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How to Install a Heater in an Enclosed Snowmobile Trailer

172K views 150 replies 14 participants last post by  gerard143  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I decided to add a heater to the enclosed trailer. My garage has no heater and no insulation so I was always having to travel to my buddy’s heated shop on his farm to work on my sleds.

I wanted to show my installation and provide a great deal of information to help others if they decide to do it.
I sometimes use my enclosed trailer for camping, so it was a plus to add a heater. I don’t hunt, but if I did, I would camp out in there in late fall!
It’s great for mobile repairs.

This is the first season I had this heater and it worked awesomely! I love it. Unfortunately, I had a crank bearing go out in my sled, so that really came in handy when working in negative temperatures outside.

I would recommend insulating your trailer first for the best propane usage and power consumption. Mine is uninsulated, but I have the white interior panels all the way around and the ceiling.

I currently have used 45% of my 15.4-gallon tank and on estimated 80 hours of a heater on(not running constantly though). I find that really good!
I found my heater and propane tank on Craigslist, took a while, but a great deal.

My total build investment is around:
$381 – Heater, propane tank, propane lines, anything heater install related
$220 – Electrical Install – That price also includes my 120VAC install with the duplex also. For someone doing the cheaper router, you could just add a battery and isolator relay to power.
I included my supplies list and source information.
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Everything might be considered overkill, but I love it. It new man cave as well too. The heater has come in handy.

There was a lot of talk on Heating in the Truck and Trailer thread but figured to start a new thread.
lg96gt and gerard143 and others have had good information posted there as well.

ENJOY!

Heater
I decided to go with a 30K BTU RV/camper forced air heater.
I didn’t want a catalytic heater. I also didn’t like the smell of Mr. Heaters. Those heaters also add moisture.

The RV forced air furnaces are the safest and the only way to go for heaters in a trailer. You can safely store gas cans inside and clean carbs and not worry about fire.
I mostly use the heater for repair jobs inside the trailer. My requirement was at least 30K BTU. I found a used Duo-Therm - 65930-064 30K BTU. I really wanted a Suburban or Atwood for its size, but got this for $125 locally. I’ve seen used Suburbans go for around $200-$500. I might upgrade later, but the heater kicks the heat out! Atwood and Suburban make great RV-forced air heaters.

My Duo Therm measures:
Width: 15 1/2"
Height: 14 1/4"
Length: 23"

Propane Tank Options
I had to figure out a Propane solution. I didn’t have room for an outside tank mounted in front of the V like campers are set up. My jack was in the way. I didn’t want to keep it inside just for safety reasons. I have seen people do it before but decided against it. I wanted to do a permanent mount propane tank mounted underneath the trailer in between the axles. I kept my eye open for an ASME Horizontal Permanent Mount RV propane tank.

The ASME tanks are different than the DOT (non-permanent) Horizontal Mount tanks and are more expensive. The DOT(non-permanent) Horizontal Mount in service uses a horizontal mount, but when you need to fill it, it needs to be vertical. The DOT regulation tanks cannot be mounted underneath the trailer. Only the ASME tank would fit my needs.

The Permanent ASME tanks have a Relief Valve, Vapor Service Valve, Outage Valve (Fixed Liquid Level Gauge), and 80% Stop-Fill Valve. I kept my eye out for one on Craigslist. After a while of searching, I found one for $50. I had to drive 1 ½ hrs to get it, but worth it. The tank was a 15.4-gallon tank, so plenty big. These tanks are hard to find I learned. I think my other option would be #3, mount it in the V of the trailer and enclose it in a box and vent outside.

I listed propane mounting options for others to use.
1. ASME Horizontal Permanent Mount RV propane tank

- Mounted underneath trailer in-between axles
- 15.4 Gallon tank – 3x capacity of a normal 5-gallon bbq tank
  • Can be filled in this position. I got the tank filed at my local propane service shop. He just let me crawl underneath the trailer and connect the fill hose. I was going to put an acme remote filler hose to the side of the trailer, but my propane usage is great. Only got it filled once before the season and lasted all season. I have no problem crawling underneath it in the fall. Propane fill goes pretty fast too.
  • Most expensive setup - $400 new, found mine used for $50 – hard to find used ones
$400 LP Gas Tanks on Sale - PPL Motor Homes
- This setup and safety were questioned by 1 person on the Trucks and Trailers thread. Here was the info I gathered. I should have an extra diamond plate for more protection. My tank did come with a rock shield by the propane connections already.
"I talked to 6 different guys on SnoWest about the installation. That's where I got the idea. SnoWest guys have been running that setup for years like that without any issues. People also use this same propane tank on old-school VW Westy vans. It must be ASME rated though.
I like your idea of the diamond plate as a shield. Extra protection. Good thinking!"

"We all like to attempt to plan for the worst case scenario like rollovers or slide-offs. I tried a little extra protection when I mounted it behind the axle. At least if I hit something hard, the front axle should sustain the hit. That is head-on and not sideways though. With the other propane mounting options, there is still a chance of it getting damaged in an accident as well. Maybe not as much as my setup, but still a chance."

"But the shield is a good idea because if your regulator vent hole (pretty tiny) gets iced over, the reg will not work."

Other people’s ideas
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2. Vertical Mount Outside in front of V of trailer
Must purchase bracket
Trailer jack might be in the way
Other people's ideas - Exterior V Mounting Tank Pic
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3. Vertical Mount or Horizontal Mount in a trailer in an enclosed box with outside vents
-Must build propane mount and enclosed box with outside air vents
The propane Tank should not be exposed to the inside heating area. It should be sealed in an enclosed box and vented to the outside.
“I see some of you guys putting tanks inside...my math on this one was pretty easy on why NOT to do it. making a mount, and running an extra 20ft of copper cost me around $40. mounting it inside, possibly dying if I sleep overnight in the trailer, or a possible time bomb if for some reason escaped gas ignites cost me my life. ever seen a trailer filled with propane blow-up? there isn't a trailer anymore...(youtube) I'll take the $40 route. just my .02”
ndmtnsledder on Snowest had a great idea.

“I was able to figure out how to open up the front of the V inside and managed to squeeze a propane tank at the bottom and seal from the electric area, then a battery shelf, and above that an RV style charger converter that runs my 12v and 110v systems and a battery meter gauge”.
“I have very fine-meshed steel that the propane tank sits on but the mice can't get through and then I went around underneath all the wall cavities and sprayed an expandable foam that said it's mouse-proof. Since I've done that I have had a single sign of mice in the trailer.”

ndmtnsledder's(snowest) setup
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Propane Tank Painting

I decided to repaint it before it was mounted. Wire brush and Rustoleum Clean Metals Primer & Paint. I Rubber band a plastic bag over the valve assemblies and paint away.

Before

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After Wire Brush and sanding
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Let the painting begin

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Propane Tank Install
I mounted the propane tank underneath the trailer. It is located towards the back, behind the axles. I figured it was better protected behind the axle. The propane tank had mounted on it. I dropped carriage bolts from inside the trailer down. I put some big spacers on the bolt to keep the tank directly off the floor.


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Propane Lines Install
The furnace requires a 11 w.c pressure. I picked up a 2 stage Propane Pressure Regulator and connected it to the propane tank. I used 3/8” soft copper for the short runs and ½” black iron pipe for the long runs. I used ½” steel clamps for fastening to the frame underneath. The best tubing to use is the Marine Grade Flexible LPG tubing.
See propane mounting pdf.



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Heater Install

Electrical

I needed to have 8A DC available for the heater. You do not want to run this directly off your normal truck starting battery when the truck is off. You will need another battery or 120VAC power w/ 12DC transformer. I wanted 120VAC power outlets installed as well. To supply enough current and run this setup I had a couple of options. For the majority of the time, I will always be around a 120VAC outlet available(shore power). At my house, hotel parking lots, etc. I will eventually put in 2 – 6V golf cart batteries or just buy a generator for mobile locations where no power is available.

The shore power(house electric outlet to extension cord) is brought into a Marinco Marine On-Board Charger Inlet (15-Amp, 125-Volt). For the time being, I’m not running an air compressor so 15A is fine. When I do add it, I will replace the 15A Marinco inlet with a 30A hookup.

The shore power wiring then goes to a sub-panel breaker box with 3 breakers. The 3 duplex outlets are wired to the breakers for AC use.
I needed a +12VDC supply also for the heater and lights. I used a 400-watt (15A) computer power supply to power the DC loads(heater & lights, etc…) when 120VAC shore power is plugged in. The computer power supply was modified so it turns on with no load and added 8awg wires for the heavier currents. I will eventually go with a PD 9245C 45 Amp RV Converter/Charger to replace the computer power supply if I add batteries to the trailer. The computer supply was a cheap solution for the time. I added a relay so the trailer receives +12VDC from the truck when it is hooked up to the truck, but when 120VAC power is hooked up, the +12VDC switches to the computer power supply. I needed switches and circuit breakers for the +12VDC as well


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The +12VDC, Ground, and 2 Thermostat wires are run into the wall.

The 3/8” copper tubing is brought up into the wall and then connects to the heater(3/8” flare connection). I dressed it up with some wire loom.

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A shelf for the heater was built using ½” angled aluminum. It was mounted directly to the trailer's tubular steel frame. I mounted it as close to the ceiling so the sleds could drive underneath it.

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I added extra “head” protection on the sides of the heater mounting shelf.
First and LAST time I bang my head!

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Other people’s mounting ideas
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Exhaust Mounting
I used a Suburban Exterior Vent for the exterior of the trailer. I mounted an interior plate to help with the mounting.

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I bought a Suburban Furnace Heater Exterior Vent for the exhaust. The tubing is 2” exhaust tube that I bought and had bent at a local muffler shop. It has a 45 degree end and a 22 ½ degree bend because the exterior vent sits below the heater.

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Thermostat
The thermostat was mounted to control the temp. The thermostat was a Suburban thermostat. 2 Wires attached. Mounted it in the front of the V.
I also added a remote override switch in the cab of the truck so I can turn on the heater when I’m driving in case I want to warm the sleds up before I arrive at my destination.

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Ducting
The heater has 4” outlets on it. I just used a 4” right angle duct outlet into 4” flexible duct tubing. I also attached a 10’ Triplewall Pipe 2 Hole down the side for more airflow. I left 1 tube hanging down. I couldn’t go all the way to the floor due to the sleds needing the space.

Most RV Forced air heaters require a minimum ducting volume. This also helps draw heat away from the heater. Using ductwork, you could evenly space the heat output throughout the trailer.

See attached Pic

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Heater Fresh air Intake
Update!

Add another 2" hose
I did not add an exterior fresh air intake at 1st. This was incorrect.
I now added one. I'll get pics updated sometime

Air Circulation
IMPORTANT

The key to the trailer heat is to get a fan to really move the heat around and to the floor.

I noticed a huge temp difference between the head level and floor level. 70F on top and 40-50F on the floor. A couple of feet make a big difference this is my 1st season with the 30K forced air furnace. Not insulated, but I have white panels on the ceiling. I really noticed it when it gets under 10 degrees outside. ! My feet were a little cold when working on the sled.

This last weekend I temporarily added a desk mount 12" fan. I had it head level and pointed it down on 1 side. Worked great! All the snow on the floor completely melted on only 1 side of the trailer the fan was blowing directly on. The key is to really push that air around as others mentioned. The heat rises so have to get it to the floor. This summer I'm going to install 2 12" fans on the ceiling and point them down. 1 on each side.
A drain on the floor is a good idea if you run into water pooling as lg96gt had.

I'm going to add a Fan-Tastic Vent 01100WH Endless Breeze 12V Fan. It's a compact size and looks like it really moves the air. Little pricey, $70. I actually almost bought that for my camping trips in the summertime, but I bought a RoadPro RP73002 10", the cheaper one. I'm going to permanently mount the Fan-Tastic Vent fan, and use my other Roadpro camping fan since I don't need it in the winter. The Roadpro is a decent fan and moves a decent amount for my big tent while camping. I want a little more airflow in the trailer though.

They're both 12V fans and compact. The Roadpro even has a swivel on it, so I flip it up out of the way. I have a taller trailer though so it shouldn't be an issue.

Insulation
I did not insulate my trailer. It would be really nice to do it beforehand. lg96gt recommended. Propane usage will be higher with the uninsulated trailer. More battery power consumption with the heater running more on un-insulated.

You should make sure that the alum sheet metal outside wall and the interior wood wall are sealed shut. Mine and a couple of other people’s trailers were open. lg96gt shows you how to seal it up.

Insulation Ideas and Pics
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On the Trucks and trailers thread, gerard143 had trouble getting his trailer really warm. I believe he has the normal white panels on the side walls, but his ceiling is open, with only the exterior roof panel and no interior white panels. My roof has the ceiling interior white panels on, so I believe that is a crucial step if you install a heater. gerard143 ended up putting insulation on the ceiling.

“After insulating the roof with 1" reflective covered foam board it helped with heat loss a ton. It will get up to 65-70 now in cold weather and once all the stuff in there warms up the furnace actually kicks off and on instead of running nonstop. I can def tell ducting lower to the floor would help with more even heat but screw it at this point. Running ducts would look ugly and shelves and etc are in the way now. Your feet can get cold though if you're in there wrenching a few hours standing on that floor.”


Insulation Info
Insulation Sheets
R5 1" x 4 x 8 FOAMULAR 250 Rigid Foam Insulation
Model Number: 270644 | Variation: Scored Square Edge
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$15.62 per sheet

2" polystyrene on the ceiling and 1" on the walls.

I would use the "blue" Window and Door Great Stuff. It expands less and thus uses less product to cover the same area and less cleanup, plus it won't bulge the wall panels if you shoot it into a hole.

Hacksaw from Dootalk.com setup. Awesome setup.

Hacksaw dootalk Pics
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Attachments

#3 ·
I'll chime in later in the week on my days off with details and pics of my install.



UPDATE

ok so here is my parts list:

  • 1" reflective foam board from lowes. R-rating of 6.5 $18 a sheet x 6 sheets
  • 1 Deep Cycle Marine Battery Group Size 29. Walmart for $100.
  • 1 Suburban SFQ-35FQ Quiet Model 35,000 BTU propane furnace $450 off ebay. Airxcel | Suburban Manufacturing Products These are nice and do not require an exterior door for access do to flexibility with where the propane connection is. Only a small vent plate on the outside.
  • Suburban exterior vent plate $15 from anyrvparts.com part #260542
  • heater intake tube for that plate $8 part # 050906
  • Elixir 30 Amp RV Power Converter to get 12v power off 120v $105 ebay
  • Propane tank wall mount $52 ebay
  • Propane regulator and 12 ft hose $40 ebay
  • Suburban wall mount thermostat $14 ebay
  • Misc Wood for shelf $20 lowes
  • Misc flex pipe, muffler sealant and adapters from advance auto $30
I agree about the moisture from other heaters. With my salamander I would get so much condensation in there the ceiling use to have water dripping off of it inside. Was crazy. Vented furnaces are the way to go. Much quieter too.

Info on my trailer and spray foaming wall gap:
Trailer is 24 feet long with a 4 foot V-nose. So 28 feet total. I opted for a 7 foot tall ceiling as well. So it is a large area to heat. The 35k btu furnace does a good job. 40k might be more ideal and it would run less but 40k for whatever reason seems to cost a lot more. I can still get to 70 all day long so it's good enough. No insulation is in the trailer at all when I bought it. It has 3/8 inch plywood walls from the factory. There is atleast a 1 inch air gap between the inside wall and outside wall due to the 1" square framework tubing. When I cut out the electrical outlet holes I noticed the wood fell to the ground so I layed under the trailer and filled that gap with three cans of great stuff big gap filler expanding foam. It was quite and easy and wasn't even messy. Did the entire length of the trailer both sides. So it is now sealed from outside air blowing right up in between the walls and out the interior at the top where the walls meet the roof. This helped a lot holding heat in there. Attached is a picture (a couple posts down in the thread) of what the spray foam would look like if the walls were removed so you can visualize it... but again I was able to do it from underneath which is cool.

12 Volt Power:
12v convenience is nice. Toss a battery in and no external power or 120vac or generator needed. I love that. Basically I can walk into the trailer...slide the thermostat slider over and furnace kicks on and its not that loud at all. No 120v power required. This is the ultimate in convenience. No time spent freezing rigging up a generator or outside power. I bought a new deep cycle battery. You definitely want a deep cycle. My furnace will run nonstop for pretty atleast 40 hours on a full battery charge. I bought the biggest deep cycle walmart had. See below for info on how I charge it.

Insulation:
Before I insulated the roof the furnace ran nonstop when it was around 25 out if I was trying to keep it at 70. When it was zero out I had trouble breaking 60 degrees in there. Down by the floor it was colder. My feet would get quite cold a couple times I was in there wrenching. I decided to insulate the roof and that helped a ton! The furnace will kick on now and it takes a good half hour to bring everything in the trailer up to temp. keep in mind its heating up the sleds, the gear, walls and everything else in there. Once that stuff is up to temp the furnace actually turns off here and there now and doesn't have to run nonstop to keep it at 70. Condensation does not exist in there anymore.

To install the insulation just took some time but it was easy. I bought probably 20 rolls of reflective tape from lowes at $3 a piece. If I was planning ahead I would just buy a couple rolls there were much longer to save some cash. They only had rolls maybe 40 feet long. The roof has framework (1" square tubing) every 14 inches or so. A sheet cut in half was the perfect width. So i'd cut the entire sheet in half then cut the width I needed for each section. My trailer has a nice little ledge of framework out the outside walls so I could set the insulation on that push it up and it'd hold itself while I taped it. Each piece meets in the middle of the roof and is also taped there. it worked out great.

120V Power and 12V RV Power Converter/batt charger:
Now I ran 120v power throughout the trailer. I can plug in from a house or whatever and I also have to generator hookups. I installed 3 four foot fluorescent lights which lights it up in there awesome. Trailer also has 3 12v dome lights. Now I needed a way to simply charge the battery that I stored in an overhead cabinet. I decided to go with the elixir 30 amp power converter model. 30 amps I figured is plenty to charge the battery and also run the 12v dome lights if I so desired. It is a plus being able to run the 12v dome lights off the battery and not requiring power from the truck. I didn't finish wiring that part up yet but I will. Basically a lead runs to it from my 120v panel I have right above it. From there the unit converts to 12v power. It has a charging lead for batteries and also regular 12v outputs for other accessories or lights. The elixir unit is very nice and it is shallow so its not real obtrusive as far as space required. I framed around it and it looks great. Anytime the generator is on or 120v power is hooked to trailer the power converter automatically chargers the battery.

Actual Furnace installation:
The furnace weighs a decent amount. Atleast 25lbs probably. I installed a shelf to mount it on with wood from lowes. I also ran some self tapping screws into the furnace thru the cabinet that I wall mounted next to it to help hold it. Then I used 1 zip screw into the shelf to hold it. It's mounted very solid and that part was quick and easy. I plan to make it fully enclosed this summer for more aesthetic appeal.

The battery fits right into the cabinet next to it and I just blew a hole in the top of the cabinet against the wall and the wires feed out to power the furnace. Thin wires also run back from the furnace then down the wall and thru a small hole I made behind the thermostat for a nice clean install. The power converter is on the other side of the trailer so I concealed the power wires that run from that to the battery behind the wood wall panels at the top. An important note is not to forget to fuse this stuff as you don't want any wires to short out and cause a fire. Fuse it close to the battery!! The rv power converter also has a breaker for the outgoing power and fuses as well.

For the intake and exhaust I used a hole saw and blew 2 holes thru the plywood interior wall. I made them a tad larger then the intake and exhaust hole diameters so I didn't have to be so precise with hole alignment. It worked out great. Then I made the proper size cutouts in the alum exterior wall from the inside. I went outside with the small tube and the vent... some silicone, 4 screws and that was that. Mounted nice and solid. Inside I had to cob up some exhaust adapters and some flex pipe from advance auto but I got it working. Just to be even safer any junctions I used some muffler sealant putty on. It works great in an interior environment and dried fast. Seals great. That's about it for the install.

Duct Work:
I opted not to run ducts throughout the trailer. My plans originally were to run the rooftop unit off the generator to heat the trailer. Then I realized since my unit is the nicer heat pump version... that heat pumps are useless below 32 degrees. On heat strip models the electric heat strips only output 5k. So I learned fast propane is where its at for btus! I had already installed some shelves and other accessories to the walls so I decided rather then fish duct work all over that sticks out from walls and looks like shit to just vent out the large front rectangle duct and out two of the bottom ducts. I blow two holes in the shelf that holds the furnace with a large hole saw and heat pours downward and straight out into the center of the trailer. It works good enough but the floor is always a little colder then at the roof. Just the good old heat rises theory. A fan would help to move air around but really its not that bad. I didn't finish wiring up the rooftop unit but that has three blower speeds I can run at any time so that will move air around like crazy. I have read from others fans and air movement do help with even heat distribution a good amount. Next i'll talk about the propane.

Propane Tank Installation:











I opted to mount the tank inside for a number of reasons.
  • One...its just way easier.
  • No tank mounts to install or weld to the frame
  • No dealing with frozen tanks or tanks covered in salt or changing iced up tanks in the freezing cold on the neck of the trailer
  • No running lines from outside to inside the trailer.
Safety concerns and tank location:
There has been some debate on this but here is my honest opinion.

Propane has such a massive odor if there was a leak you'd notice it instantly in such a small sealed environment. Personally I feel its quite safe. If you slept in there and want further piece of mind just install an alarm that detects the presence of propane. People say the regulator might vent some propane. If they do its such a small amount it's harmless. Let me ask you this.... propane grilling is quite safe correct. Now where is the tank mounted? Directly below a massive open flame. If these regulators vented propane or tanks leaked that often and caused explosions or fires do you think grills would be sold as such by the tens of thousands year after year for decades. You can say well yah, what if this... and what if that, but in all honesty mounting the tank inside is completely safe without building some special door to vent it outside like some mentioned. Its just too extreme and its not needed. If you never plan to sleep in it and your always alert in there then you have better odds of being hit by lightning 3x in one day then having this thing explode. Unless you are a total moron with no sense of smell... then your fucked. :dead::flame:












So onto the tank install.
  • I bought a mount off ebay and zip screwed it to the wall (thru metal frame)
  • I bought a 12 foot hose that had the proper ends for furnace and tank. I installed the hose and use plastic conduit straps to hold hose to wall. I ran it straight over about 6 feet then straight down 6 feet to the tank.
  • The tank clamp has a wing nut and its cake to swap tanks out in a nice warm, dry environment.
Propane usage:
I can get two days of running the furnace 18 hours if not more on a $17 tank fill. This is a 20lb cylinder.


Update- The advent rooftop reverse cycle heat pump a/c unit is very nice to have to cool it down in there during the summer when wrenching. Love it. It'll also provide heat as long as its warmer then 34 out. The digital wall thermostat is gorgeous too. Quite nice and backlit blue.

Links to Videos of Installation:
The videos are high definition if you click 720p on the settings.


This video is the furnace install.

This video is a trailer walk thru and it shows the power converter installed below the 120v power panel along with the propane tank installation.


Below are some images of the install and further down in the thread more photos are posted of the furnace installation.
 

Attachments

#37 ·
I'll chime in later in the week on my days off with details and pics of my install.



UPDATE

ok so here is my parts list:

  • 1" reflective foam board from lowes. R-rating of 6.5 $18 a sheet x 6 sheets
  • 1 Deep Cycle Marine Battery Group Size 29. Walmart for $100.
  • 1 Suburban SFQ-35FQ Quiet Model 35,000 BTU propane furnace $450 off ebay. Airxcel | Suburban Manufacturing Products These are nice and do not require an exterior door for access do to flexibility with where the propane connection is. Only a small vent plate on the outside.
  • Suburban exterior vent plate $15 from anyrvparts.com part #260542
  • heater intake tube for that plate $8 part # 050906
  • Elixir 30 Amp RV Power Converter to get 12v power off 120v $105 ebay
  • Propane tank wall mount $52 ebay
  • Propane regulator and 12 ft hose $40 ebay
  • Suburban wall mount thermostat $14 ebay
  • Misc Wood for shelf $20 lowes
  • Misc flex pipe, muffler sealant and adapters from advance auto $30
I agree about the moisture from other heaters. With my salamander I would get so much condensation in there the ceiling use to have water dripping off of it inside. Was crazy. Vented furnaces are the way to go. Much quieter too.

Info on my trailer and spray foaming wall gap:
Trailer is 24 feet long with a 4 foot V-nose. So 28 feet total. I opted for a 7 foot tall ceiling as well. So it is a large area to heat. The 35k btu furnace does a good job. 40k might be more ideal and it would run less but 40k for whatever reason seems to cost a lot more. I can still get to 70 all day long so it's good enough. No insulation is in the trailer at all when I bought it. It has 3/8 inch plywood walls from the factory. There is atleast a 1 inch air gap between the inside wall and outside wall due to the 1" square framework tubing. When I cut out the electrical outlet holes I noticed the wood fell to the ground so I layed under the trailer and filled that gap with three cans of great stuff big gap filler expanding foam. It was quite and easy and wasn't even messy. Did the entire length of the trailer both sides. So it is now sealed from outside air blowing right up in between the walls and out the interior at the top where the walls meet the roof. This helped a lot holding heat in there. Attached is a picture (a couple posts down in the thread) of what the spray foam would look like if the walls were removed so you can visualize it... but again I was able to do it from underneath which is cool.

12 Volt Power:
12v convenience is nice. Toss a battery in and no external power or 120vac or generator needed. I love that. Basically I can walk into the trailer...slide the thermostat slider over and furnace kicks on and its not that loud at all. No 120v power required. This is the ultimate in convenience. No time spent freezing rigging up a generator or outside power. I bought a new deep cycle battery. You definitely want a deep cycle. My furnace will run nonstop for pretty atleast 40 hours on a full battery charge. I bought the biggest deep cycle walmart had. See below for info on how I charge it.

Insulation:
Before I insulated the roof the furnace ran nonstop when it was around 25 out if I was trying to keep it at 70. When it was zero out I had trouble breaking 60 degrees in there. Down by the floor it was colder. My feet would get quite cold a couple times I was in there wrenching. I decided to insulate the roof and that helped a ton! The furnace will kick on now and it takes a good half hour to bring everything in the trailer up to temp. keep in mind its heating up the sleds, the gear, walls and everything else in there. Once that stuff is up to temp the furnace actually turns off here and there now and doesn't have to run nonstop to keep it at 70. Condensation does not exist in there anymore.

To install the insulation just took some time but it was easy. I bought probably 20 rolls of reflective tape from lowes at $3 a piece. If I was planning ahead I would just buy a couple rolls there were much longer to save some cash. They only had rolls maybe 40 feet long. The roof has framework (1" square tubing) every 14 inches or so. A sheet cut in half was the perfect width. So i'd cut the entire sheet in half then cut the width I needed for each section. My trailer has a nice little ledge of framework out the outside walls so I could set the insulation on that push it up and it'd hold itself while I taped it. Each piece meets in the middle of the roof and is also taped there. it worked out great.

120V Power and 12V RV Power Converter/batt charger:
Now I ran 120v power throughout the trailer. I can plug in from a house or whatever and I also have to generator hookups. I installed 3 four foot fluorescent lights which lights it up in there awesome. Trailer also has 3 12v dome lights. Now I needed a way to simply charge the battery that I stored in an overhead cabinet. I decided to go with the elixir 30 amp power converter model. 30 amps I figured is plenty to charge the battery and also run the 12v dome lights if I so desired. It is a plus being able to run the 12v dome lights off the battery and not requiring power from the truck. I didn't finish wiring that part up yet but I will. Basically a lead runs to it from my 120v panel I have right above it. From there the unit converts to 12v power. It has a charging lead for batteries and also regular 12v outputs for other accessories or lights. The elixir unit is very nice and it is shallow so its not real obtrusive as far as space required. I framed around it and it looks great. Anytime the generator is on or 120v power is hooked to trailer the power converter automatically chargers the battery. It also does it when the vehicle is in tow off the trucks tow harness.

Actual Furnace installation:
The furnace weighs a decent amount. Atleast 25lbs probably. I installed a shelf to mount it on with wood from lowes. I also ran some self tapping screws into the furnace thru the cabinet that I wall mounted next to it to help hold it. Then I used 1 zip screw into the shelf to hold it. It's mounted very solid and that part was quick and easy. I plan to make it fully enclosed this summer for more aesthetic appeal.

The battery fits right into the cabinet next to it and I just blew a hole in the top of the cabinet against the wall and the wires feed out to power the furnace. Thin wires also run back from the furnace then down the wall and thru a small hole I made behind the thermostat for a nice clean install. The power converter is on the other side of the trailer so I concealed the power wires that run from that to the battery behind the wood wall panels at the top. An important note is not to forget to fuse this stuff as you don't want any wires to short out and cause a fire. Fuse it close to the battery!! The rv power converter also has a breaker for the outgoing power and fuses as well.

For the intake and exhaust I used a hole saw and blew 2 holes thru the plywood interior wall. I made them a tad larger then the intake and exhaust hole diameters so I didn't have to be so precise with hole alignment. It worked out great. Then I made the proper size cutouts in the alum exterior wall from the inside. I went outside with the small tube and the vent... some silicone, 4 screws and that was that. Mounted nice and solid. Inside I had to cob up some exhaust adapters and some flex pipe from advance auto but I got it working. Just to be even safer any junctions I used some muffler sealant putty on. It works great in an interior environment and dried fast. Seals great. That's about it for the install.

Duct Work:
I opted not to run ducts throughout the trailer. My plans originally were to run the rooftop unit off the generator to heat the trailer. Then I realized since my unit is the nicer heat pump version... that heat pumps are useless below 32 degrees. On heat strip models the electric heat strips only output 5k. So I learned fast propane is where its at for btus! I had already installed some shelves and other accessories to the walls so I decided rather then fish duct work all over that sticks out from walls and looks like shit to just vent out the large front rectangle duct and out two of the bottom ducts. I blow two holes in the shelf that holds the furnace with a large hole saw and heat pours downward and straight out into the center of the trailer. It works good enough but the floor is always a little colder then at the roof. Just the good old heat rises theory. A fan would help to move air around but really its not that bad. I didn't finish wiring up the rooftop unit but that has three blower speeds I can run at any time so that will move air around like crazy. I have read from others fans and air movement do help with even heat distribution a good amount. Next i'll talk about the propane.

Propane Tank Installation:











I opted to mount the tank inside for a number of reasons.
  • One...its just way easier.
  • No tank mounts to install or weld to the frame
  • No dealing with frozen tanks or tanks covered in salt or changing iced up tanks in the freezing cold on the neck of the trailer
  • No running lines from outside to inside the trailer.
Safety concerns and tank location:
There has been some debate on this but here is my honest opinion.

Propane has such a massive odor if there was a leak you'd notice it instantly in such a small sealed environment. Personally I feel its quite safe. If you slept in there and want further piece of mind just install an alarm that detects the presence of propane. People say the regulator might vent some propane. If they do its such a small amount it's harmless. Let me ask you this.... propane grilling is quite safe correct. Now where is the tank mounted? Directly below a massive open flame. If these regulators vented propane or tanks leaked that often and caused explosions or fires do you think grills would be sold as such by the tens of thousands year after year for decades. You can say well yah, what if this... and what if that, but in all honesty mounting the tank inside is completely safe without building some special door to vent it outside like some mentioned. Its just too extreme and its not needed. If you never plan to sleep in it and your always alert in there then you have better odds of being hit by lightning 3x in one day then having this thing explode. Unless you are a total moron with no sense of smell... then your fucked. :dead::flame:












So onto the tank install.
  • I bought a mount off ebay and zip screwed it to the wall (thru metal frame)
  • I bought a 12 foot hose that had the proper ends for furnace and tank. I installed the hose and use plastic conduit straps to hold hose to wall. I ran it straight over about 6 feet then straight down 6 feet to the tank.
  • The tank clamp has a wing nut and its cake to swap tanks out in a nice warm, dry environment.
Propane usage:
I can get two days of running the furnace 18 hours if not more on a $17 tank fill. This is a 20lb cylinder.

Links to Videos of Installation:
The videos are high definition if you click 720p on the settings.


This video is the furnace install.
Snowmobile trailer propane vented furnace - YouTube

This video is a trailer walk thru and it shows the power converter installed below the 120v power panel along with the propane tank installation.
My pimped out enclosed snowmobile trailer and 2013 sno pro - YouTube


Below are some images of the install and further down in the thread more photos are posted of the furnace installation.


Nice to see the Axxxtion sports calendar in your trailer, you even had it on my sled!!!
 
#5 ·
very well done, i appreciate you giving credit to others where it was due. the set of pictures you have with my name on em, the top right one, the one with white foam, isnt my trailer, just thought i'd let you know! if ANYONE has any questions on anything trailer related, just let me know! a PM is best. i could sit here and type pages of information but its all over this website also. goodluck to anyone heating a trailer! i'll try to throw up some pictures of my propane tank setup, i said in the other thread i would and still havent gotten to it, sorry!



i thought about that...then i remembered i'm in the cold weather, my interior space is to precious to give up to a mini fridge!...throw the beer in a foam cooler outside the door!
 
#6 ·
agreed on the beer fridge. just set them outside. cold in no time.

More photos...
 

Attachments

#7 ·
Thanks guys!
Precious interior room indeed! Usually keep a cooler in there on trips though.

John, I can help you install when you buy your inline!

If you guys could post your setups, that would be great! More ideas for others.

lg96gt - Alright, I'll get the pic edited. Figuring out my propane location was the hardest thing-so more propane pics the better for options.

I tried to quote helpful info correctly from others. If I missed info or people, please chime in. Some pics I had saved over time, so I wasn't quite sure of the original poster. Figured if they were posted online, I could share them.
Also, if anyone wants to re-post good info from the Trucks and Trailers thread about heating(no thread hi-jacking comments here!).
 
#9 ·
Have you insulated your floor, or are you considering doing so? It occurred to me that, after insulating the walls and ceiling, both of which are important, that the cold floor would be the next candidate, yet I don't see many ppl doing so. I would think that would make it MUCH more comfortable. Perhaps a spray-foam application so it would insulate and seal at the same time?
 
#10 ·
I thought about it but def a lot of work. plus the whole heat rises theory. i'm not entire sure how much it would help. spray foams probably the best option but man that would be messy with it dripping all over u laying on ur back under there. f that. it gets warm enough. 70 all day long in there and your feet only get cold if your sitting there wrenching for 5 hours.
 
#11 ·
I haven't found anyone that I talked to that has insulated their floor. Just like gerald143 said, all the heat rises anyways, so you aren't going to have much heat escaping on the floor. I do wear warmer work boots when I'm in there, so initially the floor is cold, but the floor level does become better with the fan circulating the warm air.
I do plan on adding a little insulation on the sidewalls, but I'll leave the floor alone.
 
#12 ·
But that's just the thing... the floor is cold. When you're in there working, or sleeping at night at the track, campsite, whatever, that trailer bottom is cold. Put some insulation in there and no more cold floor. For the little bit that a spray-foam guy would charge to do it, I'd think it would be money well spent.
 
#14 ·
i debated the floor heavily but after getting quotes there was just no way...i dont remember exactly but it was almost a grand i believe because they had to rent a lift out of a local trailer shop to get enough clearance to spray it...doing it yourself would be nearly impossible and you have to have it super clean, absolutly no dirt, dust, sand, salt etc to get it to stick....i know my dads 5th wheel camper is the "artic" version. the entire underside is sprayed, then they put basically a skid plate under the entire thing (its 1 solid piece) sealing it up 100% because the elements would just eat at and destroy the foam over time...theres just not enough gain in doing the floor in my opinion, especially when doing it "right the first time" would probably end up around $2000 by the time its cleaned, prepped, sprayed, and have some kind of sealing layer. for those not insulated, the best investment, the one you shouldnt even question doing is the ceiling....the ceiling is by far your biggest heat loss without a doubt.
 
#16 ·
Matt - AC next?

Inline may be sooner than expected. Not sure if you saw my weld issue thread but I had welds break up in Mercer on my clamshell.

i got lucky in this department...my trailer has an access door on the driver side to get your car door open (its originally a race car trailer)...i NEVER use that door...havent taken the lock off it since i finished painting 6 months ago! anyways...i'm gonna find a way to make a nice clean, SEALED fit around that door with a piece of plywood and put a window A/C unit in the piece of plywood...be able to open the door, throw the a/c in place in no time flat...no plumbing, no wires to run, no holes to cut in my roof etc!
 
#20 ·
that bubble wrap stuff's r value is a joke. 6-8" of spray foam on the other hand would have and r value of what... r-50 lol.

anytime the generator is on or 120v power is hooked to trailer the power converter automatically chargers the battery. it also does it when the vehicle is in tow off the trucks tow harness.
I updated most of my post for now with videos and photos etc. Time to go have a few beers after that post. whew. If anyone wants the trailer.... for the right price anything is for sale :)

:bc:
 
#21 · (Edited)
gerard143 - Couldn't remember if responded back about your intake. You think about taking it off and plugging the hole to see if you could get it warmer in there? You would be using the already warm trailer air for intake. That might be why you can't get it warmer in there at the really cold temps. Just maybe something to try.
Nice video and great information! :bc2:

One other propane option I seen people do. Run your propane lines inside, but have 1 quick disconnect exposed to the outside to have the propane tank sit outside. You would store it inside, but while it was in use you move it outside.
 
#23 ·
these units use a sealed burner. thats why their safe when it comes to cleaning carbs, playing with gas etc while working. the outside plate with intake and exahust are moving the same air...air comes in one, gets introduced to propane, burns, and then the same air leaves as exhaust. the intake is just simply for the burner. its the ONLY thing keeping you safe while working on your carbs..these units already only draw on inside air to heat, no "fresh air" is introducted into the trailer ONLY into the burner and exhausted out right away. the "return air" if you will, is already the inside trailer air...not using the outside exterior intake would be a suicide mission as far as working with anything flamable and it wouldnt help inside temperatures at all.
 
#24 ·
Thanks for the info.
Researching before, it looked like there was conflicting info out there on using the cold air intake. I assumed it would hurt your heating capabilities when using it in really cold temperatures when I'm normally in. Like allowing cold air to creep into the heater/trailer when it was off.
Looks like that was incorrect.
Correct info as follows should be..??
Intake and exhaust ports are closed systems going into the heater, and will not allow cold air inside the trailer. They use the same fan to vent in and exhaust out, just going to the burner only.
Last fall during the installation buy, I bought the air intake tube(# 050906) just in case I was going to install it. I'll get that installed then. Easy install.
I still believe I was safe when I used the heater. Enough trailer crevices and me opening the door to have my smoke breaks and beer pickup outside the trailer.
Thanks for the info!
 
#26 · (Edited)
Any one ever done it? What di d you use? Is it worth it?

alright, for those of you just chiming in i pulled that quote from another thread and wanted to answer it here so its all in one place rather than scattered all around.

i insulated my ceiling and walls. first off, my ceiling like yours is rounded. i chose a trailer with a rounded roof so that snow would slide off it easier rather than it laying on top of a flat roof trailer. my ceiling was bare, and has the curve to it so i knew it would be a challenge...be prepared to ask some buddies for help but don't feed them to much beer til the project is done!! i used fiberglass insulation for my whole trailer. my trailer frame supports are 16 on center apart. i bought 16" wide like 30 ft long rolls 6" deep R13 insulation. my air gap is only 1.5". i cut the roll to length, in my case 7ft, and then separated it in half. now I'm only cramming 3" into the 1.5" space. i bought the stuff with the backing on it because its rated as a vapor barrier. i did one entire side of the trailer using the half with the backing still on it. i duct taped all the seams, and put the walls back up. this was easy, did it by myself...only real bitch was having to take out like 40+ screws per sheet of plywood only to have to put em all back...on the other side, i already had all my pieces cut because i i used the un-backed pieces leftover from the other side...i had carefully set them in a pile in order so i did the other side in the opposite direction (front to back rather than back to front) and on this side i bought a 30ft long by 10ft tall sheet of vapor barrier (just standard plastic used everyday for this purpose) it was like $10 for the roll...again, i taped all the insulation in place, not only to insure its nice and sealed but helps hold it in place and keep it from settling while bouncing going down the road....rolled my sheet of plastic out and taped that into place and i have a vapor barrier on that side. all in all, the walls were SIMPLE. especially once you get in the groove it took me maybe 4 hours total to do both walls and that includes taking the boards down and putting them back up. the front was TRICKY! not only was it curved like the ceiling, but the supports run horizontal, not vertical and the spacing is all f*ck3d up. i made it work, used lots of tape, and ended up putting an additional sheet of plastic for a vapor barrier up there also. all around the floor it was open between the air gap and the outside world...as gerald143 said, we both used "great stuff" spray foam...i used calking tube (rod) (basically just round foam) to help fill the gaps, then sprayed around them. the "great stuff" can be had for about $2/can at Menards compared to $6-8 for the the other more known brand...for this purpose the great stuff did great....it only takes a couple cans, but i ended up using a good 10 cans. the front of my trailer had like a 2" gap that needed to be filled, along with using it above the door frame and that took a can itself times 2 walk in doors and the giant back door. anyways...the ceiling. the ceiling took a while to figure out my plan...i ended up buying 4X8 sheets of 1/4" luan sheeting from Menards...only about $8/sheet. its the flimsy cheap crap they use for making panels and stuff in campers...it bends fairly well, is rather light considering its size, and worked out great...i bought a few packs of stainless 3/4" self tapping screws to hold it up. again, same air gap, same procedure. this time though, we used a few cans of spray adhesive to hold it up in place, and while on the saw horses we stapled plastic to the panels before they went up for the vapor barrier. this took three guys...two guys to get the sheets into the trailer and up the ceiling, the third guy hurried his ass up to get it lined up and centered and get a handful of screws in. on the "seams" i used one screw and some rivet washers so that i could "double" the size of the screw head and stretch it across the two sheets on the seam so that on the seams i wasn't using twice as many screws as necessary....worked my way all the way to the back...took my time to cut around the ceiling vents and before you know it it was all done. i never heated it before i insulated it. but from previous experience i know how much insulation helps...from my understanding R1 is twice as much insulation as nothing...R2 is twice as much R1 and R3 is twice as much as R2. and so on and so on. you can get R60 for gosh sakes but for budget wise and what not my R13 cut in half is doing great. i figure i have about R7 between the 3/8th sheet of plywood, and the insulation. i can run my 30k BTU furnace on one 20lb cylinder for a few days...at least 2 maybe 3 solid, nonstop, days keeping it at 68 with minimal running in and out of the doors, especially the back door.. as far as i know no one's getting that good of propane use at that temp that's not insulated. all in all the way i did it, using rebates, coupons etc I'm only about $300 (i think it was actually like $268 or something) into every single aspect of insulation, between the insulation itself, the spray foam, duct tape, screws, vapor barrier, roof sheeting, new heavier gauge wire for the fans in the vents etc.
 
#33 ·
Great insulation info and pics! Very well documented and explained.

I have Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 software package that I use. The photo editing software is Photosuite. The whole media package is great; use it for pictures, video, music, and whole bunch of options. It's my favorite music converter software too. I picked it for free from a buddy, but you can find it pretty cheap. Makes photo editing a breeze!!

Paint.. I hate that program. I can't believe Microsoft Paint is still the same after all these years!