running on 12/v battery

Ruthless wrote:
How do you operate your furnace using the battery? I've only used my propane tanks to operate the furnace.

I just re-read the original question with a different frame of mind.

THe HEATER: Heaters come in three flavors.. Electric, Liquid fuel, Gas Fueled (Propane) And non of these run on DC (or AC for that matter) also thy are NOT recommended for RV use save for electric and that only with caution (RV outlets may object to 1500 watt long term load).

RV FURNACE used 12 volt for blower and control.. PROPANE for heat. Does not use 120 volts at all (Save for via the 120vac to 12vdc converter)

Depending on the size of the battery it is probably rated at between 70 and 100 Ampere Hours (AH). You should not use more than 50% of this. This assumes a single battery.

I believe my furnace draws about 7Amps, so each hour uses 7AH for the furnace alone. The refrig will use about 15AH in a day and each incandescent light, depending on the light, will use 1 to 1.5 AH each hour. This only applies when running off the battery, not while driving.

Hope this helps you figure out how long you can run your furnace.

roned2b wrote:
IM sorry I should have mentioned I just bought the trailer last Dec from camping world and got a new battery with it

Running the furnace all nite, will often empty a new battery before morning.

If you haven't already, get a digital voltmeter. Check your battery's charge every morning. You don't want it to get below 12 volts. (Look up "12 volt battery chart" on goggle.) (That's when you are NOT plugged in to an electric hookup. It will read over 13 volts -- the converter output -- when plugged in even if the battery is almost dead.)

A full charge is 12.7 volts. If running the furnace overnight drops you to 12.0 volts or less then you need to plug into an electric hookup for several hours (overnight, for example). Driving down the road probably will not be enough for a good recharge.

Ruthless wrote:
How do you operate your furnace using the battery? I've only used my propane tanks to operate the furnace.

Turn it on....

It needs both.

How do you operate your furnace using the battery? I've only used my propane tanks to operate the furnace.

roned2b wrote:
IM sorry I should have mentioned I just bought the trailer last Dec from camping world and got a new battery with it

RV / marine batteries come in different sizes. Group 24, Group 27, and group 31. The larger battery will last a little longer than the smaller version.

How long your's will run the furnace, depends on how much you run it, and the size of battery.

Check your owners manual or have your truck checked, to see if it is wired to charge the trailer battery, while going down the road. Some trucks are not wired for that, some need to have a relay installed, and some are ready to go.

IM sorry I should have mentioned I just bought the trailer last Dec from camping world and got a new battery with it

..

It should be noted that while the heat from the furnace takes almost nothing from your 12 volt battery, the fan draws a LOT of power. The result is that depending on the condition and initial charge on that battery, the battery will last anything from a couple nights without charging time to maybe only minutes. You might want to carry that battery in to an auto parts store and ask them to test it for you. With a TT that old, it may be getting on to time to replace that battery.