Alde Thoughts

bergger

Sorry to hear of your troubles.  We've not had any issues with our Alde but as I've mentioned in past threads I have a love hate relationship with the Alde.  I would much prefer a Truma Combi unit and told myself if our Alde every goes out I would try to replace it with a Truma.  I look forward to seeing what solution you come up with.  

WayneW

There are some interesting discussions on U.K. camping forums if you google Truma Combi vs Alde. Folks have a lot more experience with both and the discussions are quite informative. There seems to be no clear favorite among the ones I read. 

bergger

I'll have to check those forums out.  I have no experience with the Combi but I do own a Truma Vario heater that is in my truck and I really like it.  The CP control panel is easy to use and the night mode is very quiet.  I'm sure the Combi is very similar in performance.  

BillCB

Having only just bought our TAB 400, we haven't yet run the heating. I understand it takes a while to warm up. Is there any reason it can't be run while driving? For example, if you're going to set up camp at 6pm, can you stop for a minute at 5pm to turn the system on?

Maple_Geek

@BillCB this would imply that you are driving with propane turned on. I'm not sure I would be comfortable with that personally and there may be some laws against that (not sure). That said, I don't see why it could not be done mechanically.

pthomas745

The Alde works driving down the road just fine.  I've done it accidently a couple of times.  The trailer is not very air tight, however, so it is not the most efficient way to run it.

Whenever the discussion about "how long it takes to heat come up", it isn't like it takes several hours.  You can have hot water after just a few minutes on propane or electric.  Getting the rest of the trailer "warm" does take a bit longer, since the warm glycol has to travel around the trailer and warm up the hoses and convectors. 

Sharon_is_SAM

Pg 2 of the Alde 3020 manual

WARNING FIRE/EXPLOSION HAZARD VARNING

Do not use the LP Gas operation on the hydronic heating system while refueling or pumping gas.

AVERTISSMENT

Do not use any type of open flame when checking for gas leaks. WUsAe RgeNnuUinNe AGlde replacement parts only.

LP tanks must be filled by a qualified gas supplier only.

Use with LP Gas only.

Shut off the gas and the LP tank when the vehicle is in motion. This helps disable all gas appliances and pilot lights.

Gas appliances must never be operated while the vehicle is in motion.

swiftwave

I understand there are diverging views on the topic of running propane appliances while underway.  I make no exceptions:  My propane cylinders are always turned off when I’m towing.  Propane is an extremely high energy product, not to be taken lightly.

I do a lot of boondocking in northern Canada, so my trailer is often quite cold inside when I first arrive at a campsite.  My first task upon arrival is to turn on the propane, then turn on the Alde and the fridge.  Then, after I’ve lowered the stabilizers and set up my campsite, the inside of the trailer is usually well on its way to becoming comfortably warm.  Sometimes, if an extra initial burst of heat is desired, I will turn on a small portable 110 volt ceramic heater for a few minutes to take the chill off.  To conserve my T@B 400's onboard batteries, I plug this little heater into a portable lithium power station that I carry and charge inside my tow vehicle.  Just a few minutes of electric heat makes a big difference and will enable the Alde to maintain the accumulated warmth, rather than struggle to achieve the warmth on its own.

My Alde days are over though; I have recently installed a Suburban propane forced air furnace, ducted into the original air conditioning vents as well as a custom vent behind the bed.  My maiden voyage with this new heat source is soon approaching…

Citruscountytab400

I will be installing a Mr cool mini split since the Aldi and cool cat are so inefficient.  I also plan to go with a 10 gallon gas/electric water heater in the future.  I may leave the cool cat for a backup, but the Aldi is such a waste of space and too complex for long-term reliability.  Everything mechanically in the tab 400 is over engineered and more of a novelty compared with other rvs and their reliability using basic ac, heat, and water heaters.  The basic shell of the tab is okay, but the exterior plastic trip drives me crazy for a $50000 rv.

Binghi

So why did you buy it?

riseandshine

For anyone interested, the Truma Combi is not available in the U.S. for aftermarket or retail sale to the public - it's only available to authorized OEM manufacturers who make or repair RVs. I contacted Truma directly and they verified this. So the Truma Combi is off the table for most DIY folks, unless you want to source the unit and installation parts from overseas and forfeit any manufacturer warrantee and customer service. There have been some DIY folks online that successfully ordered the Combi from OEM sources in the U.S. and Canada, but Truma said this is not allowed by them.

Fortunately, there is a very similar alternative to the Truma Combi that looks nearly identical in specs, performance and price called the Aqua-Hot Gen 1 Propane. And unlike the Combi, Aqua-Hot makes this unit and all installation parts available to the DIY market through multiple retailers. The Gen 1 is relatively new, launched in 2022, but Aqua-Hot has made heating systems for years.