I have the same furnace as you, so you know the noise level...not real bad.  While it seems rather counter-intuitive,  it is common (I'm told) for hearing impaired people to be extra sensative to sounds they do hear.    So, it does wake me on occasion.

 

In the specs (read somewhere) it said it needed 1 square inch of vent opening for every 1000 btu of heater output to provide enough air exchanges (this doesn't sound adequate to me).  I usually keep a window and the bath vent/fan open a bit to prevent condensation and provide fresh air anyway.  I have a place that I could put it, along with the tools and talent.  So, I could but, it sounds like the return on investment would be low.  The additional hoped for gain was not having to hear the furnace blower running. 

 

Also, I read on the Camping World site a couple of glowing "customer reviews" which caused me to wonder if there might be something new/innovative about these units.  These sort of "reviews", I take lightly as it can't be ascertained who really posted them (maybe someone from the manufacturer?).

 

I, too, have come to enjoy a more "comfortable camping experience", as years have passed.  For the price of the unit, plus the stuff to install it, I could easily just purchase an extra battery or two - with money left over.  The reason I want to "save" battery power is for other electronics/radios. 

 

I've resisted buying a genset.  However, my truck has a 2nd battery tray (with the towing package).  I was thinking of using that tray to put another battery, along with a battery isolator, to keep charged for general camper usage.  I can swap them as needed, while the other is being charged during driving for sightseeing, errands, etc.   I am weighing this vs. just putting 2 AGM type batteries inside the camper.

 

- catalytic heaters use a lot of oxygen and you will have to leave at least one window open

- there is a lot of moisture build-up inside the trailer as one of the major products of combustion is H2O.  Its a significant problem

- you'll have to run a gas hose (or go through a tonne of green cylinders)

- its something else in the way in the trailer

- it does have a very hot surface that has to be guarded against

- dog hair floating around will occasionally burn/melt on the surface of the heater and stink

My feeling of safety is magnitudes higher with the furnace as opposed to the catalytic heater.  With the much more airtight TT, I wouldn't consider using a catalytic heater while sleeping.

I am at a point in my life where I am not going to try to be frugal with heat (or battery) - I'm not going to wear three sweaters in the trailer, read with a LED headlamp, or otherwise fiddle around and be uncomfortable.  When I'm boondocking for two nights, I bring along a spare group 24 battery (I have a group 27 on the tongue).  If I'm camping longer than two nights, I bring along my generator; an hour on the genny and the battery is bulk-charged and ready for another couple of nights.

 

When dry camping, it seems as though the furnace blower uses a lot of battery, so I'm thinking of alternatives.