No, your forced air thermostat won't work for a catalytic. I have used catalytics in small campers for years, but I would not do it again or recommend it. There are two reasons. First, they give off carbon monoxide. Granted the amount is very low, but I have never been able to find a believable standard for long term exposure to low concentrations of CO. I never used mine without keeping air moving through the camper. The second reason is that one of the byproducts of catalytic combustion is water. Using one in a closed space will result in some pretty bad condensation. I designed and built a heat exchanger for mine that vented the heater to the outside. That significantly reduced the moisture and the CO from the heater. These days I use forced air heaters where the combustion air is routed in and out without mixing with the cabin air. One of the best I have found for a camper or small trailer is the Atwood Everest 8012. It was designed to be carried to base camps on Everest so it is very conservative on power. At 12K BTU, it warms my 13 foot trailer very nicely all winter. I would strongly recommend you use a Hunter non programmable thermostat from Walmart to control it. It is completely compatable, inexpensive, 2 wire hook-up, and great temp regulation.
Edit: Mike and I posted at the same time. The Cat he linked to sounds like it has solved many of my objections.....worth a look.
