2022 Alpine 3790FK low furnace air flow to kitchen and bedroom/bathroom

[RickV]

Originally Posted by Cldicaprio

it actually isn’t that difficult. you can for inside that compartment it’s so big- take out the panel in there and the furnace is right there.

👍 That's what I figured. What's is strange you said your air return was in the steps, mine is behind the recliners on the bar wall. I wonder why they changed that?

[Cldicaprio]

Originally Posted by RickV

👍 That's what I figured. What's is strange you said your air return was in the steps, mine is behind the recliners on the bar wall. I wonder why they changed that?

no idea! i find myself asking why this or that constantly! i’ve always said nobody should be able to design one of these until they’ve lived in one full time for at least a year!

[RickV]

Originally Posted by Cldicaprio

no idea! i find myself asking why this or that constantly! i’ve always said nobody should be able to design one of these until they’ve lived in one full time for at least a year!

A few years ago we were at the Supershow in Tampa and I forget which manufacturer it was but they had one of their designers there asking for input on what pros and cons people had. I thought that was pretty proactive. It obliviously wasn't Keystone 😄

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by RickV

A few years ago we were at the Supershow in Tampa and I forget which manufacturer it was but they had one of their designers there asking for input on what pros and cons people had. I thought that was pretty proactive. It obliviously wasn't Keystone 😄

That may not have been a "engineer responsible for product design/performance" but rather an "interior designer" responsible for colors and furniture arrangement.... RV manufacturers still rely on the first impression to sell trailers. If your DW walks into a trailer on the lot, immediately doesn't like the upholstery or the color of the sink and counters, it doesn't much matter where the furnace is located, that trailer won't be going home with you.....

[larryflew]

Had the identical experience back in 2011 with our new at the time Alpine. It was a duct that had come lose near the water box and was just blowing into the underbelly. At the same time we accidentally found the drain piping to the shower was never glued and was dumping into the belly. They did fix that and replace the insulation being it was warranty. I had already fixed the duct. Even top of the line stuff can be built on a Friday ;-(

[Cldicaprio]

Originally Posted by RickV

A few years ago we were at the Supershow in Tampa and I forget which manufacturer it was but they had one of their designers there asking for input on what pros and cons people had. I thought that was pretty proactive. It obliviously wasn't Keystone 😄

clearly not!! 🙄

[flybouy]

The simple answer to "why it was designed that way" is sales. Design sells/ generates revenu while engineering costs money. You see the design cues but typically don't see the engineering improvements. I can tell you from personal experience working in the development of retail and restaurant business that it's the responsibility of the development department working with the architects and MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) engineers and construction crew to implement that design and "make it work" within the confines of good practices and regulatory codes.

Long explanation but it's not always as simple as "just move something".

[rhagfo]

Well been following this a bit and not being an HVAC expert, but having upgraded our heating system as we full time in the PNW and it does get cold in the winter. If I had an Alpine with the furnace in that basement space, I would not close off the under stair air return. I would build a simple return air duct so that it would draw from the space under the stairs. The air inside the living space is warmer then the basement.
I also have vents with dampers, so I can adjust where air flow goes.
I heat all the time with the furnace, either using gas, or most of the time using the electric “Cheap Heat” system.

[RickV]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

That may not have been a "engineer responsible for product design/performance" but rather an "interior designer" responsible for colors and furniture arrangement.... RV manufacturers still rely on the first impression to sell trailers. If your DW walks into a trailer on the lot, immediately doesn't like the upholstery or the color of the sink and counters, it doesn't much matter where the furnace is located, that trailer won't be going home with you.....

No we sat and talked with him for about 5 minutes. He was with Prime Time and that's what we had at the time, he was writing down our likes and dislikes and what wasn't necessary and what was or needed to be added expanded on. But you are right about the DW and the walk in and love it part. She saw the kitchen in this beast and it was all over.

[bsmith0404]

Keystone gets customer feedback as well. Every time we went to a show, we had several manufacturer reps with us that spoke to people at the show and got feedback. The reps also spoke to us salesmen on a regular basis to find out what we liked/disliked and what customers were saying. I was the top salesman at our dealership so I also had several reps pull me aside and ask my opinion of upcoming changes that hadn’t been released yet. As mentioned though, everything revolves around sales not service. They design a floor plan that hits a target audience and then it’s up to the engineer team to make it all work.

[KenSC]

I finally plugged the opening in the rear compartment to see if it made a difference. Not sure if that alone made a difference but finding and patching more holes where the duct ended in that compartment seems to have helped with the flow in the bathroom. I guess the best thing to do if this is a concern is to try and follow all your duct work to check for leaks. unfortunately you are going to have to crawl through some storage areas and remove a few panels, but in the long run it will be worth the effort.