Heater and Heat pumps

[vipermanden]

Silly question. It seems that the heater control in the front of the 5er controls both heaters? Also, to keep the noise down, I don't even turn on the heater in the bedroom, and yet heat still comes out of the vents when the front heater is on? Now for the first time we will be in 20 degree weather and snow tonight. Do we need to use the heat pump if we are not using the fresh water tank? I have the hose coming from the park supplied water insulated with thick copper tubing foam insulation tubes. If I have to use the heat pump, only the rear controls show this. Do we leave the front control on the heater, and the rear control on the heat pump, and what temp do you set it to? Seems silly, but no one ever told me about using this feature. Thanks

[dieselguy]

I'm not exactly sure of what you are asking, but the "furnace" is propane fired and it's ducting in the floor runs the entire length of your fiver. When the "furnace" comes on, all floor vents function. Heat pumps refer to your roof A/C units and are electrically operated. (Basically your A/C runs in reverse). Both A/C's share the same ducting in the ceiling of your fiver, so air will come out when either A/C unit is on. Heat pumps will take the chill off, but won't work in really cold weather like your floor furnace. There are also heat strips as an available option with your A/C's. They are electrically operated as well. Are you talking heat pumps or heat strips just to be sure?

[vipermanden]

Since mine is a 2017, and heat pumps were new for 2017, I assumed it was for keeping your fluid tanks from freezing? The control for it is only in the back bedroom. I can't figure out these darn A/C units either, they stay on and i guess cycle between using the compressor or not using it. I noticed the back bedroom heater did not come on, unless the front heater was also on? That is why I am asking a silly question about the heat pumps, and what they are really going to do for me tonight when it is 20 degrees out or less?

[vipermanden]

OK, I am an idiot. I am getting a crash course in winter camping, since I am in snow and below zero temps for the next 24-36 hours. I thought the heat pump was for heating the water tanks, but the service department said it helps my heater run more efficiently?? How does that work? Also my panel has three switches on it for heating the three water tanks, the fresh, grey and black. So I felled the fresh water tank, and turned on all three switches for now! Still curious how to use the heat pump to make my heater more efficient, and why is it only on the bedroom controller?

[vipermanden]

OK, learning by the seat of our pants as we are going along here, and the manuals are useless. Figured out heat pumps are a way of using your A/C units to heat the 5er when temps are 40-60 degrees outside. So it shuts itself off if temps are under 40 degrees. I guess it is a cheap way to get inefficient heat by using shore power instead of your propane. It runs the A/C units in reverse. The heated strips I have on my tanks are also thermostatically controlled, so i will keep those on while we are in sub zero temps, and let them do their thing. I guess the next spot I am in and it is above 40 degrees, I will try using the heat pump. Still not sure how to operate it, if it is only on the bedroom control? Do I leave the front room unit off, and just turn on the heat pump in the rear? I will give that a shot when I can.

[dieselguy]

I think you are coming to grips with what you have. Expanding what I said earlier ... most people use the propane furnace for the main heating. That being said ... many buy 110V electric ceramic heaters for heat and supplement them with the propane heat. This method cuts down on propane use and uses the electricity you may already be paying for via your campsite fee. Although you have 12VDC tank heaters ... your unit may still have a propane furnace duct going into the underbelly to help keep tanks and water lines from freezing. This propane fired heat source is what many of the other models use to keep the tanks and water lines from freezing since they have no 12VDC tank heaters. I'd guess only your rear A/C has the heat pump feature and is why it is only mentioned as such. Your front A/C likely does not have the heat pump feature. Since you say you're in COLD temps ... the heat pump won't come on anyhows ... you will be using the propane fired furnace unless you do have ceramic heaters I mentioned.
I think you are confused by the two A/C's and different zones. The bedroom and rest of the fiver uses the same ceiling ducting ... there is no separate ducting for your bedroom. Both A/C units sit atop your fiver hooked to the same ducts situated lengthwise of your fiver. Both blow out the same ceiling vents. The same with your floor vents for the propane fired furnace ... when the propane fired furnace is on ... hot air will come out all floor vents whether it be bedroom or rest of the fiver.
Someone will come along here that has a new fiver similar to yours and be more helpful with how to use the thermostat unit. The tank heaters are simply switched on and thermostatically controlled ... nothing else needs done by you. Cabin comfort heat (heat pump or propane fired furnace) and tank heaters are two separate systems that take care of two separate things ... the air you live in for one and the holding tanks for your fresh, grey, and black water for the other.

[vipermanden]

Thanks, Diesel Guy, Yes, we should have done our homework, but we both graduated from UCLA 40 years ago, and have not had homework since! :-) I did figure out that it is much quieter to have the front heater on, and leave the bedroom heater off, so all the noise is out in the front of the RV, and not right above our heads. I also noticed that if i have the fireplace on, it turns off the thermostat on the front propane heater thus not letting us get heat in the back bedroom! So we use a plug in electric heater to heat our bedroom, and when we get up, I use the fireplace before I use the propane furnace to heat the rest of the 5er. Any other cold weather tips? We filled the fresh water tank for the first time, so since we did not get to sanitize it, we are not using it for cooking or drinking purposes.