Road Warrior Furnace Operation

TBONE21 · Dec 29, 2016

Hey guys,
I was wondering how the furnace operates? I turn it on and it does heat up the camper except for the garage. Heat barely flows through the vents in the back. The thermostat in the garage set to furnace does nothing and the thermostat in the den does nothing even though it's set to furnace. Seems the bedroom thermostat is the only control for it and the garage doesn't get warm at all. Am I doing something wrong or is there some other way to heat the den and garage better?

danemayer · Dec 29, 2016

There's one furnace and one thermostat controls that furnace. On most trailers, the furnace is toward the front of the rig and the most heat is delivered close to the furnace. As distance increases, the hot air cools off before getting to the register. It's pretty common for people to use supplemental heat in the garage.

LBR · Dec 29, 2016

Our CY bedroom thermostat operates our furnace...It has one vent into garage that puts out very little heat. We supplement the garage heat in morning for about 10 minutes with the old Big Buddy heater, then shut it down until next morning.

IronJ · Dec 29, 2016

Run the heat strip in the garage?..you gotta set the thermostat high but it will warm the back well...mine does?..unless the top bunk is pinned up...then you can only use ducts and it dont flow as well....

sent from space via an invisible beam from a flying metal dish

TBONE21 · Dec 30, 2016

Ok thanks for the replies. I plan to put a little eden pure heater in the garage for those cold nights if the kids are sleeping in the back. We convert the garage to a baby room after we roll the golf cart out when we get to the camp ground so it has to be warm when its cold outside.

IronJ · Dec 30, 2016

TBONE21 said:
Ok thanks for the replies. I plan to put a little eden pure heater in the garage for those cold nights if the kids are sleeping in the back. We convert the garage to a baby room after we roll the golf cart out when we get to the camp ground so it has to be warm when its cold outside.

So do you not have the heat strip in your ac unit??..i convert mine to a play/movie/eating area for my daughter and the strip keeps it warm...(as long as you dont have patio door down)...

None the less we have a small heater back there if necessary...but never use it

The ac/heat strip is more noisy tho...

sent from space via an invisible beam from a flying metal dish

TBONE21 · Dec 30, 2016

IronJ said:
So do you not have the heat strip in your ac unit??..i convert mine to a play/movie/eating area for my daughter and the strip keeps it warm...(as long as you dont have patio door down)...

None the less we have a small heater back there if necessary...but never use it

The ac/heat strip is more noisy tho...

sent from space via an invisible beam from a flying metal dish

After reading these comments I did a google search last night on toy haulers using the heater strip in the garage. A lot of people didn't like them from what I read. They said anything below 45 and they are junk. I have no idea. I will try it of course but after reading all the negative feedback on the heating strips, seems like I better take a heater with me

IronJ · Dec 30, 2016

I kinda agree if you compare it to the temp of the furnace air ..

I have found that if the top bunk is lowered and the heat is run with quick cool vents open (not through the ducts as then its trying to heat the ENTIRE coach)
It is pretty effective down to 35 outside.

One thing i did notice is that it only seems to work well if the t stat is set to 82+...

I tried to take a nap on top bunk once and it was too warm!! (Lows in the mid 30s at night)

I actually installed a strip in the bedroom ac....with the fireplace in the living we dont run furnace much at all...

But we dont camp much in the winter either

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danemayer · Dec 30, 2016

TBONE21 said:
After reading these comments I did a google search last night on toy haulers using the heater strip in the garage. A lot of people didn't like them from what I read. They said anything below 45 and they are junk. I have no idea. I will try it of course but after reading all the negative feedback on the heating strips, seems like I better take a heater with me

Comments about below 45 may have been regarding Heat Pumps, not Heat Strips. But since hot air rises, it's harder for heat strips to warm the area close to the floor than for a floor standing heater. Look for heaters with tipover protection and thermostatic control that varies the power to the heating element.

IronJ · Dec 30, 2016

Yes i think a lot of people confuse an a/c based heat pump with the 1500 watt element in a heat strip (which works just like a floor heater)..

The air flow is the key as you mentioned and is why i mentioned having the quick cool vents open (lots of air flow) and the top bunk down (so the air is not trapped up top).

The heat strip in my bedroom ac will cook you....but its a MUCH smaller area and much better insulated also..

My home heat pump is good to about 40ish...then the aux element kicks in...

The garage heat strip does work...there are just some stipulations that have to be addressed

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IronJ · Dec 30, 2016

In addition, we have a small eden type heater back there and in very cold temps my son complains its still too cold with just it running.

If your close to it its good...but the fan dont move air well

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hboy1 · Jan 5, 2017

The heat strips in ours work pretty good. I think during the PID the air comming out of the ceiling unit was 8 deg warmer than the going in. Will only work with dump vent open and not pushing air through the ceiling vents.

We don't use it at night because it's so loud. We use a small space heater which works well.

MikeandDar · Jan 5, 2017

Not sure if it will make a difference for you but one of the first things I changed in our Cyclone was the register vent covers. I changed the stock ones with ones I could close in the bedroom and bath to help force more air to the back.

JohnD · Jan 5, 2017

MikeandDar said:
Not sure if it will make a difference for you but one of the first things I changed in our Cyclone was the register vent covers. I changed the stock ones with ones I could close in the bedroom and bath to help force more air to the back.

Don't buy the plastic ones from Camping World . . . this is what happened to both of the ones I bought there:

Got to Home Depot or Lowe's and get metal louvered vent covers.

bush · Mar 6, 2017

Hey ham bone!! Sorry. t bone. When you going to come ridding with me?

I always use electric heater when it's cold and hooked to power. Unless it's chance of freezing and then run furnace. No use in using propane when you done paid for the spot with power.

PatriciaX · Mar 7, 2017

We are from Michigan! We just picked up our brand new Road Warrior 427 last weekend. 3 hour drive to get the tour/ instructions then onto the paperwork. It was an all day event. We camped in the parking lot over night to check out the major systems and get familiar with it before going 3 more hours home. I think I remember someone saying the heater only is run by the thermostat in the bedroom. We also had the fireplace/ heater running in the living area and also the furnace. We found the bedroom got quite warm but the living area was substantially cooler. Over night lows were in the teens..and felt the heater/ fireplace was just not keeping up for the living area. Finally on Sunday when the temps finally rose to the 40's and we decided to try the heat strip/ heat pump in the garage were we able to open it all up and felt more comfortable.

I'm still not sure I understand the difference between the heat strip and heat pump so further explanation on that would be appreciated. I also want to go get replacement floor vents..so thanks on the tip to do it from Home Depot. While I don't think I will be camping while the temps are in the teens too much in the future, I do want this place to do what I need it to do when it is that cold. We haven't really tested the air conditioner yet..but we will soon.

I'm sure I will have more questions in the future... Thanks
Patricia

jimtoo · Mar 7, 2017

PatriciaX said:
We are from Michigan! We just picked up our brand new Road Warrior 427 last weekend. 3 hour drive to get the tour/ instructions then onto the paperwork. It was an all day event. We camped in the parking lot over night to check out the major systems and get familiar with it before going 3 more hours home. I think I remember someone saying the heater only is run by the thermostat in the bedroom. We also had the fireplace/ heater running in the living area and also the furnace. We found the bedroom got quite warm but the living area was substantially cooler. Over night lows were in the teens..and felt the heater/ fireplace was just not keeping up for the living area. Finally on Sunday when the temps finally rose to the 40's and we decided to try the heat strip/ heat pump in the garage were we able to open it all up and felt more comfortable.

I'm still not sure I understand the difference between the heat strip and heat pump so further explanation on that would be appreciated. I also want to go get replacement floor vents..so thanks on the tip to do it from Home Depot. While I don't think I will be camping while the temps are in the teens too much in the future, I do want this place to do what I need it to do when it is that cold. We haven't really tested the air conditioner yet..but we will soon.

I'm sure I will have more questions in the future... Thanks
Patricia

Hi Patricia,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

I'm sure you will get good info from our other members soon. I will say that the heat strip is just like an electric heater mounted in the a/c intake area and works with the a/c fan, so it will work in really cold weather. The heat pump is the a/c itself basically running in reverse. It is only good down to aprox 40*.

Be sure and check out our Heartland Owners Club. Join us at a rally when you can and meet lots of the great folks here and make friends for a lifetime.

Enjoy the forum and your new unit.

Jim M

Bri4Sis · Mar 8, 2017

Patricia X. We also have a RW427 and that is what they told me as well a you can only turn the heater on by the thermostat in the bedroom and that is the only way I have been able to turn my heater on. There is one small vent by the floor under the sink that heat comes out of I guess from the living room area. We did not get a heat strip in the garage unit but living in Florida we thought a space heater would do fine and had so far

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Lynn1130 · Mar 8, 2017

Heat strip is a heat coil that gets hot and the fan blows air over it pushing the heat out into the living area. It takes shore power

Heat pump is an air conditioner that is used basically, in reverse, to pump the hot air, that is normally vented out, back into the living area. Heat pumps are used in areas like here (Phoenix) because night time temps seldom get below freezing. They are pretty much worthless at temps from high 30's and below. This too takes shore power.

As mentioned earlier, the garage is too long a vent line run to provide good heat to the garage. I think Dan mentioned in another thread that Dometic and other RV furnace makers suggest you do not use register controls to push hot air in other directions because it can overheat the furnace.

We camp in below freezing weather during hunting seasons. Without electrical hookup, the Big Buddy heater or similar is about the only answer to keep people from freezing to death in the garage.

Road Warrior Furnace Operation

TBONE21

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danemayer

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LBR

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IronJ

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TBONE21

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IronJ

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TBONE21

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IronJ

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danemayer

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IronJ

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IronJ

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hboy1

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MikeandDar

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JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...

bush

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PatriciaX

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jimtoo

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Bri4Sis

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Lynn1130

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