Warm in Winter?

2goldens · 12-04-2007, 05:30 PM

Where is everyone spending the winter? I am in Alabama and it is COLD in my trailer. The floors are cold and especially in the bedroom under the bed. Do all of you experience this?

When the heat comes on, it blows hot air and gets warm, but almost immediately, that cold air starts in again. It has been getting down to 29 deg at night. How do you all handle this?

2goldens · 12-04-2007, 05:30 PM

Where is everyone spending the winter? I am in Alabama and it is COLD in my trailer. The floors are cold and especially in the bedroom under the bed. Do all of you experience this?

When the heat comes on, it blows hot air and gets warm, but almost immediately, that cold air starts in again. It has been getting down to 29 deg at night. How do you all handle this?

Highgturn · 12-05-2007, 02:26 AM

2goldens,

Currently in Fort Worth, Texas and basically about the same temperatures as you in Alabama. The coldest temperature I have experienced so far, is 17 degrees F and I managed that very well. The only cold spot on the floor seems to be in the galley of our MKO. The bed being over the heated cargo bay should not be getting very cold. Have you checked to see if all your duct work is connected to the furnace? I suppose each floor plan has it's own characteristics in how it manages the cold, but I think any Excel should not have a problem with the upper twenties. All I can say is when it gets really cold, you will use a lot of propane, i.e. 40#s about every 4 or 5 days if you keep it comfortable.

ChiefJohn · 12-05-2007, 04:15 AM

I've found that a small ceramic heater in the basement storage area, leaving the interior wooden access doors open on each side, provides sufficient heat to keep the floors warm. However, the majority of the area under the bed is positioned in the overhang area. We also use a heated mattress pad.

Dutch_man39 · 12-05-2007, 04:25 AM

You need to move further south. Here in Naples, FL the low this morning was 48 and the high yesterday was 74. Today will be 76 and tomorrow 80, then 80's every day for a week or more.

We're still stuck in our condo so no report on temps in our 5th wheel as we don't have one yet!

The condo is for sale so as soon as we can sell we'll be ordering our truck and trailer so we can hit the road full-time.

Bill

clspds · 12-05-2007, 06:26 AM

2goldens,
We also use a heated mattress pad and we like it. We also use the insulated vent pillows sold at CW and my wife made one to fit the skylight in the shower. I agree that you should check your duct work. Last winter I checked ours and found the lid from a spray can restricting air flow in one duct. If you are in a area and get high winds check around your windows and slides for air getting in and insulate those spots.

Ottawa · 12-05-2007, 06:26 AM

I bought a ceramic heater from Home Depot, that has a remote for just that reason. Open the bathroom door to create a larger area with bedroom. Can turn on heater while still in bed

. Works great and keeps a more consistent temperature in the MH.

Greenthumb · 12-13-2007, 07:32 PM

I find that swing in the regulation of the thermostat is large, probably about a 3 degree swing between the temperature the heater turns on and when it turns off. Is there anyway to change it so that the swing is smaller? I can do that on our home thermostat but haven't figured out how to do it on the one in the Excel.

Workshop · 12-14-2007, 04:20 AM

Frank,

Not sure if you have a Coleman Air Cond. and an Atwood furnance. This is the instruction manual for my units T-stat. Look on the bottom of page 14. Indicates that this electronic T-stat isn't adjustable if you have the same unit.

2goldens,

Not fulltiming. Spent last week at Ft. Clinch St Park in NE Fla. Low 39 at nite to mid 64-72 during the days. Used furnance to take the chill off in the morning and ran an electric when needed. Temps this week has been 77-82 for highs, using the time to caulk and seal the beast.

2goldens · 12-16-2007, 10:55 AM

In my RSE, with the enclosed bathroom, I have to keep the bathroom door open all the time to have the heat come out. The bathroom vent is right over the furnace and gets most of the heat blowing right there.

(Excel Engineer) I wonder why the vent could not be in the bedroom instead? That is a bigger area to heat than the little bathroom. I can always put a little electric heater in the bathroom if needed. But, the little vent in the bedroom has nothing coming out to speak of.

And, while I am thinking of it. Isn't there a way to make the vent covers more accessible without having to unscrew them each time to vacuum the dirt/dust out of them? This time, I am just leaving the screws out since I am in one spot for a while.

Also, it would be nice to have the vents be able to close in the summer, when you are not using the heat instead of open for dirt to fall in.

That's all I am thinking of at the moment!!

clspds · 12-16-2007, 11:37 AM

2 goldens,
In our 33RSE the bedroom and bathroom heat vents are on the same duct. I bought a vent that closes and put it on in the bathroom and we keep it almost completely closed thus more heat comes out in the bedroom.

2goldens · 12-16-2007, 11:59 AM

I have an RSE with an enclosed bathroom. I think the major problem in the design is most of the heat goes there and not in the bedroom. The bathroom vent is right over the furnace. I have to leave the door open at all times so the heat can come out and it goes toward the hallway. Excel engineer....why not have the vent in the bedroom? The small piping for the little vent in the bedroom emits little, if any, heat and it would make more sense having that go to the bathroom.

While I am on the matter of vents, I just unscrewed all the vents to vacuum the dirt and dust that fall through the open vents. Now, I am leaving the screws off while I am in one place during the winter. In the summer, I have put pieces of plastic under the vents to keep the dirt out. Why aren't the vents the kind that you can close?

2goldens · 12-16-2007, 12:04 PM

Clspds,
My RSE has a vent that opens/closes in the bathroom. Closing it doesn't help the coldness in the bedroom though. My bedroom vent is just a little 2" round hole in the wall. The plastic piping underneath is fed off the main furnance piping and it just doesn't get back there. Closing the bathroom does blow more heat out to living area.