Have you seriously started thinking about autocaravanning and want to make long journeys in comfortable conditions? Then you need, first of all, to worry about the warmth and comfort of the camper. To do this correctly, you need to find out what heating systems exist in motorhomes, to understand their advantages and disadvantages.
We will tell not only about heating systems, but also pay attention to the efficiency of each of them. After studying the material, it will be possible to easily choose the ideal option for heating the camper, taking into account the simplicity of the device, the comfort of operation, the autonomy and safety of the system.
The content of the article:
- RV heating systems
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Camper heating options
- Heating the camper with electricity
- Stove solid fuel
- Oil heaters - gasoline, diesel fuel
- Gas fired camper heaters
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Gas heating of a motorhome
- Correct placement of cylinders
- Combustion products removal
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The best manufacturers of gas heating systems
- Alde and Primus with liquid heat carrier
- Truma Air Cooled
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
RV heating systems
All heating systems of a camper can be divided according to two main criteria - the method of heating the coolant, the source of fuel. The most widely used air-cooled heaters.
The essence of their work is the intake of cold air, its heating and subsequent supply to the residential module. The high speed of heating the room and the low cost of equipment are the main indicators that explain the popularity of such heaters.
Air heating systems are distinguished by their accessibility, compact size and fast heating of the motorhome.
The disadvantages include high fuel consumption and uneven distribution of warm air. The system with a liquid heat carrier looks more complex, but also more perfect.
Its work is based on heating the water circulating in the system, which enters the radiators, which are responsible for heat distribution.
Heating with a liquid heat carrier allows you to connect not only radiators, but also organize a system with a warm floor
When installing such a system, you can consider the option of a heater with a built-in heat exchanger, which, in addition to heating, will provide the residents of the motorhome with hot water.
Camper heating options
The following sources of thermal energy can be used to heat motorhomes:
- Electricity;
- Solid fuel (firewood, pellets, pressed sawdust, coal);
- Liquid fuel (gasoline, diesel fuel);
- Gas.
Let us briefly consider each of the sources of thermal energy and try to choose the most optimal option for heating a camper.
Heating the camper with electricity
Electric heating of a camper is not even considered as the main source of heating. Electric radiators and underfloor heating systems require a 220 V connection and a current power of at least 10 A. This is possible only in equipped parking lots.
When installing solar panels, you don't have to worry about finding a comfortable camping, but use electric heating and any electrical appliances anywhere in the parking lot.
On the way, there can be no question of electric heating, but on equipped campsites electric convector heaters can be useful for maintaining a stock of the main source of heating.
Stove solid fuel
Mainly, firewood is used as a solid fuel. The role of a heater is not a full-fledged fuel boiler, but an ordinary potbelly stove.
This heating system is only effective for short trips of 2-3 days.
The wood-fired boiler does a great job of heating a camper, but is only suitable for short trips. due to the need for a stock of firewood, which takes up a lot of useful space and very quickly burn out
For a long trip, you will need a lot of firewood, their placement will reduce the spacious area of the module. And the autonomy of such heating is out of the question, since the firewood burns out very quickly and you constantly need to be distracted by the maintenance of the stove.
An alternative to firewood can be pellets or pressed sawdust, which received the name Eurodrova. Although they are consumed much more slowly, a large area will also be required to accommodate their stock.
Oil heaters - gasoline, diesel fuel
Gasoline or diesel fuel can be used as liquid fuel. They are taken directly from the tank. The advantage of such a system is its location.
It is located under the floor of the camper, which makes it possible to efficiently use the area of the motorhome. In the cold season, such a system can be used to warm up the engine before starting.
Diesel heaters are distinguished by their compactness, do not require additional space and do not reduce the useful volume of the module, but they create quite a lot of noise during operation
The disadvantage of liquid fuel heaters is the high level noise during their operation. Even with perfect sealing of the windows and doors of the camper, it will not be possible to completely avoid the smell of gasoline or diesel fuel in the room.
In addition, you will constantly have to monitor the fuel level in the tank, since in the cold season, its consumption increases significantly. Stopping with an empty tank several tens of kilometers before refueling is not the best travel option.
Gas fired camper heaters
The main advantage of gas heaters is their higher efficiency in comparison with electricity, liquid and solid fuels. In addition, such heaters are characterized by their autonomy.
Modern gas equipment automation allows not only to select the operating mode, but also to fully automate the operation of the heating system.
Gas heaters allow you to regulate the intensity of heating, and modern automation not only automates the operation of the system, but also ensures its safe operation
Compact gas cylinders of a standard size are capable of providing the campers with warmth and an adequate supply of hot water for a week, even in the cold season. If necessary, standard cylinders can be replaced with cylinders of larger capacity, thus increasing the fuel supply by 8-10 times.
Due to the autonomy of work, comfortable operation and high efficiency, it is gas heaters for garages and campers are most popular with most caravan fans.
Therefore, we will focus on gas heating of a camper in more detail, consider the principle of operation of the equipment, installation features, as well as safety measures during their operation.
Gas heating of a motorhome
The gas heating system of a motorhome, when using a liquid heat carrier, is practically no different from the autonomous heating of a private house or apartment using a stationary gas boiler. In the same way, water is heated in a heat exchanger, followed by its distribution through pipes to heating radiators.
For heating, a heater can also be used, which works on the principle of a traditional gas convector. The air required for gas combustion does not come from the camper, but is taken from outside.
Thus, RV residents are not oxygen deficient. Additional installation of a fan helps to evenly distribute warm air to the most distant parts of the room.
Correct placement of cylinders
For gas cylinders in a motorhome, there is usually a compartment on the outside of the side. If we are talking about a caravan, then the cylinders are located above the hitch in the luggage compartment. The cylinder is connected to the system using a flexible hose with subsequent distribution through the pipeline directly to the source of consumption.
Standard gas cylinders are placed in a special compartment, if necessary, additional gas cylinders can even be placed on the car frame, if the design allows
Traditional compartments hold two gas cylinders. This is a very important point, since it is difficult to determine the remaining fuel in the tank without special sensors. It is advisable to always have one full tank in stock in order not to be left without gas on the road.
Golden Rule fill an empty bottle avoid inconvenience as soon as possible. A standard cylinder holds 11 kg of gas, if necessary and space is available, you can safely install a cylinder of 100 liters and travel the longest distances without regard to the need refueling.
Combustion products removal
As a result of the use of gas, combustion products are formed, which require removal. The combustion products removal system is a conventional steel or coaxial pipe. Depending on the model, the exhaust pipe is installed in the side wall of the motorhome or in the roof.
In heaters with a liquid heat carrier from the manufacturers Alde and Primus, the combustion products are evacuated through the side wall. At the same time, in the traditionally used Trumo gas air heaters, combustion products are discharged through a pipe that is installed in the roof of the camper.
The best manufacturers of gas heating systems
Our climate is very similar to the harsh Scandinavian climate, where caravanning is very popular.
Therefore, it does not hurt to look at our Scandinavian neighbors to pay attention to the manufacturers of gas heaters for camper vans that perform well in critically low temperatures without compromising on the comfort of life travelers.
Alde and Primus with liquid heat carrier
The basis of the heating systems of the Alde and Primus companies is a liquid heat carrier (antifreeze). The system itself is an exact copy of the traditional heating system used for autonomous heating. Heating radiators are located around the perimeter of the motorhome and are interconnected with an aluminum pipe.
The boiler is equipped with a low-speed circulation pump, which pumps the coolant along the circuit. A 12V battery is sufficient for its operation. The gas boiler works autonomously, but it has a built-in module that can be connected to the 220 V power grid at the camping.
The air heated by radiators rushes along the windows to the upper part of the passenger compartment, through the ventilation holes it enters the roof, where it cools and rushes to the central part of the camper.
Warm air from radiators moves upward along the walls, thereby cutting off cold air that tends to get into the residential module through the windows
Often, the boilers are equipped with a system of underfloor heating with a liquid heat carrier, which moves along a coil mounted in a sandwich panel. An additional circuit during the installation of taps can be shut off.
Truma Air Cooled
The principle of operation of a Truma closed-type gas burner is to draw cold air from the camper, then heat it up and return it to the living module. A duct system is used to evenly distribute warm air.
The evenness of the air supply is enhanced by a small fan. The distribution of warm air can be adjusted with dampers installed on each duct.
A special feature of the Truma gas burner is that it ignites with a piezoelectric element. Starting is carried out not with the help of a battery, but finger batteries are used. The interior of the camper warms up much faster than with heating systems with a liquid heat carrier, but this increases the gas consumption, and the warm air is not distributed so evenly.
Gas heaters for heating a camper are distinguished by their autonomy, and when using high-quality automation and installation standards, they are characterized by safe operation.
When choosing the power of the equipment, you need to focus on the area of the motorhome and climatic conditions. For long journeys, a liquid system is ideal. coolant, and for short forays into nature, air is enough.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Installing a gas convector in a motorhome:
Truma 3000 gas heater overview:
Features of filling gas cylinders of various standards and solving the problem of filling them:
Caravanning is fun, but also very serious. When choosing a gas heater, preference should be given to brands whose product quality has been tested by time.
So you will not only ensure a high level of comfort while traveling, but also get a guarantee for the operation of the purchased equipment.
Would you like to tell us about your motorhome heating option? Do you have any useful information on the topic of this article that is worth sharing with your readers? Please leave comments in the form below, ask questions about interesting or controversial points, post a photo.
