Can propane heater run off the battery?

dieselenthusiast wrote:
For this trip, we brought along our Mr. Heater which I believe is called the Dual Daddy????? It's suppose to be safe for indoor use and runs off two propane 1 lb. cylinders. This supplemental heat will maintain the inside temps helping reduce the amount of times the furnace kicks on. The Mr. Heater has an optional fan for efficiency, and it can run off D sized batteries.

That heater is safe for indoor use IF you read and follow the instructions! The instructions will tell you how much ventilation is required. DO NOT try to skimp on the ventilation! It would be better to have too much than not enough.
READ and FOLLOW the instructions!

If you have a single battery and the furnace runs a lot you will be lucky to get through one night. You can probably do it but, then your done until you recharge the battery. Pull your standard battery down to low a few times and it will be ruined. I converted my TT to 2-6 volt golf cart batteries for the times I boondock. They still get run down but, last a lot longer and can be pulled down further without damage to them.

Get a small generator at harbor freight for less than 100 dollars and a battery charger to plug into the generator. Run the generator until you retire for the night (later if no one close to you) then the battery might last through the night.
If you connect to the tow vehicle you run the risk of not starting in the morning. This problem can be taken care of by the same outfit described above

SkiingSixPack wrote:
You most likely have a "Big Buddy" Mr. Heater ... We love ours and it puts out alot of heat. Can't beat a generator for worry-free winter use, though!!! Even a smaller one. IF your battery lasts one night you can use the genny to re-charge (best with a separate battery charger) in the morning. If your battery does not last one night, just use the genny all night (just bring plenty of fuel!!).

Good luck!

Ha ha, yeah, it's called the Big Buddy! The Dual Daddy is the name of a Deep Fryer, lol. :o I can't argue the need for a generator. I like those Yamaha portable generators.

dieselenthusiast wrote:
Thanks everyone for your responses. You verified what I "thought", but wanted to make sure. Our trailer has a single battery, so I think I would be limited to the length of time the heater could fully operate. Would I trigger the breaker or blow a fuse if the battery wasn't making sufficient power to operate the blower fan? Or would my fan begin to spin slower and become less efficient?

No fuse would blow.....motor would just not come up to speed therefore the fan would not have sufficient flow to make up the sail switch (makes up at 75% of rated speed). No sail switch making up..no 12V power to control board....no 12V power to open gas valve or for spark electrode so it won't work.

IF you have an Atwood Brand furnace there is a small CB on furnace that could trip due to higher amp draw from the low voltage.It is on the 12V power line going to motor.

Your could swap out that single 12V battery for Two 6V batteries and increase your amp hours if you have room.

You most likely have a "Big Buddy" Mr. Heater ... We love ours and it puts out alot of heat. Can't beat a generator for worry-free winter use, though!!! Even a smaller one. IF your battery lasts one night you can use the genny to re-charge (best with a separate battery charger) in the morning. If your battery does not last one night, just use the genny all night (just bring plenty of fuel!!).

Good luck!

No..

better run down only the trailer battery

you may need to set the thermostat LOWER than normal and throw an extra blanket on the bed
in the morning move the temp setting up higher and crawl back in bed for an extra Hr

then during the day you can connect jumper cables and run the truck for a couple of hours to charge the TT battery

For this trip, we brought along our Mr. Heater which I believe is called the Dual Daddy????? It's suppose to be safe for indoor use and runs off two propane 1 lb. cylinders. This supplemental heat will maintain the inside temps helping reduce the amount of times the furnace kicks on. The Mr. Heater has an optional fan for efficiency, and it can run off D sized batteries.

You will not blow a fuse. The blower will just run slower as the battery goes down.

We upgraded our Battery to a Sears DieHard Platinum AGM, but still, I only have one battery. Would it be advised to leave the trailer hooked to the truck overnight for additional battery usage?