I'm in the process of planning our second weekend trip in our new-to-us motorhome (2004 Forest River Sunseeker 2900). This time we will be without hookups of any kind for 3 days and 2 nights. This park also does not allow any generator use in the campground.Given that it's supposed to be getting down to around 40 degrees each night, I'm concerned about running the furnace for 2 nights on battery power alone. I have two brand new 12v house batteries, and will only need to run the furnace for 8 hours or so each night while sleeping. Is this something I should be concerned about?Also, and this is more of a campground etiquette question, but would it be inappropriate to ask the site next to us - which does have electrical hookups - if we could run an extension cord over to their box for a couple hours to recharge our batteries? I'm not trying to skip out on the extra cost of an electric site, there simply were not available.

You will not make it 8 hours a night with your furnance on a dual battery setup. Best advice I can think of giving is to try to run it before bedtime and then bring lots of warm covers and sleeping bags for the nights. You should be fine in the 40's. A hat is also good on your head when sleeping. Run your furnance in the morning to warm up the trailer before everyone gets up.I would ask your neighbor if you could run a 20 amp line over for the night - maybe use an electric heater at night.We have made it through a lot of cooler nights in our trailer - it is part of the experience!!

The fan in the heater sucks the power. The amount used by the sensors, electronics, and thermostat is negligible. The more the fan runs the more juice it will consume. So no one can really answer the question until the night actually comes. Keep the windows closed and shades pulled to minimize heat loss through the wall and windows, and set the thermostat to a lower temperature. Use an extra blanket, flannel pajamas, and cuddling. Call the dogs to the bed.We have gone 5 nights with the overnight lows in the 30's without recharging, and the batteries were pretty flat at the end. They were 2 brand new batteries and we used scarcely any electricity during the day (lights, etc.).

X 2 - You won't make 8 hrs ea night + running other stuff. I have a small portable Coleman propane heater for emergency back-up. I use only during the daytime or early evening.Draining your batteries below 50% is not good.Read THIS AND review the chart below

Using services such as power from an adjoining site without reimbursement to property is theft of service, bears the same penalty under law as theft of property. Is that how you want to go camping?

Hi,If the engine is a v-10 it is safe to idle it for hours at a time. That will "get you through" and you can use the dash air to heat up the RV, too.

Propane furnace battery usage | Good Sam Community

33 Replies

Dakota98
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
X 2 - You won't make 8 hrs ea night + running other stuff. I have a small portable Coleman propane heater for emergency back-up. I use only during the daytime or early evening.

Draining your batteries below 50% is not good.

Read THIS AND review the chart below
dave54
Nomad
Oct 21, 2014
The fan in the heater sucks the power. The amount used by the sensors, electronics, and thermostat is negligible. The more the fan runs the more juice it will consume. So no one can really answer the question until the night actually comes. Keep the windows closed and shades pulled to minimize heat loss through the wall and windows, and set the thermostat to a lower temperature. Use an extra blanket, flannel pajamas, and cuddling. Call the dogs to the bed.

We have gone 5 nights with the overnight lows in the 30's without recharging, and the batteries were pretty flat at the end. They were 2 brand new batteries and we used scarcely any electricity during the day (lights, etc.).
linnemj
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
You will not make it 8 hours a night with your furnance on a dual battery setup. Best advice I can think of giving is to try to run it before bedtime and then bring lots of warm covers and sleeping bags for the nights. You should be fine in the 40's. A hat is also good on your head when sleeping. Run your furnance in the morning to warm up the trailer before everyone gets up.

I would ask your neighbor if you could run a 20 amp line over for the night - maybe use an electric heater at night.

We have made it through a lot of cooler nights in our trailer - it is part of the experience!!

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Propane furnace battery usage

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