Rear Heat Convector Makes Bed Too Hot

JeffroNC

My DW sleeps next to the back wall and finds that it gets too hot for her. I’m looking for ideas to channel the heat out of the area. It’s a strange design to me that seems to trap heat behind the bed due to the padded trim piece in the back. Maybe a tube with a computer fan at the foot of the bed? Has anybody done anything like this?

Sharon_is_SAM

@JeffroNC - This was memorable for me.  I found Tabster’s entry in a 2016 thread titled “What do you consider to be your “Most valuable” trailer mod?”  It is from a 320 S, but concept can still apply.  

Tabster Member Posts: 118

 September 2016 207.233.73.75

The heating vent is a piece of 2" PVC drain pipe with an elbow on the top end.  I drilled a 2" hole in the back "ledge" and a matching hole in a piece of 1x6 cut to fit where a bed slat would go.  Popped in the 1x6, inserted the pipe, and done.  I keep the bed made up all the time so this allows heat up over the bed.  As you know, it can be an oven under the bed but just try and get the heat to spread quickly above it.  Could easily add a second one for more heat even faster.

Michigan_Mike

If you could fabricate a small, narrows wooden chute (one on each side maybe) and contour it up above the bed area to channel the heat upward, this could help eliminate the heating issue.  I would also consider a small computer fan possibly to move the air quicker, similar to
the fans used to cool the Frig cabinet area.  But normal heat flow is up and heat would rise up and out on its own which would be beneficial.  Would be less intrusive than PVC and you could accomplish it with a Dremel or a multi tool in the close quarters area.  

NuCamp probably felt that the heat would benefit individuals sleeping in the back of the trailer.  I have my Alde thermostat programmed to lower at around 10:30 PM for the sane reason in our 400 and the heat picks up at around 4:30 AM to allow the cabin area to be up to around 70° by 6 AM.  I have the AA battery backup pack for the thermostat so my settings are preserved all year. Be 

Denny16

We turn the heat down at night also, with morning program set to come back up around 6-7am.  You are under covers at night, no need to run the heat on a high temp setting.  We do the same at home.
cheers

pak

We find with our CS-S there is more heat exchanger length than we have ever needed. We use a small battery powered fan under the bed to push the heat out. I think the alde is the crown jewell for the T@B even though we use the heat only once in awhile.

JeffroNC

Thanks for the replies! I’m glad to hear others have noticed it. 
I will start with the setback idea. I do it at home, never thought about doing it on the Tab. 

@Michigan_Mike can you tell me about the battery backup?

Dutch061

Our 2020 thermostat for the Alde is programmable, so I have it programmed to cool down at night to 62 and warm up again to 70 early in the morning. I am the one who ends up near the wall 95% of the time, I sleep very warm, and this works fine. 

We only use 1 single blanket for bedding to cover up with and it is more than enough. Even my wife who grew up in the Caribbean is warm enough (most of the time). But then again, she is one who will likely wear long pajamas year-round, even in the heat of the summer. I guess her body is programmed not to sweat, me if it is over 65 and I am moving I am a mess!

I should mention that we also have a mattress insider topper, but I modified the trim in the back to keep a good open gap, so the topper doesn't restrict the heat at all. 

Brad

bergger

We also program the heat to turn down overnight then turn up early in the morning.  We turn it down to 55-58 overnight then have it turn up to mid 60s in the morning.  Just remember to have it turn on a few hours prior to getting up as it takes a while to warm up. 

Michigan_Mike

JeffroNC said:

@Michigan_Mike can you tell me about the battery backup?

Hi Jeff, mine was installed in my trailer by nuCamp when it was built.  But you can either order one through Alde or have seen this on YouTube where you can make one yourself.  It basically is a couple of AA batteries powering up the thermostat and the unit plugs into the back of the thermostat.  Mine sits up in the cupboard (screwed in) and the power cable drops down to the thermostat.  This would no doubt be an easy mod if you are handy with these types of projects. 

https://www.alde.us/our-products/battery-backup/

CrabTab

@JeffroNC What if you were to install a valve in the supply line leading to the unit under the bed? You could regulate the amount of fluid/heat at that location while leaving the rest of the system running 'full throttle'.

fstop32

@CrabTab, if that 2019 400 is like my 2015 it has a closed loop system and if you restrict the flow at any point in the system you would be restricting the flow in the entire system.  The heated glycol flows from the boiler through one of the large rear convectors then through one and then the other convector in the passenger bench and then back to the other large convector in the rear and then circles back to the boiler where it picks up more heat.

CrabTab

Thanks for educating me @fstop32!  
Sorry for the bad idea @JeffroNC (and anyone else that read the post).

fstop32

@CrabTab, it wasn't a bad idea.  If I hadn't been "given the opportunity" to pull my entire heating system out and replace it I wouldn't have known it was a closed loop either.  Your idea would work but you'd have to replumb so each convector set had it's own loop.  That would add some hose, a couple of valves and a bit more glycol but it could be done...  Now I'm waiting on someone at a much higher pay grade to correct me on what I just said! 

CrabTab

We're planning on having ample time to 'look under the hood'  of a 400 in the near future.

Mickerly

We have a 2018 CS. Our radiator box looks different. The vent is on the top, not the front. 

I bought a bed slat from a local hardware store. I cut two 1 inch pieces then cut the remainder to fit from one seat to the other. I glued on the two 1 inch pieces on each end to hold the slat away from the wall. Now, the heat goes around the edge of the mattress. I call it my heat chimney.

It looks like your vent is on the front. I think I would move the slot to the back and make a chimney.  ; )

JeffroNC

If`` I cant restrict the flow through the converter, I could bypass it with a hose and a couple of fittings. Right now the setback seems too be doing the trick for my DW. I will add the battery. I will also shut off the hot water during the night which will reduce some of the heat under the bed.

Dutch061

@JeffroNC, I failed to mention that my nighttime settings in the 3020 include turning off the hot water. That alone may help tremendously!

Even without the battery backup, the only thing that needs to be "reset after the Perko is turned off" is the time and day of the week. I had considered the battery backup, (you can get them on eBay) but quickly realized those batteries would live between the microwave and the wall the thermostat is mounted on. Which means 2 x per year I would need to remove the microwave to install the batteries and then remove them for winter. 

Much simpler for me to set the time and day of the week.

Merry Christmas! 

Brad

P.S. I suspect that if you were to bypass the convector, that you would not get sufficient heat when the temperatures drop.

fstop32

@JeffroNC, you could do what you were thinking about bypassing one of the rear convectors.  You would probably only need 2 unions, some clamps and maybe 5' of heater hose.  If you wanted to get the biggest bang for your "make it cooler buck" then bypass the rear convector that is hooked directly to the boiler.  Doing that means the hotter fluid coming directly off the boiler skips that rear convector and you'll get more heat passed to the passenger side convectors because the glycol will be hotter than usual. 
You'll probably want to wait and do that at a glycol change otherwise it will get messy trying to add that bypass with full glycol lines.

CrabTab

fstop32 said:

 If you wanted to get the biggest bang for your "make it cooler buck" then bypass the rear convector that is hooked directly to the boiler.  Doing that means the hotter fluid coming directly off the boiler skips that rear convector and you'll get more heat passed to the passenger side convectors because the glycol will be hotter than usual. 

At that point I'm starting to think maybe add a T fitting and the valve I previously mentioned to create a controlled branch circuit. That way Amy has the potential get some heat in the new northern latitude you're living in Jeff.   

Give us some time and we'll figure out how to make this job a true Rube Goldberg machine!

fstop32

I feel like Rube is like a brother separated at birth but we have similar genes, Rube makes some great machines!!! 

JeffroNC

@CrabTab the good news is that we are heading south. 

Denny16

The TaB400 Alde circulation scheme is different than the 320s,  JeffNC has a 2019 TaB400, and hot glycol good from the boiler to two in line convectors under the rear part of the rear bunk. Then it goes to the galley, dinette area, washroom and to reservoir in closet on the 2018/2019 TaB 400.  See floor plan glycol flow diagram below:

Green boxes in diagram are the A.de heat convectors, red line hot glycol circulation and blue line return cooled glycol back to boiler (red box #1 under bunk)

It is a closed loop system, and if you stop the flow at any point, it will not circulate the hot glycol and will not heat the trailer.  You could by-pass the first convector under the bunk, to reduce the heat in this area.  

We just turn down the thermostat at night (auto programmed it) and back up in morning, which does the job of reducing heat under the bed at night to a comfortable level.

qhumberd

@Denny16 great diagram of the flow in the 400. I would add that when checking under the shower floor in my 2019 400 looking for a trap versus Hepvo drain while winterizing I found a trap and also a convector behind that under the shower floor. So that would be one more before the one on the shower wall in your diagram that is the last in the loop in our trailers. Not sure if this was in all builds or just some. Our build date was Oct 2018.

Denny16

Thanks, I think that was a change just before the 2020 model build, I do not think my Jan 2018 built 400 has the under shower floor heating element, just the vertical one under the shower ( which is the last convector in the loop as shown in my diagram), but it does have the HEPVO valve on the shower drain, I looked.  

Getting to that convector under shower floor would require removing the shower pan (floor) unit, which would be a pain.  I like having access to all the convectors by just removing cabinet fronts and plywood panels.  Hope you never have an issue under there.
Stay safe, and happy trails…
cheers

JeffroNC

@Denny16 thanks for the diagram. I will file it away.
I am the coldest natured of the two of us so sometimes I want more heat. I have some ideas to vent the heat out from behind the bed at the foot. Meanwhile, the setback timer is working great.

Denny16

@JeffroNC you are welcome, safe travels…
cheers