Heat in the basement

wwsmith111 · 09-24-2014, 09:16 PM

Has anyone checked how much heat gets into the basement of a unit with Climate Shield through the inside floor? I keep our Eagle plugged in with two electric space heaters set at 50 degrees during the Winter when we are not using it. Several people locally and the dealer told my that if I had a space heater inside nothing would freeze up. I am going to rig up a thermometer and put it between the freshwater tanks to see how cold it gets when the inside of the RV is 50 degrees and it is below freezing outside. Anybody done this?

namusmc65 · 09-25-2014, 07:32 AM

No, but it would be great to know. I always turn my furnace on when it gets below freezing. I have just been afraid to run electrical heat only just for that reason.
Can't wait to see your results.

wwsmith111 · 09-25-2014, 07:42 AM

My Eagle 338 rlts is supposed to heat the basement as well when the furnace is running. I am trying to not run it to save propane. If it gets below freezing in the basement when it is 50 degrees inside the RV I plan on rigging up 200 watt heater to blow air into the basement when it is below 40 degrees. I can get a 120v switch that turns on automatically below 40 degrees. The Jayco video shows that Dometic put a Climate Shield unit in a zero degree environment for eight hours and the basement was 60 degrees while the inside was at around 70 degrees. Not sure if this is real world stuff though???

RoyBraddy · 09-25-2014, 08:15 AM

I use one of these THERMO CUBES (AMAZON) that plugs into normal 120VAC receptacle and turns on at 35 degrees and turns off at 45 degrees.

I can plug in our oil-filled small profile portable heater into this or even just a plain ole 100WATT Light bulb.

Great for heating behind the cabinet doors or even in the storage bays...

Roy Ken

wwsmith111 · 10-04-2014, 10:14 PM

Here is what I have found out so far concerning how cold the basement gets without running the furnace only using electric space heaters. I installed a temp probe in the basement between the two fresh water holding tanks in my Eagle 338 rlts with Climate Shield and a furnace heated basement. With an outside temp. of 35 degrees f and two electric heaters only (no furnace) keeping the inside of the TT at 70 degrees, the basement is at 51 degrees. The difference in the inside temp and the basement temp has steadily increased as the outside has gotten colder since I've been maintaining close to 70 degrees inside. I will recheck it in the am as it might get below freezing tonight outside and there will more time for the basement to get colder. Again, the question is: how cold does the basement get when there is heat inside the TT but not running the furnace which pumps heat into the basement. I want to know if the water will freeze in the basement if I'm just using only electric space heaters. So far the answer is that there is enough heat going through the floor using only electric space heaters to keep things above freezing. P.S. there is no wind tonight. I am sure that would make a difference.

wwsmith111 · 10-05-2014, 06:10 AM

Next morning update: This morning it was 26 degrees f outside. The basement had a low overnight of 43 degrees with the inside of the TT at 64 degrees or a difference of 21 degrees. It has been below freezing about 5 hours. The basement temp is currently holding at about 43.2 degrees as the outside temp is starting to rise. Conclusion: All I can safely say is that using the TT in below freezing temps was no problem at all. The basement did not get below 43 degrees with the inside of the TT heated by electric space heaters. What I don't know is how cold it will get in the basement if it is below freezing for days or weeks. But it appears that keeping the inside of the TT heated with electric heaters will keep the basement from freezing up for short periods of below freezing weather such as what we have around Atlanta during the Winter months. I am still going to drain my tanks and winterize and blow the lines in between uses of the TT just to be safe.

Grumpy · 10-05-2014, 06:13 AM

We survived 17 degree weather in Colorado using only elec heat and the SENECA does not have the Thermal Package. We did, as you said you planned on doing, used a 200 watt heater in the utility bay with a similar thermostat. 35 on 50 off. No problems at all.

wwsmith111 · 10-05-2014, 06:42 AM

The basement in my Eagle is fully enclosed. The inside temp was 64 this morning. When I turned the heat up this morning the basement temp started to rise as well. At 69 degrees inside temp the basement went up to 45 degrees from 43 degrees rather quickly. Watching the temps drop last night and watching them rise this morning it seems like the basement temp is averaging a temp slightly below the 1/2 way point between the outside temp and the inside temp of the TT. There is a lag as the temps change so it is hard to get an exact handle on this. But this info is useful as to what to expect on a below freezing trip. For example: If it is going to be zero degrees outside while I maintain the inside of the TT at 70 degrees, then the basement should stay slightly above the freezing point. Of course I don't see myself doing this, but I went on a trip last year where it got down in the teens (17 low) every night for a few hours. We had an un-insulated Springdale TT and had no problem with it except with the outside water hose freezing up. So I am confident that the Eagle with Climate Shield will not freeze up either as long as I have heat inside. We plan on going full time in a few years so I think it is important to be prepared. That being said: South in the Winter!

wwsmith111 · 10-05-2014, 06:57 AM

Here is a picture of the thermometer. I installed it just above the breaker box/converter and routed the outside thermometer probe wire through the cabinet and down through the hole in the floor where the gravity fill and vent lines go into the fresh water tank under the kitchen cabinet about 2' behind the breaker box/converter. The $7 thermometer has a memory function so I can check it from time to time to see what has happened when I'm not there. Maybe I should get one that can be monitored remotely over the internet.

Grumpy · 10-05-2014, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwsmith111

T
So I am confident that the Eagle with Climate Shield will not freeze up either as long as I have heat inside. We plan on going full time in a few years so I think it is important to be prepared. That being said: South in the Winter!

Glad to hear since we pick up a Pinnacle as soon as we get home. We definitely head South as well.

SecretCoveDave · 10-05-2014, 04:16 PM

Thanks for the research! Interesting figures.

wwsmith111 · 11-18-2014, 04:12 PM

Update: Last night North of Atlanta where my 338 rlts is stored it got down to 48 degrees inside the TT with two electric heaters set at 60 degrees and 28 degrees in the basement with an outside temp of 21 degrees. Nothing froze up. This is not running the furnace at all which pumps hot air into the basement. I think I'm going to rig up a 200w heater to blow hot air into the basement when it is below 40 degrees. It will be down to 21 degrees tonight as well so I anticipate it might get even colder in the basement tonight as it only got just about freezing today. We are going to use the TT over Thanksgiving up in the mountains and I am interested to see how this Eagle with an enclosed underbelly does. We took our Springdale the last to years with several night in the teens with no issues except the city water line freezing at night.

**Mustang65** · 11-18-2014, 04:39 PM

Why not open the underbelly and install a couple of closed light fixtures with 100 watt bulbs in them. Install them about 6 or so feet from the front/back and that should produce enough heat to keep it above freezing down there. Put them on a thermostat or switch. Switch may not be the best idea as you may forget to shut it off.

Going down to 48 tonight, down here around Clearwater FL... brrrrr

Enjoy,

Don

NC Roamer · 11-18-2014, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang65

Going down to 48 tonight, down here around Clearwater FL... brrrrr

It has been long established that Floridians can freeze to death at anything below room temperature.

**Mustang65** · 11-18-2014, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NC Roamer

It has been long established that Floridians can freeze to death at anything below room temperature.

It is funny that you mention that... Coming from the Il/Wi border, the first winter down here I laughed at the locals for having a sweatshirt on at 65 degrees... well here I am (15 years later) and when the temp is at 65 I am thinking about a sweatshirt...
Don

Grumpy · 11-18-2014, 05:27 PM

Get one or two of these thermostats. Lowes has them as well as Ace Hardware

http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...la=pla_1779308

Retired · 11-18-2014, 06:06 PM

Grumpy, that's a neat plug in = added it to my favorites.

I though this might be an option as well (also in my favorites).

http://www.rvcomfortsystems.com/#

wwsmith111 · 11-21-2014, 05:27 PM

Walmart sells a small electric heater with a built in manual thermostat for about $15. I am planning on buying one and installing it between the two fresh water tanks where it will also heat the water lines and connections. I am going to hard wire it into the breaker panel which is close.

Sledgehammer · 11-28-2014, 08:57 AM

Good thread!

We're currently camping in the Smokey Mountains. Last night it was 25° with a slight breeze blowing. Using a combination of electric heat and the furnace when the electric needed help, it was 47° in our basement this morning and a nice 74° inside.

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