Improving a/c and heating while traveling??

[sfdladder11]

I was wondering if a curtain would help keep the driving area warmer or cooler! Has anyone ever tried putting a curtain up between the driver's area and the living area while traveling to help keep the heat and cool air forward?

I understand some use their generator to run the house a/c while traveling . . . would they also run their house furnaces while driving too?

If no one else has tried this, I might.

[ARFFMAN]

I recently was out in Colorado where the weather was 2 degrees when I prepared to leave.
I can't speak for everyone else but I would leave furnace on until the engine heat was enough and then I would turn off furnace to save propane. As far as A/C, if it's warm I'll run A/C roof units with generator while driving.
As far as Curtain . I'll be interested on who chimes in.

[10Boomer]

Sounds like an idea? Curious to see who adds there thoughts with this subject.


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[Randyman1]

A long, long time ago we had a 1976 Executive 32' MH. it came factory with a curtain behind the front seats. We would use it for nighttime travel so that the driver wouldn't be bothered by the interior lights if there was a card game going on while enroute. It did make a difference.

[wildtoad]

Many people have done this over the years and as long as it's just the two of you or just you works well. A lot of people also just run the gen and the roof air.

[halfprice]

Something like this

[sfdladder11]

Does it work to keep the driving area warmer or cooler?

[halfprice]

Originally Posted by sfdladder11

Does it work to keep the driving area warmer or cooler?

Ive only used it with the ac. Yes it keeps it cooler. It will work with heat also. It hold all the dash air in the cockpit

[guardrail53]

Originally Posted by ARFFMAN

I recently was out in Colorado where the weather was 2 degrees when I prepared to leave.
I can't speak for everyone else but I would leave furnace on until the engine heat was enough and then I would turn off furnace to save propane. As far as A/C, if it's warm I'll run A/C roof units with generator while driving.
As far as Curtain . I'll be interested on who chimes in.

Well, i think if it was 2* outside i would for sure have the furnace on, so the tanks had heat, and i was comfortable! I also would not consider a DP that did not have a diesel generator, just for the reason that i could run it while driving down the road to run the roof airs, when it is hot outside, and not worry about running out of propane!
Bottom line is i bought this MH to be comfortable driving down the road, not to be closed in behind a curtain? If i use a little more propane, or diesel, so be it!
All of the sleeper semi's that i owned had the curtains that closed the cab off from the sleeper, so if running team, one driver could sleep and one could drive!
That said, if you want a good heavy curtain, you could go to a truck salvage yard, and get a curtain and the hangers that is made of heavy duty material, split with velcro, and looks good! Most had snaps that held them tight against the walls, split in the middle, and were held closed with HD velcro! I doubt if they would be very expensive, and you could get the color that matched your interior! You would want to look in the big condo's style trucks with the tall integrated sleepers, and if they were too long, just cut them to fit!
Just a idea? Rail!

[robisinwa]

A neat trick for winter driving I've found is to use the engine heat to basically reverse heat the Auqahot coolant, and then run the furnace while driving down the road.

In this fashion the Auqahot doesn't need to run its heater or use any fuel, its heated instead by the engine heat, not running in reverse but the conduction is reverse... the Auqahot would otherwise be on cool down during drive time but since I have the dash switch on, and coolant flow circulating, the engine is heating the Auqahot and I int urn use that heat to run the furnaces like normal.

The whole reason I do this is I don't like running the Auqahot burner while driving down the road.

Key is to not turn on the block heater switch, just the engine heat switch. The block heater runs off 110 and you shouldn't run it while the engine is running.

[RobbieH]

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that if you run the furnace while going down the road, the electric and diesel switches can be off and you will get engine heat, without turning on the engine heat switch.

[zmotorsports]

Originally Posted by RobbieH

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that if you run the furnace while going down the road, the electric and diesel switches can be off and you will get engine heat, without turning on the engine heat switch.

This is correct, no need to have the engine heat switch on. The heated coolant from the engine will circulate through the engine loop in the Aqua-Hot system heating up the glycol as long as the engine is running.

Mike.

[10Boomer]

Originally Posted by zmotorsports

This is correct, no need to have the engine heat switch on. The heated coolant from the engine will circulate through the engine loop in the Aqua-Hot system heating up the glycol as long as the engine is running.

Mike.

Mike its slipped my pea brain again. To get more heat through the AQHot system how does it need to be configured and what needs to be on. Thx
Perry


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[zmotorsports]

Originally Posted by 10Boomer

Mike its slipped my pea brain again. To get more heat through the AQHot system how does it need to be configured and what needs to be on. Thx
Perry


Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - 2008 Monaco Camelot 40 PDQ

Boomer, I don't know that you will get any more heat into the boiler than it was designed to handle so I am not 100% sure what you are asking. However, during cold weather traveling when I am using the Aqua-Hot for heat I merely leave the diesel burner activated when traveling. This way the hot coolant from the engine is circulating through the Aqua-Hot keeping the glycol in the boiler tank up to the correct temperature. In the event that the glycol does cool down enough then the diesel burner will kick in as designed. I think that may be what you are after as without the diesel burner activated the glycol can cool off as the engine coolant does which would result in a cooler feeling air coming from the various registers spaced throughout the coach. By keeping the diesel switch on anytime the glycol drops below the lower preset temperature the diesel will ignite and bring it up to the upper temperature Klixon or T-stat.

I have had my wife listen for the burner on occasion when traveling and really haven't heard it kick in while actually driving the coach. We have however, pulled off in a rest area to fix a sandwich or take a stretch and had the burner ignite as the glycol had cooled off just enough after shutting down the engine for a few minutes.

In more moderate temps I even leave the diesel burner switch on but it rarely ignites when stopping for short a short time. I guess it is just habit now and I figured we paid for all the amenities of home, may as well travel comfortably. I doubt it makes much of a difference on MPG the few times the AH ignites in a day of traveling.

Mike.