Propex 2211 Heater Install

[brad j]

Hi All,

Fantastic resource here. Thanks for all your input.

I have just purchased a Propex 2211 heater (to mount externally) for my 2012 Scamp '16. It comes with Suburban Heater which really pumps out the heat but is too loud for a family of light sleepers. (will be selling soon if anyone is in the market). I'm wondering if anyone has any experience installing/using these. Any Gotcha's to be aware of? I'll post an update after I complete the job with a review of the Propex vs. the Suburban as well as how I did it.

Thanks

[Ian G.]

I will be following your thread with interest Brad, that is the exact heater I a considering for my Boler 13

[Jon in AZ]

Here is a recent thread on the subject:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ion-63501.html
And another:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...s-64768-4.html

I believe both Denny and Dave are active on the forum, so you might send PMs asking for suggestions on the project.

I hear you about the noise from the factory unit. On our 13', it is closer to the bed than I like, too.

[brad j]

Thx mates. I'll check out the links you sent me. Much appreciated. I will likely be doing the project at the end of this month. I'll post when I get it done. Allbest

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by brad j

Hi All,

Fantastic resource here. Thanks for all your input.

I have just purchased a Propex 2211 heater (to mount externally) for my 2012 Scamp '16. It comes with Suburban Heater which really pumps out the heat but is too loud for a family of light sleepers. (will be selling soon if anyone is in the market). I'm wondering if anyone has any experience installing/using these. Any Gotcha's to be aware of? I'll post an update after I complete the job with a review of the Propex vs. the Suburban as well as how I did it.

Thanks

You can download the pdf instruction if you have not :

HS2211 underfloor installation - Propex Heating & Leisure

[brad j]

Hi all. I haven't had chance to take pictures and post a more detailed account yet re: the installation (it will happen, I just have to find the time...). I will give a high level report for now and am happy to respond to specific questions for anyone considering the purchase a proper heater.

First, I purchased mine from Propex Canada/Aurora sales through their Website. They are located in Duncan BC and do primarily marine installations of the Propex but also distribute to Canada. There support was fantastic (and needed since the wiring harness came incorrectly wired from the manufacturer). Once we determined the problem, Chris sorted it out and got me a new one in 1 week.

Is it quieter than the new suburban heater mine came with? -- Yes.
Does it work well in the space? -- Yes - It really kicks out the heat.
Is it easy to install? - Relatively simple. It does come with a male 3/8 gas fitting out the back which is threaded to british standard thread so you will have to order that from a specialty gas fitting website online. My view is that being sold in Canada, Propex should have included it or at least mention that it is required but...minor frustration.

I ended up installing it inside the RV after all but may move it outside later as it's not too hard. I still ended up gaining storage space by replacing the installed Suburban.

Anyone looking for a suburban heater give me PM and I'll send you the details. It works great but was too loud for this light sleeper.

[Josh B.]

Originally Posted by brad j

Hi all. I haven't had chance to take pictures and post a more detailed account yet re: the installation (it will happen, I just have to find the time...). I will give a high level report for now and am happy to respond to specific questions for anyone considering the purchase a proper heater.

First, I purchased mine from Propex Canada/Aurora sales through their Website. They are located in Duncan BC and do primarily marine installations of the Propex but also distribute to Canada. There support was fantastic (and needed since the wiring harness came incorrectly wired from the manufacturer). Once we determined the problem, Chris sorted it out and got me a new one in 1 week.

Is it quieter than the new suburban heater mine came with? -- Yes.
Does it work well in the space? -- Yes - It really kicks out the heat.
Is it easy to install? - Relatively simple. It does come with a male 3/8 gas fitting out the back which is threaded to british standard thread so you will have to order that from a specialty gas fitting website online. My view is that being sold in Canada, Propex should have included it or at least mention that it is required but...minor frustration.

I ended up installing it inside the RV after all but may move it outside later as it's not too hard. I still ended up gaining storage space by replacing the installed Suburban.

Anyone looking for a suburban heater give me PM and I'll send you the details. It works great but was too loud for this light sleeper.

Hi Brad,
I'm curious if you are still happy with your Propex heater? We are strongly considering doing an install. We recently launched a new camper company. gobecampers.com

Thanks,
Josh

[NW Cat Owner]

Any quieter than the Atwoods in the Escapes?


Now if there were quiet a/c units I'd be super happy!


I can more or less and sort-of sleep through the furnace but definitely not through the a/c unless I have way more sleeping pills in me than is appropriate.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Josh B.

Hi Brad,
...

I dont know if you will hear back from Brad.. his last time on this forum was 11-10-2016.

I came very close to installing a Propex in my Scamp and my research led to the conclusion that to make it much quieter than other options it should be mounted under the floor (outside) and/or with ducting. The lack of room under the floor on my camper was one reasons I never did it. I also had some concern about having it exposed even though is designed to be.

Ducting seemed like a very good idea to both quiet the air flow and direct it in multiple places where it would keep the camper at a more comfortable and uniform temperature. But again, for my camper this complicated the project more than I wanted.

Now if I were building my camper from scratch, a ProPex would be very high on my list of options. I studied the installation manual quite a bit and it would be much easier to meet all the requirements in a new build than retro fitting it in my already build camper.

There are a few other threads in this forum on the topic also.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Josh B.

Hi Brad,
I'm curious if you are still happy with your Propex heater? We are strongly considering doing an install. We recently launched a new camper company. gobecampers.com

Thanks,
Josh

Josh....the "westy" VW van sites are a great place to learn about how effective this type of propane heater is. They are a very common choice of heater for those camper vans. Lots of youtube videos about the installation and lots of reviews about them.

[Mike Magee]

Josh, the best way to reach a member who isn't very active is to click on their name (where it appears on the far left) and a drop-down box will appear, giving you options to contact them via email or PM. A Private Message usually results in a notification email going to them, so either should let them know you have a question... assuming Brad hasn't changed his email provider since then.

[David B.]

Originally Posted by Josh B.

Hi Brad,
I'm curious if you are still happy with your Propex heater? We are strongly considering doing an install. We recently launched a new camper company. gobecampers.com

Thanks,
Josh

I have internally installed a Propex (Heatsource 2000, 6483 BTU) in our 17’ Lil Snoozy, and it is a very quiet and efficient furnace. I now wish that I would have purchased the HS2800 (9500 BTU) for faster warm ups. There is an outfitter company in northern Prescott Arizona (adventuretrailers.com) that uses and sells the various Propex/Heatsource furnaces. They could answer many of your questions.
Dave & Paula

[brad j]

Sorry all,

I've been off the forum for a while as I sold my Scamp. In answer to the question from Josh and a few PM's I got (but just found in my spam junk folder) I absolutely loved the Propex heater we installed in our Scamp and would not hesitated to purchase one again. Very Quiet, Efficient, Effective and Safe.

Allbest

[ACHINBAC]

Josh - i installed a Propex 2000 in our Scamp 13d a while back. It holds the trailer @ 68 degrees @ 0 outside w/ no insulation on the windows & only rug on the floor. Uses 142 grams of propane per hour (64 hrs on a 20# tank) and about 2 amps/hr for its blower. It's very quiet - less than our small ceramic 1500 watt electric, though have never owned an Atwood or Suburban so can't compare. You can see pics of my install under 'Scamp 13 gets the Mcgiver treatment' & you can PM me if you have add'l questions. Dave

[Air Doug]

I just finished an installation of the HS2000 inside our Lil Snoozy in the same location that Dave and Paula did. I had a couple of differences that I will post later in their thread. But I can make some observations about the installation.

The furnace is really nice and puts out a lot of heat. It is plenty to get the Snoozy up to temperature. Mine draws about 1.7 amps when operating. Be aware that the coolest setting is 60 degrees. That seems to be a problem for people who like to sleep in cooler temps and there are a couple of fixes you can find on the internet.

My version came from GoWesty in the U.S. and was supplied with a fitting that converted the British (BSPT) female fitting on the furnace to U.S. 1/4 inch OD NPT compression fitting. My problem with that is that NFPA 1192 Standard on Recreational Vehicles for RV propane lines doesn't allow compression fittings. You can access the code here:
https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-stand...tail?code=1192
But if you chose to use the supplied compression fitting, finding Type L or K 1/4 inch copper tubing in less than 60 foot rolls is almost impossible, and is really expensive too. The 1/4 inch tubing in the big box stores is for water or HVAC, not Type L or K, and is not permitted. The wall thickness is really thin. I ended up finding flare fittings and Type L 3/8 inch tubing and used that.

I really like the extensive self-diagnostics that come with the unit.