Circulating warm air in underbelly

[JerryL]

I read on here somewhere about circulating air under neath the belly by running the furnace fan, even when the furnace isn't fired up. How is this accomplished? I have tried moving the fan mode on the thermostat to on, instead of auto, but it still doesn't turn on. I have also tried turning the heat/cool switch to off, and the fan to on, which does turn the ac fan on, but that doesn't seem like that would circulate through the underbelly. How does one turn the furnace fan on, while the furnace is off? I am wanting to circulate some of my "electric" heated air under there.

[Dave&Ginny]

When I winter camp.....I have a radiant heater I put in the basement.

If you turn the thermostat in the bedroom to run....it will work. It doesn't work on mine on the main thermostat

[JerryL]

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

When I winter camp.....I have a radiant heater I put in the basement.

If you turn the thermostat in the bedroom to run....it will work. It doesn't work on mine on the main thermostat

I tried the bedroom, and it blows though the ac vent, also. I can't get the furnace fan to run, without the furnace kicked on, and burning.

[atom ant]

Hmmm, that's a good question. A always assumed like Dave said that if you select fan on, the furnace fan will come on, but now I think all that comes on is the AC fan.

[JerryL]

^It would be nice to have the furnace fan on, to circulate warm air through the belly. I haven't been to get the furnace fan to come on, except when it's fired up. This is the first time I have ever tried this, on any RV, but it seems like it would help heat the underbelly, with warm air from the living area.

[lwg]

If you don't have heat pumps the only heat option you have is in the living room. The propane heater only circulates air when it's heating and for just a few minutes after it shuts off to cool down the heat exchanger.

[atom ant]

Jerry,
When you turn the fan switch to on in the living room, what fans comes on?

(I hate being in storage for the winter )

[JerryL]

Originally Posted by atom ant

Jerry,
When you turn the fan switch to on in the living room, what fans comes on?

(I hate being in storage for the winter )

The ac fan. I have to put the heat/cool switch to off position and the fan switch to on, on the thermostat, to get any fan to come on, and it is the ac fan. I have not been able turn the thermostat to any setting that will get the furnace fan on, without the furnace "fired". Same results on the BR stat.

[TNTBaker]

I've done all this. Can't be done. Something that they need to change in my opinion. Unless the furnace is ON, then the fan that circulates in the underbelly will not run. It's not like this in our other RV. You CAN turn the fan on without turning on the furnace. We are going to put a heater in the basement.

[JerryL]

^ I probably will also, but any electric heater I can't see, I don't seem to be able to trust.

[lwg]

Originally Posted by JerryL

^ I probably will also, but any electric heater I can't see, I don't seem to be able to trust.

Put a low wattage one down there then. You just need a little heat, not enough to start a fire. I'll probably put either an oil filled one or a small 200 watt heater down there with a remote thermostat this winter. I have already put a smoke detector along with a CO detector down there since it's right next to the propane heater.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by JerryL

^ I probably will also, but any electric heater I can't see, I don't seem to be able to trust.

Jerry.....you are correct about the way fan controls operate.....they only control the A/C fans not the furnace fan. I also would like to make a change it that. I haven't taken the time yet to check the the main furnace control thermostat to see if I could add another switch to run the fan continuously.

Up to now I have used a small fan placed near the cold air return to force room air into the cold air return. My thinking is that would at least keep the the utility area at room temperature. I don't like having a heater in an area not easily accessible. At the very least, you would have to ensure that it is fastened down so that it could not tip over.

Guy

[TNTBaker]

We are even investigating the feasibility of installing a cadet style wall mounted heater or something like that. Obviously it would have to be exceedingly safe. If we can find something that passes all of our criteria for that then we will install it. redwood would be well served to come up with a Four Seasons option that perhaps included a belly specific heating system. It would be ideal because you only need to keep the belly area above about 45 degrees. It's not possible to have both the room and the belly the right temperature with the current system. Making the belly warmer than that is just wasting energy and stealing heat from your room air. That's just my opinion. One option I have also thought of would be heating cables or the like. Obviously I haven't given it enough thought yet but I'm working on it.

[atom ant]

there is always this! Never heard from anybody that has it, but it would seem to cure the woes.

http://www.rvcomfortsystems.com/

[mhs4771]

A very simple option: Hook-up and take the RW to warmer climate for the Winter months.

Sorry, just couldn't resist rubbing it in.

[JerryL]

^I wish I could. I can option winters in warm climates, but I'd have to go without the DW, and she'd never buy that option. It's a drawback to having a wife 8 years younger, and that much behind in retirement, but the upside is that my wife is 8 years younger.

[Dave&Ginny]

Originally Posted by atom ant

there is always this! Never heard from anybody that has it, but it would seem to cure the woes.

http://www.rvcomfortsystems.com/

That looks like a pretty good system

[EWendlandt]

Last winter we were camped out near South Bend, IN. We used the furnace and during the day the fireplace. The wife kept the thermostat at 70 in our case the thermostat read 2 deg higher than actual. I had a thermostat on the tanks that we could read from the kitchen, during the day with the fireplace running the tanks would cool down to 37 or 38, at night with just the furnace running they warmed back up to 45+. This was during the polar vortex where nights were in the -20s. I did have a skirt on the trailer as well but no additional heat lamps or other fire hazards.

[lwg]

Originally Posted by EWendlandt

Last winter we were camped out near South Bend, IN. We used the furnace and during the day the fireplace. The wife kept the thermostat at 70 in our case the thermostat read 2 deg higher than actual. I had a thermostat on the tanks that we could read from the kitchen, during the day with the fireplace running the tanks would cool down to 37 or 38, at night with just the furnace running they warmed back up to 45+. This was during the polar vortex where nights were in the -20s. I did have a skirt on the trailer as well but no additional heat lamps or other fire hazards.

This is very useful information! I will be conducting my own "test" soon as we're heading to Colorado for the winter. Was planning on some foam skirting at a min, maybe that's all I'll need after all.

[Dave&Ginny]

Somebody on this forum last year had dropped the belly and placed heat pads under the tanks but I can't remember who. They had said it wasn't a big job.