Heater Vents In 400

AustinRoamers

 Where are the heater vents in the 400? We only get heat below the star window (bed wall) and the bathroom wall vent. Are those the only two heater vents or do we have a problem? I tried searching the forum for an answer so please direct me to a thread if it's already been covered. Thanks!

Verna

Under the front window from the rear of the wooden box. If you have the dinette in sofa mode, keep the area close to the wall clear. The slot cut into the wood is obvious once you know where to look. Also on the floor of the small dinette seat inside the door.

Under the kitchen window is a slot behind the metal retainer that keeps objects from falling into the crevice.  Leave a bottle of water on the counter and you’ll feel the water warm up, plus you can feel the heat rise from the crevice. 

Using a laser heat detector, the slots under the bathroom door in the aisle are 5*+ warmer than the surrounding area, so I do believe there is the heated floor in the bathroom. 

I have also inserted 1”x6” dowels with rubber ends between the rear wall and the flexible piece of fabric cover material. This allows more heat to rise in the bed area and helps keep the area clear of bedding. 

And, by the way, if you want cool, not cold, bottled water, put them on the lower shelf of the round cabinet closest to the door.  While it doesn’t freeze in the cabinet, the lower shelf is a few degrees cooler than the top shelf.    

AustinRoamers

Thanks Verna. I had assumed the slots under the dinette were for heat but we aren't getting any.  

falcon1970

@AustinRoamers
You won't feel any air blowing from the slots Verna mentioned.  The Alde system is a radiant heat system rather than a forced air system.  It is just like the radiators in a house if you are old enough (or your house is) to remember those.  Since all the radiator fins are pretty well enclosed behind walls, cabinets, and the bed, it will take awhile for the heat to seep out into the main air space.

AustinRoamers

This is our second T@B so familiar with Alde. a This is our third trip in new trailer and the heat never makes it to the front. It's now been running for 24 hours and works beautifully in the back. Nothing in front.

vhollow

Another radiator is below the porthole on the driver’s side. You may have air bubbles trapped in some lines. I understand that two people can tilt the 400 down and up, front to back, to get the bubbles to move to the high point, which is the expansion tank in the closet, assuming you have a closet. The bubbles should just percolate out at the tank. You can look at the links on changing Alde fluid for more information on this.

vhollow

I forgot to mention that there is another radiator under the bathroom floor.

BigGrover

Lower the front of the trailer as far as possible and leave it that way for an hour then level the trailer.  Check your glycol level in the tank to be sure it is above the minimum level.  Turn the Alde system on and see if that doesn't make a difference!

AustinRoamers

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions - now we'll go entertain the neighbors by bobbing the trailer up and down!

NCNative

Good luck, let us know if it works!

BigGrover

@AustinRoamers One more thing, I found we could really tell a difference in the warm air flow by cracking the roof vent an inch.  Nucamp even recommends cracking the windows.  I open both the bathroom vent and the Maxxair vent 

nbrandt

It could be called, "Burping the system!"  :  )