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04-13-2018, 07:58 PM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Crownsville, MD
Posts: 17
Year: 2002
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Type D chassis manufactured by navistar
Engine: T444e 7.3l V8
Rated Cap: 72
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In floor heating and space heaters??
Looking for an easy way to heat our bus. We’ll mostly be in 70 or up weather but will spend our first winter in Maryland. We were thinking of installing floor heating. Anyone done this? Also, would an electric space heater be safe? Any info would be awesome? Thanks!
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04-14-2018, 04:21 PM
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#2
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: SW New Hampshire
Posts: 1,334
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How's it going with that? Have you gotten it started yet?
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04-14-2018, 04:38 PM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Farmington Hills, Mi (Detroit area)
Posts: 1,968
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Eldorado Aerotech 24'
Chassis: Ford E-450 Cutaway Bus
Engine: 7.3L Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 19
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If you'll be plugged in to shore power an electric space heater will be easy and safe. Just make sure the heater has a tip over switch that shuts it off if knocked over.
By "in floor heat" I assume you mean hot water pipes embedded in the floor. That's certainly an option but is way more complicated than a propane RV furnace type heater. The propane furnaces are vented so no worries about condensation and carbon monoxide like there is with catalytic propane heaters.
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04-15-2018, 04:42 PM
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#4
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Crownsville, MD
Posts: 17
Year: 2002
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Type D chassis manufactured by navistar
Engine: T444e 7.3l V8
Rated Cap: 72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dan-fox
How's it going with that? Have you gotten it started yet?
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Not yet. Just trying to plan!
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04-15-2018, 05:34 PM
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#5
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Marion NY
Posts: 103
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: 3126 7.2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lwharma
Not yet. Just trying to plan!
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first off let me be clear, I do not know this ... but what if we used an original type setup with coolant lines in the floor?insulation kind of like radiant heat but had it heated through an external water pump of some style or type... does anyone know if this is available??... kind of like the diesel heaters using air, we use coolant
is this just a dumb question?
Jim
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04-15-2018, 05:41 PM
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#6
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Huntington Beach CA.
Posts: 939
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: T/C 2000 28 foot Handy Bus
Engine: Cummins 5.9 Mechanical
Rated Cap: 2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SilentReprieve
first off let me be clear, I do not know this ... but what if we used an original type setup with coolant lines in the floor?insulation kind of like radiant heat but had it heated through an external water pump of some style or type... does anyone know if this is available??... kind of like the diesel heaters using air, we use coolant
is this just a dumb question?
Jim
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It is called hydronic heating search for that term webasto is a maker of the diesel fired water heaters it is complex and exspensive but works very well
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04-15-2018, 05:50 PM
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#7
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Marion NY
Posts: 103
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: 3126 7.2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rivetboy
It is called hydronic heating search for that term webasto is a maker of the diesel fired water heaters it is complex and exspensive but works very well
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phew... lol i thought i was barking up the wrong tree.. lol.. i mean simple enough idea but the design would have to include piping or lines... connectivity to the diesel tank or other tank depending if you want seperate/reserve tank circulatory pump to make it flow and a simple heating element/area but to make it happen is the key oh yeah a thermostat control...lol
Jim
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04-15-2018, 05:52 PM
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#8
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Farmington Hills, Mi (Detroit area)
Posts: 1,968
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Eldorado Aerotech 24'
Chassis: Ford E-450 Cutaway Bus
Engine: 7.3L Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 19
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A few conversions here have done hydronic in floor heat. You need a water heater, some Pex pipe embedded in the floor, a circulater pump and a thermostat/valve to control the temperature.
You get nice warm floors but heat rise is slow in a cold bus. It's more complicated than some other heat methods but very do-able. Probably more suited to full-timers than weekend warriors.
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04-15-2018, 06:54 PM
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#9
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Marion NY
Posts: 103
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: 3126 7.2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roach711
A few conversions here have done hydronic in floor heat. You need a water heater, some Pex pipe embedded in the floor, a circulater pump and a thermostat/valve to control the temperature.
You get nice warm floors but heat rise is slow in a cold bus. It's more complicated than some other heat methods but very do-able. Probably more suited to full-timers than weekend warriors.
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hmmm... fruit for thought so to speak... Im a making mine a tiny home... and live in it full time...
Jim
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04-15-2018, 07:00 PM
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#10
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Marion NY
Posts: 103
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: 3126 7.2
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>A few conversions here have done hydronic in floor heat. You need a water heater, some Pex pipe embedded in the floor, a circulater pump and a thermostat/valve to control the temperature.<
So this way is simpler than connecting it to a diesel water heater... I actually like it... my idea so to say was off top of head and random but it literally is same thing as using a bus heater the way they do with engine coolant warming to temps... and a fan... its just radiant or gradual
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04-15-2018, 07:04 PM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,504
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
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Doing all this right now in Dory.
good luck,
later J
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04-15-2018, 07:56 PM
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#12
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Marion NY
Posts: 103
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: 3126 7.2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by joeblack5
Doing all this right now in Dory.
good luck,
later J
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well if my bus was only here... i'd still be hiding in the warmth of the house... seats, ceilings walls and floor should take what?? 1 day?? lol if only...i'm so excited to start mine but dreading those days where no matter what you try doesn't seem to work or fit together...
good luck with your adventures of fitting a bus
Jim
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04-15-2018, 10:23 PM
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#13
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Tahoe
Posts: 513
Year: 1997
Coachwork: International
Chassis: 3000RE
Engine: T444E w/ MT643
Rated Cap: 84 pass, 40'
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roach711
A few conversions here have done hydronic in floor heat. You need a water heater, some Pex pipe embedded in the floor, a circulater pump and a thermostat/valve to control the temperature.
You get nice warm floors but heat rise is slow in a cold bus. It's more complicated than some other heat methods but very do-able. Probably more suited to full-timers than weekend warriors.
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It takes hours in a house to get a room up to temperature but it's very energy efficient and very expensive to set up. If you live in it full time it might make sense if you will have it for a long time, but for the weekend it is not a good choice. You can't take it out like a heater if the bus dies. Also, there IS a possibility of leaking. It doesn't happen often, but if it does, it will really really suck. Trust me on that.
__________________
middle aged mom on a learning adventure
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04-15-2018, 11:39 PM
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#14
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Farmington Hills, Mi (Detroit area)
Posts: 1,968
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Eldorado Aerotech 24'
Chassis: Ford E-450 Cutaway Bus
Engine: 7.3L Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 19
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Since you'll eventually be moving to a warmer climate a hydronic system may be a big expense with limited use long term.
Assuming you'll mostly be parked in one place, what utilities will you have available? Electric and propane are both viable choices to power your bus heat and water heater. Electric is the most expensive to run but usually the easiest to install and I'm guessing you'll also need air conditioning which will require electrical shore power. Propane is cheaper to run but a bit more expensive to install. Hydronic is by far the most expensive to install. For someone in a warm region where heat isn't needed most of the year an RV furnace and a couple of 20lb propane bottles would be plenty of backup.
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