supplemental heat

[Bucket2]

I hear lot's of talk about supplemental heat used in RV's but looking for more information.
We dry camp a lot and are quite often in need of heat. With only the original furnace, that's what we rely on but it's a lousy on & off, noisy, fuel and power consuming appliance. I have replaced the lights with LED's hoping I don't run the battery down in the middle of the night from the fan and then every three or four days, fill the propane tank....is there a better way to keep my 27' 2006
Greyhawk warm?
Thanks in advance for any help.

[Sundancer330]

Unless you are on shore power no.

[pconroy]

what Sundancer said. You've pretty much got two options: electric heat and propane heat. Some propane heaters go lighter on the propane, but they put a lot of moisture in the air.

If it's not propane, it'll have to be electric heat. And those heaters will need shore power or you running a generator.

[Mustang65]

If you have an artic package (covered under belly) which protects the plumbing and adds a little insulation you need to use the main heating system during COLD weather. Running the central heat keeps the underbody area warm so the pipes do not freeze. If you use only the portable heaters, your plumbing will probably freeze.

Don

My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[RogerR]

We camped in late September at high altitudes and it got cold at night. To save some heat we used our foil faced bubble wrap insulation designed for heating ducts. (Home, Lowes, Menards, etc.)

I had made pieces to cover the windows to keep out summer heat and keep out sun to prevent fading. Put them over some of our single pane windows and really cut the heat loss at night. Heat ran a lot less.

You should replace your furnace thermostat with a digital. Holds the temp at a steadier temp instead of long on/off cycles. My old one let it get down to 60 then ran it up to 75. We are happy at night to keep it at 62 or 65. Here is one example.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Reach-Ba...FYUWhwodtGcApw

[submariner]

Here's my thoughts on cold weather dry camping for what its worth.I have a 17 greyhawk mv with the heat strips in the ac unit.We stayed at a local campground in upstate N.Y. in the fall with cool temps during the night,probably dropped down into the 40's.The heat pump ran quite a lot all night long to keep the coach at 62.We were plugged into electric at the campsite.I cant imagine how much propane one would use if dry camping,especially in real cold conditions.
My hawk only has one battery,and i wonder how long it wold last if running your heat with propane and the blower running all night long.These things are hard to keep heated,thin walls,thin single pane glass,thin floors with minimal insulation.No underbelly on mine with no insulation.Totally exposed tanks and water lines that are exposed to the elements.Yes it has tank heaters,more electric if you use them....Lines are still unprotected so what good are the tank heaters? Youre totally surrounded by cold temps.
I suppose where there is a will theres a way.
If I could'nt plug into electic,i would not dry camp in real cold weather.Just my opinion.

[Bucket2]

I appreciate all your answers, I was only thinking that there was some new magic heater with the little propane bottles or something, which would be a little unsafe for me to trust. I almost always spend the night with available shore power when its cold but have managed to get through the night on one battery running the furnace fan and then crank up the gen in the AM to recharge. If you drive some in between the nights the battery gets a full charge and the propane tank will last about five nights,,YEAH! still better than the motels, we just do lots of planning ahead.
One of the best ideas was probably the digital thermostat for the furnace,thanks RogerR that's probably a lot more accurate.

Happy RVing, Mel

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Bucket2

I appreciate all your answers, I was only thinking that there was some new magic heater with the little propane bottles or something, which would be a little unsafe for me to trust.

I have a Little Buddy heater but I too would only use it in an emergency. Crack a window, make sure the CO detectors (plural) are working etc.

AFAIK, there's still no Magic Heater out there.


The "one battery" situation in our Greyhawk can be a real challenge...

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by submariner

dropped down into the 40's.The heat pump ran quite a lot all night long to keep the coach at 62.We were plugged into electric at the campsite.I cant imagine how much propane one would use if dry camping,especially in real cold conditions.

Over Thanksgiving, my son and I took our '16 Greyhawk up to Golden Gate State park here. Temps dropped to mid 20s. And light snow.

We had electric hook ups.

Heat strips in AC unit worked well for us. I was surprised that they were still making warm air at those temps.

In between that, the furnace and electric blankets, we were comfortable. But only thanks to having a 30A plug to hook into.

[gocarp]

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...y-heater/19332

http://www.mrheater.com/10-000-btu-v...me-heater.html

I've seen folks install these types of heater and plumb directly into the on-board propane supply.

[rgolding]

This last summer, we had a full oven put in our Seneca. Replaced the stove top.

Best decision we ever made.

Good meals and the oven warms the cabin in a quiet, comfortable setting.

The cold front sweeping the Nation is even impacting "Paradise" down here in Florida.
However, with the oven taking thechill off, we are nice and warm.

[RayBo]

Totally strange suggestion for you guys, I admit, but it really works well for me. (And, aren't we all here to share experience and ideas?)

I hunt. In the freezing cold. And, I have significant arthritis due to injuries when I was in the Army. SO, I have to do things to make it through the day.

I have some socks, powered by batteries, that warm my feet. I have gloves that do the same thing for my hands. When I wear these and use a good blanket, I go to sleep in the Seneca and it can get to 50 or lower inside and I don't even know it.

Just a thought, outside the box.

[RayBo]

Originally Posted by rgolding

This last summer, we had a full oven put in our Seneca. Replaced the stove top.

Best decision we ever made.

Good meals and the oven warms the cabin in a quiet, comfortable setting.

The cold front sweeping the Nation is even impacting "Paradise" down here in Florida.
However, with the oven taking thechill off, we are nice and warm.

Hey, so when you say "full oven" do you mean you removed the gas stove/oven and installed something electric? If so, can you please say more about what you did?

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by RayBo

Hey, so when you say "full oven" do you mean you removed the gas stove/oven and installed something electric? If so, can you please say more about what you did?

Like mine, his unit came originally equipped with a 3-burner cooktop only, no oven. Jayco felt that a convection microwave was good enough for baking. Like me, they changed out the cooktop for a real RV range.

In my case I installed a 21" Atwood. I love it, bakes so much better than the convection microwave. I lost a storage drawer, but the trade-off is worth it to us. Over the years we have learned a few "tricks" about RV baking and things come out as nice as they do at home now!

[rgolding]

RobbyR has it right. We just had a conventional RV/camper stove top and oven by Atwood installed by our dealer. it is LPG and is warming our Seneca cabin right now with the door open and the oven burner going, as it is near 34 degrees here in the Florida paradise. I think this is the week of the year, they call "Winter" around here. Its suppose to be 70 degrees by Saturday and with this dark paint job, we'll probably have the air on.

[Bucket2]

Love your thoughts, and must say I agree to a point and could live with it and I have done that in a tent, but my wife and any children would probably howl like a coyote and you still have to get out of bed sometime brrr..then you need the furnace.
Like your style, thanks for taking the time to share.

Mel

[bdreinv]

Been using a Buddy heater for years uses one tank of fuel per night! Thanks

[RogerR]

Originally Posted by rgolding

RobbyR has it right. We just had a conventional RV/camper stove top and oven by Atwood installed by our dealer. it is LPG and is warming our Seneca cabin right now with the door open and the oven burner going, as it is near 34 degrees here in the Florida paradise. I think this is the week of the year, they call "Winter" around here. Its suppose to be 70 degrees by Saturday and with this dark paint job, we'll probably have the air on.

My LP repair guy warned me NOT to use the oven. Heat from the oven has damaged the knobs and sometimes the valve body if the stove knobs are right over the oven door.

Also, be aware that carbon monoxide and lack of oxygen can be a real problem with unvented gas appliances. Some heaters have a low oxygen safety shut off.
Why not use an AC electric heater?

[ifallsguy]

Originally Posted by RogerR

My LP repair guy warned me NOT to use the oven. Heat from the oven has damaged the knobs and sometimes the valve body if the stove knobs are right over the oven door.

Also, be aware that carbon monoxide and lack of oxygen can be a real problem with unvented gas appliances.

I agree about not using the oven for heat, unless you are baking.

One option, Costa Rica!

[Isaacs]

Vent free gas heaters are specially designed to put out little or no carbon monoxide and have oxygen sensors that automatically shut them off if the oxygen runs low. Having said that, I would still crack a window. Your oven has none of these features and using it for heat may result in you waking up dead!