Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 22:43:42 -0700
Reply-To: shilohz <shilohz@JPS.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: shilohz <shilohz@JPS.NET>
Subject: Re: Carver P4 - Thoughts on installation
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OK guys, where are you placing the heater??
At this point I think I am going to place it vertically with the air inlet
and outlet nearest the sliding door with the gas inlet pointing towards the
water tank. I will try to run the gas line behind the fridge and "t" into
the gas line near the fridge under the sink.
Please let me know where you installed your heater and why.
Please send any helpful hints to the rest of us.
Bobby Zezoff
Folsom CA
916.988.1551
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From: Ssittservl@aol.com <Ssittservl@aol.com>
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Cc: Benjita@aol.com <Benjita@aol.com>; berky@win.bright.net
<berky@win.bright.net>; ebrown@Adobe.COM <ebrown@Adobe.COM>;
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<ThingGuy@aol.com>
Date: Thursday, July 23, 1998 9:22 AM
Subject: Carver P4 - Thoughts on installation
>I've been staring at my camper's interior a lot lately, wondering
>how to install the Carver P4 heater. Here are a few rambling thoughts;
>I'd welcome any comments, opinions, or experiences.
>
>I guess I'm convinced that under the rear seat, on the passenger side,
>is best. I think about the only other place that would work is the
>closet. The closet's big enough that the space the heater takes up
>might not be missed too badly, especially if it were mounted on its
>side - since the closet's wider at the bottom than at the top, the
>"extra width" at the bottom could be used. But I have a feeling I'd
>regret it later if I put it in there. I kept hoping to find some
>way to wedge it into the "secret compartment" behind the 110 outlet,
>but it's just too big.
>
>Mounting it on its side against the front wall of the under-the-seat
>compartment appears to take the least room, since no room is taken up
>by the exhaust and inlet pipes. But, that leaves a narrow/deep
>storage space under the seat, and I think I'd probably be better off
>with a wide/shallow space, so I'll probably mount the heater flat
>on the floor, and put a shelf over it.
>
>Looks like there's too much in the way under the van to get the exhaust
>easily to the driver's side (without having the pipe hang low enough
>I'd be afraid it could get damaged easily), so I'll probably put it
>just forward of the right-rear jack point, and the intake some
>random spot forward of that (it's less critical).
>
>For some reason I'm reluctant to cut visible holes in the under-the-seat
>box, so I'm considering running no cold air return duct, and relying
>on the existing ventilation for the existing rear heater. (I guess that
>comes mainly from the open "slot" at the driver's side of the seat box.)
>For the warm air duct, I've wondered about running it into the side of
>the existing (very short, rectangular) heater duct, under the seat. Then
>I wouldn't need a new grill in the seat box front. To keep the warm air
>from running "backwards" through the rear heater core, I've thought
>about sticking in one of those louvered covers that are used over
>clothes dryer vents - that would act as a one-way valve. (It would have
>to be the kind with multiple thin louvers - not the one-big-flapping-door
>kind). And then I wonder if that idea is too dorky to work, and I
>should just cut the hole for a new grill.
>
>For the propane line, I'm not sure whether to copy Tom Forhan's
>route (from the 11/96 list archives), or go under the van instead
>and up through the floor right at the heater. Also, I think
>I've seen flexible rubber (plastic?) propane lines - on the
>Eurovan, for example. Perhaps those would be easier to run.
>
>For power, I figured I'd tie in just after the "pump" fuse -
>I think it's got enough extra capacity, since it just runs the
>pump and the fridge condenser fan. There's a ground I can
>run to in the "secret" compartment.
>
>I'll put the wall switch above and to the left of the closet door
>(left as you face the closet door). I think I can snake the cable
>from the seat box, up through the closet, behind the closet wall
>(between the wall and the curtain), into the overhead tray,
>and then to the switch. I'll put the switch on a little wooden
>backplate, again to avoid cutting holes in the visible face of the
>cabinetry.
>
>I'm considering wimping out and having a local RV place do
>the stuff that sounds hard to me, like running the propane
>line, and possibly drilling the big holes (since I'd have to
>buy the drill bits for a single use, and it may be as cheap
>to have them do it if they've already got the tools). I'll
>at least have them give me an estimate.
>
>That's the plan, at least until I go stare at everything again.
>What do other P4 owners have in mind?
>
> -Steven Sittser
>
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