New to Class B

[Godlessjarhead]

I just picked up an old 95 Sportsmobile on a Ram 3500 Chassis. I have a couple of really stupid questions, despite previously owning a big Southwind and a couple of smaller travel trailers. I know there are a ton of differences in class B models and layouts. Here are a few of my questions:

It looks like the fridge is AC or DC powered, but no propane option like my other RVS. Is this typical? Will it wipe out my house battery charge quickly?

It looks like there is a waste dump at the rear for the toilet/shower, and another for the galley sink. I assume this is just because of pipe-running limitations.

My other RVs had both "city water" and a tank fill port. This one has only the city water connection. I'm guessing this will also fill the tank, but have not tried it.

Finally, where is the heater? This one is built in somewhere. I think it's behind the registers above or below the fridge, but I was hoping Sportsmobile would be able to send me some build information before I start taking things apart.

Planning to add some solar panels and change all the inside lights to LED to get more battery hours for starters.

[mkguitar]

Hi,
limited knowledge here- my neighbor had a sportsmobile


Sportsmobiles tend to each be a custom build or built from a set of "menu options"- they may have a build sheet on file, 1995 is the computer era emails and such

Many B's are built on an earlier chassis which my be important for ordering dodge parts- check the VIN it could be a 1994 van

solar- we don't have it because we like to park in the shade ( I do have a folding panel I put out on a 20' wire which at most gives 1 amp )

fridge- no gas ? bummer as the heating elements will suck all your DC and the DC heating element is marginal for cooling- AC will cool well

the only way we can make it boondocking is fridge on propane and a slight DC draw for the controls and the added cooling fan kit ( which draws 700mA )

a new hobby becomes managing energy

most B's have grey ( shower sink etc) tanks and a black tank for the toilet, but yours could be as described.

measure capacities of the fresh, grey and black tanks to calculate how long you can go between services

mike

[Godlessjarhead]

Thanks for the response. I did manage to find the heater. It looks like it pulls the heat from the engine cooling. Probably safer than an LP heater, but doesn't really cut it for boondocking in that case. I do have a really crazy thought though. Why not add some controls and valves to route water from the water heater through that coil instead of running the engine? I would thereby use the water heater as a sort of "boiler" to feed the coil in the heater box. I would use a microcontroller to close off the other plumbing and just recirculate through the water heater with a small pump. Anyone ever try this? Seems like a bad idea to run the engine for the sake of camper heat (CO, overheating engine, emissions, etc.)

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Godlessjarhead

Thanks for the response. I did manage to find the heater. It looks like it pulls the heat from the engine cooling. Probably safer than an LP heater, but doesn't really cut it for boondocking in that case. I do have a really crazy thought though. Why not add some controls and valves to route water from the water heater through that coil instead of running the engine? I would thereby use the water heater as a sort of "boiler" to feed the coil in the heater box. I would use a microcontroller to close off the other plumbing and just recirculate through the water heater with a small pump. Anyone ever try this? Seems like a bad idea to run the engine for the sake of camper heat (CO, overheating engine, emissions, etc.)

That is likely possible. But before I went down that path, I would (a) do some BTU calculations; (b) make sure the water heater is rated for continuous operation; and (c) think through the control issues of running the water heater through a closed loop, which is not what it was designed for.

All things considered, I may be a better and possibly easier alternative to install a hydronic heater such as an Espar that was engineered for this purpose. You can get a Chinese clone heater for almost nothing.

[SteveJ]

Originally Posted by Godlessjarhead

Thanks for the response. I did manage to find the heater. It looks like it pulls the heat from the engine cooling. Probably safer than an LP heater, but doesn't really cut it for boondocking in that case. I do have a really crazy thought though. Why not add some controls and valves to route water from the water heater through that coil instead of running the engine? I would thereby use the water heater as a sort of "boiler" to feed the coil in the heater box. I would use a microcontroller to close off the other plumbing and just recirculate through the water heater with a small pump. Anyone ever try this? Seems like a bad idea to run the engine for the sake of camper heat (CO, overheating engine, emissions, etc.)

I know a guy who has done this on a Safari motorhome. They really like the setup. I've seen it and I've heard his fans running(he has two radiators, living and rear bath). Very quiet. Thermostatically controlled plus PWM-s on each fan to adjust the speed. Quite the setup, a bit of thinking to set it up what with controlling water pumps and fans, but they really, really like it. This couple does think outside the box. They also installed a mini split A/C system, a boatload of solar collectors and lithium batteries. They also removed the no longer needed genny. Their house is also off grid. We've visited them for a couple of days out in Glenwood, NM. Cool setups, homestead and motor home.

[Godlessjarhead]

Thanks for the feedback. I never knew the hydronic heater even existed. It seems that this would cover all of the things I would otherwise have to build from scratch. Amazon had a ton of different heaters that would work. I will see what the RV store has later when I pick up a new LP sensor. Thanks again all.

[rockymtnb]

Originally Posted by Godlessjarhead

I just picked up an old 95 Sportsmobile on a Ram 3500 Chassis.

It looks like the fridge is AC or DC powered, but no propane option like my other RVS.

All Sportsmobiles are custom built so there's no single standard. However they do tend to share a common set of modular components.

On our Sportsmobile the refrigerator was a compact Norcold AC/DC compressor fridge. It could run about a day on just AGM battery power but you could extend that with solar and/or a lithium battery upgrade.

My other RVs had both "city water" and a tank fill port. This one has only the city water connection. I'm guessing this will also fill the tank, but have not tried it.

Yes, the single hose threaded water inlet either fills the tank or operates as city water supply, depending on setting of the inlet valves (under the seat on our unit).

I did manage to find the heater. It looks like it pulls the heat from the engine cooling. Probably safer than an LP heater, but doesn't really cut it for boondocking in that case.

I assume that's the water heater? If your van does have a propane tank you may be able to add a small Propex furnace either inside the unit (HS2000) or between the frame rails underneath (HS2211).

A number of users on the Sportsmobile Forum have done the Propex upgrade. And that forum is an excellent resource for new SMB owners.

[jeana]

simple answer re frig: get a yeti or similar lightwt affordable port bale generator that has a solar panel Will power a frig plus other things

[Godlessjarhead]

Made a short road trip for 1 night. Pretty much the only thing that didn't work on the house side is the Heat/AC. It looks like I have some sort of heat pump system, with a compressor underneath on the frame. I also see a "Starcool Auxiliary Air Conditioning" label on the parts in the engine bay. I just replaced the house battery with an AGM, which didn't have any trouble keeping the fridge running. I am ordering a Renogy solar kit soon, so any HVAC work will be planned to stay within my electrical budget. Got a DC clamp meter to start looking for anything power-hungry.

[Godlessjarhead]

After researching the Starcool thing, I have concluded that my van does not have an OEM heater installed (does have the normal heater at the cockpit). The thermostat only had 2 wires connected, so I don't see how it would work if it did (AC only). This van was in Arkansas and Arizona most of it's life, so I assume it just wasn't something they needed when it was ordered. Time to hit Amazon for a diesel unit. Are these things safe? I would probably go with an outside version. Are they loud in operation?

[jrobe]

Do you have a diesel van? If not, are you going to add an auxiliary diesel tank. There are gasoline versions that you could tap into a gas tank if you have a gasoline van. If you have propane already, that is probably the easiest option for heat.

The small diesel heaters are certainly safe. I doubt they sell any new semi trucks in my area without one anymore so the truckers can heat their cabs without idling their engines. They use outside air and exhaust to the outside so there is no difference whether they are mounted inside or outside for safety. You probably just need to take some time and do your homework on heating options.

[Godlessjarhead]

Thanks for the update. I have propane and gasoline options on this one. I will use all the forum information to get the Starcool running, and add the heater as an isolated system.

Mike B.