Cheapheat installed!
- Thread starter GK2018
- Start date
We finally got our cheapheat installed before winter! I'm excited to try it out but at the same time I'm not ready for winter
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You’ll love not humping propane tanks this winter!
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TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Congrats!! We love ours!!
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ParkIt
Well-known member
From their site and YT video, around $1,300 to have someone install it for you. Pretty sure that can vary widely. If you are handy, I can't imagine you couldn't DYI.
RV Comfort Systems is the only place I found that manufactures them but there could be other companies that sell them and not sure if you can order them on a new purchase?
Out of curiosity for those that had it installed, what size is your rig and which one did you have installed? My heater is directly under the bedroom and wakes me up at night, been looking for a way to get around that and this could be the ticket.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
The CheapHeat system uses your existing furnace blower fan, so if the fan wakes you up, it will still do that.
CheapHeat is the only manufacturer of this product. You used to be able to buy the system on Amazon. Larry, the creator of this product, is very accessible and knowledgeable to assist via phone, but if you are not familiar with your electrical system, or not comfortable digging into the bowels of your rv to modify the furnace ducting and work with wiring and breakers and such, I don’t recommend it as a DIY. Hubby and I did it but needed lots of advice along the way, took us a few weekends to get it all done.
Ours is in a Big Country 4010RD, which luckily the furnace is moderately accessible under the upstairs bathroom.
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ParkIt
Well-known member
Well, that answers that question! Doesn't sound like an upgrade that would work for me.
I have extra space between the bedroom and stairs in the front compartment, all the monkey wiring is accessible from there as is the heater ducting which is on my "next of big things" list to clean up. I've been debating on pulling the existing heating unit and fan to replace it with something else, just didn't know what 'something else' would be. Having been a contractor working with plumbing and wiring doesn't scare me, took about a year to map out the wiring finding where everything goes to/comes from inside and out, still trying to figure how to move the wiring to the slides on outlets back into the main floor, most likely will have floor receptacles instead of wall ones.
Thanks for the input, gives me a good idea of which way to go!
I've heard install costs of $600-$1000. That's labor - not the cost of the Cheap Heat unit.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
You could try looking at the options: https://www.rvcomfortsystems.com. I think he has other units for other situations that don’t use the existing furnace.
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ParkIt
Well-known member
I didn't spend too much time on the site but will in a couple of days. If there is a good alternative, I have and idea for a quieter fax and box.
Thanks for the 'alternative' info!
rutranger
Active Member
Thank you everyone for all of your input. It was all extremely helpful. I will need to do some serious research in order to determine if I should attempt to tackle this project when the time comes of just farm it out to avoid possible headaches. Thanks again and Happy Trails.
Flick
Well-known member
Has anyone ever received any feedback from rv parks on the extra electrical consumed? Heat generally peaks at a higher usage than ac. I guess there’s no way to know unless they have a separate meter for each rv which many have.
danemayer
Well-known member
I very much doubt that most RV parks have even heard of Cheapheat. But lots of people use electric fireplaces or electric heaters. So they're probably not completely in the dark.
Flick
Well-known member
Probably right. It does seem like a really good deal for the end user (rv owner) because once you absorb the initial investment, you get free heat compared to propane which is a true pain to refill. The only way, I assume, that it’s not free is if you’re full timing month to month and you pay for your electrical.
danemayer
Well-known member
My usage has always been either on a site where I pay the electric, or at home where I pay the electric. So for me, it's not about the money. It's about not having to monitor propane levels, not having to schlep 72 lb. tanks, and never running out of propane at 3 AM.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
You are correct, we are fulltiming and pay electric. For us the additional monthly cost was similar to running one AC unit in the summer. The biggest benefit was never having to worry you’d run low or ultimately out of propane — no more hauling heavy bottles!
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In about 4 years of using Cheap Heat and many years prior to that, I've never received any feedback or questions from a park on my heating method. Bear in mind, sites that are not metered, have the cost of electricity "included" in the rate. So it's not considered free
With my my RV, I do always ask for a 50A site as I have 2 ACs and I can get max output from Cheap Heat with both legs of power. But sometimes, I can only get a 30A site. Cheap Heat still produces 1800 watts of heat (I think that's the number) on 30A power.
