Question #2 what kind of portable heater is recommended

[SkyBound]

I use my trailer for deer hunting in the fall. It does not have the thermal package. I winterize it well before it gets cold, and use it without plumbing during the hunting season. When the cold weather hits hard and early, like it did this year, keeping it warm is a bit of a process. I warm it up initially with the propane furnace, and then once the heat has soaked in, I use a 1500W electric heater to maintain. It runs constantly. For the most part, it can do a decent job at keeping it between 65-70*F but on those really cold nights where temps drop well below freezing, the furnace still kicks on from time to time. Condensation can become a real problem too.

What killed me this year was a foot of snow fell, and continued to fall, and the trailer was icing up badly on the outside, including all down the side of the fridge. Massive icicles 2-3in in diameter stuck to the side.... I had to deice my trailer!

[FPM III]

Here's a trick you can use to help maintain comfort when using an elecrtic heater: Use your propane furnace as an auxiliary heater.

Sometimes electric heaters unable maintain the temperatures they're set to as it gets colder. The usual solution is to add another electric heater... if you can.

Rather that add another electric heater, use your propane furnace as an auxiliary heater to provide additional heat when the electric heater is unable to maintain the temperature it's set at.

Simply set your propane furnace to come on few degrees below the temperature that your electric heater comes on. Whenever the electric heater is unable to maintain the desired temperature, the propane furnace will eventually come on and run until its desired temperature is reached.

Note: you might have to play with setting a bit when you're dealing with thermostats without digital temperature displays. Also keep in mind that thermostats can have variances in the number of degrees between when they turn on and turn off.

Example: If the thermostat on the electric heater is set to keep the temperature of 70 degrees, set the thermostat on your propane furnace to come on at, say 67 or 68 degrees.

We've used this technique for years in our TT.

[Nathan S.]

Originally Posted by FPM III

Here's a trick you can use to help maintain comfort when using an elecrtic heater: Use your propane furnace as an auxiliary heater.

Sometimes electric heaters unable maintain the temperatures they're set to as it gets colder. The usual solution is to add another electric heater... if you can.

Rather that add another electric heater, use your propane furnace as an auxiliary heater to provide additional heat when the electric heater is unable to maintain the temperature it's set at.

Simply set your propane furnace to come on few degrees below the temperature that your electric heater comes on. Whenever the electric heater is unable to maintain the desired temperature, the propane furnace will eventually come on and run until its desired temperature is reached.

Note: you might have to play with setting a bit when you're dealing with thermostats without digital temperature displays. Also keep in mind that thermostats can have variances in the number of degrees between when they turn on and turn off.

Example: If the thermostat on the electric heater is set to keep the temperature of 70 degrees, set the thermostat on your propane furnace to come on at, say 67 or 68 degrees.

We've used this technique for years in our TT.

X2, as to an earlier post, this works!

[t18skyguy]

Originally Posted by Nathan S.

X2, as to an earlier post, this works!

The issue I have with the propane furnace is how noisy it is. I can't sleep with that thing running, but during the day that's a great idea.

[FPM III]

Originally Posted by t18skyguy

The issue I have with the propane furnace is how noisy it is. I can't sleep with that thing running, but during the day that's a great idea.

I’d suggest investing in a set of ear plugs. That might make the furnace noise more tolerable which is better than freezing your tail off at night by not running it.

[Nathan S.]

Originally Posted by t18skyguy

The issue I have with the propane furnace is how noisy it is. I can't sleep with that thing running, but during the day that's a great idea.

I guess I’m pretty fortunate, ours is pretty quiet, not irritating at all. Must be the location in relation to the bed. Sometimes when it kicks on I notice it, but after that it’s just a slight hum.

[Lake Huron]

Out first 5th wheel was a 34' 04 Montana Mountaineer. It didnt have a fancy fireplace like our current Northpoint does. I used an EdenPure in the Montana and that worked great. Our 2nd 5th wheel was a 40' 15 Sierra bunkhouse. It had a fireplace that kept the main area pretty warm and it blew toward the front bedroom which worked ok. However the rear bunkhouse was still a bit on the cold side so, again, we used that EdenPure. It took a little playing around to get the temp set right for the bunk area, but after that it would kick on and off automatically and worked great.

[RoyBraddy]

I like the oil filled type heaters especially being used in small places. These type heaters have no visible flame or visible red hot core to deal with and I think will rate very high in being safe to use in close areas. They have the same BTU rating as the visible red hot core type heaters just may take alittle bit longer to get to their rated BTU output...

My small floor space OFF-ROAD Popup trailer is perfect for this low profile version oil filled portable 120VAC heater...


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This is only 14-inches high and if I need to move some heated air around the area I can sit my O2-COOL 10-inch fan behind it and it blows great..


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I also carry one of those MR BUDDY heaters but only use it when we are up. Never let it run while we are asleep.

This fits my situation just great using the low profile oil filled heater but your situation may be different than mine... We like to sleep under the covers at night and have two sleeping bags zipped together and this is used normally used as the top bed cover. Can get inside the sleeping bag if cold weather gets in at night.

Our propane furnace is way too much heat for us and runs us out of the trailer real quick haha Also the propane heater fan is a hugh power drain on our 12VDC setup when camping off grid... Only use the built-in propane furnace setup in emergencies...

Roy Ken

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by adventuregurl

I live in Minnesota and would like to stay in my camper in my driveway once in a while! Ha ha....I plugged it into my garage and would like to use a safe electric heater. Any advice?

Don't let anyone try to tell you that some expensive portable electric heaters can put out more heat than others. 1500 watts = 5118 BTUs and that will not change! To put that into perspective, the furnace in your house is probably somewhere around 80,000 BTUs.

Shop for features: noise, air distribution, timer, size, that sort of thing. I have a DeLonghi ceramic tower heater and I love it. Especially the timer so I don't forget to turn it off!

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Isaacs

To put that into perspective, the furnace in your house is probably somewhere around 80,000 BTUs.

And the furnace in the RV is probably 30,000 BTUs.


I posted that I too like the oil filled radiators. But the comment someone made about it taking awhile to heat up is very true.


Now's not the time to find bargains on heaters, but come Spring. Home Depot, Walmart, Target and the like should have some good markdowns on heaters.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by adventuregurl

Oh yes....that's true. Hmmmm....
Wish a solar one existed! Lol. Maybe my local gas company can come fill the propane

By the time you fill the LP tank a few times you can have an electrician install a 30 or 50 amp outlet so you can plug the coach in to the house circuit. If you do I recommend going 50 amp to start. Reason - experience. When we bought our Class C a number of years ago I had 30 amp installed and it cost 350.00. When we bought the Class A a few years later I had the 30 amp changed over to 50 amp. Everything had to change (wire gauge, circuit breaker, plug) and it cost 500.00. Had I went with 50 amp up front I would have saved 350.00. Live and learn.

[rowemi]

Originally Posted by adventuregurl

I live in Minnesota and would like to stay in my camper in my driveway once in a while! Ha ha....I plugged it into my garage and would like to use a safe electric heater. Any advice?

I grew up in Hibbing, MN, 70 miles NNW of Duluth, MN. We take our Melbourne 24L to the panhandle of FL for Jan and Feb. We can get by with one 1500 watt electric heater down to about 40 degrees to keep the motor home at 60 degrees (if we are exposed to the wind 40 degrees is too much for 1500 watts). If it predicted to get colder we run the electric heater wide open and set the gas furnace to about 62. You may be able to use multiple electric heaters balance across circuits.

Also be aware that camping in the cold can produce considerable condensation (like under the mattes, in cabinets, etc) even if you don't cook.

[JudyB]

And wear lots of wool.

[Thomson]

We recommend the

Honeywell Safety Sentinel Electronic Ceramic Tower Heater, HZ-385BP

The reason is that it has four safety features.

It has a standard thermostat. Some people hate it because it has 4 degrees of deadband meaning it cycles on and off over four degrees. We like it because it doesn't wear out the contacts.

Now for the safety features.

1. Proximity sensor - It has an infrared sensor that shuts down the heater until whatever is in front of it is removed; like a cot.

2. Tip over switch to shut it off.

3.A Hi-Hi limit switch that shuts it off if it goes over a limit should the fan stop or something obstructs the air flow.

4. Although it kills the heater it has a fuse link on the heater core that melts if the heater core gets too hot. The heater will be dead, but you won't.

We have looked at Consumer Reports and found they recommend heaters, even without tip-over switches.

Just my two cents, as I used to design and specify bath heating systems for semiconductor cleaning systems and used the safety devices above except for proximity sensors because things were supposed to be in the baths.

[Snapchen]

I use a ceramic heater. It is approximately 7 inches square. It is called The Heat Machine Plus. Output up to 5200 btu and 1500 watt. Thermostat, tilt shut off and variable speed can. Quiet, efficient and heats front of 29MV.

[GraftonGuns]

AG, The oil filled heaters that resemble a radiator are pretty efficient. They don't have a fan, But are pretty toasty at 1500 watts. The other ones that I like are the Ceramic type heaters that have fans.

[RogerR]

Keeping the heat you have can really help. We use heating duct wrap which is basically mylar coated bubble wrap to keep out the sun. But it also keeps in the heat. We put it on the windows behind the shades while camping at 7000 feet in late fall and by covering the windows at night we didn't need more than one electric heater. We also cut squares that fit in the ceiling vents where we also lose a lot of heat.

[ifallsguy]

You can always do what we did. We left Frostbite Falls, MN permanently for the warmer climes of the southern US. I get a kick out of people who complain about the freezing temps of 60 down here in southern GA, especially after living through too many winters of -40 to -60 (yes I was in Frostbite Falls the year a record cold temp of -65 was recorded near Tower).

[joe w]

Close to 300K of the Vornado heaters have been recalled for reported fire issues. Goggle to see if yours is one of those being recalled.

[cekkk]

I like the oil filled radiator type. One of ours has 600, 900 and 1500 watt settings. But as a former Minnesotan, your best bet would be a bonfire in the living area.