Propane Usage for Heating

[RetiredOne]

Just wondering on how much propane you guys use? We were out this last weekend and finally ran the heater for an extended period at night (it got down in the 40's overnight), so it cycled on and off as needed at night.

Water heater this trip was on electric, not propane.

During the day, we were out driving around, so the heat was off, just the refrige running on propane. During the Summer, I ran the fridge the same way, and used very little propane, and even ran the water heater on propane occassionally.

So, in three nights, we burned through a half a tank of propane (approx. 20 lbs.) The heater really cranks out the heat, probably a higher BTU rating then it needs to be.

So, how much propane do you guys burn through during a long weekend? Does this amount we used sound normal?

[Studiovette]

No idea but agree the furnace pumps and heats our Greyhawk quickly. I usually set it to 65 just as a back up if we agve no hookups. I won't run propne if I have shore power. If the shore power is provided at the cg bring a long a space heater and save your propane.

[Explorer03]

The propane heaters will burn through propane at a fast rate. The amount depends on how often the heater runs, the set temp on the thermostat and outside temp.

Depending on the overnight low, I have two ceramic space heaters (50 amp trailer) I use when plugged into shore power and only use the propane heater (set about 63 degrees) as a back up. When I had my 26BH (30 amp trailer) I used only one. As mentioned above, bring a space heater and save on propane.

[Jayco 24B]

We were camping 3 nights last weekend and we had heat on none stop. We used little more then half a tank but that would be with ocasional cooking.

[Murff]

Originally Posted by Studiovette

No idea but agree the furnace pumps and heats our Greyhawk quickly. I usually set it to 65 just as a back up if we agve no hookups. I won't run propne if I have shore power. If the shore power is provided at the cg bring a long a space heater and save your propane.

+1

Murff

[Lake Huron]

We tend to run thru one 30# bottle a season. First 2 or maybe 3 trips we use the furnace at nite along with the fireplace. DW tends to keep it around 70* at nite. She does use the oven and stove quite a bit, even in the summer, and we also have a Roadtrip grill that I converted to be able to use the low psi port on the back of the trailer at the outdoor kitchen. Our fridge is a residential one, so it doesn't use any propane. And toward the end of the season last trip or 2 the furnace gets used again. Last trip the temps at nite got down in the low 30's but it was a balmy 72* in there.

[Isaacs]

Our little furnace goes through quite a bit of propane. On a cool night, we'll only use it when we're getting ready for bed and getting up/taking showers. Other than that, a ceramic heater running all night keeps the chill off. Electric mattress pads also do wonders for cool nights.

[JmsNMar]

Hello. We're RVing in the cold, now. 24 degrees during the day, to be exact. Our indoor ceramic heater broke, so we bought replacements. The small ceramic heater seemed to barely keep up with the cold temps, so we bought 2 metal coil heaters. Can't plug them both into the regular plugs, together, so plug one into a regular plug, and one into the microwave plug. Both work excellently. Made sure they came with all the safety features. Trying to only use propane furness in emergency, given we're long term camping in cold. Hope you find your perfect recipe!!!

[RetiredOne]

Thanks for all the feedback, I'll have to remember to bring an electric heater next time...

Another Jayco engineering marvel, if you want to use the built in furnace, cook and use the propane water heater, you'll need to tow your own propane delivery truck, as the onboard tank will be empty in a few days.... nice....

[LuckyDuck]

We have two 20-pound tanks. On our last two-week trip, we used the stove multiple times daily, took daily showers, and ran the fridge on propane probably 20 total hours while on the road. Also ran the furnace several nights at 67*. We used less than 3/4 of one tank. Goes a long way.

[RVermont]

Propane is 21000 btu per lb. Furnaces are 20000-40000 btu per hour. Propane efficiency 80-90%?
So it totally depends on the amount of time your furnace is firing and what prep you have taken to reduce heat loss through the cab, the windows and ceiling vent.

If you have 30000 btu furnace every 40 minutes the furnace will burn a lb propane. So it depends on the amount of actual furnace burn time. If it cycling on for 4 minutes on and 8 off then you will be using about 1/3 lb per hour.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

Thanks for all the feedback, I'll have to remember to bring an electric heater next time...

Another Jayco engineering marvel, if you want to use the built in furnace, cook and use the propane water heater, you'll need to tow your own propane delivery truck, as the onboard tank will be empty in a few days.... nice....

I'm not sure that's Jayco's fault.


Winter camping for us means lows in the high teens.
The tank will last 4-5 days for us.


I did find one of these on clearance at our local camping world. Easy to install and just carry a 20# "BBQ" style propane tank for backup.

[Isaacs]

We dry camp in hot weather for two weeks every July. Fridge 24/7, two showers per day, little or no furnace use, most cooking is done outside with a separate tank.

My 30 pound tank has never run out but is below half full when I stop at the reservation for a cheap fill up on the way home. I think the fridge is my biggest user in the warm weather.

[Camper_bob]

We used about half of our on-board tank in the first year or so of ownership. Furnace use was light and occasional, we use the stove and oven just about every trip, and I typically run the WH on gas to keep the energy usage down. With 2 AC units, and the WH drawing like 11A, I would rather let it run on gas than have the power management system cut out an AC unit to make hot water. We also run the fridge on "Auto", but we often drive with the generator running to keep the house cool. The fridge doesn't use much gas anyway.

I topped that tank off before our long trip of the year back in August. I expect to top off that tank next year around the same time just to make sure it's full.

In the TT, one 30lb tank would last about 2 seasons (unit was equipped with 2 tanks and an auto-changeover regulator). We used the space heater A LOT more back then. We also didn't have power problems as it was a 50A unit prepped for 2nd AC but we were only running one. IIRC, in the almost 5 years we ran that rig, I refilled each of those tanks once. Maybe one of them got filled twice? IDK, I would just run until the auto-changeover indicated an empty tank, then flip the regulator and fill the empty tank at my next earliest convenience. That's one thing I miss that the MH does not have...

[ALJO]

-19 C/around 0 F expect on a 30 Ft. RV your 30 lbs. tank will last less than 3 days.
If you have free electric have the electric heather running mixed with the propane furnace for the underbelly heat. Insulated skirting is an option at CAD $ 3600 and Thermo-pane windows.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by pconroy

I'm not sure that's Jayco's fault.

Winter camping for us means lows in the high teens.
The tank will last 4-5 days for us.

Well, it kinda is Jayco's fault...

Doesn't Jayco decide which appliances they are putting in their rigs? Don't they decide which onboard propane tank they are using? Don't the engineers do any calculating on usage, BTUs, flows, etc.?

Getting only a handful of days off of a tank of propane, under NORMAL use, is unacceptable in my view.

Having to supplement with backup electric heaters or piggy back external tanks is also unacceptable in my book. For the cost of these rigs, I expect the engineers to design the thing to operate under the most normal conditions.

In my case, with nighttime temps in the upper 40's and lower 50's, I would have been out of propane in like 5 days, and that was not running it during the day, except for the fridge, and not cooking on the stove or using it for hot water.

Many people go on vacation and camp for a week. Expecting the onboard propane supply to last that week isn't a lot to ask.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

Well, it kinda is Jayco's fault...

Doesn't Jayco decide which appliances they are putting in their rigs? Don't they decide which onboard propane tank they are using? Don't the engineers do any calculating on usage, BTUs, flows, etc.?

Getting only a handful of days off of a tank of propane, under NORMAL use, is unacceptable in my view.

Having to supplement with backup electric heaters or piggy back external tanks is also unacceptable in my book. For the cost of these rigs, I expect the engineers to design the thing to operate under the most normal conditions.

In my case, with nighttime temps in the upper 40's and lower 50's, I would have been out of propane in like 5 days, and that was not running it during the day, except for the fridge, and not cooking on the stove or using it for hot water.

Many people go on vacation and camp for a week. Expecting the onboard propane supply to last that week isn't a lot to ask.

Ok, you caught me being ornery.


No - it's not their fault.
Many, many, many other things are. But not how you just to use the system.






That standard tank has been plunked into Class C's for thirty years.
The fridge' hasn't changed much, the stove not much. And the furnace hasn't changed much either.


That leaves the water heater and the on-demand Girard should use *less* propane than a conventional 6 gallon Atwood.


We camp in cool weather and we'll get 7-10 days from the tank, and that's using the stove and oven alot. We're a family of five adults. So that's cooking, showering and heat.




If you're getting three days, then there's a leak or the guy's not filling it properly.






Or, you're growing Orchids inside?

[JimHanus]

We dry camp, 18' trailer. Temp in the 30'sF to mid 40'sF for 12 days. We used 1.5 30lb tanks. Propane for furnace, fridge, stove, hot water and outdoor BBQ. Our furnace also really puts out the heat, too hot to keep your hand over the floor grate for any extended period. Doesn't seem excessive usage to me.

[Extreme]

Originally Posted by pconroy

I'm not sure that's Jayco's fault.


Winter camping for us means lows in the high teens.
The tank will last 4-5 days for us.


I did find one of these on clearance at our local camping world. Easy to install and just carry a 20# "BBQ" style propane tank for backup.

Totally normal to use that much propane with furnace on. This setup provided by this member is the only answer to your propane needs. Quick connect and disconnect couplers to portable tanks that can be refilled without moving your rig.
Usage has nothing to do with Jayco or any other RV brand.
We used that setup for 1 year and never had to refill the main Rv propane tank more than twice. It is also called “ Extended stay propane adapter”
Don’t leave or live without it.

[Bill Johnson]

A friend of mine had a 30 foot travel trailer parked at a campground. He was having a house built and the builders were behind so he stayed in his trailer. He went through 100 pounds a week. My Motorhome used very little this fall, I used it one night and for the fridge. It was in the 40s and the gauge is near full