I thought my basement was heated - Dutchmen Owners
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Dutchmen Owners > Dutchmen Brand RVs > Toy Hauler
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 01-15-2016, 09:40 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Tucson
Posts: 872
Arizona
I thought my basement was heated

I had to remove the rear wall in the basement to run some cables and found that the round heater vent was not hooked up to anything. I thought that maybe the heater hose had come off but there weren't any loose hoses. Guess the heat just drifts in from the main cabin through that vent. Disappointing.
__________________

__________________
2014 Voltage 3600
2013 Chevy 3500 CC DRW
2019 RZR 1000XP Trails and Rocks Edition
azdryheat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-15-2016, 10:37 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Thom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Youngstown
Posts: 712
Florida
Sounds like the blind installer at Dutchmen took a vacation day that day yours was done. He probably passed the tasking of putting in the coupling on to his best friend, the deaf installer who didn't hear him.


P.S. I am deaf as a door knob so don't anyone jump on me for picking on their disabilities, not their fault Dutchmen perfers our kind of installers. This is all in jest and comes from someone who is over a year of repair shop work in the 13 months of fine Dutchmen ownership.
__________________

Thom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-15-2016, 11:20 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
hddecker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: kamloops
Posts: 2,152
British Columbia
These 4 season packages are made up as they go. The basements are heatd with spill air from the heating system.

Sometimes it's a ventilated duct, sometimes it's no duct tape on the duct and sometimes it's an extra hose.

I don't think that you want to be camping at 10 below then try and dump the tanks!
hddecker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2016, 02:44 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
ATCguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Cody
Posts: 1,764
Wyoming
Quote:
Originally Posted by hddecker View Post
I don't think that you want to be camping at 10 below then try and dump the tanks!
I don't want be camping at 10 below... PERIOD!
__________________
Tom
2013 VOLTAGE 3200 (EPIC I & II)
2014 Ford F-450 PLATINUM
2018 BMW R1200GS RALLYE
ATCguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2016, 04:02 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
wildwest450's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sparta
Posts: 1,726
Tennessee
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATCguy View Post
I don't want be camping at 10 below... PERIOD!
I'm not living where it's 10 below...PERIOD!
__________________
2014 Aerolite 213 RBSL
2016 Chevrolet Colorado
wildwest450 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2016, 10:40 AM   #6
Site Team
 
wahoonc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Sprung Leak
Posts: 3,157
North Carolina
Quote:
Originally Posted by dawniewest View Post
I'm not living where it's 10 below...PERIOD!
That's my philosophy! Unfortunately the company I work for apparently has a warped sense of humor and insists on sending this southern born and bred boy to work in NY in the winter time. Last winter I was up there and it got so cold my bottle of scotch started to freeze! (-27°F) FWIW scotch will start to freeze at -16°F. However I got my revenge when they sent a NY crew down to work in Jesup, GA Summertime temps there hit well into the 90's with 90% rh. I tolerate high humidity and warmer temps quite well.

I consider anything below 40°F cold..

Aaron
__________________
There is madness to my methods
2015 Coleman CM16FBS(traded) 2016 Concord 300DS
2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid following along
wahoonc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2016, 12:34 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
hddecker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: kamloops
Posts: 2,152
British Columbia
Quote:
Originally Posted by wahoonc View Post
That's my philosophy! Unfortunately the company I work for apparently has a warped sense of humor and insists on sending this southern born and bred boy to work in NY in the winter time. Last winter I was up there and it got so cold my bottle of scotch started to freeze! (-27°F) FWIW scotch will start to freeze at -16°F. However I got my revenge when they sent a NY crew down to work in Jesup, GA Summertime temps there hit well into the 90's with 90% rh. I tolerate high humidity and warmer temps quite well.

I consider anything below 40°F cold..

Aaron
90s is fine, 100 is even OK, but the humidity, No Thanks.

40F is shirt sleeve weather here, it's a dry cold!
hddecker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2016, 12:00 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Callaway
Posts: 864
Maryland
While I am not a fan of really cold weather, I do enjoy it from time to time. We have had a fairly mild winter in Southern Maryland so far...the coldest has been 16 Farenheit. Surprisingly the Voltage has done very well. We have a 100 gallon propane tank filled by a local service, we have been average 25 gallons every two weeks or so. Depending on the what the boy wants, I supplement the garage with a space heater. I am thinking of adding a propane heater for next winter, as my propane price is a lot cheaper than my electric price right now.

Cale
__________________
TV: 2015 F-350 DRW, CC, 4x4, with 14k GVWR package, 98 gallon TransferFlow Aux Tank, Timbren Shocks

TH: 2014 Voltage 3950, Sailun S637 all around
calewjohnson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2016, 10:41 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oxnard
Posts: 257
California
Seems like several threads with similar issues, and different outcomes of the same configuration of parts. Most like the OP here and myself have a vent on that w/d wall that serves no aparrent purpose, and looks to be not hooked up, and we have no heat in the garage, and are left wondering if the garage area was a heated/heatable area at all by design, despite the fact there are beds back there. Then recently, one posted that their garage vent is the only one that IS heating. I may have made the comment before, but i am still trying to figure out if the answe is A) YES - the garage was supposed to be heated, that is a heater vent, just isnt hooked up right / or need some addon to the rear dometic A?C unit, or B) NO - its just a vent, and you need to add an aftermarket heater if you want the garage heated.
I am hoping for A!. It was 19 degrees last time we camped and we dont like losing the use of the rear bathroom..
__________________
2015 Voltage 3800 w/ Epic IV, Int&Ext, Garage Pkgs; 8x100W Solar, 2x Xantrex C35 Charge Controllers, SW2000 Inverter & Monitor; 2005 Chevy Duramax Dually 3500 w/Banks; Kawi KFX700 & Polaris Scrambler 500 ATVs.
VCToyhauler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2016, 12:55 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Hewitt
Posts: 275
New Jersey
Quote:
Originally Posted by VCToyhauler View Post
Seems like several threads with similar issues, and different outcomes of the same configuration of parts. Most like the OP here and myself have a vent on that w/d wall that serves no aparrent purpose, and looks to be not hooked up, and we have no heat in the garage, and are left wondering if the garage area was a heated/heatable area at all by design, despite the fact there are beds back there. Then recently, one posted that their garage vent is the only one that IS heating. I may have made the comment before, but i am still trying to figure out if the answe is A) YES - the garage was supposed to be heated, that is a heater vent, just isnt hooked up right / or need some addon to the rear dometic A?C unit, or B) NO - its just a vent, and you need to add an aftermarket heater if you want the garage heated.
I am hoping for A!. It was 19 degrees last time we camped and we dont like losing the use of the rear bathroom..
I would not assume that most have a non functioning vent. In my V 3105, it provides heat. On a really cold day, with the doors closed, it does get cold in the garage. Leaving the doors open helps balance the heat across the trailer. I can use a portable heater if needed. I've not seen any vents for the A/C that are not on the ceiling, so I don't think it is for the A/C. I don't have a garage A/C, only vents from the main A/C.

I highly suspect your garage vent is a heat vent that was not properly connected. With all the postings about improperly connected A/C ducts, poorly sealed A/C units, improper heating duct work, and general sloppiness; I'm not surprised that your vent is non functional. To balance the number of complaints, please keep in mind the that very few people post in forums that they don't have any problems. People generally show up here (and other internet forums) because they have a problem they are trying to solve. It's easy to assume everyone has a problem when one reads the postings, but the population and sampling are not necessarily representative.
__________________
2013 V 3105
2016 F350 King Ranch CC 6.7 diesel dually
pdonoghu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2016, 05:43 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Minden
Posts: 707
Nevada
I have a heated garage, but the vent is behind the Washer, so it gives little heat, I also use a heater, when we have someone staying back there.....I saw a post months back, where someone ran Propane back to some heaters he placed back in the garage and it worked very well.....
__________________
Rich and Angela, Lab Dogs, Ruben, Ace
2015 Voltage V3895
2006 Lance Truck Camper 1181
2019 GMC 3500HD 4X4 CC DRW LB Bags Husky 26K Hitch Can Am Commander 1000 ATV
RVNevada is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2016, 02:33 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Tucson
Posts: 872
Arizona
Quote:
Originally Posted by pdonoghu View Post
I would not assume that most have a non functioning vent. In my V 3105, it provides heat. On a really cold day, with the doors closed, it does get cold in the garage. Leaving the doors open helps balance the heat across the trailer. I can use a portable heater if needed. I've not seen any vents for the A/C that are not on the ceiling, so I don't think it is for the A/C. I don't have a garage A/C, only vents from the main A/C.

I highly suspect your garage vent is a heat vent that was not properly connected. With all the postings about improperly connected A/C ducts, poorly sealed A/C units, improper heating duct work, and general sloppiness; I'm not surprised that your vent is non functional. To balance the number of complaints, please keep in mind the that very few people post in forums that they don't have any problems. People generally show up here (and other internet forums) because they have a problem they are trying to solve. It's easy to assume everyone has a problem when one reads the postings, but the population and sampling are not necessarily representative.
To clear up my original post: the heater vent in the garage IS hooked up to the heater. The vent that is not hooked up to anything is in the storage area under the master bedroom; we call it the basement.
__________________
2014 Voltage 3600
2013 Chevy 3500 CC DRW
2019 RZR 1000XP Trails and Rocks Edition
azdryheat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2016, 02:36 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Callaway
Posts: 864
Maryland
Quote:
Originally Posted by azdryheat View Post
To clear up my original post: the heater vent in the garage IS hooked up to the heater. The vent that is not hooked up to anything is in the storage area under the master bedroom; we call it the basement.
I believe the basement vent you are referring to is a wall vent that allows the movement of air around the basement....it was not meant to be a forced air vent.

Cale
calewjohnson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2016, 01:22 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
sundancer 87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Tahlequah
Posts: 3,079
Oklahoma
I have two of those in my basement wall, both on the same wall and in proximity of each other.


I taped them off, there's enough sloppy work in there that ventilation isn't a problem.
__________________
2013 Voltage 3800, 2012 Chevy 3500 HD
2010 Yamaha V Star 950
2009 Yamaha Raider
Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Caravanners
sundancer 87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2016, 02:12 PM   #15
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Billings
Posts: 20
Montana
Quote:
Originally Posted by VCToyhauler View Post
Seems like several threads with similar issues, and different outcomes of the same configuration of parts. Most like the OP here and myself have a vent on that w/d wall that serves no aparrent purpose, and looks to be not hooked up, and we have no heat in the garage, and are left wondering if the garage area was a heated/heatable area at all by design, despite the fact there are beds back there. Then recently, one posted that their garage vent is the only one that IS heating. I may have made the comment before, but i am still trying to figure out if the answe is A) YES - the garage was supposed to be heated, that is a heater vent, just isnt hooked up right / or need some addon to the rear dometic A?C unit, or B) NO - its just a vent, and you need to add an aftermarket heater if you want the garage heated.
I am hoping for A!. It was 19 degrees last time we camped and we dont like losing the use of the rear bathroom..
We live in Montana and have kids that sleep in the garage when camping..and we almost always camp in the mountains. We used our unit from March through November last year and the garage was always freezing (spring and fall) Our garage heater vent blows enough air to almost feel it if you have your face pressed against it. Our master bedroom 2.5in vent was the same what FYI, that one was an easy fix since I didn't have to drop the belly (switched it to a 4" now it cooks us out of the bedroom). I want to drop the belly and 1. redo the garage duct, 2. Spray foam insulate the underneath of the garage floor, 3. Run a propane line back there (like Cale is talking about) and put in a cadalytic heater.
Have to find my dremel to cut the rivets that hold the underbelly up first.. Half of mine are rivet like and the others are self tapping.
Let me know if you have any additional ideas on garage heat, insulation, propane, or other important things to do while I'm under there.
Thanks!
Peakbagger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2016, 02:23 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
ATCguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Cody
Posts: 1,764
Wyoming
While you've got the belly off... might be a good time to solve one of the great mysteries: mapping out the tank heater switches with which tank they're supposed to be heating.

__________________
Tom
2013 VOLTAGE 3200 (EPIC I & II)
2014 Ford F-450 PLATINUM
2018 BMW R1200GS RALLYE
ATCguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2016, 03:45 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Tucson
Posts: 872
Arizona
Quote:
Originally Posted by calewjohnson View Post
I believe the basement vent you are referring to is a wall vent that allows the movement of air around the basement....it was not meant to be a forced air vent.

Cale
But to the casual observer the vent can (and will) be misconstrued to be a heater vent when, in fact, it isn't anything more than a hole in the wall. How many potential buyers bought a Voltage believing those vents were hooked up to the heater? I know I thought they were heater vents.
__________________
2014 Voltage 3600
2013 Chevy 3500 CC DRW
2019 RZR 1000XP Trails and Rocks Edition
azdryheat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2016, 04:16 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Fanboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Chesapeake
Posts: 343
Virginia
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATCguy View Post
While you've got the belly off... might be a good time to solve one of the great mysteries: mapping out the tank heater switches with which tank they're supposed to be heating.


Wish I thought of that 4 days ago! It's all buttoned back up now. I too have just have a vent in mine. I also noted the ducting going to the garage is split in two places. I'm pretty sure there will be more heat back there now!
__________________
Scott n Cindy
2011 GMC 3500 4x4 DRW
2014 Voltage 3895 Epic3
Fanboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2016, 07:48 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
WMac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 76
Washington
Quote:
Originally Posted by azdryheat View Post
I had to remove the rear wall in the basement to run some cables and found that the round heater vent was not hooked up to anything. I thought that maybe the heater hose had come off but there weren't any loose hoses. Guess the heat just drifts in from the main cabin through that vent. Disappointing.
I can't speak to anything but our new 3800. Ours has two of the vents in the basement walls you speak of however on our, if you remove these wall panels you will expose all the inner workings of your trailer including plumbing, electrical, a lot of construction debris and of course your furnace. As I was vacuuming up the stuff left behind, I did find a furnace hose that was left lying on the floor of this space to heat the basement component area. Therefore the heated basement is that enclosed area behind those wall panels and is just to keep your plumbing from freezing in inclement weather. The vents just allow that heat to vent out into the storage hold. Nothing more, nothing less.
WMac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2016, 10:15 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Mansfield
Posts: 66
Texas
My ductwork in the basement has some holes, maybe 2" in diameter, cut into it to heat the basement. I just spent a week in Breckenridge, CO and I didn't take any chances. I cleared all the junk out of one side and ran a space heater in the basement. I also tackled the low point and fresh water drains by building small compartments (out of foam board) to cover them and then used zip ties to secure them to the valve/drains. I used 12V led lights in each one and it kept the temps in the 70's even down to 11F.
__________________

Burl is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dutchmen RV or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT. The time now is 08:27 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2020 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.
×