Solitude 380FL Second Furnace

**DannyB** · 01-18-2022, 02:07 PM

Hello...we are full timers in our G.D. Solitude. Living in Canada, we need a little more heat than our 35,000 b.t.u. furnace is pumping out. We are considering installing a separate furnace in the rear storage area, and marrying it up with the existing ductwork on the unit. Has anyone attempted this on their unit? Wondering if possible to do, and what the outcome may be? Looking to run it off a separate thermostat as well...Any replies are appreciated..thank you

**JustUs&doggo** · 01-18-2022, 05:55 PM

I would think if you tie it into the existing ductwork that the two units will be fighting each other.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

**geotex1** · 01-18-2022, 09:04 PM

A lot of larger 5ers have dual furnaces, but typically they're independently ducted for different zones. It may be possible to segregate for existing ducting, say for upstairs and then main living, but would need some study. Maybe swapping an air conditioner to a heat pump more viable? It's really difficult fighting the heat loss of the slide rooms in the real cold...

**DannyB** · 01-19-2022, 10:29 AM

Thanks for the reply..the furnace is in the front of the 5th now...at the rear, there's barely a trickle of hot air coming out. Thought if we put a smaller unit (maybe 20,000 b.t.u.), and adapt to the ducting where there's no air coming out at all, it may do the trick ...(wishful thinking anyways)

**geotex1** · 01-19-2022, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by DannyB

Thanks for the reply..the furnace is in the front of the 5th now...at the rear, there's barely a trickle of hot air coming out. Thought if we put a smaller unit (maybe 20,000 b.t.u.), and adapt to the ducting where there's no air coming out at all, it may do the trick ...(wishful thinking anyways)

Not knowing your layout, another option could be a direct vent furnace, which is what you see in pop-ups and small travel trailers.

**Ickisrulz** · 01-19-2022, 12:38 PM

Why not just use electric space heaters?

**Tom Traveler** · 01-19-2022, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by Ickisrulz

Why not just use electric space heaters?

We just got a 380FL and the electric fireplace in the front living room and an electric space heater in the bedroom are our plan for colder weather. I have one of the "portable" electric/oil radiator style heaters. They are quiet and produce very even heat. You can run them continuously. There are some limits however. A 1,500 watt space heater will produce 5,000 Btu/hr running continuously, significantly less than a furnace. You could use a couple but would have to find outlets on separate circuits/breakers for each one as 1,500 watts is about the limit of one outlet and a 15 amp breaker in an RV. With the radiator style like mine, I'll have to tie them down when traveling. The radiator/oil style portables are also a bit safer than the fan style electric heaters and much less prone to starting fires if one is careless.

The fireplace, also 5,000 Btu/hr, is on it's own breaker in the 380FL, so no problem there.

As for advantages, you can place them were they do the most good, e.g. in your bedroom at night so you can lower the thermostat in the rest of the coach. (You will still have to run the furnace enough to keep the water spaces below the floor sufficiently heated.) Also, unless you are in a extended stay RV park with metered electricity at each hookup, power is essentially free. At $4.00/gallon for propane, 5,000 Btu/hr from propane will cost you about $0.30/hr. The electricity may be free or if you have a metered hookup, no more than $0.22/hr. The cost is a minor issue compared to drawing down your propane tanks. With the electric heaters, assuming you have shore power, you are not drawing down your propane tanks. Filling propane tanks is a pain in the posterior. By the way, running electric heaters from a generator running on gas or propane would be incredibly inefficient.

I am assuming you are not using the RV in northern Saskatchewan in the middle of winter. They only way to keep the coach warm there would be to put it inside of a heated shop.

**DannyB** · 01-21-2022, 10:56 AM

Hi Geotex1...not a bad idea. I'll pass it by my tech in the spring..too cold to do it this time of year! Thank you

**DannyB** · 01-21-2022, 11:08 AM

Hi Tom Traveler.. we are full timers in Vernon BC. Have 50amp shore power year round. As mentioned, fireplace in front & small mobile fireplace in rear bathroom at 1500 watts, Cannot run another heater mid trailer, as blows 15 amp breaker. Cost of hydro was overwhelming in Dec/20-Jan/21..for 2 months our bill was $389.00 ! So we've switched the hot water tank & fridge over to propane. Has made 'some' difference, but not a whole lot. We have the big 'pig' propane tank as permanent RV'ers.. Appreciate the info on the oil heaters as well.. a work in progress here!! Thank you

**Ickisrulz** · 01-21-2022, 03:39 PM

We spent a few days in Amarillo towards the end of December. It was fairly cold for Texas, the coldest we saw was 35.

When we fired up the propane heater we found what a lot of other GD owners have found. The cabinet in which the heater is housed got hot...real hot. We were worried severe damage would occur or worse. So we stopped using the propane heater and switched to electric. (I have since put in some fans to move some of the cabinet heat out of the cabinet into the living area. They work well.)

Anyway, we just used the "fireplace" and two 1500 watt ceramic tower heaters during our stay. We actually preferred these over the propane heater. It was quieter, cheaper and kept us warmer. Of course this wouldn't protect our underbelly if it had gotten too much colder. We didn't trip any breakers either.