The heat is on (hopefully…)
Some motorhome owners don’t quite understand the operation of their space- and water-heating systems, whatever the brand. But there is really no need for confusion: they are all reasonably simple in operation.
One of the most common misconceptions, I’ve found, is that electric-option heating will heat a large motorhome quickly. I am frequently asked to check the mains elements in Truma Combi heaters because of “lacklustre performance”.
Understand the limitations
The issue is that they are relatively low-power units, at 900W per element, giving two electric settings of 900W or 1800W.
This is never going to heat a 6m-plus vehicle very quickly, especially if the ambient temperature is around freezing, or even lower.
With a Combi’s gas heating output at 4 or 6kW, depending on the model, the sensible way to get up to temperature quickly is to use either gas, or gas and electric, to achieve a comfortable level of heat, and then the electric option should be able to maintain that temperature.
The Alde wet heating system is similar to your household central heating, in that the heat source (gas, electric or both) heats water that circulates through pipes to radiators positioned around the ’van. Obviously it takes time to heat the water (actually a water and antifreeze mixture) before it can dissipate its heat through the radiators.
Some diesel-fuelled heaters have a reputation for flattening batteries or being troublesome about firing up unless on hook-up. This is usually due to the wiring to the heater being too thin and/or too long a run. The result is voltage drop at the heater, causing a low-voltage failure.
Another issue I often see is people afraid to leave a gas-fuelled heater on overnight for fear of CO poisoning. All motorhome heating should be room sealed, that is, combustion air is drawn in from outside the ’van and exhaust is expelled to the outside. Properly fitted heating systems can be safely left running overnight.
The best advice for anyone having difficulty with a heating system has to be RTFM (read the flipping manual!) – many problems can be resolved by this simple method.