Heating the basement

How is the basement normally heated by a propane furnace? I have a 2013 Big Country 2950 RK that I recently purchased.

Is it normal to just let a 2 inch diameter flexible duct hose drop down into the water heater area? The furnace has three - 4 inch diameter flexible ducts running to various parts of the 5th wheel. But this 2 inch duct is about 3 foot long and just hangs down from the furnace and is pointed toward the water heater. Due to the cluster of pipes in the road I can not determine if this 2 inch duct fell off a connection or was intentionally installed that way.

Sorry I can't post a picture for your review. I am a new kid on the block without attachment rights.

Paul Chase
Ol' Man at the Sea
Ocean Shores, WA

Usually, that 2" hose is directed downward into the general area of the underbelly. Sounds like yours was not routed downward.

That said, personal opinion only here, I don't feel the 2" furnace duct is very effective at heating the entirety of the underbelly. If you have unused duct knockouts on the furnace and if you are willing to do the work, I suggest you consider taking a 4" duct down the the underbelly.

I've done this before. Did it heat my entire underbelly? No. But it certainly got some heat into the immediate area the hose was directed to.

Here's one example of how a 2" duct is teed off a 4" duct and then down through a hole to the lower belly area:
https://beletti.smugmug.com/RV/2018-Heartland-Landmark-Newport/Cheap-Heat/i-cCDTj92/A

Here's an example of a 4" duct I replaced the 2" with and directed it better:
https://beletti.smugmug.com/RV/2018-Heartland-Landmark-Newport/Cheap-Heat/i-LFZdhDK/A

H Paul,

This my basement Im modified for double the room. The Furnace leaks so much that I didn't worry about adding anything. I did seal up some of the cracks in the case with foil sealing tape. The 2 inch duct was in the lower belly. I did added a small ceramic heater on the low setting and was able to keep 70 degrees when it was 15 degree F out. Furnace was running as well.




Brian

have run a 3 inch duct in place of 2 inch all the way to the front of fresh water tank. every 3 feet cut flexable duct 1/2 way around to let heat out. have remote t stat to monitor from inside rv. when it was 20 degrees out side basement was 50 degrees. also added 1/2 foam insulation board between colpast and bubble insulation.

I hang 2 drop lites with 100 watt bulbs in each, this keeps the basement a good 10 degrees warmer the the outside temps.

I use a brooder lamp with a 125w heat lamp pointed toward the water pump and back of water heater.
According to my remote temperature sensor deep in the belly it’ll (along with the furnace) keep that area of the basement 20* warmer than outside temperature in below freezing temps


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Thank you all for the helpful ideas in keeping the basement warm enough to prevent freeze-ups.

I have some remote thermometers to keep and eye on what is happening down there. The other plan is head south where it is not freezing. Arizona, here I come ....in January.

Next summer, when it is warmer, I will probably do a "blower test" on the basement and see where the air leaks are located. Some of the spray foam breaks down with time and lets air in or out depending on the situation. ( I had an RV dealer run a blower test on a another RV that kept having reoccurring roof leaks. A little air pressure and soapy water shows you lots of things about you RV.)

Old timer aren't you glad you did not get rid of all the 100 watt incandescent bulbs, like the politicians wanted you to do. How many LED lights would it take to heat your basement?????HMMM

Regarding brooder lamps, don't keep turkeys or chickens in your RV basement. (In a previous life, I investigated a barn fire caused by heat lamps in the straw. We think that the turkeys in love knocked down the lamps. No turkeys or chickens ever confessed to such actions but it was our best guess.)

I am adding a CO detector to my RV. A 2013 model comes with a propane detector and two smoke detectors. CO - Carbon Monoxide detectors came along later. So I am adding one for my own safety. My propane detector failed last week....just like the brochure said...replace after 7 years. (Some models are only good for 5 years....read the fine print on the detectors. Sorry, that is the Fire Marshal in me talking again.)

Thanks again.

Ol' Man at the Sea
Paul Chase

Another suggestion, if your rig has low-point drains (a red and a blue pex line close together with a cut-off valve at the end, hanging down below your underbelly), consider wrapping with foam insulation or better yet, tucking them up inside the underbelly for the cold months. This is a place where cold can freeze water in the drain line and ice can move up into the fresh supply line, cutting off water from getting from the tank to the pump.


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I dropped a 2" duct into the basement when I installed my cheap heat. My unit is a bit different than yours in that it has an aluminum plenum running the entire length of by main living area feeding 3 floor ducts. This allows more radiant heat the entire length of the underbelly. In cold weather our floors are always warm where the duct runs.

I realize Tiger lives in her RV but if mine is in that kind of weather I messed up big time. And I'm headed for a warmer spot or home. At home: I empty all lines and water heater. I keep a 60w light bulb in the basement and an electric heater in the rv. That setup is good down to 20 deg I know.