Well I followed through with the purchase and am know knees deep in the gutting and demo portion of remodeling it.
for some reason it puts the image sideways, just click on the attachment to see it proper.
One of the things I wanted to do was open up the floor plan, as such I've removed the benches which were in the Chinook, currently there is this hefty propane furnace, has anyone ever replaced one of these with a newer smaller model? any recommendations for that?
I looked into replacing the stock 12000 btu furnace in my 2004 Premier with a more efficient/smaller footprint propane heater unit (Propex HS 2800 from propexheatsource.com) but opted to just upgrade to the Suburban 1600 SQ which has a slightly more efficient fan than the original stock but has the same hose configuration. Although I think the Propex is better, it requires hose and propane line modifications that I decided not to bother with…the efficieny improvement just didn’t seem worth it. I also did a quick-connect dryer hose mod on the vent port under the dinette so that I could connect a longer hose to direct heat out from under the bed when it is down…there is a post of what I did here on forum that you can check out (search topics for furnace upgrade). All in all, happy with the results. If I did a lot more boondocking and really was looking to conserve battery usage, I might have gone the Propex route.
Hope this helps. Other questions let me know.
David
Well I followed through with the purchase and am know knees deep in the gutting and demo portion of remodeling it.2024-04-07-14-54-52-462.jpg
for some reason it puts the image sideways, just click on the attachment to see it proper.
One of the things I wanted to do was open up the floor plan, as such I've removed the benches which were in the Chinook, currently there is this hefty propane furnace, has anyone ever replaced one of these with a newer smaller model? any recommendations for that?
Regarding the furnace replacement, there are a few good options depending on your priorities. If you're looking for a smaller and more efficient unit, the Propex HS2800 that David mentioned is a popular choice among RV enthusiasts. It's known for its compact size and efficiency, especially in conserving battery power, which is ideal if you plan to do a lot of boondocking. However, keep in mind that switching to the Propex might require some modifications to the hose and propane lines.
Another good option is sticking with a Suburban model, like the 1600 SQ. This option would allow you to upgrade to a more efficient unit without needing significant modifications since it maintains a similar hose configuration to your current furnace. If you're not looking to make extensive changes, this could be a great balance between ease and efficiency.
If you're comfortable doing a bit of DIY work, you might also consider adding some vent mods like David did to direct heat more effectively throughout the RV.
