Motoraid

BigTrace · 01-14-2006, 05:24 PM

Since I've never had this feature before, what exactly does the motoraid do for heating your coach. Our new Horizon will have this feature when we pick it up so I'd like to know how to test it during the PDI. Is it similar to Hydro-Hot?

Thanks

BigTrace · 01-14-2006, 05:24 PM

Since I've never had this feature before, what exactly does the motoraid do for heating your coach. Our new Horizon will have this feature when we pick it up so I'd like to know how to test it during the PDI. Is it similar to Hydro-Hot?

Thanks

rebelsbeach · 01-14-2006, 05:31 PM

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid...gotomsg/14677460.cfm

Here's a post on rv.net from our very own Cruzer...

Posted: 12/01/04 06:16am Link | Print | Notify Moderator

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That's right, Jim. The "hot water heating" feature you refer to is called MotorAid and is a seperate feature, totally independant of the rear heater. It uses hot engine coolant to run through a heat exchanger in the hot water heater and is a great feature to have. Instant hot water with no waiting.

On the newer coaches Winnebago replaced the rear auxiliary heater with the one that feeds all of the floor ducts. That's what I had on my 2003 Suncruiser. The heater core for that version of auxiliary heat is located right behind the hot water heater. That's why lots of folks get the misconception that it's part of the MotorAid option. In reality, most rigs had both options as part of the Home Comfort Package so they do tend to appear as the same thing.
Mark Quasius
2004 Allegro Bus 40DP - Cummins 400 ISL
2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland
2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

rebelsbeach · 01-14-2006, 05:44 PM

Just looked at the Vectra specs and Motoraid is on the Vectra for 2006 as well....

BigTrace · 01-14-2006, 05:51 PM

Hey Bob,

Between football plays here

So, does this mean it is the same as Hydro-Hot? or does the motoraid only assist the hot water heating and not floor heating? Do you turn it on/off or is it automatic? I'm glad you noticed you got it too. Are you curious?

AFChap · 01-14-2006, 06:19 PM

The "motoraid" feature makes hot water in the water heater while the diesel engine is running ...does nothing to heat the coach. ...so you have hot water at the tap enroute and when you get to where you are going. Sorry, not at all what Hydro-hot etc is. Seems the Winnie gas coaches have a rear heater that runs off engine heat while underway ...mystery to me that our supposedly "higher end" diesel coaches. Maybe Winnie puts that on the gas coaches to help with engine cooling....

BigTrace · 01-14-2006, 06:24 PM

Bob,

In doing some more searches, I found that it looks like they are radiator fluid lines that run around the hot water heater to heat water while you are driving without the use of propane. It also looks like there should be some auxiliary heat switch that activates a blower unit to get heat from these lines in the rear of the MH. Do you have a switch that activates the blower? Apparently, it is only a help when traveling or freshly stopped (for obvious reasons). I'm not sure, but I think Hydro-Hot uses diesel fuel to do this and continues whether or not your parked. Aqua-Hot, im sure, is just a bigger brother of Hydro-Hot.

BigTrace · 01-14-2006, 06:26 PM

Hi AFChap,

You might be right. I haven't seen an "Aux. Heat Feature", switch, etc. People talk about it, but it sounded like we should have had these features too.

Thanks!!

MikeT · 01-14-2006, 06:42 PM

On some gas coaches there is a switch ( Coach heat-- low -- high) that will use the heater system that uses engine coolant to heat the coach while under way.

rebelsbeach · 01-14-2006, 07:02 PM

No switch Trace that I know of...

BigTrace · 01-14-2006, 07:43 PM

Thanks Bob, I think AFChap might be right in that there is no benefit to coach heating, therefore, no switch. I wonder if there is benefit to the tanks as some have mentioned. Either way, what a great unexpected feature as my last coach did not have this feature. We never had hot water while traveling unless we popped the gas on. It probably didn't take much propane, but it did take awhile for the HWH to heat up which then made it not worth the time nor propane.

Thanks for checkin!!

Clay L · 01-15-2006, 05:46 AM

My 2004 Sightseer has the Motoraid option and it keeps the water in the hot water heater hot. The engine coolant also goes through a heat exchanger with a blower motor behind it located close to the hot water heater.
There is a 2 speed switch on the dash that activates the blower. The hot air comes out of a set of steerable vents under the refrigerator. It keeps the back warm for the dogs and cat so we find it useful.

smlranger · 01-15-2006, 07:57 AM

I was also surprised to find that my DP did not have a rear auxiliary heater. My previous rig was a '97 Adventurer which had both the motoraid feature on the water heater and a nice aux. heater under the bed with a two speed blower. It was very easy to keep the coach toasty while on the road.

Not sure why Winne has no aux. heater on DP's. Is it because they think you will get heat from the rear engine configuration?

BigTrace · 01-15-2006, 08:34 AM

Us DP'ers need heat too....

Big Bear · 01-15-2006, 11:27 AM

The MotorAid option is great, but was not covered in any documentation that I could find with my "info package". On 1st trip I found water was hot when I stopped although I don't drive with the water heater on. Since then I have seen a number of reports stating a problem if driving with the heater on. The water gets so HOT that a thermal relay on the heater shuts down, then no heat when just using the heater. This requires a RESET or sometimes a replacement switch. Run a search & I think you will find this same info. I am also curious about any other functions of the MotorAid such as heating of rear end or basement. Have found no switch to indicate this is possible.

Vern in Duvall, Wa..

2004 Vectra 40 AD Cummins 350 W/Banks power package
2004 PT Cruiser, GT, Turbo, w/5 speed
Blue Ox Avanta 3 & Blue Ox tow plate W/Brake Buddy
Good Sam, long time Thousand Trails, & considering FMCA

BigTrace · 01-15-2006, 11:51 AM

Thanks for the posts. So far myconclusion is:

1) Motoraid is great for hot water heating while in transit or parked within a short time.

2) Since I have a DP, it doesn't sound like it does much for rear room heating as do some of the "home comfort features" do. The consensus is there is no switch in a DP but an aux. heat switch in a gasser.

3) The jury is still out concerning whether there is a benefit to the tanks in keeping them heated. Some say furnace must be on to get heat in the basement around the tanks, some say the motoraid will do the trick.

Any other observations out there?

Thanks

AFChap · 01-15-2006, 11:52 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">curious about any other functions of the MotorAid such as heating of rear end or basement. Have found no switch to indicate this is possible. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Auxilliary heater function is provided only on the gas coaches ...Winnebago does not do that on their diesel coaches. It would be interesting to know their rationale.

Also would be interesting to know how difficult would it be to add that option on a diesel ...obviously it would require tapping into the coolant lines, adding a heater coil, and tapping a blower into a heat duct somewhere. ...'course, we plan to stay in warmer climes so may not be worth the hassle & cost for us

BigTrace · 01-15-2006, 12:02 PM

I'm with ya Paul, warmer is better for me too, but we're going to Iowa later in February to pick her up. I just want to have all my ducks in a row and know what is going on before we go. It will be pretty chilly on the way back home here in San Diego so I'd like to think that we could get some free heat from a system I was unfamiliar with. I hope there are tank benefits though because it will be cold enough outside to freeze water and I don't want to travel in a winterized condition.

AFChap · 01-15-2006, 01:13 PM

Big Trace

We have hot water when traveling in our Ultimate Advantage. Nice, but I cannot conceive how there could be any heating benefit to the water tanks from the Motoraid system ...other than the fact that a water tank full of hot water will undoubtedly put out a little heat in that area. My water heater is in the same compartment as the water pump (although they have separate access doors).

While traveling, the water tanks will get some heat from the interior of the coach. Also, your Horizon is decently insulated to protect the tanks from freezing unless you are in very cold temps for an extended period. ie. your dump valves are not exposed to the weather as they are on some rigs! Remember that chill factor doesn't affect your rig ...it just affects living creatures.

When we have traveled in very cold temps, we have traveled with the furnaces on. They work fine rolling down the highway, and we know than the basement compartments get some benefit from that heat. If above the mid-30's, you can travel with the generator on and run the heat pumps (they don't work well or at all below the low 30's ...furnace will come on then rathen than heat pumps). The basement compartments do get some benefit from them also ...when I open a basement compartment in hot weather I feel a little burst of cold air. Bottom line is that whether you travel with furnaces on or not, if you are comfy inside the passenger compartment you should have no worries about the water freezing in your tanks on your Horizon.

Something you can do to put your mind at ease is to get a wireless thermometer with a couple of remote sending units. (Camping World or Radio Shack, etc). I got one that came with one remote, and bought two more. We keep one in the refrigerator, one in the water pump bay, and one in the water service bay. At temps down to 4 below zero, the pump bay by the water heater got down to 42, and the service bay got down to 39.

Happy travels!!

Canuck · 01-15-2006, 02:24 PM

My coach has both Motoraid and auxiliary heater. The aux. heater is controlled by a two-speed fan switch located in the dash. When the switch is turned to either the high or low setting it electronically opens a water valve that allows the engine coolant to circulate through the heater core. The heater has two ducts coming off of it; one heats the rear of the coach and the second is channeled to the utility closet to heat the fresh water and waste water tanks while in-transit. The auxiliary heater works completely independently of the Motoraid which is "always on" and will only provide heat to the hot water tank.
FYI, my coach is manufactured up here in the Great White North (Canada) and is designed to be used down to -30C.
Canuck