Keeping The Fifth Wheel Warm In Winter

DMan

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The furnace works great in the fifth wheel, but we find it gets too hot in the bedroom while in the rest of the fifth wheel, it doesn't get warm enough. My wife is always complaining about her legs and feet feeling a draft and so she gets cold. Any suggestions about what we could do?
 

CozInCowtown

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Ceiling fan to get the air circulating in the trailer.
I heat the cab over with a terracotta flower pot turned upside down over the stove. Just light a burner on low and heat the pot.
DC
 

ppine

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Using a stove for heating, especially when you are asleep is always a bad idea due to the consumption of oxygen. People die every year in RVs from this problem.

Check for some blocked vents. Close the bedroom vent part way. Add a blanket.
 

campclose

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You are using a stove to keep the RV heated? That screams danger to me. I've heard of people using their gas stoves to keep their kitchen warm in their house too. I don't own a 5th Wheel so I'm not sure how to keep her warm.
 

Marshmallow

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Layers of down with a bit of thick fabric in between the layers gets me so hot I can hardly breathe, regardless of whether we have head outside or not. I'd be afraid of carbon monoxide and other toxic fumes inside such a confined space.
 

oldsarge

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Not sure how a heating system works in a RV but ducts are normally controlled by a damper, Allowing air to be dispersed evenly throughout the house/RV, I've had dampers partially close and restrict the flow. Even thought all the vents are open part of the house was still cold. Maybe this happened here. Just a suggestion.
 

RogerWilco

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I agree, I would check for blocked vents to see if air flow is being restricted anywhere. Other than that I can only say bundle up and close the bedroom vent a bit.
 

TroyS

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Are you using a portable furnace for your trailer? You might want to move this a bit further away from the bedroom, or turn it so that it's not directly pointing towards your bedroom.

You can also try adjusting the thermostat so that it is at a cooler temperature. The burner should cut off the moment it reaches the temperature you set your furnace.
 

DMan

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I think the big problem is with our fifth wheel, the ceiling in the bedroom area is much lower than in the living area, since it's located over the bed of the pickup. And the floor area is more protected so it stays warmer. We shut off the vent in the bedroom otherwise we'd roast. Guess we'll just have to plug in an electric heater to keep our legs warm in the other area. I would never use the gas stove for heat!
 

oldsarge

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If you closed off the vent to the bedroom, you should be getting way more flow to the rest of the areas. Also a small table top fan pointing toward the ceiling will get that warm air down and mixed in well with the cooler air below.

Here was some info I came across, maybe it will help.

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=13485.0
 
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carmen

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I think getting the air moving and layering if needed is much better than a possible fire. We had a similar issue in our house and then after investigating found out the last owners cruddy duct work was the cause of the issue. More than likely its just something you are overlooking.
 

DMan

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You know I never thought about pointing a fan at the ceiling. I bet that would help a lot. But I think we'll start to bring along an electric heater or two. Since we're paying for the hook-up we might as well use electric heat to supplement or maybe even replace the propane.
 
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