In-wall space heater install on Eagle Cap 1160

[Boatycall]

So yesterday I went to work on my solar and got that up and running. Today's weather was not to be as good, so I wanted to knock out a much easier project, installing an in-wall 110v space heater. I had been using just a plug in freestanding heater when I'm heating it for winter or camping in a place with hookups. I wanted to ditch that and build one in.

The only place in the whole TC I could find that had a place to mount, unobstructed venting, and accessible wiring was into the dinette seat cabinet, facing it upwards towards the bunk -- which is perfect because the furnace doesn't do a good job getting heat up into the bunk area.

First - power. Redo the fridge's outlet. It's on a 15a circuit, and is the only thing on that circuit except an outlet inside.





I made a heavy duty plug in to plug into it (the one in the pic is the fridge). EC had already tapped a second outlet on it, so I opted to just use a plug in.

Drilling a hole in the wall and running the wire was a bit of a pain - had to break out a wire fish, I kept hitting (presumably) a wall brace. Finally got a wire route through and down.



Next, cut a whole in the dinette pedistal




Wire the thermostat--



I also took this opportunity to run an outlet next to the storage door since there isn't an outlet on that side of an EC.



Heater mounted and wire run



Final mounting of the heater and thermostat






I went with a Broan 750/1500 watt because the heat element can be split to either 750 or 1500w. The thought there - I'm plugged into just a 15a extension cord I can still run the heater and fridge. I'm plugged into 30a service I can switch it to 1500w. It's intended to be hard-wired one way or the other permanently, but very easy to modify with a switch to the second heating coil.

It's also upside down - I wanted the vent pointing up into the bunk rather than down into the floor.

[Bedlam]

Great install with the heater. I have seen a mini fireplace on the end of the 1165 kitchen counter but would not have thought your layout had any room for a heater. Ours has an electric fireplace so we don’t have to set a stand alone electric heater like in our Arctic Fox when on shore power.

[mikakuja]

Nice mod, and nicely done!!

[billyray50]

Nice install...I am leaning towards the plat cat vented heater more of my dry camping needs.

[3_tons]

Congrats, Great upgrade and a uber clean install !!

3 tons

[jimh406]

Nice modification.

[Reality_Check]

Cleanly done sir. Great little upgrade. We too, keep a small portable in the camper during the winter..it's a bit of a PITA.

That will get good use for sure. Time well spent I dare say.

[ScottG]

As a side note, they make toe-kick heaters as well but my rv's have always had shorter than normal residential cabinets so they wouldn't work.
Byt maybe some would.

[midnightsadie]

looks great , like a factory job.

[Jim]

Cool project! No, wait...WARM project!

One thing I would mention is that the refer in many RVs is right next to the MW oven. And that has 20 Amp wiring usually. Better for any electrical heater to keep it from tripping the 15 amp breaker too often. In my two RVs it would have been a simple matter to run an extension from the MW cabinet into that outside refer cabinet down from the MW. There's a couple inches between the MW and the refer. That is if you even have a MW cabinet.

Just sayin'.

[ScottG]

Nice project.
I really wanted to do the same thing but could never find a good location for it.