Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Jayco RV Owners Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 11-03-2011, 01:49 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
adamejorge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nation Wide
Posts: 25
Lightbulb Electric/Propane Furnace retrofit - "Cheap Heat"

Electric Conversion of Propane Furnace

I discovered an add on heat system built and marketed by RV Comfort System - this is an add on unit which is compatible with 30 and 50 amp systems, for both the plenum system trunk line fastened directly to the furnace with floor registers, and the ducted system runs of 4” pipes - I have attached the link for anyone who may want to take a look - given that we are going to full time, I was thinking this may be worth checking in to for our Jayco .... it would mean freedom from only using propane to heat the 5ver with the added ability to use electric heat through the same forced air heating system.

I am just wondering if anyone has heard of this, or perhaps is using it currently in their unit????? Please advice

http://www.rvcomfortsystems.com/index.html

http://www.rvcomfortsystems.com/sysinfo_video.html
__________________
Adame
adamejorge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-03-2011, 05:11 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Terry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 4,923
Interesting. Did you get a quote on the system and install?



__________________
Terry
2009 Jayco 26BH
2004 Chevy Silverado 1500
2009 JayFlight Manual Library

Want to add a signature to your posts? --> Click Here
Terry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-03-2011, 07:42 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
David472's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 1,393
I suggest comparing the BTU capacity between propane and the electric option. My experience with heating a cottage, the electric was no match for gas to keep the place cozy, when the outside temps were around 40F.
__________________
2013 Jayco Eagle 31.5RLDS
2018 Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
David472 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2011, 12:16 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Aldergrove British Columbia
Posts: 815
This seems like a very good system. I like the design of it. the info said the kit was 880 dollars. They also suggest 5 hours for install. They say they don't sell to the public but go on about how good their instructions are which is interesting. I would think that given those specs your looking at about 1500 dollars.
This purchase spanned over a ten year period would be 150 dollars a year. Lots of people who full time have campground memberships where their annual dues pay for their electricity. I don't full time so I don't know how much one would pay for heating their unit with propane. This could be cheap heat.
I know my relatives used a ceramic heater in their RV which kept the livingroom area like a blast furnace and everywhere else cold.
After reading about this , and if I lived in my trailer I would buy this. I wouldn't pay someone to install it though.
__________________
Richard
2011 Jay Feather Select 28U
2007 Silverado Crewcab LT 6.0L
Happily married and father of
two university students.
Cancer survivor
Murphie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2011, 01:06 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Aldergrove British Columbia
Posts: 815
Cheap Heat

I just read an interesting post on a product called Cheap Heat. Heating coils you add in a kit that uses your existing propane heating system. Check it out in the 5th wheel section. I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
__________________
Richard
2011 Jay Feather Select 28U
2007 Silverado Crewcab LT 6.0L
Happily married and father of
two university students.
Cancer survivor
Murphie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2011, 07:35 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
3'senough's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: New York
Posts: 2,210
It's basically an electric dryer element that you put in line to provide electric heat. Since most dryers are 220V and RV's are not I wonder how effective it realy is. The web site say's the unit costs $880.00 and only a certified RV technician can purchase and install it at about 5-6 hours time. So figure about $1500.00 to do it in most cases. That's alot of propane for my time using heat but for a fulltimer it might pay for itself in a year or two depending on where you camp and heat used.

What maked me nervous is that our heat systems have no air filters and over time dust could accumulate on this element for a possible fire hazard. I know we are using fire in there already but this is a mod, not something from Suburban engineered into the orginal fabrication of the unit. I think the engineering is simple and it is logical I just wish that Suburban engineered it. There has to be a reason why they haven't done it yet.

Just my 2 cents worth...
__________________

2014 375 BHFS Eagle Premier
2014 Ram 3500 Longhorn DRW CC
6.7 CTD, Aisin, 4.10's
Yamaha EF3000iSEB
3'senough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2011, 08:30 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Gilmer, Texas
Posts: 1,053
As an ac/heat service tech,question I have is whats the kw rating of the heat?Thats what will tell you how much heat you are getting and the load on the existing electrical system.
The system that you attach all the round ducts concerns me as if they are "flex duct"then for safety you need a short metal pipe takeoff before the flex to guard against fire.is there enough room to do this in a typical RV?
poohbear is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2011, 09:32 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: AZ, SSA (Squabbling States of America)
Posts: 1,432
Read here (http://www.irv2.com/forums/f44/elect...eat-97637.html) for a thread by a guy who actually installed one. So far, he has used it only in temperatures in the low 50s but said it worked great in those conditions. He says he will report again when he has used it in colder weather.

Even if the BTU output is less than the propane furnace, running it for longer periods of time might be able to still keep the RV warm enough. If the temps drop too low for the resistance elements, the propane furnace would still work.

My personal opinion is if one has heat pumps, they would be more efficient (thus cheaper to use) than resistance heating although that advantage would lessen as temperatures crept lower. Below a certain point, resistance heating would be cheaper and/or more effective than heat pumps. Of course, LP would probably be less expensive to use than heat pumps or resistance heating unless one is only paying a flat rate for the electricity instead of being metered.

There are other factors to consider besides operational costs, such as not having to refill the propane tank(s) frequently in colder weather and the ability to leave the heat on instead of winterizing with glycol to protect the plumbing from freezing when gone for extended periods of time without having to worry about running out of propane.
__________________
Jeannie
Lady Fitzgerald is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2011, 11:53 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Aldergrove British Columbia
Posts: 815
Jeannie, thanks for that link. It was an interesting read. I never thought RVIA approval was an issue until someone mentioned it. Also would something like this void your warranty on your furnace, and how about your insurance on your RV. There certinaly are a lot of opinions on this.
__________________
Richard
2011 Jay Feather Select 28U
2007 Silverado Crewcab LT 6.0L
Happily married and father of
two university students.
Cancer survivor
Murphie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-05-2011, 07:17 AM   #10
Site Team
 
Crabman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Virginia`s Eastern Shore
Posts: 17,091
Duplicate thread moved from 5er forum. One thread per subject please. Thanks.


http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthread.php?t=4398
__________________
2017 Coachmen Catalina 283RKS
2018 Ford F250 Super Duty 6.2l CCSB
2010 Jayflight 28BHS (sold)
Crabman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-05-2011, 05:17 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: North Idaho/Arizona
Posts: 5,446
Here in Az the parks can charge what ever they want for electricity. The price can range from 8 cents a kwh to 17 cents a kwh. We use gas if the electricity is high and electric heaters if it is cheap. I will keep the gas option open. Besides that we already have a $1200 electric heater. Some call it a fireplace.
__________________
2011 Eagle 330RLTS with just about every option.
2017 Silverado 1500 4x4 5.3 with tow package. (no, we don't tow the Jayco with it.)
2018 Surveyor 265RLDS well equipped.
Life in the slow lane is still life.
clutch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2011, 05:16 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
JPBeck's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 527
Still using my Mr. Heater when boondocking--I plumbed the LP hose into the trailer and the system works great. Get's hot enough that we don't mind having a window open a tad (just in case).
__________________

Regards,
JP
2007 20BH Jayco JayFlight
2009 F150 5.4L SCrew Cab XLT
JPBeck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2011, 09:21 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: North Idaho/Arizona
Posts: 5,446
Quote:
Originally Posted by JPBeck View Post
Still using my Mr. Heater when boondocking--I plumbed the LP hose into the trailer and the system works great. Get's hot enough that we don't mind having a window open a tad (just in case).
You should keep two windows open just a tad. That will eliminate the moisture buildup. Water vapor is a byproduct of burning propane.

CO2 and CO are also byproducts of combustion. Our heater, (Kozy World), has a sensor that will shut it off if levels get too high but I really don't trust it so two windows cracked just a little.
__________________
2011 Eagle 330RLTS with just about every option.
2017 Silverado 1500 4x4 5.3 with tow package. (no, we don't tow the Jayco with it.)
2018 Surveyor 265RLDS well equipped.
Life in the slow lane is still life.
clutch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2011, 12:25 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
JPBeck's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 527
Been fine with one window open- no problem with condensation -- and Mr. Heater has a low O2 shut off as well, but we've never run the heater while sleeping. Turn it on and get the chill off then get into bed. When nature calls -- I turn it on again for a few minutes, then turn it off.
__________________

Regards,
JP
2007 20BH Jayco JayFlight
2009 F150 5.4L SCrew Cab XLT
JPBeck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2011, 10:52 AM   #15
Junior Member
 
adamejorge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nation Wide
Posts: 25
well , as far as warranty goes , Its 2 yr warranty the manufacture gives you , more than the warranty from the furnace it's self.. cost is about 1400-1500 thats right .
__________________
Adame
adamejorge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2011, 02:35 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Gilmer, Texas
Posts: 1,053
Quote:
Originally Posted by adamejorge View Post
well , as far as warranty goes , Its 2 yr warranty the manufacture gives you , more than the warranty from the furnace it's self.. cost is about 1400-1500 thats right .
I can buy a few more of my ceramic heaters & pay for lots of electricity if charged by a campground or even run the propane,before spending the cost to get one of these installed.Just my opinion.
It got down to the mid 30's saturday morning while we were at Brushy Creek.One electric heater with a blower kept us toasty(we do have the Polar Pkg).It got back to 80 yeaterday and will hit hi 70's today,you never know this time of year
poohbear is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Jayco, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:11 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2002-2016 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.