(Jacksonville FL)
Controlling the comfort level in an RV can be a challenging task. The preferred method is to move the RV to a better climate. But, sometimes my situation may not allow for an immediate change in location.
Many RVs do not have enough insulation. Lucky for me the Lazy Daze motorhome I plan to buy has well insulated walls, floor and ceiling. And for ventilation it comes with insulated double-pane tinted windows, two exhaust fans in the ceiling and one over the stove, and a moon-roof hatch that opens. Insulated covers for the openings can be made too. These features will help control the air manually.
Pelonis Electric Heater #HF-0003
For heating there is a 20,000 BTU ducted furnace, and the roof A/C comes with a 5,000 BTU heat strip. On the recommendation of Jim, over at Jimbos Journey blog, I purchased a small Pelonis electric heater for when I am on shore power. It has 3 heat settings (600W-900W-1500W), a fan, and a thermostat with variable adjustment to maintain temps. My test, in a small room on the lowest setting, shows it works great. In the future, I may get an Olympian Wave-3 catalytic heater which runs on propane only. So that should cover keeping warm.
O2-Cool AC/DC Fan
Cooling is provided by a 13,500 BTU roof air conditioner which requires shore power or the onboard generator. I plan to do a lot of boondocking so it will probably get little use. Ventilation and fans will provide most of my cooling. In his Eureka2 eBook (an excellent RVers resource), Andy Baird suggests the O2 Cool portable fan seen above. It can be used with either shore power (AC) or with battery (DC) current. And, look closely to see the hook that allows it to be hung up; a nice feature for an RV space.
With this climate control plan, staying comfortable while traveling the country in the motorhome will be a lot easier.
For more posts that show other aspects of the rig see the Tardis page.
Camp: Home in the sticks-n-bricks
Scene: Residential neighborhood
Those little space heaters can work wonders. I use one when on shore power (all the time any more). The one I use has a temperature setting which makes placement critical. If you put it in a cold spot, you roast because the heater runs forever. If it’s in a spot that’s too hot, it doesn’t run enough. Once you get the placement right, a small space heater can sure do wonders.
Have a good one!
Thanks for commenting Bradford. Yes, a little heat is welcome on a cold day. As I mentioned in the post, I also want to get a catalytic heater too. That way I will be able to use either electric or propane. Good point about the placement of the heater. Hope you stay comfy in your van this winter.