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Radiant Floor Heat

Third From Texas

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Why the f*** I'm messing with this addition when the last place that I ever want to travel would be some place "cold"....

But I have my hab gutted for a mockup module shift , rearranging some things, adding in my kitchen module and fridge (I'm tired of all the build bits taking up my living room). Sadly, this isn't going to be a final interior build out (cash is tight, "let's go Brandon"). I don't have the funds currently to get all the other parts for the hab build, but I have a TON of stuff that's been sitting for years that I COULD be using while camping each weekend now. So from a 25% mockup to a 50% mockup is happening.

I have several boxes of flooring that I'd like to get out of the way. I figure that I may as well slap a radiant heating pad down for the center section (I'm sure there are benefits doing the entire floor, but again....money is tight). I had been focused on hydronic heat but after pricing the pumps and heaters and all the fittings, a simple electric heating element is going to have to do.

I know Step Warm Floor is a popular brand, but I'm not seeing them sold other than "call for quote" which translates into "if you have to ask the price, you cannot afford it".

Anyone used electric radiant heat for floors? Any Amazon brands out there? I'm having a hard time finding 24v (I *could* go 12v but I'd really rather not if I can find a 24v). I see all sorts of 120v mats at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. But I *really* would like to keep it 24v.

My budget is ~ $300

 
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Third From Texas

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Yeah, that's the stuff.

No callback from their CS nor the closest distributer, though.

As much as I hate Amazon's politics and polices, I sure wish they sold this shit. They have other brands but I can't find a 24v solution like STEP RV.

:)
 

Third From Texas

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I went another direction on the floor when its too cold or too hot i have my naked beggers walk in front of me throwing rose peddles at my feet while i walk ! You really should look into this its tha bomb!!!!
At $1300 for a single 3' section of heated floor, I can simply drive up and park over the camp fire if it gets too fucking cold...

;p
 

chucky

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Stop the presses !!!! I ve got it just arrived state of the art ! Works in any conditions no matter where you put your foot never walk on cold floors again ! Im here on the other side of the wall where there unloading off the trailer and this is going to be a one time price so suck it up buttercup but its going to anwser all your problems for the rest of your life !!!!!! They are only 695 for one week only do you want me to put your name on them ? They dont want to hear any excuses can i count on you? let me know in the next few minutes im going to see if they will unbox them so i can get a picture of them its the first thing i put on the floor of my truck i knew this is the coolest idea ive seen in a while !
 

Third From Texas

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Related question:

Laminate flooring is not recommended to be glued down. Since it is a floating floor, it is meant to support itself via locking systems and have no connection to the subfloor. Buti t's also meant to be used in a house. And houses don't flop 3-4 root in the air going down logging trails.

I can already tell that if simply laid down in place, this flooring will be scattered all over the back of the hab first time I heard to Lowes.

Adhesive suggestions?
 

chucky

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Related question:

Laminate flooring is not recommended to be glued down. Since it is a floating floor, it is meant to support itself via locking systems and have no connection to the subfloor. Buti t's also meant to be used in a house. And houses don't flop 3-4 root in the air going down logging trails.

I can already tell that if simply laid down in place, this flooring will be scattered all over the back of the hab first time I heard to Lowes.

Adhesive suggestions?
Put you interior wall first then you can lay anything you want so long as its fully 100 percent waterproof or like i did with ceramic and granite i used flexible groute or construction adhesive under laminet ,The floor locks the walls in place and make the build so much stouter and eliminate alot of squeaking
 

Third From Texas

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A buddy gave me three boxes of flooring that I'm going to use. Four boxes would be 100% coverage but he said that this was a discontinued flooring. So if I don't lay it under the kitechn cabinets and bathroom, I'll have exactly enough.


A few months back I also snagged several boxes of tile from a house that is being remodeled down the street. Guy said it was just leftovers. It's more than enough to do my bathroom in the build, but I'm not 100% sure I want to use it. I did discover that there is such a thing as "RV grout".

As far as walls go, they are as up as they will get. There is only going to be a 36" x 36" bathroom in the rear corner (so only that one 36" wall w/door is going up, the other side is the fridge bulkhead.

*Here's one of my Autocad 3D blueprints I use (not to scale...maybe... dunno till I start putting things together...might fit like this)

Floorplan01.png
 

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chucky

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Location
TN .
A buddy gave me three boxes of flooring that I'm going to use. Four boxes would be 100% coverage but he said that this was a discontinued flooring. So if I don't lay it under the kitechn cabinets and bathroom, I'll have exactly enough.


A few months back I also snagged several boxes of tile from a house that is being remodeled down the street. Guy said it was just leftovers. It's more than enough to do my bathroom in the build, but I'm not 100% sure I want to use it. I did discover that there is such a thing as "RV grout".

As far as walls go, they are as up as they will get. There is only going to be a 36" x 36" bathroom in the rear corner (so only that one 36" wall w/door is going up, the other side is the fridge bulkhead.

*Here's one of my Autocad 3D blueprints I use (not to scale...maybe... dunno till I start putting things together...might fit like this)

View attachment 848278Yea with the layout like this i would put the floor down first but make a closed off box under the bed for water tank / pump/ house batteries/inverter/solar controler with insulated floor and walls pick up a sheet of 2 in owens corning foil backed works good and put a continious hinged lid that the mattress lays on with a 3 or 4 in lip to hold the mattress on the 3/4 plywood you cand frame the box with 2x4s and face the box in 3/4 and spray both sides of the plywood with clear polyurethane to seal it . If you sit and study the layout under the bed you will have lots of storage under the bed plus good place for some long arms to be put out of sight and if needed make the hinged lid could have some kind of lock to keep kids out .
 
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Third From Texas

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Oh yeah, I've have the hab mocked up in various floorplans for a couple years now. I just gutted it all again to fit the kitchen module. All just working mockups, of course. Still shuffling the interior layout around a bit...improving, changing as I spend more time in it.
 

Mullaney

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Yessir, and it would seem to me that if the under-floor heat was really doing its job, eventually the radiant heat should eventually start to warm up more things. Especially since hot air rises... Maybe I missed the conversation, but wouldn't one of those Eberspächer recirculating pumps that moves hot water through pipes do a better job? I saw something really recently and how it was rigged so that the heater portion runs a LOT less than one installed a year ago.
 
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Third From Texas

Well-known member
2,700
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113
Location
Corpus Christi Texas
.
Yessir, ane it would seem to me that if the under-floor heat was really doing its job, eventually the radiant heat should eventually start to warm up more things. Especially since hot air rises... Maybe I missed the conversation, but wouldn't one of those Eberspächer recirculating pumps that moves hot water through pipes do a better job? I saw something really recently and how it was rigged so that the heater portion runs a LOT less than one installed a year ago.
Yep, hydronic systems are the rage (and handy for heating the block, etc if done right).

But they're also like $4K for the silly heater and then you start buying fittings and....ka-ching...
 

Mullaney

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Yep, hydronic systems are the rage (and handy for heating the block, etc if done right).

But they're also like $4K for the silly heater and then you start buying fittings and....ka-ching...
.
Ahh... So, if a guy had unlimited funds he could have the best.
Otherwise, the electric version is the way to go until you find yourself a SugarMomma
 
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