Heated floors?

[Mdiwade]

We are in a new 377, but spend will be spending a fair amount of time in cooler weather. By cooler I mean next Tuesday it is supposed to be between -10 & -17 BELOW zero Fahrenheit.

Just for curiosity, has anyone replaced a floor and had heated floors installed. I'm thinking it would definitely be shore power only and only under the coach and not slides.

[Mustang65]

If you have the Glacier package, using the central heat warms the floor nicely. If you do not use the central heat all the plumbing below the floor will freeze.

Don

[justman]

I purchased my FW with heated floors. Works great in the Summer!

Just kidding. I briefly investigated getting the diesel fired water boiler thing for heat, but the cost very quickly turned me away. Too rich for something I'd use maybe once a year....

Seriously, I think retrofitting for heated floors is a great idea, but would be really, really pricey and near impossible to do. Maybe you could go from underneath and not pull the floors?

[Mdiwade]

Oh, yeah, we still run the central heat. I have a thermometer in the basement and make sure it stays around 50.

Buying this thing in Montana you would think the glacier package would be there, but I don't even see it as an option for this model on the jayco.com website. It was purchased off of the lot and not ordered or I would have chosen the option if available.

The control panel has places for tank heater switches, nothing in them though. I might look for aftermarket, just because.

[Mdiwade]

Originally Posted by justman

Seriously, I think retrofitting for heated floors is a great idea, but would be really, really pricey and near impossible to do. Maybe you could go from underneath and not pull the floors?

The floor has a few bumps in it where something is underneath the flooring. I'm not sure what warranty would do about it because it would mean tearing up all of the vinyl flooring, and in my experience that leaves a lot of work to ensure more bumps don't form.

We were thinking the heated mats that get installed in bathrooms. That would be a deciding factor on what was put in, because those may leave a pattern in the flooring.

[justman]

Oh..ok. I think most of the electric mats I've seen were meant to be put underneath harder floor types, like ceramic tiles. Some of them also have specific electrical requirements. Regardless, I think putting one of those under vinyl is asking for something to melt and catch on fire.

I looked at a lot of heat sources, to include the Cheap Heat. Great idea, but again...pretty pricey. If you're not paying for electricity, then the Cheap Heat would probably work. Otherwise, you're better off running your gas furnace and supplementing with electric space heaters. The furnace serves to keep your plumbing from freezing, and running it is a MUST DO in freezing weather.

I'd like to visit Montana one day. Looks pretty! Been a while since I've seen snow. Once I see it again, I'll be good for another 10 years or so.

[Mdiwade]

Originally Posted by justman

Oh..ok. I think most of the electric mats I've seen were meant to be put underneath harder floor types, like ceramic tiles. Some of them also have specific electrical requirements. Regardless, I think putting one of those under vinyl is asking for something to melt and catch on fire.

Yeah, this is one reason we are inquiring. We would have to get a specific application because as you say I think most are made to go under thinset and tile. I'm not wanting to add that much weight. Even though it would be great.

Originally Posted by justman

I looked at a lot of heat sources, to include the Cheap Heat. Great idea, but again...pretty pricey. If you're not paying for electricity, then the Cheap Heat would probably work. Otherwise, you're better off running your gas furnace and supplementing with electric space heaters. The furnace serves to keep your plumbing from freezing, and running it is a MUST DO in freezing weather.

We currently run 2 oil radiators. They seem a lot safer than anything that gets red hot and pushes hot air through. I run the furnace every couple of hours whether it needs it or not. I wish setting the thermostat to fan would run the furnace fan. Ours runs the AC fan. No advantage to that.

Originally Posted by justman

I'd like to visit Montana one day. Looks pretty! Been a while since I've seen snow. Once I see it again, I'll be good for another 10 years or so.

I love Montana and the snow, don't miss the cold. We spent a year in Arkansas and have it as a destination to stop. A rough Arkansas winter is a mild fall in Montana. We live in an area that gets Chinook winds. I have seen it go from -14 to 45 in a day and the snow is gone.

[Edd505]

Originally Posted by Mdiwade

supposed to be between -10 & -17 BELOW zero Fahrenheit.

Time to move south!

[Mdiwade]

ASAP!

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[Seann45]

Did you consider the weight this would add to your rig?

[Mdiwade]

Originally Posted by Seann45

Did you consider the weight this would add to your rig?

Yes, that is why I know we cant go the thinset and tile route.

We are not sure it is possible, though it would be nice.


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[NVGun40]

We have utilized of our RV's in a manner most people do not. Being an avid hunting family we can and have often times been found out boondocking in the middle of winter here in Alaska. The coldest we have been out in was two weeks and the temps dropped to negative 30's Fahrenheit at night. Of course, our rig has the glacier package, but even that can't help in those temperatures. We never looked at heated flooring because of the extra weight, extra cost and extra power consumption. We ended up with the indoor/outdoor rubber backed carpet which we cut to fit for floor plan. It is not tacked down and we take it out and roll it up for the summer.

I realize this doesn't really answer your question, but I thought it may be worth a suggestion as far as the carpet route.

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by Mdiwade

We currently run 2 oil radiators. They seem a lot safer than anything that gets red hot and pushes hot air through. I run the furnace every couple of hours whether it needs it or not. I wish setting the thermostat to fan would run the furnace fan. Ours runs the AC fan. No advantage to that.
.

The AC fan will suck up the heat along the ceiling (heat rises) and push it back down to the floor.

[Mdiwade]

The carpet is a great idea, another layer of insulation.

Fortunately we have a ceiling fan, the ac recirculation cools the air considerably up here.

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