Coleman 48V A/C and compact Aqua-Hot

[Chance]

Coleman just announced a new 48 Volt DC-powered air conditioner, a little over two years after it was first mentioned. I see no performance data yet (size or efficiency) but seems they will market primarily towards Class B motorhomes, and those who boondock. I hope they have an actual product this time.

They also introduced a compact Aqua-Hot 125D model fuel by diesel sized for smaller Class B motorhomes; though specs also show a gasoline version. If it works well in providing hot water and space heat from fuel in vehicle tank, it should make eliminating propane easier for those who don’t want dual fuel.

Interesting product developments driven in part by growth in Class B motorhomes and greater boondocking trends.


https://rvbusiness.com/airxcel-draws...duct-showcase/


I like idea of 48-Volt air conditioner, but not sure about Aqua-Hot benefit unless camping in really cold weather. Thoughts?

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by Chance

Coleman just announced a new 48 Volt DC-powered air conditioner, a little over two years after it was first mentioned. I see no performance data yet (size or efficiency) but seems they will market primarily towards Class B motorhomes, and those who boondock. I hope they have an actual product this time.

They also introduced a compact Aqua-Hot 125D model fuel by diesel sized for smaller Class B motorhomes; though specs also show a gasoline version. If it works well in providing hot water and space heat from fuel in vehicle tank, it should make eliminating propane easier for those who don’t want dual fuel.

Interesting product developments driven in part by growth in Class B motorhomes and greater boondocking trends.


https://rvbusiness.com/airxcel-draws...duct-showcase/


I like idea of 48-Volt air conditioner, but not sure about Aqua-Hot benefit unless camping in really cold weather. Thoughts?

If you have never lived with heated floors, you will never see the advantages. The Aqua-H400PL cost about the same as the propane water heater and propane furnace, and yes, the installation is much more expensive. I suspect in the larger gas MHs will offer it as an option.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Beau388

If you have never lived with heated floors, you will never see the advantages. The Aqua-H400PL cost about the same as the propane water heater and propane furnace, and yes, the installation is much more expensive. I suspect in the larger gas MHs will offer it as an option.

How much cost are you talking about, even if rough estimates? Relative costs of different options are becoming more important to me.


P.S. — Only seen cost of larger 250D model and it was above $5,000 at one store. Expect smaller 125D or 125G to be in same range. That’s high for our needs unless we start camping in very cold weather, which is unlikely.

[ducksface]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Some of these have an optional water heater manifold.

I am not an aqua-hot type person.
The hype, the unreasonable cost, the cult.

We have electric heated floors in the house and sooner or later will in the RV.

If aquahot is offered as a manufacturer's option, absolutely buy it.
But absolutely have a back up system installed.


Just like propane, Lose you aquahot to a malfunction and you lose your heat and hot water both.

[Chance]

The high cost of Aqua-Hot makes other options like going 100% electric more appealing to me (if I were designing my own camper). Since we don’t camp in really cold winter conditions for extended periods, and we drive every day unless staying at campgrounds with hookups, an all-electric motorhome may be cheaper and much simpler than Aqua-Hot. And I do value KISS principle.

For about $500 I could buy 2 electric space heaters and an electric water heater, perhaps leaving $4,500 I could spend towards a lot of additional battery capacity. And since I want at least 600 Amp-hours (12V equivalent) to power A/C overnight anyway, the extra $4,500 in batteries could power a 1,000-Watt heater longer than we would normally need.

As equipment prices go sky high, it makes other simpler options look less crazy by comparison — depending on one’s camping needs of course.

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by Chance

How much cost are you talking about, even if rough estimates? Relative costs of different options are becoming more important to me.


P.S. — Only seen cost of larger 250D model and it was above $5,000 at one store. Expect smaller 125D or 125G to be in same range. That’s high for our needs unless we start camping in very cold weather, which is unlikely.

Used 200P are in the $2,000 range and new just over $4,000 list. You need the under floor PEX , PEX radiators (like Radiatec sells) or Gyp-Crete, circulator pump(s) thermostat and blending valve(s). If you want headed basement compartments you need an additional radiator. Of course, you need a heat resistant, floating floor (wood, tile, etc). For my 31 foot RV, the total cost for parts is just over $9,700 for new or $4,200 for used parts. For instance, the cost of an Agua-Hot 12 volt circulator pump is $729, used from a parts recycler is $150. Labor is extra.

[saddlesore]

After having AquaHot for several years in all types of weather.(model AHE 100-02).
[ straight heat exchangers [no ducting] independent heat zones, no heated floors,
I would not want to return to Propane..
The A/H works just as efficiently in moderately cool weather as well as in extreme cold weather.. .
And I really like the endless hot water for showers..
Those that choose to badmouth the system rarely have had or have used the system..

[lwmcguire]

When I purchased the Tuscany it would be the 12th RV owned over 50 plus years so we tend to keep them quite awhile

One of the boxes that had to be checked was a diesel Aquahot having run out of propane way to often camping in cold weather.

Also on the list were heat pumps as a backup and a fireplace as a nice way to break the chill on a fall morning or evening.

6 years down the road it was the right thing to do, not having propane and having the quiet even heat as well as heated basement via a large easily filled storage tank

Diesel burners are very popular in Europe and the little guys have been there for decades

[Chance]

Europeans have been driving compact diesel campers for a long time, but in US diesel is not as popular as gasoline for smaller and lighter motorhomes. As I recall, some of the earlier attempts to use gasoline fuel in lieu of diesel for space heaters had a few issues. Hopefully all deficiencies have now been corrected. Some DIY builders have even added dedicated diesel fuel tanks to their gas vans in order to use diesel fuel for space heat.

For context, the new smaller 125G (gasoline) and 125D (diesel) Aqua-Hot are primarily meant for Class B vans and truck campers, so unless their cost is much lower than their higher-capacity counterparts, the economics versus other options may be quite different than those of larger motorhomes.


In any case, Coleman’s entry into 48 VDC air conditioning is another data point that the RV industry is slowly moving from 12V to 48V. It has been very slow, but I guess at some point acceptance should pick up speed.