Heater Install Done! UPDATED 10-27-13

[Gonefishin]

Winter, yes winter, is just around the corner in my neck of the woods. Freezing nights within a month. It was time to get a heater in my trailer so I could dry my waders and be warm in the evenings and mornings on my frosty fishing adventures. I just had to overcome the sticker shock of buying a $800 heater for a $3,000 trailer , and then get the courage to drill a 3-inch hole in the side of said trailer! But I need heat, its cold 9 months a year where I live and play.

This is all BC DAVE's idea, from threads he posted on here. I saw his, emailed him about it a little, and was sold.

Its a Dickinson Newport P9000 direct draft propane heater. It has a stainless double walled vent pipe and exhaust cap. Fresh air is pulled from outside through the outer pipe into the combustion chamber while exhaust gas leaves the trailer through the inner pipe. Air from inside the trailer is not used for combustion so a fresh air vent is not needed. Exhaust gases from isolated combustion are taken out via the chimney pope, so no moisture is created.
The cat's meow from all I've seen and heard of. And much safer than Mr Heater's, Buddys, and all those propane heaters like the one I was using. No more worrying about falling asleep and not waking up, ever. And YES, my carbon monoxide detector will still remain inside, functioning, in the extremely remote chance something goes wrong. The heater is also equipped with a fan to maximize heat output, reduce soot, and cool the air intake chimney. It only draws 0.2 amps on 12 volts. Nothing.


I screwed a backing board onto the wall for support and mounting, and because that's what BC DAVE did!


I mounted the heater to level it, check for location convenience/access, and for measurement purposes.


Vent pipe attached for measuring/fit


Vent pipe bent into shape to exit side of trailer and mark the dreaded 3-inch hole location.


Side view of vent pipe


Oh my God. This was the hardest part! Drilling a 3-inch hole through a perfectly good wall of the trailer.


Right through the wall and outside skin! Now I'm committed.


Outside vent cap screwed on.


In she goes, pipe secured inside and out, and bent to shape and fit tightly. DONE!

BC DAVE says his will roast him out in the BC cold, and he keeps a window open. I'll find out how it works this fall, but I have no doubts I'll love it.
Thanks DAVE!

[hankaye]

Gonefishin, Howdy;

Looks like a good install.
Have you tried it out yet?

hank

[ValerieP]

I agree, that looks great! We will be doing the same, only with AC! I hope I never live where I would be that cold again!

[Gonefishin]

I've only fired it up for a few minutes. It's still in the 80's and low 90's for a little while longer. I do wish I had some kind of A/C besides my Fantastic Fan (which I love by the way), but decent A/C takes 110v, and I only have 12 volts of power, a solar panel to keep it charged, and never camp where there's hookups. I don't like the noise of generators either, so I'll have to suffer with the heat for the 10 or so weeks a year that its hot. There were some days last month in the high 90's when I'd have probably put up with a generator or found a campground to run an A/C though. As for the heater, this one takes up very little space, and all I have to do is screw in the propane connection and light it up. My camping season has just been lengthened considerably on each end!

[eamarquardt]

The reason it was so expensive is because it says "Marine" on it. Granted it will outlast you.

Looks good.

Cheers,

Gus

[roadinspector]

Gonefishin'

Nice install! Looks like your good year round now. I checked your blog spot out. You sure fish some nice water.

Earnest

[dustboy]

My buddy had maybe the same contraption on his boat that he sailed to New Zealand. When you're 2000 miles from the nearest land, you don't want anything to break down. It should serve you well.

[Hiflyer]

Thanks for the write up!

Given me some good ideas

[Rainier70]

Nice furnace and install. What is the advantage of this one over something like a regular RV furnace? Thanks! Cindy

[pchast]

Looks like a nice clean install !

I'd love a side view of the finished product.
Did the flex pipe stick out far into your space.

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

If its cold 9 months out of the year I'm moving up to where you are
Better to freeze to death then boil like a lobster.
I can't understand why old people love the heat ? For me it seams I like the cold


PS JUST DON'T OPEN YOUR WINDOW - while using the heater ,

Normally under the mechanical code a min of 36" from windows is required.
Heater will outlast you and trailer both

[Gonefishin]

I'd love a side view of the finished product.
Did the flex pipe stick out far into your space.

Not hardly at all, only 1" out from front of heater. Here's some finished photos.









The flex pipe only sticks out one inch farther than the front of the heater. Heater is 7" deep from the wall, outside of pipe is out 8" from wall. It looks further in the picture, but I measured it! Which brings me to the answer for Cindy of why this heater?

*It is very compact, at 7" deep, 8 1/2" wide, and 14" tall. The other "RV" heaters I looked at were larger, bulkier, and just not as "slick."
*I never have 110 ac power, ruled out the hassle/cleaning of wood, and don't have enough 12-volt (one deep cycle). I needed propane.
*I liked the idea of a glass door with viewable flame. Sort of a fireplace effect. Pretty sweet.
*I'm a mariner by trade, so I know anything "marine" is usually built a little better , and costs a whole lot more.
*It looked fairly simple to install, and it was. I only cringed when drilling that exhaust hole.
*And most convincingly, BC DAVE has the same heater in a trailer the same size as mine, 6X12. He was my field tester, in British Columbia, a climate similar to where I use mine. He gave it a full ringing endorsement, and that both started the idea and then sealed the deal for me.

I probably wouldn't even have this trailer if it weren't for this site, and all the suggestions from members here. I go with advice from this site first, and anything else Google gives up is a distant second.

OTCT: As for the proximity to the window, I do have a window on the other wall, a screen door over the front door, as well as two screened roof vents. I never really considered fumes coming back into the window closest to the exhaust vent. While I don't see it as a big threat, I'll still keep that one closed! More good advice. Thanks.

PS. Winters in Wyoming and Northern Utah, at 7,000 feet, are COLD and LONG. Trust me, you don't want any part of November-March. And the rest of the months are no picnic either except for June 15-August 30, when its hot and dry. (High desert). But it sure is uncrowded, and has some beautiful, unspoiled places if you know where to look. Gotta get off ugly I-80 though. Fishing ain't bad either.

[Rainier70]

The more I look at this stove the better it looks for what I need also. Wish it was a little less cost wise, but being stainless steel it should last.

Did you have to buy the pipe and external cap separate? How about the propane connections do they come with it? Do you mind if I ask what retailer you used?

After spending more time looking at the RV Furnaces they are a no go for me. Not very efficient, and they gobble battery power and propane. Plus lots of complaints that their fans are loud. I am 100% boondocking. Usually at 7,000+ feet elevation. Sometimes for weeks at a go. Low battery use is a must.
The other possibility I am still looking at is the vented catalytic heaters.

Thanks!

[semihippie]

Great job on your install. I don't know anyone who has a bad thing to say about those. They use them in the tiny home community as well as marine applications

[Gonefishin]

The more I look at this stove the better it looks for what I need also. Wish it was a little less cost wise, but being stainless steel it should last.

Did you have to buy the pipe and external cap separate? How about the propane connections do they come with it? Do you mind if I ask what retailer you used?

After spending more time looking at the RV Furnaces they are a no go for me. Not very efficient, and they gobble battery power and propane. Plus lots of complaints that their fans are loud. I am 100% boondocking. Usually at 7,000+ feet elevation. Sometimes for weeks at a go. Low battery use is a must.
The other possibility I am still looking at is the vented catalytic heaters.

Thanks!

The whole thing is pretty pricey, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. You can't find a bad review for this thing. The vent pipe came with the heater, as did the cap. I am ordering a weather guard for the cap for another $35 from Amazon. The fan is extremely quiet, and BC DAVE says he doesn't even use his. 0.2 amps is nothing if you do. I did Google searches and compared prices from several sources, including direct from Dickinson, since last fall on these things. Ended up buying from Go2Marine. (.com) The heater was available for a little less elsewhere, but then I had to order the accessories separate and pay shipping to two or three different places. Some places the accessories were more. Some places had outrageous shipping to offset the lower price on the heater. Go2marine was the least expensive option I found for everything I needed when shipping was included. I already have a 20# propane tank I use for an outdoor cooker, so no further expense there. Details:

20009 Dickinson Newport Propane Heater / Fireplace, P9000 1 729.97
78177 Propane Regulator, 19-151 1 18.53
78153 Propane Hose Assembly - 19-100-10 1 25.13
318548 Propane Fitting Kit, 19-152 1 17.05
Shipping UPS Ground (UPS_GND) 1 32.90
Subtotal: 823.58

It's going to start cooling off at night up at Island Park pretty soon!