Using Furnace While Driving

[2112]

We hit the road with the FW yesterday for Easter Weekend. Our destination park will not unlock the pedestal after 8pm so I knew we would not have power until ~8:30am the following morning. The temperature was in the mid 50's with an expected low this morning of mid 40's (47 at the moment). I decided to run the furnace for the last hour of our trip to warm up the FW in order to preserve the battery once we arrived.

I was uneasy doing this, concerned the bouncing may damage the fan bearings. Did this do any harm to my furnace fan bearings? What type of bearings do the two furnace fans have?

Thanks

[garyhaupt]

cross21114 wrote:

garyhaupt wrote:
I have no idea of the complexities involved, but...my '99 E 350 Triple E Regal has ducting to provide an engine heater outlet in back..plus a separate fan motor. It might well be worth looking into.

Gary Haupt

You would think all manufacturers would run at least one duct back but most don't - at least mine didn't. Would be even better if you could open that vent and close the ones in the cab so you don't get run out of the cab.

Man..I was sooo wrong. Triple E's had an optional winter package that included a rear mounted heater/fan. Not ducting from front heating system.

[garyhaupt]

JaxDad wrote:
The simplest is a ‘bus heater’, to a self-contained heater with fan that runs off the heater line from the engine. The name comes from the fact that they were created to warm the rear of school buses.

On a lot of motorhomes they have an electric switch on the dash marked “coach heater” which is just remote power to a bus heater buried in a cabinet somewhere down the back.

They’re a really easy DIY project.

Maybe that's what I have...a "bus heater'..as opposed to separate ducting. I shall investigate.

Gary

[JaxDad]

cross21114 wrote:

garyhaupt wrote:
I have no idea of the complexities involved, but...my '99 E 350 Triple E Regal has ducting to provide an engine heater outlet in back..plus a separate fan motor. It might well be worth looking into.

Gary Haupt

You would think all manufacturers would run at least one duct back but most don't - at least mine didn't. Would be even better if you could open that vent and close the ones in the cab so you don't get run out of the cab.

Instead of turning down the cab heat, turn it to the dash panel vents and point them down between driver and passenger and open the rearmost roof vent. The vacuum created will pull a vast amount of warm air to the back and away from the cab area.

The above process works just as well for air conditioning too.

[JaxDad]

The simplest is a ‘bus heater’, to a self-contained heater with fan that runs off the heater line from the engine. The name comes from the fact that they were created to warm the rear of school buses.

On a lot of motorhomes they have an electric switch on the dash marked “coach heater” which is just remote power to a bus heater buried in a cabinet somewhere down the back.

They’re a really easy DIY project.

[cross21114]

garyhaupt wrote:
I have no idea of the complexities involved, but...my '99 E 350 Triple E Regal has ducting to provide an engine heater outlet in back..plus a separate fan motor. It might well be worth looking into.

Gary Haupt

You would think all manufacturers would run at least one duct back but most don't - at least mine didn't. Would be even better if you could open that vent and close the ones in the cab so you don't get run out of the cab.

[Grit_dog]

No harm in general that I can think of, but unless you have a dedicated charging system from truck to trailer, you’re not charging much and therefore not maintaining all your battery charge anyway.
Also, talking 40s-50s, the camper will likely warm up quickly parked but suck out a lot of warm air driving down the road.
I’d get there with full batteries and then turn the heat on. If the batteries can’t run the furnace for 12 hours in mild temperatures then that is a separate concern that you might look into.

[garyhaupt]

I have no idea of the complexities involved, but...my '99 E 350 Triple E Regal has ducting to provide an engine heater outlet in back..plus a separate fan motor. It might well be worth looking into.


Man..I was sooo wrong. Triple E's had an optional winter package that included a rear mounted heater/fan. Not ducting from front heating system.


Gary Haupt

[Cummins12V98]

The colder it is out the more propane you will use. I know this sounds like a no SH!T statement but when moving you are stripping heat off the rig at a very rapid rate and will use more than you think.

[valhalla360]

As mentioned, bigger concern is being blown out...but even that isn't a huge issue.

[pianotuna]

2112,

I regularly run the furnace while in motion.

[down_home]

We run our furnaces on the road whenever it gets cold the dash air doesn't do much by itself.
And if you have enough battery capacity run it at night if not plugged in.
We only have four house batteries and have run the furnaces off them several nights. Check your manual. All that runs off the batteries are the blower motors and thermostat, if that..plus the usual fridge fan even on propane etc.
In 2010 I think, we came back from Disney World and it was not higher than twenty degrees the whole way. we ran the furnaces and like to have roasted as the switch to the rear furnace the contacts stuck, so we seated then froze then sweated and froze. e also had a big hole under the shower ptu there by the dealer. Factory repaired it and both furnaces running it is nice at any temp outside and the water tank get heat too.

[SidecarFlip]

2112 wrote:
Thanks guys
My AC blower motor bearings failed a few years ago and I attributed it to running the AC while driving.

Probably more attributable to cheap bearings.

[wa8yxm]

If the bouncing damages the fan bearings they were bad to begin with.. The only "Danger" is flame out (Wind caused by travel blows out the flame) and if that happens the very nice control board will attempt a relight.. 3 times out and it locks out and shuts down.

[Lwiddis]

Your batteries don’t allow even one night using the furnace when you arrive with a hundred percent charge? If so you are not “self contained.”