Starting a new Promaster conversion

[DCHitt]

Originally Posted by geo2015

It does look a bit shallow, doesn't it. Good catch. It wasn't my intention to make that a shallow cabinet. I figured it would just be whatever standard depth Sportsmobile would normally do. But it somehow got drawn very shallow. I'll fix that.
George

Using their standard size was a mistake I made. They should be deeper..

[geo2015]

Good to know. Can you tell me how deep (and tall) you upper cabinets are and what you would have preferred?

[PeteM]

Looks like a nice usable layout. Since it appears you will have propane have you considered the Truma Combi heater/hot water unit instead of the old separate furnace and water heaters? It would likely be smaller, much more efficient, and not require big cut-outs in the van sidewalls.

[DCHitt]

Originally Posted by geo2015

Good to know. Can you tell me how deep (and tall) you upper cabinets are and what you would have preferred?

On the inside mine are 10 inches deep and 12 inches high. If I had to do over I would have made them 12 inches deep. Even one inch bigger would have helped. Remember Promasters are 4 inches wider than MB and the standard cabinets were probably designed for the MB.

[geo2015]

Originally Posted by PeteM

have you considered the Truma Combi heater/hot water unit instead of the old separate furnace and water heaters?

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your sensible advice. I think you're right that the Truma unit definitely has advantages. Like you say: "smaller, more efficient, smaller cutouts." Really strong pluses. My thinking for sticking with the old-style separate units is:

1) We don't plan on doing winter camping nor using the water heater that much and Sportsmobile said the Truma would cost thousands of dollars more. For something we wouldn't use much, it seemed a lot.

2) I'm probably an outlier here, but I like old technology that's been around a long time. They've made these old-style heaters for decades and I think there are a lot of repair companies around that know how to fix them. Also, I am thinking that parts for the old-style units may be more readily available and less expensive than the newer Truma units (imported from Germany IIRC). I'm not sure if there is anywhere near the same level of service familiarity or parts availability with the Truma units. The old-style units also seem relatively simple, hopefully reducing repair costs.

3) I like that the furnace and water heater are separate so that if one breaks, the other isn't affected.

Related to this, I saw a neat combination sink and cooktop in one unit. I liked that it seemed to take up less counter space and looked like it would be easier to clean. But I didn't like that if I had a problem with either the cooktop or the sink plumbing, it might affect the other (like if I had to remove the whole unit).

I'm certainly open to persuasion, but that is my thinking right now.

Thanks again. I think your suggestion is quite logical.

George

[geo2015]

Originally Posted by DCHitt

If I had to do over I would have made them 12 inches deep. Even one inch bigger would have helped.

Thanks. I'm going to talk to Sportsmobile about this.

[Away2Go]

Do you need a place to hang clothes?

Will Sportsmobile install propane furnace vent behind vehicle sliding door(in open position)?

[geo2015]

Wow, it's really fun to see that people like you have taken the time to look at this so closely and offer good feedback.

Originally Posted by Away2Go

Do you need a place to hang clothes?

I fold most things at home, so I'm fine without hanging space. (The KonMari method suggests folding almost everything.) We're used to camping anyway where hanging clothes isn't an option.

Also, I'd like to put some hooks on the wall behind the driver's seat for jackets.

Originally Posted by Away2Go

Will Sportsmobile install propane furnace vent behind vehicle sliding door(in open position)?

First off, this is very perceptive of you to pick that up.

In an earlier iteration of this plan, I had the furnace on the driver's side next to the water heater, but it just wasn't fitting. It was actually SMB that suggested flipping it to the other side. I wasn't concerned about the vent behind the sliding door because I knew I wouldn't be running the furnace with the door open. (The propane tank is so small that I'll be careful about wasting propane.) To be safe, SMB said they would put some kind of shield on the door to protect it from the vent.

Thanks for your thoughts.

George

[PeteM]

Originally Posted by geo2015

My thinking for sticking with the old-style separate units is:
We don't plan on doing winter camping nor using the water heater that much and Sportsmobile said the Truma would cost thousands of dollars more. For something we wouldn't use much, it seemed a lot.

That seems sensible for light duty use and budget savings. And the newer Atwood Everest Star series II furnaces are a bit quieter and lower power draw than older RV furnaces.

I'm less a fan of old style propane RV water heaters. On our previous RV the propane water heater was a constant source of dust intrusion, insect and rodent infestation, and maintenance problems. And the cut-outs are designed for the perfectly vertical sidewalls of trailers and Class A/C RVs but leave gaps on sloping van sidewalls that often require lots of sealant or gasketing fill.

Perhaps others can chime in if they've had better experiences with propane water heaters on van installations. And many of our problems were exacerbated by driving on lots of bumpy dirt roads, perhaps not an issue if you stick to paved highways.

But since you'll have a high quality Magmum inverter and won't be using much hot water it might be worth considering an electric water heater. That's what SMB installed in our Sprinter. It doesn't require any sidewall cutouts and is easy to maintain. Fine for modest hot water requirements but not as efficient as fuel fired units for extended usage.

[Away2Go]

I am also somewhat "old school" in approach (and age). Our 2016 SMB Promaster 136 has propane for furnace, fridge (3 way gas/electric) and hot water heater (gas/electric). SMB Texas was the only SMB willing to install propane. We camp mostly with hookups, drive primarily paved roads, and do limited sub freezing travel in December and March. We used mostly propane in our previous Class C's. So far (8000 miles) in the Promaster with Magnum inverter and AMG battery, we have used 110V for fridge while driving and camping, had enough hot water( including showers) with 110 mode on water heater, and stayed warm enough with a portable electric heater. I like having propane as a backup and when occasionally "off grid". Will wait to see how it performs in our first Class B with numerous thru-wall openings, small tank, remote electronic shutoff etc.