Any Class C *WITH* ducted heated holding tanks?

[Boondock Saint]

Hi Folks!


Thanks in advance for your kindness and considerations. I've been lurking and shopping the past few months and trying to collect all mfr offerings with ducted heated water tanks. I can always add pads to a ducted area along with additional insulation, but I doubt I can add forced air heat without a lot of modification.


If you own a Class C and know that you have ducted holding compartments, please let me know the model and year so I can target in my searches. Especially ones that have the "winter package" option!


Much appreciated!

[BehindBars]

2020 Sunseeker 2440DS has a small round duct from the propane furnace placed and directed into the lower passenger side compartment that is housing the fresh water pump and the black and grey holding tanks. The tanks are not very tall but span almost the entire width of the coach. On the driver side is the dump compartment, and mine has the optional heating pads attached to the tanks on the driver side. The tank compartment is enclosed and isolated from the outside world but semi open all the way across, so the heated air ducted into the passenger side could theoretically keep both sides warm.

The fresh water tank is in the living space above the floor, under the bed, so it would be heated by way of the main furnace ducting.

I suspect (but can’t say with absolute certainty) that all current Sunseeker and Forester floor plans are built this same way.

[Boondock Saint]

Oooowe Nice! Thanks for that.

I've not been under a Sunseeker, do you think there is any expedient way to add additional insulation and sub-flooring under the frame? I'll have plenty of time to DIY something before next fall.

Anyhoo, thanks for your quick response, much appreciated!

[emm-dee]

I know the Forester 3011 and 3051 have ducted heat to the tanks. As previously mentioned I believe all Foresters and Sunseekers are equipped that way.

Problem is I rarely use the furnace except for the initial heat up if it’s really cold. If the temp is going below 30 I just put 150 watt light bulbs with reflectors into the left and right compartments where they can transfer heat to the water pump, filter and holding tanks. The 3000 series Foresters are equipped with heating pads for the fresh water tank.

[Boondock Saint]

Oh thanks I'm def going to better research those models. It doesn't get as cold here in WA as Alaska or Wisconsin etc, but I'd rather stay thawed.

I'm looking for a Class C so I can lift it and 4x4, winching bumpers, big tires and generally PIMP MY RV.

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by Boondock Saint

Oooowe Nice! Thanks for that.

I've not been under a Sunseeker, do you think there is any expedient way to add additional insulation and sub-flooring under the frame? I'll have plenty of time to DIY something before next fall.

Anyhoo, thanks for your quick response, much appreciated!

The floor of the Sunseeker appears to be built with framing, possibly aluminum. Atop of the framing is a wood subfloor maybe 5/8 inch or so thick. Below that, filling the space around frame members, is polystyrene foam, maybe 1.5 inches thick. On the bottom is a thin layer of a plastic material. These material descriptions and thicknesses are just guesses on my part from having drilled a couple holes in the floor. This entire floor system sets on the chassis framing that is built by the chassis up-fitter MORryde.

Crawling underneath and adding more whatever to the flooring under the frame would be very, very challenging. I’ve spent a lot of time under neath mine, and it’s quite a complicated mess under there. One thing Forest River does that annoys me is they spray foam under some of the undercarriage, perhaps mainly as a sealant. They could very well be employing a chimpanzee to do this work, because it’s so sloppy (but I don’t mean to insult the chimp). If you wanted more insulation, spraying would be an option, but there are mechanicals and devices you would not want to bury.

One thing about Forester and Sunseekers, at least the Ford and Chevy platform models, is that the side walls are 2 inches thick. Other brands that I checked out, including the smaller sizes of Dynamax class Cs, use only 1.5 inch thick outer walls. The 2 inch thick walls get you a little more strength and insulation. The roof was fairly impressive, too. At the center, where the vent and fan holes are, the framing is 3.5 inches thick. It tapers thinner to the sides because the roof is crowned but the ceiling is flat.

[Boondock Saint]

Thanks BehindBars for that very exacting information! I'll have other modifications to the suspension and electrical systems to do, so I best not further complicate the jobs or bury my opportunities beneath more spray foam.

[n1acguy]

I suspect my Sunseeker 2860DS has a duct to the holding tanks because it's got 1 more duct off the heater than registers. I assumed that's where it's going.

[n1acguy]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

One thing about Forester and Sunseekers, at least the Ford and Chevy platform models, is that the side walls are 2 inches thick. Other brands that I checked out, including the smaller sizes of Dynamax class Cs, use only 1.5 inch thick outer walls. The 2 inch thick walls get you a little more strength and insulation. The roof was fairly impressive, too. At the center, where the vent and fan holes are, the framing is 3.5 inches thick. It tapers thinner to the sides because the roof is crowned but the ceiling is flat.

That, and the wrap around molded front cap were 2 of the reasons I felt comfortable buying a Sunseeker. No one else really talks about their construction specifics, which tells me that it's nothing to brag about.
All RVs need to flex. I saw a video of a Thor unit that had the sidewalls pop away from the front cap.

[Boondock Saint]

Quite some time ago I saw a video of an RV being constructed and the sub-flooring was presented but I can't find that video again.

Does anyone know of any videos from any mfrs that show their construction and QA processes?

I've heard of people in the industry visiting various plants and seeing shoddy workmanship, the walls were not sufficiently filled end to end with insulation. I've also read in forums where bathroom walls were supposed to have a stud for bracing and there was none so they all banged like a drum.

I can't imagine taking a rig down logging roads to camp if they can't take some vibration and flex a little.

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by Boondock Saint

Quite some time ago I saw a video of an RV being constructed and the sub-flooring was presented but I can't find that video again.

Does anyone know of any videos from any mfrs that show their construction and QA processes?

I've heard of people in the industry visiting various plants and seeing shoddy workmanship, the walls were not sufficiently filled end to end with insulation. I've also read in forums where bathroom walls were supposed to have a stud for bracing and there was none so they all banged like a drum.

I can't imagine taking a rig down logging roads to camp if they can't take some vibration and flex a little.

Well since you brought it up, no, there is no QA in the RV world. The workmanship is generally shoddy all around. You probably won't find a "stud" larger than a 1x2 or a wall panel thicker than 1/8 inch. It's more a matter of picking the better of the worse. I found my Sunseeker to be an acceptable build, but I had to lower my standards significantly to even accept it at all. (Just go look closely at some Thor products and everything else will look pretty good).

I thought if I bought a higher priced unit I would get better build quality, but I found it doesn't work that way. If you buy a higher priced unit you get more complicated electronics and bells and whistles, but the shower drain pipe might still be cross threaded and leak, etc. If anything, the more complex units have more things to go wrong.

The best way to approach it is to consider all new RVs to be fixer-uppers. Allocate plenty of time to fix it and improve it, especially if you bought it new.

[Boondock Saint]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

The best way to approach it is to consider all new RVs to be fixer-uppers. Allocate plenty of time to fix it and improve it, especially if you bought it new

Good pragmatic reasoning, I appreciate the boots on the ground experience. All the more reason I wanted to find a slightly more used one in order to have already depreciated and possibly mitigated new build problems. Besides considering what I want to DO TO IT, would be silly to buy something too fancy-shmancy.

[dahagen]

My 2005 Leprechaun by Coachman had heat vents in the water and holding tank compartments.

[Oldnapapartsguy]

We have a 2018 Dynamax Series 4 31DS on the Ford E450 chassis. There is a furnace duct into the holding tank compartment and the water tank and pump with filter is under the bed where it stays nice and toasty. I have camped in some pretty cold stuff and not had any issues. The insulation in the floor and walls seems to keep the compartments several degrees above the outside temperature. At this current time they have suspended this model as they are building more on the Dodge diesel chassis and Mercedes chassis. I think they plan on going back to it when the new version of chassis is available. There are still a few new ones out there and a few used ones. Good luck on your search.

[Garrette]

My FR 2014 Sunseeker 3170 has ducted heating to the holding tank compartment. The FW tank is actually under the bed.
As you enter the Sunseeker you will see a step up to the back of the unit. This step up is the area for the holding tanks and floor ducts. Both the water pump and filter are on the passenger side and the dump valves are in the drivers side compartment All of this gets a bit of heat. As stated the holding tanks are shallow but run the width of the unit.
There is 1 heating duct that does put a bit of warm air in this area. I can say this. If the temps get down to 22 at night and say 40 during the day the heat is adequate. The tank area will maintain about 35 with the furnace set to 62. Can’t say for lower temps.
I do monitor the bay temps with remote thermometers. See attached.
Hope all of this helps and good luck.

[Jeepup]

I have a 2018 Sunseekers MBS. The grey and black tanks are exposed to the elements. There is duct heat to the fresh water tank and compartment where the water fill and the valves for dumping the tanks are located. There are also heat blankets on the grey and black tanks. Side note, when they built my camper the quote chimps left so many holes in the flooring under the shower there is no way to keep the mice out.

[Boondock Saint]

Yiii! Thx Jeepup for the warnings!

[jdebevec]

Originally Posted by Boondock Saint

Oh thanks I'm def going to better research those models. It doesn't get as cold here in WA as Alaska or Wisconsin etc, but I'd rather stay thawed.

I'm looking for a Class C so I can lift it and 4x4, winching bumpers, big tires and generally PIMP MY RV.

Dynamax Isata 5.
Ram 5500 chassis, Cummins diesel, 4X4.
All tanks and plumbing are inside enclosed & heated compartments.

[Delco Bobby]

Originally Posted by jdebevec

Dynamax Isata 5.
Ram 5500 chassis, Cummins diesel, 4X4.
All tanks and plumbing are inside enclosed & heated compartments.

Also look into the soon to be available Dynamax 28ss with 4x4 and all weather package.