heating

[John in Santa Cruz]

I think Rubicon is on to something here. The furnace in my trailer runs the fan 30 seconds before lighting the fire, then 90 seconds after stopping the fire. That means two minutes of run time without actual heating every cycle. If you subtract two minutes from your run times, it doesn't look so bad. Also, I second Rubicon, if your thermostat is trying to control too tightly (+/- one degree), it will cycle the furnace frequently. If your thermostat has an adjustable anticipator, try setting it for a wider temperature range.

its still outputting heat during most of that 'cooldown' phase when the gas has been shut off but the fan continues to run.

temperature range is wide enough... i generally set it at 63F when I'm sleeping, under a fairly thick comforter. by the time the heater comes on, I'm almost starting to get cold. 3 cycles per hour does not seem unreasonable to me, i was mostly concerned about the fact that its running nearly 30% of the time with a 20F outside to inside differential, I was wondering if I have a heat leak somewhere, but just now as I was typing this, I think I know what it is... my compressor fridge lets air pass through from outside to inside, I need to ensure i've completely blocked off the outside vent plate..

 

[CE Vogel]

I was wondering if I have a heat leak somewhere, but just now as I was typing this, I think I know what it is... my compressor fridge lets air pass through from outside to inside, I need to ensure i've completely blocked off the outside vent plate..

You have identified a major heat leak. I had the same problem around my compressor refrigerator. I blocked off the exterior vents and it made a significant difference on interior drafts. Before blocking the vents, I could sometimes feel cold air across the room that was blowing in around the refrigerator.

 

[Scotty2]

so last couple nights, I've been sleeping in my trailer in the driveway because my bedroom is under destruction. its been in the lower 40s at night, and it seems like he heater is running a lot, so last night, I timed it...

With the temp set to 63 (my preferred sleeping temp), it was averaging about 7 minutes 'on' and 13 minutes 'off'. My 2014 E21 has the extra insulation package, all windows and vents are closed tight.

does that seem like more heat than is sane for the conditions? the furnace seems to be working just fine

So we are the owners of a 21 NE. I have found that my heater will short cycle because it warms up the area next to the thermostat quickly.. However, the other half of the camper is still cold.
My resolution was to turn my register where the air, comes out of the heater to point towards the dinette, which is opposite of the thermostat. So air is blowing at the floor in front of the bed and towards the top of the bathroom door.. furthermore, I remove the cold that is present in the camper by hyper setting thermostat. So if you’re looking for 63° to sleep in, you would warm the camper up to 70° or so and when it cycles off one or two times you can then drop it to 63 and go to sleep..
I’m not sure if we had the same size heaters. I know there are two or three for different models depending on the size of the camper…. But for a little effort, it’s worth a shot as it works for me during my 30° & 40° weather.

 

[rubicon327]

So we are the owners of a 21 NE. I have found that my heater will short cycle because it warms up the area next to the thermostat quickly.. However, the other half of the camper is still cold.
My resolution was to turn my register where the air, comes out of the heater to point towards the dinette, which is opposite of the thermostat. So air is blowing at the floor in front of the bed and towards the top of the bathroom door.

Proper airflow is critical for a more uniform temperature throughout the trailer. The larger Escapes would be well served with ducted heat. I did something similar to you in our 19 to direct some air towards the dinette. I slept in both the rear bed and front dinette during a hunting trip last week and both areas were evenly heated and felt comfortable. Before this mod the galley area would be overheated with heater turning off before the front was comfortable.
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8/atwood-8012-ii-furnace-mod-25331.html#post455231

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

My 21C, the heater is on the streetside rear dinette bench... and the thermostat is on a front facing side forward of the closet, and just behind the bed.