TT furnace sucks monkey goats

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aaronfisher

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Apr 17, 2009
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i have a 25' 08 Funfinder X and when i went on my last boondocking weekend trip last fall at the end of Oct. in north western BC i found that my furnace sucked big time just to keep the trailer at a confertable 65*-70*F it used a whole 30lbs propane tank and all the charge in my battery

so my question is are all TT furnaces the same size and is there a more powerful one that is more energy efficient i could replace mine with?

btw the furnace i have is a 20K btu
 
aaronfisher said:
btw the furnace i have is a 20K btu
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Sounds like your furnace was not sized properly for your RV. The usual recommendation is at least 1K per foot. In some cases, especially when two furnaces are used, the total btu's is considerably more. Most RV's are notorious for their poor insulation and therefore excessive heat loss. I would think that in the northern climates, you would need an RV designed for cold weather use. I am sure that Gary (RVRoamer) can give you some examples of those manufacture specifically for use in weather you would likely encounter in BC. I don't try to keep up on those things.  ;D
 
RLSharp said:
Most RV's are notorious for their poor insulation and therefore excessive heat loss.
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the insulation is great for most of the camping season is just the last couple of weeks of the hunting seasons that it sucks and i try to improve the trailer where and when i can for what i can afford
 
Well I have never personally seen a Monkey Goat, and frankly I hope I never do.  As for your heating problem, it sounds like as RL said, your furnace is undersized and your trailer is under-insullated for the temps you experienced.  Also consider that by design, your 20kBtu furnace is sending probably 60% or more of the heat from your propane out into the air via exhaust gas.  These units just aren't designed to be very efficient.

One option, although somewhat controversial, would be the use of a catalytic heater.  A catalytic heater does not burn the propane using an open flame, but rather, it oxidizes the propane using a catalyst.  This will give you a lot of heat with no open flame, and ALL of the heat of combustion will be available to you inside the trailer.  Why is this controversial...well, because you are still oxidizing a fuel, you will have the same resultant carbon dioxide and water vapor.  This means you need to have a window or vent open to circulate fresh air or you will build up too much CO2 and asphyxiate.  Also, if the catalyst is not working properly, it can give off carbon MONoxide, which is poisonous.

I would also recommend using heavy window coverings, and sealing up any gaps where cold air could be coming in.

Prior to buying an RV, I would tent camp and used a catalytic tent heater for many years running off a 1lbs propane cylinder with no problem.

Good luck
 
Your propane consumption is about what I would expect in that sort of rig. So is the battery consumption - the furnace fan draws several amps and if the furnace runs a lot, one 12v battery of the type typically sold with RVs is not even close to enough.

A bigger furnace (28-32 kbtu) will throw more heat but consume more propane too.

Your real problem is inadequate insulation in walls, floors and ceiling, plus leaky windows (and probably single pane glass?), and plastic skylights (no insulation at all there!).  The Fun Finder is designed to be a light weight, light duty and inexpensive, all of which mitigate against top quality components and design.

Consider  the catalytic heater that Mc2Guy suggests. It is much more efficient and needs no fan. There should be several threads about them here is you search.

Also plan on adding a battery and get at least a size 27 or 29 to get some decent capacity. Or repalce your little 12v with a pair of golf cart 6v batteries in series - that would very nearly triple your electrical capacity.
 
after doing a lil digging around i found out that the model of heater i have is a Suburban Furnace Model NT-20SE any ideas for a good replacement that will take up the same space
 
Putting a bigger furnace in will not solve your stated propane and electrical power consumption problem, it will just add heat faster (while using propane and power at a faster rate).  Your problem is heat loss through the walls, windows, vents, etc.  I would focus on sealing up what you have, adding some insulation to compartments where you have exposed walls, and adding some vent blockers (foam insulation to block heat loss).


 
the power is not a problem im getting a genny for this year and i dont mind carrying a extra pro tank in the back of my truck
 
I would bring along an extra 20 lb propane tank and have an "extend a flow" installed on your propane fitting on your trailer.  That's what we do when we go to Breckenridge (CO) in the Winter......AND.....like Gary said....when running a generator or hooked up....USE AN ELECTIC SPACE HEATER.  ;)
 
i am goin to get a 3rd propane tank but i just bougt the honda EU3000isCA and a 550w oil filled heater i should be good for this season
 
Aaron:

We have a Westwind 23' 5th that is a lightweight, inexpensive unit.  It is not designed for winter camping, but we get along in it just fine.  The solution has been extra batteries and extra propane.  :)  We have boondocked in -30 C weather in the Rockies in Alberta and have been comfortable.  Furnace runs most of the time, and we empty two or three 20 lb bottles in a 4 day trip.  However, I also have 6 golf cart batteries in the trailer, and I have the bottom of it spray-foam insulated.  That makes a big difference.  You can also use some sort of temporary screening around the bottom of the trailer to stop the wind from blowing unrestricted through there.

If you intend to do winter camping with the unit, let me know.  There are some other things that can be done to make it workable.

Frank.
 
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