Furnace help

I just bought a 2012 177. I haven't had to use the furnace but it's going to get below 10 degrees on Thursday and I'm worried my space heater won't do the job anymore. I just tried it out and, as I can see, the air blows out from under the bed. But the metal plate that covers it is missing! Is that a big deal? Should I not use it unless I have that cover? Also, the a/c from up above doesn't turn off, why is that? Help, I'm new at this!

In addition to the above it is not a big deal that the metal cover plate is missing.  It will still run normal.  Just be careful to keep everything a good distance away - nothing under the bed - for safety sake.  There have been quite a few here who have constructed a diverter so that the heat exiting the furnace gets out to the main area better, also freeing up a good half of the space under the bed so you can utilize it for storage, even with the furnace running.  It is a nice modification.

I would have thought that a 2012 would not have the integrated a/c and furnace thermostat like the later models do. My 2015 had a nice simple tstat dedicated to the furnace only. There is no reason firvhe roof a/c fan to be running when you're using the furnace.

As for the cover, you should replace it. It is designed to minimize the amount of hot outlet air that gets immediately pulled back throygh the inlet into the furnace. That's because the inlet about outlet ave right next to each other. If you don't have that the furnace will be inefficient at best and could overheat at worst.

OTOH a baffle redirecting the air out firm under the bed is not needed. If it was then it would have been put there at the factory. The gap between the floor and the bed is huge and allows for plenty of air convection into the room. Just don't fill it up under there with stuff and you will be fine.

I would start with the manufacture, I have a 2019 Rpod and the manufacture is Suburban model # NT-20SEQ but you will have to check your furnace to make sure of the manufacture and model number.  If it is in fact a Suburban their phone number is 423-775-2131 according my manual.  Hope this helps.

Originally posted by offgrid OTOH a baffle redirecting the air out firm under the bed is not needed. If it was then it would have been put there at the factory. The gap between the floor and the bed is huge and allows for plenty of air convection into the room. Just don't fill it up under there with stuff and you will be fine.

Here is where I would disagree with you. I built a diverter (not a baffle) for our RPod 179. It makes a big difference by diverting the heated air so it is better distributed throughout the cabin. I used to use a fan to help for this, but it is no longer needed with the diverter. Given that my DC to DC charger would be directly in the path of the hot air from the furnace, having the diverter is useful to ensure that it does not get overheated. Plus, I can safely put things in the empty space that otherwise would not be usable. I'm not saying to fill it up. There still needs to be room for return air flow, but some of the space can be used, even for items that might be heat sensitive. It might not strictly be needed, but it is a very good modification to make that some might find very desirable for the better heat distribution.