Questions about furnace in a older trailer...

[Andrina72]

Hi everyone…

I have a 35ft 1979 Terry TT (Model N). We do not tow it, as it has a roof on it and is attached to a small room addition on our recreational property in WA State. (We live in BC, Canada)

A couple of years ago we removed the furnace because we were told that the heater coil had a small crack and could potentially be leaking carbon monoxide into the trailer. Since then, we’ve tried getting by with a couple of portable oil heaters (1 in the trailer and 1 in the addition). Long story short, we’re freezing and our electric bills are astronomically high during the coldest months. (we don’t use our property during the coldest months, but we have the heat on low to prevent freezing)

We’d like to start using our place more often and year round. Therefore, we either need to replace the furnace or find a more efficient portable heater. So my questions are:

1) Can anyone tell me what the size or model name/number is of a furnace that would fit in my trailer?
2) Does anyone know of somewhere I might be able to find a furnace, either new or refurbished in the Pacific Northwest area?
3) If I can’t get a new furnace, does anyone know of any types of portable heaters that would be powerful enough to keep us warm in January, but energy efficient enough that I don’t need to get a second job to pay the electric bill?

Thanks very much for your time.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Andrina72

Hi everyone…

I have a 35ft 1979 Terry TT (Model N). We do not tow it, as it has a roof on it and is attached to a small room addition on our recreational property in WA State. (We live in BC, Canada)

A couple of years ago we removed the furnace because we were told that the heater coil had a small crack and could potentially be leaking carbon monoxide into the trailer. Since then, we’ve tried getting by with a couple of portable oil heaters (1 in the trailer and 1 in the addition). Long story short, we’re freezing and our electric bills are astronomically high during the coldest months. (we don’t use our property during the coldest months, but we have the heat on low to prevent freezing)
We’d like to start using our place more often and year round. Therefore, we either need to replace the furnace or find a more efficient portable heater. So my questions are:
1) Can anyone tell me what the size or model name/number is of a furnace that would fit in my trailer?
2) Does anyone know of somewhere I might be able to find a furnace, either new or refurbished in the Pacific Northwest area?
3) If I can’t get a new furnace, does anyone know of any types of portable heaters that would be powerful enough to keep us warm in January, but energy efficient enough that I don’t need to get a second job to pay the electric bill?
Thanks very much for your time.

Andrina72
Me thinks you would be best off to drain the water and use no heat in the winter....(That's what many snow birds do with their sticks & bricks when they travel south for the winter).

BTW, few "trailers" are insulated well enough to heat them inexpensively in the winter.... no matter what type of furnace you use....and few RV furnaces can heat a RV in temps colder that 30 degrees F, (-1 C), let alone a 35' trailer with a small room attached.

Mel
'96 Safari

[Andrina72]

We used the trailer year-round before the furnace was removed. The furnace kept us warm and cozy. It worked great... except for the part where it may have been poisoning us! ......... I think that with a proper furnace in the trailer and an oil heater in the addition we'd be perfectly happy.

Now I just need to know how to go about replacing the furnace in the trailer. Not sure there are many 1979 trailer furnaces out there on the market.

[TDI-Minnie]

I would get a nice little woodstove. Seriously.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Andrina72

We used the trailer year-round before the furnace was removed. The furnace kept us warm and cozy. It worked great... except for the part where it may have been poisoning us! ......... I think that with a proper furnace in the trailer and an oil heater in the addition we'd be perfectly happy.
Now I just need to know how to go about replacing the furnace in the trailer. Not sure there are many 1979 trailer furnaces out there on the market.

Andrina72
Is the "trailer" a "travel trailer", a "5th wheel RV" or a "mobile home"?

Most any heating/cooling company/contractor will have, or can get, furnaces, (gas or electric or fuel oil), that will work well in a mobile home.
RV furnaces are different than mobile home furnaces and few, if any, will heat an RV "warm and cozy" in the dead of winter.

[Caveman CBB]

Can you still find the old furnace and get the brand name and model from it?

RV furnaces have changed very little since 1979. A new one should be able to fit in the same spot that the old one came out of.

But, there are a couple of different company's out there making furnaces that is why getting the name and model from the old one would help.

[justafordguy]

A propane catalytic heater would be a good alternative. They are very efficient.

[Andrina72]

Originally Posted by Caveman CBB

Can you still find the old furnace and get the brand name and model from it?

RV furnaces have changed very little since 1979. A new one should be able to fit in the same spot that the old one came out of.

But, there are a couple of different company's out there making furnaces that is why getting the name and model from the old one would help.

I managed to find out that my old furnace was a Coleman and that a Suburban NT model will fit in its spot. I've priced them out and found someone to install it.

I'm surprised that everyone is saying that an RV furnace won't keep the place warm and cozy. When our Coleman was still working, we'd set the thermostat at 72-ish and we were always very comfortable. It's only been the last couple of years, when we only had the oil heaters to heat the place, that we've frozen our butts off.

Thanks again for all the input and advice. Much appreciated.