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Any ideas on warming the bathroom and closet?


John E Davies

Does your bathroom and closet stay cold when running the furnace?  

12 members have voted

  1. 1. How well is the front of your trailer heated by the furnace? Please add comments in the thread.

    • Very well, I have to reduce airflow.
      0
    • Adequate with the register adjusted open
      9
    • Adequate with the register removed
      1
    • Inadequate even with register removed
      2


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15 hours ago, GAP said:

Hey Maniac,

Where did you source that high vent in the bathroom?  Seems like a great idea.  I'm going to ask Oliver if they would incorporate into my build but would bet it's too much of a "one off" thing.

GAP,

We took delivery last June. You certainly can ask or request a modification, but we were told by our sales rep that Oliver no longer does owner requested custom mods. It’s likely you will hear the same info. I believe the explanation was it slows down the assembly/production line. 
-Patriot

Edited by Patriot

 

2020 OLEII - Hull #634 aka-  “XPLOR” 

2021 F350 6.7 liter Diesel Lariat Ultimate Tremor aka- Beast

 

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We keep the heat register below the curbside bed closed all the time, to try and force heat forward. 

When camping with electric hookups, we use the Vornado heater that @Mike and Carol recommended here. Overnight we plug it into the outlet at the side of the nightstand. In the morning, we plug it into the outlet next to the bathroom door, and point it into the bath area for half an hour or so. Works well to heat up the bath. 

When camping without electricity, we use the furnace overnight. Then in the morning, we use the Vornado to heat up the bath for half an hour. 

Here are my calculations: 
I have 4 AGM batteries which have 400 amp-hours. Of that, 1/2 is useable = 200 amp-hours. 
This heater runs at 750 Watts, so 750 Watts / 120 Volts = 6.25 Amps 
6.25 Amps x 11 (fudge factor) = 69 Amps. (The fudge factor is because of inverter use, and comes from a post by Raspy.) 
The heater heats up the space well in 30 minutes, so 69 amps x 0.5 hours = 34.5 amp-hours. 

I can live with that amount of battery drain. 

And my wife really likes the bathroom to be warm for her shower. 

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David Stillman, Salt Lake City, Utah

2016 Oliver Elite II  Hull 164    |    2017 Audi Q7 tow vehicle. 

Travel and Photography Blog: http://davidstravels.net

 

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On 10/12/2020 at 7:09 PM, mossemi said:

I’ll bet you a cup of coffee that it will be either of these MaxxFan models if in fact your information is correct.

Mossey

952BAAC0-B11A-4D27-A19B-6C693D03AEFC.thumb.jpeg.472dbc3add832a3805479b1041b45e52.jpeg

DA254732-B9C0-4588-A14A-CE82A043894A.jpeg

Not the large vent I had envisioned, but I do hope it's the white version . . . . it will blend in with the Oliver's white exterior.

Here is the info I received from Matt Duncan, OTT Marketing Director

 We just started building 2021 models. Here is a list of most of the changes on a 2021.

- Girard Awnings replace Dometic (standard is powered)

- Furrion stereo replaces Jensen

- Vizio smart TV replaces Jensen

- Furrion backup camera replaces voyager (option)

- MaxxFan bath fan

I believe we added a 12v/5v charging station back under the dinette and a few other electrical changes.

Decor options are now packaged to included flooring, upholstery, and countertops. These are on our website.

 

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Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

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One of the things I discovered while doing some recent plumbing work was that my duct to bath was squished underneath the floor between the fridge and closet.  It had apparently gotten pushed out of place when they put the hulls together and about a third of it was pinched tightly between the two.  That left a duct that was probably no more than 1 ½" clear.  There's not a ton of space there for a vent to begin with - it's a little tunnel created by the water tank, shared with the bath plumbing.  I had a little bit less space through there than other people since my hot water line was insulated, so it's possible that my problem was caused by that.  The duct should be taped to the hull there to keep it in place, and I assume that there's enough space for the duct there normally - in my case I think it would have been squished a bit anyway.  Unfortunately, there's not a good way to inspect for that problem, unless you cut an access hole in the closet floor or under the fridge, or run a camera through the duct.  

I've ended up just abandoning the duct and I'm rerouting a new one down the other side, which is only possible because I removed the sewer pipe.  It's also going to have a tight squeeze under the floor of the dinette, but it should be better.  I'll add the new vent in the bath near the floor, next to the grey tank valve.  My shower curtain keeps that wall pretty dry, so that shouldn't be an issue.  Then the existing vent should make for a nice return air, with the added benefit of getting some air flow around the vanity plumbing.  

I plan to attach that vent to the rear connection on the furnace, and then daisy chain the two cabin vents off the front connection, which is the opposite of how it's done now.  Hopefully that should get a bit more flow to the bath vent, since it won't be teed off another.  I don't think that I'll be able to use rigid duct because of all the twists and turns, but I'll use insulated flex duct, which should at least make whatever air gets to the bath a little warmer.  I may do some sections in rigid duct if it makes sense - I'll play it by ear and see.

I'll have to use 3" duct at the dinette, but I guess I'll  use 4" up to that point.  I may see if I can fit a solid 3" duct through that space - there's a lot of wiring in the way and I don't know if I'll have the maneuvering space to get it through the hatch.  

Any and all advice on this little project would be welcome.

Edited by Overland
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23 minutes ago, Overland said:

I've ended up just abandoning the duct and I'm rerouting a new one down the other side, which is only possible because I removed the sewer pipe.  It's also going to have a tight squeeze under the floor of the dinette, but it should be better.

In hindsight, it many have been better to have left a section of the sewer drain pipe in place and repurposed it for the duct. But, have you considered the loss of radiated heat from relocating the foil ducts away from the plumbing? Maybe not a big concern for you though.

 

36 minutes ago, Overland said:

the existing vent should make for a nice return air, with the added benefit of getting some air flow around the vanity plumbing.  

After viewed the dusty environment with an inspection camera, I decided against using the entire bilge as a return air plenum, electing to duct into the closet instead.

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I believe that plastic air ducts have to be of a special type that don't build up a static charge that collects dust.  At least I know that's why you don't see fiberglass ductwork.  

I'm with you on the dust.  I've done a ton of cleaning but there are still some spaces that I can't get to.  But I feel like I've reduced it to the point that it won't cause problems - all of what's left seems to be a thin coating that's well adhered to the hull now, thanks to condensation.  I'm hoping in fact that some added air flow will help keep the hull space a little dryer.

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50 minutes ago, bhncb said:

But, have you considered the loss of radiated heat from relocating the foil ducts away from the plumbing? Maybe not a big concern for you though.

Absolutely, that was a consideration.  At the end of the day, though, I don't think I was getting much air through there, so perhaps it was an irrelevant debate.  But it's an interesting question - since there isn't space for both a duct and pipe insulation, which is better?  In general, I like the idea of having a duct there to keep the pipes toasty, or perhaps to thaw frozen lines after the fact. But for that to work, you need both the pipes and duct to be uninsulated, which makes the pipes more prone to freezing in the first place, and your duct much less efficient.  And the duct was pressing the pipes right up against the floor of the outer hull (which is remarkably thin, to my surprise - probably no more than 3/16").  I also had the additional 'requirement' of wanting to run the return line for my hot water circulator back along the same path as the supply, rather than all the way around the trailer perimeter, because it eliminated about 8' of plumbing and moved that line away from my electrical, vs the way that Oliver had done it.  Anyway, I came down on the side of insulation vs the duct.  If that turns out to be a mistake, at least I now have good access to that area via hatches in both the closet and under the fridge.  So I can change it back someday if I want, or at a minimum, repair any damage.  

Edited by Overland
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FYI, Here's a photo of that space, duct removed and pipe insulation added, taken from the new access panel under the fridge, looking forward.  This was a test fitting - in the end, I cleaned that space up a little and wrapped the pipes together in a blanket of reflectix before sliding them back through.  

IMG_0993.thumb.jpeg.836bc7adb9e38cb9c999b317a7f29cbe.jpeg

Edited by Overland
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Overland, could you indeed use the existing big (4”) sewer pipe and also the black tank, as a kind of huge plenum underneath the NH toilet? I am just throwing things out here, since I never for a second thought about running heat up the street side of the floor. Once the warm air gets to the black tank, I am at all not sure how you would get it into the bathroom itself. Maybe some sort of riser/ register duct in the front of the partition wall where it connects to the hull wall.... A nice white gelcoated item with moisture baffles from Oliver would be the most elegant way.

Just having a bunch of warm air flowing through the tank and out again (somewhere) would do a lot to warm the bathroom floor, and some would leak up through the hole under the toilet. If nothing else you would have a warm toilet to sit on....

Oooh, oooooh - how about cutting off  the black tank vent under the vanity and run that to the existing register? That could work pretty well, I think. You could even add another 1.5 inch “vent” pipe from the tank if you needed more airflow....

With this design you could also use the black dump valve as a flow regulator, with the outside cable removed. And of course the black rinse pipe removed!

John Davies

Spokane Wa

Edited by John E Davies
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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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I’d think any or all of that would be possible. My black tank and drain pipe are long gone of course so I can’t use the idea myself. Accessing the back of the tank to install a new line would be difficult, but just cutting the existing vent to connect that to the air vent in the vanity would be a cinch. You might need to rearrange a bit of the other plumbing but that’s easy. Cutting the pipe in the front dinette seat and running a full 4” duct from there to the side wall of the bath might be the easiest solution though. I’d just check that pipe once a year to make sure that it’s not generating static and building up dust. It would be easy to clean of course even if it did. 

Edited by Overland
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There are anti static coatings that will stick to ABS, such as .... https://www.techspray.com/a-permanent-esd-safe-coating-with-clear-benefits..... I wonder if such a product could be misted inside the sewer pipe and tank. Apparently they do not need to be evenly or heavily applied. They work kind of like rubbing with a dryer sheet.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited by John E Davies

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Overland - I am in awe at the amount of remodel/improvement you have done - seems like an Oliver in name  only. The Overland RV, base by Oliver.....

 

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Cindy,  Russell and  "Harley dog" . Home is our little farm near Winchester TN

2018 Oliver Legacy Elite II - 2018 GMC 2500 Duramax 

"Die young - As late as possible"
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On 10/14/2020 at 12:31 PM, Overland said:

FYI, Here's a photo of that space, duct removed and pipe insulation added, taken from the new access panel under the fridge, looking forward.  This was a test fitting - in the end, I cleaned that space up a little and wrapped the pipes together in a blanket of reflectix before sliding them back through.  

IMG_0993.thumb.jpeg.836bc7adb9e38cb9c999b317a7f29cbe.jpeg

I'm curious as to how you ended up with so much dead space under the refrig. Or am I not seeing things correctly?

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1 hour ago, BackofBeyond said:

Overland - I am in awe at the amount of remodel/improvement you have done - seems like an Oliver in name  only. The Overland RV, base by Oliver.....

 

lol, it's...different.  Wait 'til you see the rest of the plumbing mods.  Pressure testing now, before I finish insulating and tie everything down.

IMG_1077.thumb.jpeg.8cacdafc678748955e03c03e5059ebee.jpeg

Edited by Overland
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51 minutes ago, Overland said:

My fridge is a 12v Isotherm, which is shorter than typical. Oliver raised it up on a small platform.  I'd like to take advantage of that space somehow, someday.

A drawer fit nicely, under mine. 🙂

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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1 Question:  This may seem stupid, but when the furnace is on, is it normal for the A/C to be blowing?  Just wondering, making sure that this is normal.

2 Comment: When we re-do our duct-work, should we try to use stiff, irrigation type hose, due to the lower co-efficient of friction over a foil/wire duct?  I believe that a smaller diameter tube could be used, with less internal air-to-surface friction and have greater air-push velocity, all things being equal. I've seen that on some higher end air-conditioner systems in some modern houses.  Does that make sense?  Possibly substitute some 1.5 inch irrigation tubing that is heat resistant?  Just a thought...

thanks, Vector

2016 Oliver Legacy Elite II;  #129

Ordered in 2015, picked up in 2016.  My friend Don Thompson picked his up right in front of me, very cool dude.

2016 Nissan Titan XD, Diesel

 

 

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Can't  add to the trailer topic .

In a 2008, , in really cold conditions, I'd open the bathroom  door 

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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On 8/16/2020 at 9:35 PM, ScubaRx said:

All we have to do to keep the bathroom warm is leave the door open. No tricks with the vents or fan. If we're taking a shower, we keep it warm in there with a small electric space heater.

 

Just messin' with you about that space heater...

I hope you aren't running a electric space heater in the bathroom while you shower! 

Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

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On 10/15/2020 at 12:53 PM, Overland said:

lol, it's...different.  Wait 'til you see the rest of the plumbing mods.  Pressure testing now, before I finish insulating and tie everything down.

IMG_1077.thumb.jpeg.8cacdafc678748955e03c03e5059ebee.jpeg

I like your use of pipe insulation to support the water lines and protect them from vibration during rough travel.

I use the same thing (think small diameter pool noodles) to protect knife blades while stored.

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Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

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