This Sunday looks like it will be a double header. As well as my blog today on “Braking Aids For Steep Grades”, I would like to address a possible new innovation in hydronic heating systems products. Perhaps you read my article of March 2nd covering the heating system choices available today; if not here is a link. Rumor has it that one, or more, of the companies building the hydronic heating systems, like possibly Vehicle Systems Aqua Hot or Oasis, has developed a propane fired model. This unit is supposedly some 20% less expensive to purchase than the diesel burner type. This would also open the hydronic heat market up to gas powered coaches and perhaps, by reducing the price point, to entry level diesel pushers.
Would gas chassis buyers opt for this more expensive heat option? That’s anyone’s guess as even at 20% reduction in price, would still pin the cost at 8 to 10 thousand dollars. That cost however, may come down if more were produced and sold. Many potential buyers would probably quickly say, no. But they should first understand the difference in heating quality that this method can provide. Again, please refer back to my article that compares furnace and hot water heat to that of hydronic type systems. It is possible that the additional capital costs may be slightly justifiably offset by extending the camping season in the colder climates in somewhat more enjoyable comfort. The maintenance costs on a propane fired burner should be far less than that required by the diesel unit.
If in fact this is a product to be soon introduced, what about after market? Could it be added to an existing recreational vehicle? I don’t see why not. It would be a labor intensified project to locate and install the heat exchangers throughout the vehicle and to plumb them back to the burner tank assembly. This is certainly a job that could be done by a handy owner which would substantially reduce the capital cost of such an addition.
So, is this fact or fiction? My guess would be fact. If there is a market for it, they will build it.
Just Stirring the Rumor Pot, Lug_Nut
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John Hilley
There is a gasoline powered boiler available. The smallest unit costs $1,400 for he boiler. It was developed for marine use. It could be added to any motorhome with MotorAid heating just by putting it in series with the MotorAid heat exchangers. I saw it at the FMCA show in Pomona. It is made by Espar Heater Systems. It is also vailable in diesel. It consumes .14 gal/hr on high and .07 gal/hr on low. Their WEB site is http://www.espar.com.
Larry Jones
My Allegtro Bus came with hydronic heating and I love it. No problems of any kind. I have had both standard lp type heating coach and water and wouldn’t trade my hydronic.
Chris Bryant
Precision Temp, who makes the tankless RV LP water heater, makes the Twin Temp LP/Electric hydronic RV system.
Leo Everitt
I have observed on many e-groups continual reference to problems with this type of heating. I have been looking at units that offer this as std or option and I’m not sure whether its a good deal or not.
Fred Golden
Hi,
Some of the biggest costs in a diesel fired boiler are the pumps and ignition required to run the diesel burner. A propane burner should not require such a heavy heat exchager, and no need to presurize the burner either.
One of the biggest costs is the variable output gas burner based on the output water temperature. With natural gas and propane gas boilers and water heaters, these have been well developed many years ago.
Another thing is making the boiler very energy efficient. So you don’t waste a lot of amp hours running a exhaust fan for the flue gas or overly large water pump motors. It is possible to use the high velocity gas going into the burner to push out the exhaust fumes without a fan. However with a RV, you might still require a exhaust fan to blow the flue gas away from the underside of the RV. And I don’t see any rooftop flue pipes being retrofitted into a RV!
And by making it a 80,000 Btu burner, you can have unlimited hot water for showers!
Fred.
Brent Beal
I doubt LP fired Hydronic would be feasable on a Class A Motorhome. Same problems as having a LP run APU apply. LACK of adequate LP storage and volume needed to run more than a few days. Federal law prohibits a 3 fuel system on a motorized vehicle. You cannot have LP/Diesel/Gasoline at the same time so you could not add a Diesel tank to run a Hydronic Diesel system in a gas RV if someone decided that would be a way to get around the lack of LP capacity. LP is NOT as efficient as a Diesel fired burner so you would use more LP per volume than Diesel to get the BTU’s required. As to maintenance, I have NEVER had to clean out a Diesel Hydronic system due to Insect mud nests. The fact that LP attracts Insects may mean another cost problem rather than the cost of maintenance of the Diesel fired systems.