Redwood Technical Specifications:

Found this today and took note...

http://redwood-rv.com/specifications/redwood

There are a lot of reductions in length, Black, Gray and H2O tank sizes, and Propane Tank sizes. In addition, the overall weight have gone up.

Anyone dare guess as to why?

I didn't catch this at the last RV show, but reflecting back, the new models did seem smaller than our 2014 model.

Not sure about the holding/fresh tanks but I believe the 40lbs propane has always been an upgrade option.

I can't imagine the thought process of smaller tanks. I suppose they are less expensive.

I love our 40lb propane tank. We have a 3rd 40lb propane tank. The only time we use it is in cold climates, but it is nice to not go out to buy propane in the freezing temps.

At least with 2013 models 30# propane was standard, as our coach was delivered with 30# tanks.

The extra weight on the new ones are more than likely. 8k axles, Centerpoint, H tires etc

At least with 2013 models 30# propane was standard, as our coach was delivered with 30# tanks.

The larger 40 lb tanks were delivered standard with the optional Onan propane powered generator.

Mine came with the standard 30 lb. tanks, they typically last me months.
I try not so spend the winter in cold area, use the fireplace and two small electric heaters to supplement my heat pump so I rarely use much propane for heating, just use propane for cooking. (No Generator)
The smaller fresh water tanks could be a problem for Boondockers, but for me I do not boondock, and have full hookups except for some overnight stays every now and then.

Mine came with the standard 30 lb. tanks, they typically last me months.
I try not so spend the winter in cold area, use the fireplace and two small electric heaters to supplement my heat pump so I rarely use much propane for heating, just use propane for cooking. (No Generator)
The smaller fresh water tanks could be a problem for Boondockers, but for me I do not boondock, and have full hookups except for some overnight stays every now and then.

For us, propane vs. electric heating depends on the campground we are at. Where electricity is included in the daily campsite fee we maximize the electric usage (remembering to provide some propane heating when it's below freezing to keep the water lines in the basement warm).

We are currently in a park that charges for electricity use on top of the monthly campsite fee, in these parks I do a calculation of the cost difference of electric vs. propane heating using some efficiency assumptions and then run the most cost efficient way, here propane is cheaper.

Al,

It would be interesting and useful if you would post your formula so that others could make that calculation inserting their local power cost and propane cost.

Al,

It would be interesting and useful if you would post your formula so that others could make that calculation inserting their local power cost and propane cost.

Check out this recent article:

Here is the link:

http://rvtravel.com/fulltime-rv-travels-heat-with-gas-or-electricity/

We are currently at $0.07 per KW...It's best to stay in a Coop Electric area.

Al,

It would be interesting and useful if you would post your formula so that others could make that calculation inserting their local power cost and propane cost.

Hi Terry: I'll work on simplifying my spreadsheet into a formula and I'll critique the analysis in RV Travel. The biggest hurtle is to guess at an efficiency for the propane furnace. in my spreadsheet I look at 2 efficiencies, 50% and 70% compared to 100% for electric heating. I'm talking about small electric heaters and fireplaces, there are too many variables for heat pumps and heat strips on the A/C units like ambient outdoor temperature.

In my spreadsheet if the propane cost vs. electric cost passes muster at 50% then I run propane heating.

If anyone has some data on propane furnace efficiencies I would like to hear about them, I looked around and couldn't find anything on the net in my search.

100 GAL fresh water was kind of the standard - 62 gal is awful.

Al,

It would be interesting and useful if you would post your formula so that others could make that calculation inserting their local power cost and propane cost.

I had a look at my spreadsheet and compared to the article above. The article is good, I have a little difference in BTU's per KW on electricity.

Using a "hurtle rate" of 50% efficiency for gas furnace heating compared to 100% for electric heating, I come up with a factor of 13.4

If you take the cost of electricity per KWH and multiply it by 13.4, that gets you the "break even" cost for propane.

Our current park electric cost is $0.18 per KWH and $2.50 per gallon of propane (I know, very expensive but it's California!). Taking $0.18 times 13.4 gets me $2.41.

That's close. I'm betting that the furnace efficiency is better than 50% so I'm heating with propane.

If the hurtle rate for propane is 70% the ratio becomes 18.8, and at $0.18 for electric the propane cost would be $3.37 to match, anything less than $3.37 per gallon on propane means propane is more cost efficient.

I find that propane cost varies widely across the continent, I've paid from $16 to $35 for a bottle (7.1 gallons in a 30 lb. cylinder) of propane.

It goes without saying, when the electric in a campground is free, run everything on electric!

Terry, feel free to check my numbers, if they are good I will do a separate post in the utilities section.

Thanks Al. That is a very useful and interesting calculation. I filled our propane tank when we left Washington in December and the cost was $1.69 per gallon. Here in San Diego the going price for propane is $3.99 per gallon and I checked with the RV resort who told me they charge $.16 per kilowatt hour for power. On the basis of those numbers the calculation would give an equivalent propane break even cost of $2.14 per gallon so it would definitely be less expensive to heat the coach on electrical rather than propane.

The real unknown is the heating efficiency of the propane RV Suburban furnace. At home my gas furnace is 90% efficient and the exhaust is thru a pvc pipe it is so cool. The exhaust from the combustion of the Suburban furnace is quite hot so the efficiency is not nearly as high. 50 % efficiency seems like a reasonable assumption. Maybe we could get an efficiency estimate from Suburban.

This info should definitely be posted in the technical library.

BTW, I was charged 22 cents per kWh last year at BS.

I'll post in the technical library.

Your furnace at home is like mine back home, it's a condensing natural gas furnace at about 93% efficiency where the water vapour condenses to get additional BTUs out of the combustion gases.

I'll send and E-mail to see if they have an efficiency value on our RV furnace (if they will admit to the low efficiency!).

The other thing I was thinking about is that the furnace efficiency doesn't tell the whole story, there are losses between the furnace and the space (for example in the RV basement)