Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred g
The advantage of the Cheap Heat system is that it ties into your duct work which is frequently used to heat basement compartments with plumbing and tanks. Some manufacturers also run water lines near the flexible heat carrying hoses. This is what keeps everything from freezing. Using supplemental heaters, may make it warm inside the coach, but they do not keep the tanks or plumbing in compartments from freezing.
If I were to spend a season where the temps went below freezing for a majority of the nights, I would definitely invest in the Cheap Heat system. Either way propane or electric, I would have a backup. If the propane ran out, the electric is always there. In emergency, the on board generator would provide enough power for the Cheap Heat system to keep the coach from freezing.
Fred
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Fred, if the compartments are insulated (and I'm assuming they are) it shouldn't take much heat to keep them from freezing. That's why I asked whether it's possible to run the blower without the propane heat -- although I expected it would not be possible from factory. Normally HVAC heaters turn on first to preheat equipment before blower comes on. That prevents a few seconds of cold air being blown on occupants. Anyway, if blower could have circulated warm coach air through compartments it may have been enough to keep tanks and plumbing from freezing in mild winter weather (I live on Gulf Coast and it doesn't go much under freezing).
Using the generator as a second backup is a good idea in case of no shore power and out of propane, but voltage could be an issue. For 30-Amp RVs which use the 1800 watt 110/120 Volt heater it shouldn't be an issue, but for 50-Amp service motorhomes with higher-capacity 220/240 Volt heaters, they would need to confirm whether their generator runs at higher voltage.
There is also the option to have both the smaller 1800 watt 110/120 Volt Cheap Heat system to insure tanks and plumbing don't freeze and then supplement with portable heater as needed. I'd personally have to inspect how my motorhome was built regarding insulation, tanks, plumbing, and ducts before deciding what to buy and install.
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