Propane Usage

Thanks for all the great input. A lot of what was said, we had already planned, ie using electric as much as possible, electric space heaters, etc. When I was a kid, we lived in a 27ft TT for a year while my parents built our house, so I know the heater doesn't work that well. I had planned on using space heaters based on that. I also figure the electric fireplace will help keep the chill off.
So with this new info, I figure if we set aside about $10/month we should be able to fill a tank once a quarter. That's not bad. Again, thanks for the info. I new I could count on everyone here.

I started full timing in January in Florida in my 5th wheel. I quickly learned there are lots of variables to the electric/propane equation. I was in an RV resort near Gainesville and it was an unusually cold winter. Some people were going thru a 30# bottle in way less then a week and we were paying $4/gallon.

I decided to use electric as much as possible, so I bought an oil filled heater and also an oscillating electric heater. I didn't necessarily use both at the same time. I only used my propane furnace a few times in the mornings to quickly heat up the rig to room temp. Also used propane for cooking but I grilled out a lot and also used the microwave/convection oven. I was spending about $100/month for electric, at .17/kwh but ended up using less then one 30# propane bottle for the entire 3 month period I was there. Too late I realized I could have also shut down the electric water heater during the night to save a little. Duh !

So you get to pick your poison. Most people seem to feel that the cheapest thing to do is use electric as much as possible for heating as opposed to propane. When I look for a place to stay this winter I will also ask what the electric kwh rate is.

Things change when traveling since electric is normally included in a daily or weekly rate. So it makes sense to use electric since it's basically already paid for.

I have been traveling now since the end of April, running my fridge on propane when driving and also using the oven and stove (but mostly grilling out) and have not used one bottle yet. And - A microwave/convection oven is my good friend !

The furnace is what will really use up propane - the other things such as the oven and stove, and the fridge when traveling, are parasites compared to the furnace. I've never run my water heater on propane, other then to test it once in a while to make sure it will run, but I suspect it will also gobble propane at a fairly high rate.

If I had been in south Florida I would have had a smaller electric bill, but in general the monthly lot rent gets higher the further south you go.

* I should also add that I have the Splendide separates washer and electric dryer which obviously affect electric consumption - especially the dryer.

Tim.

Do you have a heat pump? If so, and you aren't in too cold of temperatures, you can use that to heat the rv. If you have to use propane for heat, it will get expensive fast, like a tank every few days.

Does your water heater work on both propane and electric? Some don't.
We winter in the Florida Keys, but used our heat pump in the Ga mountains before we headed south. No propane use there, so our propane tank has lasted well over a year. We don't cook with propane anymore (have a nu-wave convection) and only use the propane for hot water occasionally.

We spend winter half way between Ocala and Tampa. Last winter we used a 30#'er or 7 gals a month. This winter we used 7 for in 3 months. The temp got down to 34 twice so no worry about anything freezing. Our first few fills were $19 then during the shortage up north it went up to $25.

I've decided that next year I'll take a oil filled heater with us. We pay 13 cents a KW. Usage would average less than 50 cents a day or $15 for the month. We would only run it on low power and 50 cents is for about 7 hrs a day which is probably way more than we'll use.

I carry electric heaters for use when we have hookups, which is almost all the time when camping in cold weather. The electric heat is actually much more comfortable than the propane heat. Now if you are full timing and on a meter, electric heat would probably be way more expensive.

We FTd for 7 yrs with 2 30# propane cylinders

Typically normal usage....6 weeks per cylinder
(Fridge on electric, water heater on electric.....stove top burners/2 used every day/oven used every day)

Boondocking..fridge/WH/stove/oven all propane.....3 weeks


Winter.....-14*F a 30# cylinder every day------but we stayed warm and toasty with no freeze issues :B

Ok. I tested my 5er leaving the power on and using propane only for the fridge for a month. The fridge was on medium setting. Cost at that time was $17 for a 20lb cylinder. The tank was empty @ day 28. I tested with a meter called KILLAWATT and the cost for electric in my area was less than $8 for the same 28 days

Here in south FL, I haven't had the heat on since the winter of 2010-2011. Your results may vary.

I had budgeted $25/month for propane expecting that we would go through maybe one 30# tank per month. Our first two months full timing, we were filling a tank every two weeks. And we were in Florida and on the gulf coast. There was an exceptionally cold winter this year. Now, though, we are in Idaho and Wyoming in the mountains, and we are filling up about a tank per month. The warm days help, but the nights are about 35 degrees. So, we doubled our budget Feb. and March. but are on budget April, May, and June.

Usage will be all over the place, depending on ambient temps. These threads may help...

Propane use threads