VAF Forums - Tip: Heater installation notes

This time of year, our attention turns to keeping warm and toasty in our RV's and over the years, I've heard more than one complaint about the quality of cabin heat produced by some RV's. Fortunately, "Darla" produces copious amounts of warm cabin air and more than one passenger has said "Turn off that heat!" Why is it that some RV's produce more cabin heat than others? I believe that in large part, it has to do with how a given system is designed and installed. As the photo's illustrate... I reduced the 2" scat hose opening to the heat muff to 1" on the rear baffle and installed it as low as practical to take advantage of hot air circulating above #3 cylinder. My thinking was that the heat muff could more efficiently heat up a reduced volume of air before being routed to the cabin. I installed a DL-01SS stainless steel heat box on the firewall pretty much centered between the passengers legs but the air easily migrates towards my direction, though not nearly as forcefully as experienced by the passenger side, still the warm air generated is more than adequate to keep me comfortable.

Rick Galati RV-6A "Darla"