Titan Flame Fireplace Insert

[CBears]

Im thinking about putting a fireplace insert into my new cougar 25mle. I’ll have to fabricate something to replace one of the cabinets next to the fuse panel but I think it will be a nice addition. I’ve found some threads in here about this but nothing on this specific model. I was wondering if anyone has experience with the Titan Flame model selling Amazon.

RV Titan Flame Model EF-30B 26" Curved LED Insert Electric Fireplace https://a.co/d/7L6SoSP

I’ll also appreciate any other comments people have if they want to leave them.

Thank you.

[CBears]

I put this in the travel trailer forum also first. Then I figured I should have put it in here instead.

I'm thinking about putting a fireplace insert into my new cougar 25mle. I’ll have to fabricate something to replace one of the cabinets next to the fuse panel but I think it will be a nice addition. I’ve found some threads in here about this but nothing on this specific model. I was wondering if anyone has experience with the Titan Flame model selling Amazon.

RV Titan Flame Model EF-30B 26" Curved LED Insert Electric Fireplace https://a.co/d/7L6SoSP

I’ll also appreciate any other comments people have if they want to leave them.

Thank you.

[JBM3M]

Well I don't know the brand, but my 5er has some brand built in as part of the package in one of the slides. I must say, I thought it was a waste of space until our gas furnace decided the sail switch was bad and we didn't have heat. The fireplace made the RV tolerable in 20 degree weather. So it is much more than ambiance in my RV;

[RollaMo]

Yeah, our Cougar 24RDS came with a similar fireplace.
If it didn't already have one, I probably wouldn't have went out of my way to get one.

But after having and using this trailer for two seasons, I can say we would never be without one again.
Early and late season camping it comes in so handy, we rarely ever turn the furnace on.
Very nice to have for sure.

[CBears]

Originally Posted by JBM3M

Well I don't know the brand, but my 5er has some brand built in as part of the package in one of the slides. I must say, I thought it was a waste of space until our gas furnace decided the sail switch was bad and we didn't have heat. The fireplace made the RV tolerable in 20 degree weather. So it is much more than ambiance in my RV;

Interesting. How much of a part does the regular furnace play in keeping the tanks from freezing? I was curious about that also. Mine has tank warmers but I think the heat is somehow ducted into the belly also.

[CBears]

Originally Posted by RollaMo

Yeah, our Cougar 24RDS came with a similar fireplace.
If it didn't already have one, I probably wouldn't have went out of my way to get one.

But after having and using this trailer for two seasons, I can say we would never be without one again.
Early and late season camping it comes in so handy, we rarely ever turn the furnace on.
Very nice to have for sure.

I see this sentiment a lot. I’m hoping to get one installed before even taking our first trip. Thank you for the reply.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by CBears

Interesting. How much of a part does the regular furnace play in keeping the tanks from freezing? I was curious about that also. Mine has tank warmers but I think the heat is somehow ducted into the belly also.

There are two "heat sources" provided to the underbelly by the furnace. First is that 2" accessory duct. It's connected to the furnace plenum and blows "the amount a 2" duct can handle" into the underbelly. Typically the duct discharge is aimed at the fresh water tank.

Second is the radiant heat that escapes the uninsulated mylar film (think dryer vent hose) that is also connected to the furnace plenum. As that ducting "meanders through the underbelly" it transfers some heat to the colder area under the floor. That's one reason the air temperature at the "distant floor vents" seems cooler than the air temperature at the floor vents in the same area as the furnace.

Both the 2" accessory duct and the mylar heat loss are an attempt at heating the underbelly airspace. On some trailers, I've seen that mylar ducting circle around a tank on its way to the forward floor vents.

That intent at making for longer ducting to transfer more heat under the floor is often "interpreted by some owners" as just Keystone being too lazy to cut the duct hose to the proper length. It's "intentionally left long" to increase the amount of heat that escapes as the furnace fan pushes hot air through the cold underbelly....

Now, given the heat loss from 1/8" cold steel, uninsulated frame rails and 3/16" coroplast belly cover, there's very little "polar pack insulation" to "CONSERVE HEAT"... The intent of the "polar pack" is not to insulate and conserve heat, but rather, to use propane to provide as much BTU's of heat to the underbelly with the hope that there's more "heat gain" than "heat loss"...

Pump enough heat into the belly, it won't freeze.... Keystone, to my knowledge, has never advertised any level of "heating efficiency", just "improved cold weather capability to extend the camping season"....

Those two, insulation efficiency and pumping more btu's to the belly are not the same thing......

But, yes, there are two ways that Keystone's "cold weather packages" help get heat to the belly. Long runs of mylar duct hose and a dedicated 2" accessory vent. Neither is "particularly effective in extremely cold temperatures"..... Without the furnace "blowing much of the heat produced into the basement" there would be minimal to no heat down there. Without the furnace on cold nights, the plumbing (not the heated tanks) will likely freeze and you'll wake up with no water in the cabin.

[CBears]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

There are two "heat sources" provided to the underbelly by the furnace. First is that 2" accessory duct. It's connected to the furnace plenum and blows "the amount a 2" duct can handle" into the underbelly. Typically the duct discharge is aimed at the fresh water tank.

Second is the radiant heat that escapes the uninsulated mylar film (think dryer vent hose) that is also connected to the furnace plenum. As that ducting "meanders through the underbelly" it transfers some heat to the colder area under the floor. That's one reason the air temperature at the "distant floor vents" seems cooler than the air temperature at the floor vents in the same area as the furnace.

Both the 2" accessory duct and the mylar heat loss are an attempt at heating the underbelly airspace. On some trailers, I've seen that mylar ducting circle around a tank on its way to the forward floor vents.

That intent at making for longer ducting to transfer more heat under the floor is often "interpreted by some owners" as just Keystone being too lazy to cut the duct hose to the proper length. It's "intentionally left long" to increase the amount of heat that escapes as the furnace fan pushes hot air through the cold underbelly....

Now, given the heat loss from 1/8" cold steel, uninsulated frame rails and 3/16" coroplast belly cover, there's very little "polar pack insulation" to "CONSERVE HEAT"... The intent of the "polar pack" is not to insulate and conserve heat, but rather, to use propane to provide as much BTU's of heat to the underbelly with the hope that there's more "heat gain" than "heat loss"...

Pump enough heat into the belly, it won't freeze.... Keystone, to my knowledge, has never advertised any level of "heating efficiency", just "improved cold weather capability to extend the camping season"....

Those two, insulation efficiency and pumping more btu's to the belly are not the same thing......

But, yes, there are two ways that Keystone's "cold weather packages" help get heat to the belly. Long runs of mylar duct hose and a dedicated 2" accessory vent. Neither is "particularly effective in extremely cold temperatures"..... Without the furnace "blowing much of the heat produced into the basement" there would be minimal to no heat down there. Without the furnace on cold nights, the plumbing (not the heated tanks) will likely freeze and you'll wake up with no water in the cabin.

Holy cow man! Thank you so much for the great explanation!!! So, long story short, if it is too cold, not running main heater could spell disaster even with the fireplace going.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by CBears

Holy cow man! Thank you so much for the great explanation!!! So, long story short, if it is too cold, not running main heater could spell disaster even with the fireplace going.

NOPE !!!! You've got to change your "could" to "will" and you'll have it "correct in a nutshell".....

Without the furnace "pumping wasted BTU's into the belly, your heat pads on the tanks will keep the waste water thawed, but the "cold-soak" from the lack of insulation and the exposed metal frame rails will pretty much assure you'll wake up to being unable to flush the toilet or run water for coffee.

The fireplace you're anticipating is a great addition for "mild chilly nights" but fails woefully in freezing temperatures except for keeping the cabin warm. Without the furnace, you WILL have frozen pipes in the belly.

[CBears]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

NOPE !!!! You've got to change your "could" to "will" and you'll have it "correct in a nutshell".....

Without the furnace "pumping wasted BTU's into the belly, your heat pads on the tanks will keep the waste water thawed, but the "cold-soak" from the lack of insulation and the exposed metal frame rails will pretty much assure you'll wake up to being unable to flush the toilet or run water for coffee.

The fireplace you're anticipating is a great addition for "mild chilly nights" but fails woefully in freezing temperatures except for keeping the cabin warm. Without the furnace, you WILL have frozen pipes in the belly.

This forum is great. Thank you again. I’m still going to install one and am hoping someone has experience with this particular one to tell me if it is worth the money.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by CBears

This forum is great. Thank you again. I’m still going to install one and am hoping someone has experience with this particular one to tell me if it is worth the money.

You will enjoy a fireplace, just having the "built in 5100 BTU electric heater" will make the cabin significantly more comfortable. Just not having to listen to the furnace "roar and drown out the TV" makes the fireplace a welcome addition. I have no experience with your specific fireplace model/brand, but can pretty much assure you that all of them are "made in china" and have limited to no manufacturer's support in the USA or CA. Parts are somewhat available (if you're lucky, can find a source and your fireplace is a recent model). After a couple of years, finding replacement parts, from curved glass fronts to thermostats or even LED motion screens (that make the fake fire) are close to impossible to locate. Most models seem to be fairly reliable, but they all seem to have their "quirks on how to get them to operate", so most are going to be in the same "reliability class".... Take your pick on what fits your space, has the features you prefer and pull the trigger. After you get it installed, if anything goes wrong, finding parts can be difficult and after 3 or 4 years, finding a replacement fireplace the same size can be as challenging as finding a part..... Yep, ain't no such thing as a "flat front 27" fireplace that's 5.5" deep these days, but they were in all the fifth wheels in 2011 and 2012.

Planned obsolescence as much as product advancement... At least that's my opinion, for what it's worth.....

[CBears]

Finally got into the trailer and measured the shelf space I want to use to mount the fireplace. I'm going to put it above the water heater compartment to the left of the circuit box. The Titan Flame I was hoping to use is too big. The total space available is only 24" wide x 19" tall so I didn't have many options.

I ended up ordering a ChimneyFree Aviston 18" from Menards instead. It measures 21.1 wide x 17 high.

https://www.menards.com/main/storeit...42874278203158

Reviews on other ChimneyFree fireplaces were pretty good so hope this one turns out to be decent.

[JRTJH]

Sounds like you're about to start a "trailer upgrade"....

Take lots of photos and post the process and results as inspiration for others who might be wondering how easy it would be and what it'd look like if they decide to do it.

[CBears]

Got started in the project last weekend. Here is a picture of the space I’m going to use. It is right next to the electrical box which makes it much easier.

[CBears]

There is a nice hole in the floor in each of the compartments so it’s easy to run the wire between them.

I decided to use 12/2 and create a 20 amp circuit. I know it is overkill but I already had the romex and the other parts are the same price. Plus the heater pulls enough juice I would rather be larger than needed.

[CBears]

I used some nice looking wood to create a frame to go around the fireplace. It doesn’t match anything else in the trailer but it looks nice. Here is the test fit of the unit before finishing the wood frame.

I’m also putting a nice looking vent in the top of the frame so that the fireplace gets plenty of air flow.

I put two pieces of Baltic birch 1/2 inch plywood on either side of the opening so I have something solid to screw into. I attached them with several screws from the inside. The thought here is I could take the unit back out some day, put the doors back on and no one would be the wiser.

[CBears]

New breaker installed. The one all the way to the right. New receptacle placed in the back of the cabinet. I put a piece of pvc through the hole so there was nothing poking the wiring. I also screwed down the box so it wouldn’t move and used a couple of cable ties to secure the wire where it goes under the floor.

Im currently a few days away from the trim finish being done. I’ll post pics of how it turned out in a few days.

[GlasNav]

Interesting, I removed our fireplace after the same connector burned up twice then the spade side of the connector for the heating element burned off. Gave up on repairing it anymore and fabricated a wood cabinet door that matched the rest of the kitchen cabinets, including matching the color and finish. Already own some cabinetry making tools such as Forstner bits and jig to mount the hidden hinges. Due to the size of the door I installed three vs two hinges, and also installed both vertical and horizontal catches so the door can't sag. Now we have a sizable floor level cabinet!

[CBears]

Originally Posted by GlasNav

Interesting, I removed our fireplace after the same connector burned up twice then the spade side of the connector for the heating element burned off. Gave up on repairing it anymore and fabricated a wood cabinet door that matched the rest of the kitchen cabinets, including matching the color and finish. Already own some cabinetry making tools such as Forstner bits and jig to mount the hidden hinges. Due to the size of the door I installed three vs two hinges, and also installed both vertical and horizontal catches so the door can't sag. Now we have a sizable floor level cabinet!

Nice! I really hope we don't have any issues with the fireplace like this.

Any pics of your finished product? I do some woodworking myself and would be interested in seeing it.

[GlasNav]

Originally Posted by CBears

Nice! I really hope we don't have any issues with the fireplace like this.

Any pics of your finished product? I do some woodworking myself and would be interested in seeing it.

Here ya go, the only thing I haven't done is apply the charcoal pinstripes to match the other doors. The two screw heads are to hang the heater that you see inside the cabinet. The foam was for the large computer monitor that we traveled with for my wife's work before she retired.