RE: A/C heat strip

[Trlrboy]

 
I have a Coleman A/C unit and was wondering how much work it is to install a heat strip on it and whether it is worth the money.  Anyone done this?

[Turn Key]

 Trlrboy
Trlrboy: Popular wisdom seems to say that they aren t worth the cost.   You might take a look at this thread on RV.NET s " Open Road Forum" .  Covers it pretty good.
 
 [link]http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm[/link]  (Look under " Folding Trailers"  and then " Question About Heat Strips"  about half way down the page.)
 
 Got to use one once and wasn t impressed.  I think in most cases a ceramic heater is a better choice, at least in our area.
 
 Happy camping , buddy!
 
 

[Gamecock Camper]

 Trlrboy
The dealers will tell you that the heat strips will " take the chill off, but not heat the camper" .  I m not sure it will really even do that.  They really don t do much at all and I d recommend getting a Mr. Heater Buddy (runs on propane 1lb tanks and has a safety cutoff) or a ceramic heater.  It depends on where you camp and if there is usually power or not.  Now is a good time if there are any heaters left in the stores.  Here in SC the stores have been clearing out heaters for the last 2 months.  The only place that I think still has them here is Northern Tool (25% off)... but you might still be able to find a deal / clearance in Texas....  My first camper didn t have a built-in heater while my current PU has a suburban furnace built-in that can heat up in just about any outside temperature.  We also use the ceramic heater, Mr. Heater Buddy and a table top propane mushroom style heater when we camp in cool to cold weather.

[tlhdoc]

 Trlrboy
I have the Carrier Air V air conditioner with the heat option.  I was surprised at how much heat the Carrier produced.  I guess the Coleman doesn t work as well.

[hbfc6]

 Trlrboy
I like my heat strip. It really nice around 50 degrees.

[startx]

 Trlrboy
Bob, we love our heat strip.  We bought our coleman with it already installed, but we put one in our Dometic, and it was very easy, and they are worth the money in my  opinion.  However, considering you guys only use one bunk in your camper, I m just not sure you would appreciate the heat strip, unless of course Patty wants the camper a more even temp, instead of toasty warm in the bunk end and cold on the backside of the ceramic heater.
 
 The heat strip works well into the 40 s by itself in our 12 ft camper, and in the colder temps it is an added bonus for helping to move the furnace heated air out onto the bunk ends.  It picks up that nice warm furnace air, warms it some more, and blows it out onto the bunkends where you need it.  Without the heat strip, I am pretty sure we would burn up in our bunk, as it is very close to the furnace, and the kids would FREEZE.
 
 Without the heat strip, we would probably need two ceramic heaters, one pointed at each bunk end to stay warm, even with the furnace, and that would probably blow the breakers.  One ceramic heater alone did not heat our little tiny 8ft Meteor to our satisfaction, much less the big Flagstaff we have now.  But when we added a heat strip, the combination of the two would run you out of the camper from the heat if the temp was above 30 degrees outside.  Our experience with the ceramic alone was that the heat was too localized, where the heat strips helps to even out the temps in the camper, and especially gets that warm air out onto the bunkends.  We had the ceramic heaters with the fans in them, but even then, they only blow one direction.  We bought one that oscillates, but burned it up in one season, and it was not an inexpensive investment, the heat strip was cheaper, and my mom bought the meteor, and the heat strip is still going strong.

[Trlrboy]

 Trlrboy
Startx:  It will probably be our next purchase because we use two ceramic heaters and keep them down low.  They work OK but the air doesn t move around much.  I have a small fan to put in the camper and will try that before buying the heat strip so I guess I ll have to wait for it to get cold again... when s that?  7 months from now?

[JemJen24]

 Trlrboy
I bought an oscillating ceramic heater from Overstock.com and it works great.  Has LOW-HIGH-LOW OSCILATING-HIGH OSCILATING settings, a safety switch (in case of overheating)and is pretty small to produce so much heat.  
 
 Got it on clearance for about 20 bucks.
 
 J.