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Topic: Moving the living room AH heater core! (Read 691 times) previous topic - next topic

Moving the living room AH heater core!

Getting ready to install theater seating in our coach as soon as the flooring is laid and ran into an issue with the livingroom AH heater.  Looking at the photo, is the rubber line on the left the return line and if so, if I remove it to shorten the hose, will any liquid come out with unit off?  I thought originally this would fit under the one chair, but since it is a powered recliner, there is no room.  So, will have to mount the heater sideways and build a box around it and face it toward the front.
If anyone else had come up with a better plan, please let me know.  I thought about mounting it on the wall since I need at least 4 inches of clearance for the chairs to recline properly.  I searched on the forum and did not find anything related to moving this unit.
Thanks in advance!
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #1 –
You can clamp the hoses with vice grips or some wood pieces and C clamps. There is coolant in the hoses. With hoses and couplings you could move the heat exchanger anywhere you want.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #2 –
You might be breaking new ground with this mod.  Take lots of photos and tell us what you end up doing!
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #3 –
Quote from: craneman –
You can clamp the hoses with vice grips or some wood pieces and C clamps. There is coolant in the hoses. With hoses and couplings you could move the heat exchanger anywhere you want.

Thanks Chuck!  Great idea!  Those hose look to be 3/4 inch, so will see what I can find in the plumbing isle! 
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Chuck & Jeannie –
You might be breaking new ground with this mod.  Take lots of photos and tell us what you end up doing!

I agree with the new ground scenario!  May try moving it right behind DW's seat and see how that works.  The theater seating is 67 inches wide and will give me plenty of room to set it up without compromising the heater core.  Will be laying out the flooring in the morning and will start under the slide room first and move from left to right toward the front.  I will post photos of this under the Remodeling section!
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #5 –
What does your theater seats look like?  If you have a center compartment on your seat you can run through there coming out the front like on your sofa.  If you need to disconnect the heater just clamp off the hoses. You will still have some antifreeze in the register core.
John M.
John & Carm Morales

"We travel not to go anywhere, but to just go.  We travel for travel's sake.  Our great desire is to move."

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #6 –
The AH heat exchangers are in a series loop. The loop goes from the AH pump through the heat exchanger in the dash and then to the next and the next (maybe more) and then back to the AH. There is coolant in the hoses and in the heat exchangers.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #7 –
Quote from: John Morales –
What does your theater seats look like?  If you have a center compartment on your seat you can run through there coming out the front like on your sofa.  If you need to disconnect the heater just clamp off the hoses. You will still have some antifreeze in the register core.
John M.

John, we purchased the RecPro line with two recliners and a center console.  Will not be able to use the center console as mentioned and there is no room under the chairs since they are powered.  Will see if there is enough room to mount either beside or just behind the passenger captain chair and build a box.
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #8 –
Would it be possible to mount it in the basement with the vents coming through the floor?
Forest & Cindy Olivier
1987 log cabin
2011 Roadtrek C210P
no longer 1999 36' U320 build #5522
2013 Rzr 570 & 2018 Ranger XP1000
2006 Lexus GX470
2011 Tahoe LT 4x4
Previous 1998 45' 2 slide Newell, 1993 39' Newell

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #9 –
I have relocated mine to behind the captains chair in the process of an interior remodel.  It required re-routing the coolant lines and drilling holes in the floor underneath the new location.  I relocated a cabinet/desk to the same area that will conceal the heater.  It was probably a lot of work for not much gain, but at the time, I wanted to fully remove/reroute all wiring and hoses that were routed down the curb site wall.  The only reason I could fit that cabinet in that space was because I have moved my steering column/dash forward ~2" and the captains chair forward about 6" from factory location.  I found the factory cockpit to feel very uncomfortable, and I'm 6'0 tall.  It seems the Foretravel folks made the ceiling height for vert short folks and the cockpit for a giant!   

A word of caution.  Do not put any stress on the old hoses while the system is operating and hot, they will likely break/crack/leak at the edge of the copper tube that they are attached to on the radiator.  I woke up to my living room covered in antifreeze after temporarily relocating the radiator overnight and putting stress on the old factory hoses. 

When you disconnect:
-Make sure Aquahot system has been off for over 24 hours.  If it is hot, it will be pressurized as it is a sealed system similar to your car's cooling system.  If it is hot, it will also not feel good when you spill the antifreeze on your hands.  Another lesson learned the hard (stupid?) way.
-As recommended, you can use some clamps and wood to protect the hose to seal off before you disconnect.
-Put a bucket under the radiator before disconnecting because you will still spill some antifreeze. 
2000 U320 4010

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #10 –
Quote from: evantwheeler –
I have relocated mine to behind the captains chair in the process of an interior remodel.  It required re-routing the coolant lines and drilling holes in the floor underneath the new location.  I relocated a cabinet/desk to the same area that will conceal the heater.  It was probably a lot of work for not much gain, but at the time, I wanted to fully remove/reroute all wiring and hoses that were routed down the curb site wall.  The only reason I could fit that cabinet in that space was because I have moved my steering column/dash forward ~2" and the captains chair forward about 6" from factory location.  I found the factory cockpit to feel very uncomfortable, and I'm 6'0 tall.  It seems the Foretravel folks made the ceiling height for vert short folks and the cockpit for a giant!   

A word of caution.  Do not put any stress on the old hoses while the system is operating and hot, they will likely break/crack/leak at the edge of the copper tube that they are attached to on the radiator.  I woke up to my living room covered in antifreeze after temporarily relocating the radiator overnight and putting stress on the old factory hoses. 

When you disconnect:
-Make sure Aquahot system has been off for over 24 hours.  If it is hot, it will be pressurized as it is a sealed system similar to your car's cooling system.  If it is hot, it will also not feel good when you spill the antifreeze on your hands.  Another lesson learned the hard (stupid?) way.
-As recommended, you can use some clamps and wood to protect the hose to seal off before you disconnect.
-Put a bucket under the radiator before disconnecting because you will still spill some antifreeze. 

I never thought about moving the heater to the opposite side.  Thanks for the photos as well.  Most likely will keep it on the passenger side, but you did give me some great ideas for sure! 
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #11 –
After installing the new powered recliners, we have enough room to mount the heater vertically on the side wall.  Will post photos tomorrow.  Now will have to figure out how to fill in the side that is open.  Have some shelving material left over, so that may work with some engineering!
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #12 –
Update;  got the heater mounted to the side of the coach behind the recliner.  Still need to trim it out some, but glad I had the room to mount it there with no adjustments in line length, etc.
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #13 –
Looks good. I suspect it will function quite well.
David and Carolyn Osborn
1995 U320C SE 40' Build 4726 Feb 1995
FMCA 147762
Motorcade 17186
 

Re: Moving the living room AH heater core!

Reply #14 –
Quote from: D.J. Osborn –
Looks good. I suspect it will function quite well.

Will know when the first cold snap happens for sure!  lol
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus