Question #2 what kind of portable heater is recommended

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by James AO

A USB receptacle is simply a power source of 5 vdc at some specified max amperage.

Agreed.
I've got a handful of Buck Converters in the RV already - 12V to 5V 5A max USB.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by Duke4857

I feel for the ones who need several electric heaters to keep warm.

We do too... Since we are at 340 Sq-Ft in our Seneca in Zone-5 of the USA - we need at least 16,500 BTU of heat to keep it warm. Our Seneca has plenty of capacity with the LP Furnace on it's own, but we don't want to run back / forth getting propane every few days. We would rather run on Electric heat to conserve our Propane.

Here is a calculator to help you get a rough idea of how many BTU's of electric heat are needed per SQ/FT

https://www.inchcalculator.com/calcu...-to-heat-home/

[Spower]

I use a Wave 6 catalytic heater in my trailer, works great!! I have read where some of you say you supplement your small heater with the rv furnace....how do you do this?
My heater will keep my trailer at about 65 degrees overnight, so what would I set my furnace on? Wouldn't the furnace still keep going on and off?

[Thomson]

Originally Posted by Spower

I use a Wave 6 catalytic heater in my trailer, works great!! I have read where some of you say you supplement your small heater with the rv furnace....how do you do this?
My heater will keep my trailer at about 65 degrees overnight, so what would I set my furnace on? Wouldn't the furnace still keep going on and off?

The answer is trial and error. The first issue is that the thermostat on your space heater does not read the same as your furnace. They are usually a couple of degrees off.

Have an independent thermometer that reads digital and use that as your standard. Put it in the middle of your biggest room.

So set your furnace at about 63 and let it run until it shuts off. Read what your independent thermometer says. Now you know the offset. Then adjust your space heater slowly until it turns on. When it turns off, read your independent thermometer.

Set your space heater where you want it to be, and set your furnace below it. Leave them alone, and watch. You may end up adjusting the furnace, or both.

What you want is about 2 to 4 degrees of deeadband, which means 2 to 4 degrees of nothing happening while the temperature heats or cools.

[Spower]

Originally Posted by Thomson

The answer is trial and error. The first issue is that the thermostat on your space heater does not read the same as your furnace. They are usually a couple of degrees off.

Have an independent thermometer that reads digital and use that as your standard. Put it in the middle of your biggest room.

So set your furnace at about 63 and let it run until it shuts off. Read what your independent thermometer says. Now you know the offset. Then adjust your space heater slowly until it turns on. When it turns off, read your independent thermometer.

Set your space heater where you want it to be, and set your furnace below it. Leave them alone, and watch. You may end up adjusting the furnace, or both.

What you want is about 2 to 4 degrees of deeadband, which means 2 to 4 degrees of nothing happening while the temperature heats or cools.

Thank you for that but......the wave heater (catalytic) does not shut off, see it here --> https://www.amazon.com/Camco-57341-O.../dp/B000BV01CK

I guess I can still kind of do what you explained above?

[Thomson]

OK. A regular space heater won't shut off when it gets too cold, so the outcome is still the same. When it gets too cold the furnace will cycle to maintain the lower temperature it was set.

BTW, are you boondocking? The only thing you are saving is battery power and not so much on propane.

[Spower]

Originally Posted by Thomson

OK. A regular space heater won't shut off when it gets too cold, so the outcome is still the same. When it gets too cold the furnace will cycle to maintain the lower temperature it was set.

BTW, are you boondocking? The only thing you are saving is battery power and not so much on propane.

Yes boondocking, but the wave heater uses very little propane it is very efficient!

[Thomson]

The only concern is the gases from combustion. I cannot use one of those as I have sensitivities to certain chemicals and. have birds. The canary in the coal mine applies to all birds. I have visited people using those heaters and cannot stay in them very long without hacking.

The reason they are so efficient is that all of the heat goes into the RV. There is no loss across as with a heat exchanger that keeps the combustion gases from entering the
RV, or your house. However, things fail which is why you have a CO detector in your house.

All chemical reactions are not perfect. Propane does not all go to carbon dioxide and water; especially with catalytics. Some Carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, etc. evolve from the combustion process. You can build up a resistance to the gases. Once I visited a person using his stove burner for comfort heat and he had no problems, but I had to leave immediately, coughing up a lung.

Good luck and make sure your CO detectors and oxygen level monitors are working. Leave a window cracked. Don't keep birds.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by Spower

I use a Wave 6 catalytic heater in my trailer, works great!! I have read where some of you say you supplement your small heater with the rv furnace....how do you do this?
My heater will keep my trailer at about 65 degrees overnight, so what would I set my furnace on? Wouldn't the furnace still keep going on and off?

Just curious?? How well does the Wave 6 keep things warm when you have to leave two windows open in the RV for safe operation?

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by Thomson

The reason they are so efficient is that all of the heat goes into the RV. There is no loss across as with a heat exchanger that keeps the combustion gases from entering the
RV, or your house. However, things fail which is why you have a CO detector in your house.

All chemical reactions are not perfect. Propane does not all go to carbon dioxide and water; especially with catalytics. Some Carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, etc. evolve from the combustion process.

They are efficient, until they aren't.

I personally would never run a ventless propane heater in a space that we are sleeping in, no matter what "safety" mechanisms the manufacturer claims it has. My family's life is worth more than any "safety" claim. It only has to malfunction once...

Plus, it has to be humid as heck inside, with the propane burning. I run a propane heater in my shop, and the moisture is horrible, and that's with doors opening and closing and lots of air leaks. I can't imagine what it's like in these rigs, with the single pane windows and crappy insulation. Heck, our windows sweat like crazy with the standard heater running just from our breathing...

[Spower]

WOW! Ever heard the saying "Don't knock it till you try it?" I've been using this heater for years! You only crack ONE window open a little bit. It has never made it humid inside (no idea what you are talking about). Never had a problem with it.
Don't be haters!! Not what this forum is for.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by Spower

Never had a problem with it.
Don't be haters!! Not what this forum is for.

Haters?? Really? Sounds harsh. We are just concerned for your safety. Here are two quick reviews from your Amazon link above:

...."The Wave 6 seems to be a quality build but it is unsafe. Based on our observations following the manufactures ventilation requirement the unit produces unhealthily levels of CO2 (carbon Dioxide) not CO (carbon monoxide). Our unit generates 33 PPM per minute of CO2. Within 15 minutes our CO2 (carbon dioxide) monitor went into alarm alerting of unhealthily leaves of CO2. Increasing the manufactures ventilation requirement to a level that prevented the CO2 monitor from going into alarm in our 36” class motorhome quickly deceased the temperature in the RV rendering the heater useless. Exposure to less than 24 hours of elevating levels of CO2 at a rate of 33 PPM per minute could lead to serious oxygen deprivation resulting in permanent brain damage, coma, even death."
------------------------------------------

...."This heater almost killed me. The carbon monoxide sensor went off after 4 hours of use on the high setting. I figured that couldn't be, they say it has 0% emissions. I had fresh propane, Camco's hose and regulator I've used for 2 years. I reset the carbon monoxide detector and about 5 mins later it went off again. I figured the detector must be super sensitive and reset it again. I started feeling dizzy and weak. Now I started freaking out, and headed to fresh air. I collapsed on the floor, crawling for my life. 10 secs more and I would have passed out and probably died. I made it to the door and opened all the windows. That was a bad night. I was confused, dizzy and felt sick for hours."

[Thomson]

I didn't perceive hate from RetiredOne. I thought he had a concern and held safety to a higher order. That being said, I,m sticking with my overly redundant safety electric heater when I don't want to run propane. When I run propane I'll lose a little electric from the batteries, but wake up alive using the furnace. BTW, my electric space heaters are Honeywell Towers HZ385. You can get them at Walmart.