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Old 02-09-2010, 09:07 AM   #21
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We're still not sure that a new furnace would be part of our "permanent" solution. At this point, we don't plan on doing much cold weather camping - nothing we wouldn't have done in a tent.

The second part of my OP asked about how people's plans for their Airstreams have changed. We bought ours as a temporary stationary place on a certain piece of land, but already our ideas are evolving. I'm curious about how other people's uses have expanded from what they originally planned on doing in their Airstreams.

Where has your trailer taken you that you didn't expect to go?
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Old 02-09-2010, 09:41 AM   #22
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We're still not sure that a new furnace would be part of our "permanent" solution. At this point, we don't plan on doing much cold weather camping - nothing we wouldn't have done in a tent.

The second part of my OP asked about how people's plans for their Airstreams have changed. We bought ours as a temporary stationary place on a certain piece of land, but already our ideas are evolving. I'm curious about how other people's uses have expanded from what they originally planned on doing in their Airstreams.

Where has your trailer taken you that you didn't expect to go?
Its hard to imagine not having a heater of some kind if you are doing three season camping. Can you get by without one? Absolutely. But do you just want to get by? Cool mornings, rainy days, chilly evenings are all more pleasant when you can cut the chilly with a few BTUs.

When traveling, I try to spend the majority of the time off the grid, so I tend to rely on a wall heater (True Value close out $50) as my main heat source. Oil heaters can be handy as well, but they do pull the current. The new low profile Carrier AC has a heat strip which is good for bringing up the temp by about 30 degrees over the outside temp. On the downside, it takes a long time to heat things up, uses a ton of power, and is loud. I have a replacement furnace that I am planning on getting installed when time permits. The downside to the furnace is it uses a lot of battery power to run the blower and if you are off the grid you have to do a lot of recharging of batteries.

How have my plans changed? Good heavens, how have they stayed the same? One never knows what life is going to throw out at you. The smart money is on rigging out your airstream for maximum flexibility. Suppose a chance opened up for you to travel to Alaska tomorrow? Or that you needed to travel for an extended period to be with family in a colder place and you wanted to stay in the comfort of your own camper? Why not make your camper a comfortable home where ever life might take you?
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Old 02-09-2010, 11:20 PM   #23
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Heater in Tradewind

So the new NT30SP heater is scheduled for delivery Thursday. My luck since I'm heading out to the Conroe Vintage rally at 11:30, it will probably show up (thank you UPS) bought an hour after I leave forcing a trip back into town to pick er up.
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Old 02-10-2010, 10:12 PM   #24
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We took out the furnace on our redo of the Argosy....we are also not much into snow camping.....on our first trip we bought a Mr Buddy propane portable heater and it worked like a charm. Don't regret taking out the furnace....but as on here you should know....everybody has a different take on each thing. We are not boondockers so we will be getting an a/c put on top with the heat strip so that will also help knock the chill out.
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Old 02-11-2010, 10:49 AM   #25
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I think this has been mentioned before but if you use any type of fuel burning heater, and it is not vented (no chimney) you are using up the air and possibly creating carbon monoxide. PLEASE open a window slightly and open one of your vents so fresh air can circulate.
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Old 02-11-2010, 12:27 PM   #26
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Why would you need a heater? My trailer is only under 3 ft of snow till the end of March... Can't even get it out from beside the garage. YEs it's good to have a heater propane heater Just in case there is no Elc.
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Old 02-11-2010, 04:39 PM   #27
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I have 1970 International with a surban heater. How do I find the model #? Thanks? I also dont plan to camp in cold climates. Would like le3ave out the furnace when I build a new galley cabinet.
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Old 02-15-2010, 09:51 PM   #28
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70's Heaters

Chances are you have the dreaded NT22A that had a recall on it due to leaks in the crossover tube. That's what my 72 had in it. Just pitched it in the dumpster Saturday after stripping and giving away any working parts. Yours should be labeled on the front panel but sometimes it's hard to read what's stamped on the label.
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Old 02-15-2010, 10:07 PM   #29
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Why do we need a heater?

I'll tell you. Because even here in South Texas during the Vintage rally it got bone cold here for most of the last week and even to week 3 of Feb.
I ordered a new NT30SP which showed up last Thursday, (thanks UPS for delivering it an hour after I left for the rally). Had someone drive it out to me because it was COLD in that trailer. Had a small thermal elec. heater running.
Well since the heater reached me about 4:00 didn't get it installed completely. But at 10:00 that night as temps hit freezing the breaker tripped in the trailer and off went the heater and TV. It overheated and tripped again a few minutes later. So to keep it running I turned it down quite a bit. It got chilly in that trailer that night. So I made it THE priority to get the new furnace running on Friday and did so at about 5:30. Bottom line FURNACE ROCKS! It was very quiet and having it come on and off automatically was music to my ears after nearly freezing Thurs. The heat rises out of the two floor vents and the trailer warms up evenly but it's not like central heating that blows on you in my house.
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Old 02-15-2010, 10:10 PM   #30
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Yup, the NT22A is the heater we had - past tense. It is out of the trailer, internals rotted to heck, and is waiting to donate any vital organs that might be useful elsewhere. We left the case and ducting just in case a future furnace seems in the cards or until we're absolutely sure that isn't the way we want to go. We're keeping our options open at the moment.

Current camping plans won't require much, if any, heat, so we're spending our energy on more urgent projects... like axles.
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Old 02-16-2010, 07:36 PM   #31
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Yes, I found the numbers and it is the dreaded NT22A ...add this little project to the ever growing list of things to do.
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Old 02-16-2010, 07:43 PM   #32
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heater

MelloM, I like your heater. Where did you get it? I think thats what Ill do. Thanks
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Old 02-16-2010, 08:15 PM   #33
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MelloM, I like your heater. Where did you get it? I think thats what Ill do. Thanks
You can buy catalytic propane heaters at any well stocked RV Parts Store. Ours is made by Olympian.

Olympian Wave 6 Catalytic Safety Heater - Item - Camping World
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Old 02-16-2010, 08:24 PM   #34
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Great, Thanks Mike!
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Old 02-19-2010, 04:08 PM   #35
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Yes, I too have the dreaded NT22A.
HAD...pulled it out PO said it works.. Im scared of it and not know anything about a furnace, its headed for the trash heap. On less worry. The good news.. Lots more cabinet space
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Old 02-19-2010, 05:53 PM   #36
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I've camped in my B-van in snow and freezing temperatures (down to 18 Fahrenheit one night). If you only ever plan to do summer camping, you can probably get by without a heat source, but I always take some form of heat with me if I'm out in the early spring/late fall/early winter time frame.

The earliest in the season I've camped is mid-March, in the DC area. The latest in the season is this last Christmas, in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area. A couple years ago, I stayed in the camper one night in February when the power to the house was out from an ice storm.

My B-van has a furnace, but it has developed a problem wherein it squeals loudly when it first kicks on, which makes it hard to sleep with. So, until I get that fixed, I've been using an electric space heater. It does okay, and it's fine at a campground where there's plenty of power available, but I need the furnace working for April's Cherry Blossom Rally in case it gets cold. Also, I don't like the electric space heater as much because it's in the way on the floor, while the furnace is neatly tucked away and has ductwork to warm both the bathroom and the rest of the camper. The furnace does a much better job making the camper "feel" warm.

Winter camping has its own challenges, but it's as much fun as camping in the summer.
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Old 02-25-2010, 06:43 AM   #37
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When I had a SOB, I never used the propane furnace; fired it up once or twice to make sure that it worked. I always used an electric, oil filled radiator type heater. I'll probably use a portable a/c instead of a roof top unit also. More versatile, less expensive.
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Old 02-25-2010, 07:53 AM   #38
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hey,heres my two cents.we live in southwest montana and go down by west yellowstone alot.it goes below 32 quite often at night and even occasionally snows even in the summer.i know my wife likes having control of the thermostat.we also have an electric heater in case we are somewhere with electricity.you can always go with, if you have it,you won't need it.
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Old 02-25-2010, 08:11 AM   #39
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I'll probably use a portable a/c instead of a roof top unit also. More versatile, less expensive.
More versatile? What exactly does a window unit do that a RV unit doesn't? As to being less expensive, maybe so; but don't you have to think there is a reason that so many RV owners opt for the more expensive solution?
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Old 02-26-2010, 08:43 AM   #40
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One reason for a furnace

So if you are traveling and it's a cold night and you pull off the road at WalMart or roadside park for a few hours your electric heater will be of no use to you. So you turn on the propane, move thermostat to the right and in a few minutes the trailer is warm.
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