should i get the a/c with the heat pump??

[evelitalian]

my a/c is shot,i was looking into the a/c heat pump combo,one unit dual purpose,what do you think?any suggestions,anyone have this?

[klattu]

I have heat on mine, and use it.
Not a heat pump though.

[osolow]

my 1990 has the heat option on the A/C and i would suggest getting it after haveing it.
i have my furnace out of the trailer for repairs and was running the heat on the A/C and after getting the trailer warm it would keep it that way. Just warm though not hot but even thought it was in the 20's out side it did a good job, and remember it's 18yr old a brand new one would work better i would think.
But the owners manual says it just to be used to take the nip out of the air.
i dont Know what the price diffrance is between non heat and heat is but if it's not somthing extreme i would go for it

[CanoeStream]

The heat strip is part of the air conditioner and shares some characteristics -- it only works when you have a 30 amp hookup and the inside of an Airstream is noisy when either are used. The A/C is absolutely necessary when it is hot but the furnace is a fair alternative when it's colder. Furnace propane use isn't severe. A furnace does take care with battery management when boondocking. I'll take the furnace most every time even if I do have a hookup.

My heat strip seems to put out slightly warmed air. It would take a while to warm the living space but would get there eventually. The heat strip is said to lose effectiveness at 35 degrees or cooler.

Go with a higher BTU capacity air conditioner. Check Airstream's website for the A/Cs they put on Classics of a given length. That will be more the size you want. And if that size comes with a heat strip anyway, go for it.

[floridalarry]

Yep. I'm going with the 15,000 btu v the 13,500. The dealer suggested that if I plan to use electric, I first need to be hocked up and if I'm hooked up, I might as well get a small ceramic heater. Save $300 and the it's quite.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by floridalarry

Yep. I'm going with the 15,000 btu v the 13,500. The dealer suggested that if I plan to use electric, I first need to be hocked up and if I'm hooked up, I might as well get a small ceramic heater. Save $300 and the it's quite.

I had always used the ceramic heaters till this year. When my ceramic heater quit working, I bought one of those oil radiators with a digital control. It heats my trailer so much better than the ceramic ones did! It is still my primary source of heat, the heat pump/strip backs it up. It’s not quick, but once it warms up the warm air rolls up at an unbelievable speed. With no fan, it is totally quiet. I use one of those small clip-on fans to circulate air, and they are almost soundless.

[floridalarry]

Great idea. I never thought about that. Thanks.

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

I had always used the ceramic heaters till this year. When my ceramic heater quit working, I bought one of those oil radiators with a digital control. It heats my trailer so much better than the ceramic ones did! It is still my primary source of heat, the heat pump/strip backs it up. It’s not quick, but once it warms up the warm air rolls up at an unbelievable speed. With no fan, it is totally quiet. I use one of those small clip-on fans to circulate air, and they are almost soundless.

Vaughan, You've posted about the oil radiator before and raved. We've used the ceramics, too and are OK with 'em... just OK... what you describe sounds pretty hot, man... what brand/model are you using?
Bill

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Jaxon

Vaughan, You've posted about the oil radiator before and raved. We've used the ceramics, too and are OK with 'em... just OK... what you describe sounds pretty hot, man... what brand/model are you using?
Bill

Hi Bill,

I have a Honeywell Model HZ-709 that I got from Wally World. The digital model is more expensive, but you can set a temperature accurately and leave it on, no more setting it to low and coming back to 95 inside. I usually set mine to 67.

I was not prepared for the difference in performance. This winter was the most comfortable I have spent in an Airstream. I attribute it (1) to the improvements to Airstreams from 1967 to 1983 {double-pane windows, for instance} and (2) to how much better the oil radiator works. I doubt if you would have to turn on the furnace more than a couple of times all winter in Austin. That’s all I used mine here in Little Rock. As far as I am concerned, that little thing is the best thing since balanced running gear.

[jcanavera]

I've had the heat strip on my Safari and the heat pump on the Classic. The heat pump option heats faster and is thermostatically controlled. The heat strip throws out some warmth but if you get too warm you get up and turn it off, if you get cool again you get up and turn it back on.

While I've not heard anyone talk about the life of a AC/Heat pump combo, in the real world of residential heating and cooling (at least in our neighborhood), the life of the AC/Heat pump is shorter than a stand alone AC unit. It stands to reason that the compressor run time when used for heating and cooling is going to be longer. In our part of the country we've seen most residential heat pumps fail beginning in year 11 of use. AC units seem to fail at year 14 and higher.

Now translating that to the RV world, it depends on how often you use it. We use the heat pump in the early spring and late fall so run time is fairly inconsequential, so I'm not expecting to see my unit fail appreciably sooner.

On the plus size by using the heat pump, my propane usage over a season is equivalent to a 30 lb. tank.

Jack

[2airishuman]

heat strip and heat pump, are different things...

that both require ac power...

and either will make your little 'trotter TOASTY!

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...ace-38120.html

cheers
2air'

[starflyte1]

We have a heat strip and really like it. It takes the chill off. If it is really cold, then we use the furnace. I doubt if we would get another AS without the heat strip.

[Foiled Again]

JAYCANAVARA and 2AIR... have it right, the heat strips are basically similar to the heat strips in a toaster, the heat PUMP is the air conditioner running in reverse (taking heat from the outside air, pumping it into the A/S -- instead of taking heat from the inside and disappating it outside).

IMHO the heat PUMP is the better deal if you use your unit a lot or full time as I do. If you're primarily a summer camper, it doesn't make a lot of difference. Both require 30 AMP or a big generator. I particularly like the heat pump because using the furnace just sucks propane and I always run out at 3:00 am (it must be a law). The one disadvantage to the heat pump is that it doesn't work in really cold weather, but on mine, the thermostat will automatically fire off the furnace as "aux heat" if it's too cold for the heat pump to be able to extract any heat from the outside air. Also as JAY... said, it will probably wear out a bit faster than a conventional air conditioner.

If you are planning to sell your A/S in the near future, the heat pump might be more attractive to potential buyers. If on the other hand yours is a keeper and you are tempted by the lower price of the heat strips, remember they are manual - so a small space heater (or two for a large A/S) with a thermometer might actually be quieter and give you the temperature control that the heat strips don't provide.

It's your budget and your camping experience. Either way, happy trails!

Paula

[Jaxon]

We have the heat pump... of course, just as noisy as the A/C so no sweat, at least until it warms up...

A couple of years ago, we were at Ft. Davis, TX at Christmas time. Actually had a day of snow... about 1/4"... Civilized. At night, the furnace was needed but during the day, the heat pump worked just peachy-keen (temps in the 30's - 40's). Saved my propane and used their electricity.

Got a couple of small electric ceramic heaters that we've used in conjunction just to check it out. Worked well but I made sure to use the furnace in the evenings when temps dropped to freezing and below to keep the holding tanks from having any problems.

If you have an option to get a heat pump, I'd say get it. As others have said, it's great to take the morning chill off when required.