How to get Electric Heat with thermostat

[ZFreeman2011]

I have a 2019 Reflection 297rsts travel trailer. I was wondering how and what is the best replacement for my air conditioner.

 

[Ynot4me2]

Are you looking to replace your AC simply to heat? Is it defective? Some of the higher end GD have heat pumps but they only work above a certain temp. Be careful as your underbelly is heated via the gas furnace.

Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk

 

[triplethreat]

I have a 2019 Reflection 297rsts travel trailer. I was wondering how and what is the best replacement for my air conditioner.

The heat pump units are a good option and will provide heat until it gets into the mid to low 40s. In my unit (Momentum 394) you select the heat on the thermostat and a couple of things happen. If the heat pump can provide enough heat to satisfy the thermostat setting, the heat pump will do that. If the outside temperature gets low enough that the heat pump will not provide enough heat to satisfy the setpoint temperature, the gas furnace will then provide the heat. If I remember correctly, the there is a 5 or 6 degree temperature difference between actual indoor temperature and what you have it set for, the furnace will come on and heat instead of the heat pump. Once that is accomplished...AND....the temperature is such that the heat pump can provide enough heat to meet the thermostat demand or setpoint, then the heat pump will do the heating. The nice thing about the way this is setup is that once the heat pump can no longer provide enough heat, the furnace will do the work....and that temperature is approx. 10 degrees warmer than freezing (32 degrees), so there really shouldn't be any fear of freezing in the underbelly for the water lines or tanks etc.

 

[Bungy]

The heat pump units are a good option and will provide heat until it gets into the mid to low 40s. In my unit (Momentum 394) you select the heat on the thermostat and a couple of things happen. If the heat pump can provide enough heat to satisfy the thermostat setting, the heat pump will do that. If the outside temperature gets low enough that the heat pump will not provide enough heat to satisfy the setpoint temperature, the gas furnace will then provide the heat. If I remember correctly, the there is a 5 or 6 degree temperature difference between actual indoor temperature and what you have it set for, the furnace will come on and heat instead of the heat pump. Once that is accomplished...AND....the temperature is such that the heat pump can provide enough heat to meet the thermostat demand or setpoint, then the heat pump will do the heating. The nice thing about the way this is setup is that once the heat pump can no longer provide enough heat, the furnace will do the work....and that temperature is approx. 10 degrees warmer than freezing (32 degrees), so there really shouldn't be any fear of freezing in the underbelly for the water lines or tanks etc.

Hmmm, they must have done something different with the Momentum line vs the Solitude. I have a 2018 373fb and the thermostat has two separate heat settings, electric (heat pump) and gas (furnace), there is no automatic switching between the two.

 

[ZFreeman2011]

I am just wanting the option to use electric heat. Where we go camping it doesn't get to cold at night. My thermostat only has propane heat settings. Which is the best brand to go with?

 

[Bungy]

I am just wanting the option to use electric heat. Where we go camping it doesn't get to cold at night. My thermostat only has propane heat settings. Which is the best brand to go with?

It would be a LOT cheaper just to get a couple portable electric heaters.

 

[CoChris-MGRV]

I am just wanting the option to use electric heat. Where we go camping it doesn't get to cold at night. My thermostat only has propane heat settings. Which is the best brand to go with?

Does your trailer have a fireplace w/electric heater? Our Solitude does and it is roughly equivalent to a 1500W electric heater. We use that when we are on full hookup. It works well to take the chill off in the mornings. When it get really cold I set the fireplace heater a few degrees above the thermostat setting.

To get electric heat via your wall thermostat will require changing out your AC unit, which is quite expensive. You can not just change your thermostat. As other have said, using stand alone electric heaters (many have a thermostat built in - as well as a tip over shut off switch) is a much cheaper way to go. Many people do use these.

Chris

 

[SGT ROC]

It would be a LOT cheaper just to get a couple portable electric heaters.

We have two portable heaters from our TT that we used all of the time. In fact, the TT only had the gas furnace on twice. Once when we bought it to make sure it worked. The second time was when we sold it - again to make sure it still worked. Our Reflection has a fireplace that is more than up to the task on those chilly nights that are above freezing. We have used the furnace more it the 5er though. We are tending to go camping more often in the early spring, and later in the fall.

 

[boyscout]

I am just wanting the option to use electric heat. Where we go camping it doesn't get to cold at night. My thermostat only has propane heat settings. Which is the best brand to go with?

As others have said, the simplest and least expensive option for improving electric heat capability is one or more electric heaters. We have several of these things:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/redstone-multi-purpose-fan-forced-ceramic-heater

For more money and trouble, it may be possible to put a heat strip option in your existing air conditioner. I know little about this, so will have to leave you to others and/or Grand Design and/or the internet to learn more.

Replacing your air conditioner to get one with a heat pump option would be the least sensible of your options, IMO. To be clear, we have one and we like it a lot but it only cost us a few hundred dollars more than a/c without the heat pump. Consider the following:

- as others have said the heat pump is of limited utility. It works when in temperatures from the high forties and up. It can blow a LONG time without adding a lot of heat when at the bottom of its range, and gets better as ambient temps get higher. It won't even run when temps are in the low forties.

- unless you're far too wealthy to be mixing with low-rent trailer trash like us, the cost of replacing your A/C and thermostat is staggering. The cost/benefit just can't be aligned on that.

Good luck with your decisions.