omextreme wrote:
I though I might ask those wiser then I a few questions about heating options for our 5th wheel.
We started camping last fall in a TT and really enjoy camping through the winter. Being in GA winter is not bad, few nights in the teens here and there but most nights only get as low as 30ish.
In the TT we ran the propane furnace and aside from the huge temp swings between on and off it worked just fine.
For this new 5th wheel I am curious my best options, Here are the 3 that I can think of.
1. The ducted propane furnace, at 40' with the high ceilings I dont think the temp swings will be so bad but I suspect we will use a lot of propane.
2. A combination of the built in Electric fireplace for the main area and 2 smaller room size space electric heaters. As well as a small heater for the basement since the furnace would usually heat that area.
3. Heat strips added to the roof AC units and the small basement heater.
I know that they make an electric conversion / adapter for the furnace but that seems like a huge amount of work plus they are pricey.
Thanks!
No personal experience from me, just sharing some things I've read here from those who have.
1. You need to circulate air under sinks and in cabinets to be sure any plumbing (or anything else) doesn't freeze, so you may need to run your furnace fan, even if heat is off.
2. You need to have air circulating into the basement areas to keep the lines =there= from freezing. If you have heater pads on the holding tanks, you're golden, but your dump lines can be an issue in especially cold weather. Same issue with furnace fan. Yes, I saw about putting bulbs there and that helps.
3. A lot of people like to use the oil-filled radiator electric heaters as they have much more residual heating effect after the element shuts down, so you tend to have more even temps. We use one at home in our bedroom, so the rest of the house can cool down while we stay toasty at night. :-)
4. Skirting seems to help a lot with heat loss, especially if you're in a breezy/windy area. A couple 100w bulbs right near your dump lines can't hurt here, either.
5. If you are going though a lot of propane, and are in a fixed spot for a while, you can rent 100 lb tanks and have the gas truck come by to fill them. A lot of people report that this can be =much= cheaper, and it's certainly a lot less hassle, than schlepping your tanks to the fill station. Even more so, if there are others in the same park that have large tanks and the truck is already coming in 1 or 2 times a week to fill them.
Lyle
