Finally Bought a Motorhome Forums

maryiow

Well, we did it! We bought our first coachbuilt motorhome - a VW Compass Navigator and our first run in it was driving it back home, a trip of over 200 miles. It's had a full service, an alarm/immobiliser fitted and is booked to have a habitation check next week. Everything seems to work and, following the service, runs very smoothly and we are very pleased with our purchase - even though it was on e-Bay.

One thing that we have noticed though, is that the rear does not get warm when using the cab's hot air blowers as we are driving along. Both the front seat passenger's and driver's arms/shoulder that are nearest the 'aisle' get cold. Is there anyway we can improve heating in the rear whilst driving?

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

twooks

Hi maryiow and welcome to the site.
Well done on your purchase, we looked at Compass several times over the years but opted for a van conversion on a VW T4. Great to drive.
Sorry I can't help with your heating problem, but I'm sure someone on here will be able to offer advice as well as sympathy for your plight.
Don't let it stop you cruizin tho Wink

autostratus · Moderator

Hi Maryiow and a big welcome to our community.

Unfortunately the standard cab heater fitted to most motorhomes is incapable of heating the rear compartment having not been designed for that purpose.
This causes problems for passengers in the rear which are difficult to solve. Motorhomes fitted with diesel powered heaters which can be left running while travelling are an answer but expensive to fit retrospectively.

With the open space behind the cab the heater is often inadequate for even keeping the cab warm and measures have to be taken for winter travelling.
If you have no passengers to carry in the back then a simple solution to winter cold is to replace the short overcab curtains with full length and draw them when travelling. It is possible to draw them partway and pin them together at about 1 metre high to leave a gap to see out of the rear window but still keeping much of the heat in the cab.
When we travelled down to Spain in January a couple of years ago we made a one metre high door arrangement with thick cardboard immediately behind the driver and passenger seats which was very effective in keeping our lower bodies warm and well worth the effort.

I'm sure there will be other suggestions.
Good luck and enjoy your new motorhome to the full.

GeorgeTelford

Hi Maryiow

Welcome to the site.

I have started a topic in Tech/Mech section Called :

Vehicle heating while traveling [url=http://www.motorhomefacts.com/postp25156.html#25156]Click this text to Jump to other Thread[/url]

George

Don Madge

Maary wrote

"One thing that we have noticed though, is that the rear does not get warm when using the cab's hot air blowers as we are driving along. Both the front seat passenger's and driver's arms/shoulder that are nearest the 'aisle' get cold. Is there anyway we can improve heating in the rear whilst driving?"

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance."

Hi Mary,

We have the Eberspacher Airtronic D2 with Digital Timer fitted in our Timberland. It was an optional extra and was a very good buy. I think they might become standard in the future especially the combined heater and water heater units.

I don't have George's technical knowledge so I know nothing about the workings of it. With the digital timer and thermostat we are able to control the temperature quite easy. I'm not sure of what happens if you don't have the digital timer fitted. I suppose you just switch off when the van is warm enough. Somebody will know doubt put us right.

We were in northern Greece (Kalambaka) last January when the overnight temperature dropped to minus 6 the van was frozen solid but within ten minutes the heater coming on the inside of the van was very comfortable. It does help to remove to condensation from the inside of the windscreen as well.

It's taken all the worry out of using the heater in winter. We sometimes get to remote places and gas is not always available but diesel is.

We were concerned about noise and battery drain but neither has been a problem yet.

The only downside is that some campsites that take tenters have banned the use of this type of heater. This I got from a German friend, I've not come across it myself..

Don

PamNPete

We also have an Eberspacher diesel heater & they can be used when driving (the new ones are available with air conditioners)

We drove a Renault Traffic van before we got the MH & the heater in that worked well when the van was full to the roof with boxes. But we could have frost & ice on the roof at the back

Travelling through France with temp BELOW -7C at mid day(heading South to the sun). We hung a blanket across the back of the cab area down to the floor Worked well. Then we left this in place over night to restrict the Diesel heating to the living area. In the morning we opened up the vents under the windscreen to defrost the screen then put the switch to divert heat to the engine to preheat this to aid starting

Enjoy your new life on the road If you see the blue Renault /Devon. The one with the roof rack & box & double cyce rack on the rear it will
probably be us

Don Madge

Pete,

Treat yourself a set of Remiss cab blinds they help even more. We also have a set of thermal curtains at the front to shut of the cab and inside the rear doors, gets very cosy on a cold evening.

Don

Anonymous

Hi,

Practicalmotorhome did an article in the November issue.
It talks about sealing the vents in the cab doors to allow the heat to be forced into the rear living area.
Apparently the serrated grills in the cab doors are there to force heater air to flow through the cab while the vehicle is moving.
By sealing these you are then using the ventilation in the habitation area, thereby pulling the heat into the living area.

Don't know if it works, but its an inexpensive starting point.
If you would like me to email you the article please let me know.

George

Don Madge · Last edited by Don Madge on Thu Nov 11, 2004 7:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

George wrote

"Practicalmotorhome did an article in the November issue.
It talks about sealing the vents in the cab doors to allow the heat to be forced into the rear living area.
Apparently the serrated grills in the cab doors are there to force heater air to flow through the cab while the vehicle is moving.
By sealing these you are then using the ventilation in the habitation area, thereby pulling the heat into the living area".

George,
I'd be interested in a copy please.

Don