More Heat Strip February 08, 2010, 09:57:20 am Yahoo Message Number: 109807The doing away with the heat strip for a heat pump really worries me (we have a 2010 on order). We regularly travel in winter climes, and I have constantly noted that the heat strip is good for keeping the coach warm down to about 40 degrees, then adding a 1500 watt electric heater keeps it liveable down to about 5 degrees, then you have to add the furnace. But the furnace means refilling propane every few days which is hard to find in the winter. Requiring the furnace at warmer outside temperatures may just well spell the end of winter camping for us. Steve, this is one area where you should have left well enough alone.Gus Weber
Re: More Heat Strip Reply #1 – February 08, 2010, 10:30:47 am Yahoo Message Number: 109812"Steve, this is one area where you should have left well enough alone."Gus You should not be disappointed with the switch from a heat strip to a heat pump. The heat pump should produce greater heat using the same wattage. It's just another technology for producing heat.Larry
Re: More Heat Strip Reply #2 – February 08, 2010, 10:34:49 am Yahoo Message Number: 109813We agree that the heat strip works fine within limits and supplemented with a ceramic or catalytic heater you can keep very warm. That said, we wear more clothes to stay toasty. Microweave clothes really make a difference. We sleep with the thermostat on whatever set to 56 at night and are more than comfortable. So our advise is more clothes and less heat.
Re: More Heat Strip Reply #3 – February 08, 2010, 10:45:11 am Yahoo Message Number: 109814We the heat strip often in the winter, when camped with shore power. I like to leave it on during the day, while we are gone. The fan circulates heat everywhere, better than a portable heater.Larry
Re: More Heat Strip Reply #4 – February 08, 2010, 11:01:04 am Yahoo Message Number: 109819wrote: Steve, this is one area where you should have left well enough alone. --- Agreed. If I understand the concept correctly (please correct me if my understanding is inaccurate), a heat pump works works best when the temperature is not particularly cold. The pumpâs efficiency decreases as the temperature drops; when the outside temperature is close to freezing, the heat pump wonât work at all. Maybe this âimprovementâ seems desirable if one camps only in âwarmerâ temperatures, but I think that those who camp in areas where the temperatures are near or below freezing might not find a heat pump to be a useful change.Joan