New 45' Winnebago Grand Tour

[Kevin Means]

Like John, I am amazed. We use 5-6 30 pound bottle a year, but we do camp in shoulder seasons and in the mountains so we use the furnace a lot. I have started cooking inside a lot more than I used to do also, and I use both the stove and the oven.

Our furnace and water heater use an Aqua Hot system (diesel) and our fridge is a residential unit. The majority of our cooking is done in the microwave, and I like to BBQ outside, but our coach doesn't have a gas oven. In cooler months, we often camp in the Arizona and California deserts, and while it can get "cold", it's nothing compared to places that really get cold.

We rarely need anything more than our catalytic "Big Buddy" heater, which only sips propane - and we usually don't even need that. In fact, Cyndi just reminded me that we haven't used the Aqua Hot furnace to heat the coach since January, 2014 when it snowed on us in Tucson, AZ. We do fire it up once or twice a day to get hot water though.

The Big Buddy and the BBQ are now plumbed into the RV's LP tank, but even those two things, combined with the three stove top burners, use very little propane.

Kev

 

[Mile High]

Our furnace and water heater use an Aqua Hot system (diesel) and our fridge is a residential unit. The majority of our cooking is done in the microwave, and I like to BBQ outside, but our coach doesn't have a gas oven. In cooler months, we often camp in the Arizona and California deserts, and while it can get "cold", it's nothing compared to places that really get cold.

We rarely need anything more than our catalytic "Big Buddy" heater, which only sips propane - and we usually don't even need that. In fact, Cyndi just reminded me that we haven't used the Aqua Hot furnace to heat the coach since January, 2014 when it snowed on us in Tucson, AZ. We do fire it up once or twice a day to get hot water though.

The Big Buddy and the BBQ are now plumbed into the RV's LP tank, but even those two things, combined with the three stove top burners, use very little propane.

Kev

I noticed that on a 2011 Ellipse 42QD we were trying to deal on.  I chuckled with the Dealer and said that tank probably still has the original propane in it.  Beautiful coach by the way, we just couldn't get anywhere on the deal with it as a consignment.

 

[Mile High]

I was just reminiscing about our 14 month cruise of the eastern Caribbean and Venezuela in our sailboat. The original oven was alcohol (talk about dangerous!) and I replaced it with propane. I mounted two aluminum 20 pound horizontal tanks on either side of the mainmast (we were a ketch.) 20 pounds would last 4-6 weeks, dear wife baked bread every week (yummy) and she cooked or baked every day. Taking a bottle ashore for filling was always an adventure. One time in the Bahamas I was about ready to run when the guy kept filling and filling and filling, he wasn't weighing the bottle and apparently went by 'seat of the pants feel.'

I always thought the alcohol on marine vessels was because the LP had no place to settle or vent in a boat other than the bilge or cabin?

 

[John Canfield]

Yes, that was the original idea of using alcohol in a marine situation, problem is you can't extinguish it with water - my wife found out the hard way. LP can be safe on a boat, we had a shut-off solenoid that had to be turned on for gas. I think there was a drive to use compressed natural gas which I think was lighter than air but I don't think it ever took off.

* in addition the sweet smell of alcohol was horrible and I think the BTU value is relatively low

 

[SargeW]

The new rig will use the Aqua Hot for heating as well. I was surprised when the DW said that she was not opposed to the all electric coach, since that eliminates one fuel source.  She is the cook of the camp, so I am always agreeable to what she wants to do for kitchen equipment.  The propane can be a bit of a scary fuel when things like the propane refers act up.  And then this last trip our propane fitting decided to start to leak at the tank while we were in Yellowstone. No propane dealers or equipment on the mountain, so we made several trips back and forth trying to solve the leaking hose issue.  No propane meant no hot water, and limited cooking. We rarely micro anything, so with no stove we juggled a bit.

I am willing to give the all electric coach a shot. With the Aqua Hot for water and heating (if necessary) and a 10 KW Onan to fill in for power, I think we will survive OK.

 

[Mile High]

Yes, that was the original idea of using alcohol in a marine situation, problem is you can't extinguish it with water - my wife found out the hard way. LP can be safe on a boat, we had a shut-off solenoid that had to be turned on for gas. I think there was a drive to use compressed natural gas which I think was lighter than air but I don't think it ever took off.

* in addition the sweet smell of alcohol was horrible and I think the BTU value is relatively low

Interesting, thanks!  I haven't kept up with marine since the early nineties.

 

[TonyDtorch]

I swore I'd never buy another motorhome without a coffee maker. ;D

Kev

For almost a half million dollars you'd think you could buy your own Starbucks location... and then you'd have several coffee makers at your beck and call.  ;D