Phoenix, but will occasionally venture into cooler climates. Any thoughts or experience would be appreciated.

avan · Answer

As to your title, I don't think you should ever have a non vented furnace.  That could end your RVing experience.:)  The last non ducted furnace RV I've had was so long ago I don't remember the experience.  That said, there sure are a lot of the shorter C's mfr'd and sold and if lack of ducting were a significant issue, there would probably be a lot of posts regarding same and manufacturers would probably change to a ducted unit as that would not materially affect costs?

tiger4x4rv · Answer

The non-ducted (but safely vented) furnace in my 20-foot no-slide C warms the place up in a few minutes.  I am glad it is there, although I rarely use it because it is noisy and because I am a boondocker wanting to conserve on use of electricity and propane.

old-biscuit · Answer

Depends on which direct discharge furnace......

Some are only 12,000 btu
Some are 19,000 btu

Depends on were it is located...
mid-ship heat is better distributed
rear heat is localized

But then again 22'- 25' Class C has a small interior with a lower overhead so heating should not be a big issue

dusty_r · Answer

We had a 2003 24' Itasca 24V that had a ducted furnace+ ducted AC in the ceiling.

jaycocreek · Answer

But most of the smaller floorplans, 22 to 25 ft. do not have a ducted furnace.

My 21 foot Fleetwood has a ducted furnace.I had a 24 foot Beaver class C and a wave 3 heater did a great job in heating it in the middle of the winter here in Idaho..My sons 24 foot Trailer has a non ducted heater with a blower and it does okay during hunting season but he prefers a catalytic also and just uses the furnace to warm it up faster in the morning.

The benefit of the ducts is they help keep the inside water lines from freezing if run properly..The alternative is to put in some vents to let the warm coach air into the places where the lines run.That would be my only worry about non ducted in cold weather.

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