Heating the RV while on the Highway.

[Kamper Dave]

Heating the RV while on the Highway:
Before our departure from Wyoming we had already experienced 10?F evenings and we were concerned about traveling in such conditions. Could we have left the furnace running until we reached lower elevations and warmer weather? I have it rigged so that the floor register grills are not covered by the slides. We would avoid tunnels and filling stations of any kind and it is not true that I force DW to ride back there.
Thank you in advance??????? Kamper Dave

 

[tvman44]

I guess you could, I run my refrigerator on propane while traveling.

 

[Jim Godward]

Dave,

We have done this on ocassion with no real problem.  However in one trip, my wife, the driver, noticed flames coming from the furnace exhaust.  It only happened that one time and I have never been able to repeat the situation.  I am guessing it was a combination of the wind and the angle it was coming from that caused a suction effect on that side of the MH which pulled the flame out the exhaust.

I'll take any other ideas too.

Anyway, no damage but some black soot marks on the side of the MH which were easily removed.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

That's the only reason I will not run a furnace going down the highway.

As for the fridge that's a different story because the flame in-housed in a metal box so draft will not get to it. Where the furnace air and exhaust are on the side of the coach and the draft could force the flame out the exhaust or blow out the flame. 

 

[Jim Godward]

Normally we would not run the furnace while on the road as I have an auxilliary heater under the bed and the dash heater.  Both are heated by engine coolant but the Damned dash heater valve was stuck off  and neither would heat as no coolant was flowing.  It was COLD out!!  The generator and the 2 1500 watt electric heaters were not enough so ...

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Sound like time to do some repairs... 

 

[Jim Godward]

Already done!!

 

[Rancher Will]

We regularly travel in Winter (actually all seasons). This the process that I have used for many years.

We we are traveling, we normally stop for a break, lunch, rest, etc., about every two or three hours. When the temperature is quite cold, every time we stop for a rest, even for 20 or 30 minutes, rarely less, somtimes more, if it seems too cool in the RV I just start the furnace and let it run while we are parked. Then when we are ready to start again I just turn off the furnace. This has worked for us for over 50 years.

 

[mustangary]

Like this idea a lot!  We are heading for AZ in the dead of winter... and will have to travel through some pretty cold temperatures (potentially, anyway, at least the first couple of days)...  this could really help! 

Thanks for sharing the idea.

 

[Howard R]

We have used the furnaces as necessary while traveling with no problems.  In our case the furnaces also heat the basement area with waste and water systems.  Also will either run water heater or get the water hot before we go ... depends on outside temperatures. 

Howard and Kelly

 

[Jim Godward]

When we ordered our Dutch Star we took the advice of the people we ordered  it  through in ND on cold weather needs.  That is why we got the aux. heater under the bed and the motor aid in the water heater.  Between the 2 we have little problem keeping warm even down into the minus temperature.  Of course that assumes they both work.  There have been problems but they all were with the Evans Tempcon dash heat system.

 

[Jammer]

Seems like we just had a thread on this... anyway... In cold weather I run the furnace in the trailer when necessary either when there is a concern about frozen pipes or for the last hour or so of a trip to be sure the interior is warm when we arrive.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

We regularly travel in Winter (actually all seasons). This the process that I have used for many years.

We we are traveling, we normally stop for a break, lunch, rest, etc., about every two or three hours. When the temperature is quite cold, every time we stop for a rest, even for 20 or 30 minutes, rarely less, somtimes more, if it seems too cool in the RV I just start the furnace and let it run while we are parked. Then when we are ready to start again I just turn off the furnace. This has worked for us for over 50 years.

That's the way to do it.  8)