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Stuka's avatar
Stuka
Explorer
Dec 31, 2014

Ditching the propane heater for an electric

I picked up a 30 Springdale to use as a temp home while my house is being built. I pulled out the wall between the dining area and the queen bedroom, removed the bed and small couch, to make an open living area. There was a propane furnace on the floor, pretty much right in the way, so I removed that too and covered the holes, then tiled over it. I put in a simple 1500 watt electric floor heater and after a couple nights of 38 degrees, it seems to do the trick. Why do trailers use the propane heaters? Is it in case there is no electricity available and they can heat off the propane bottles? It seems like a lot of complication (blowers, vents, ducting) when a single electric heater does the job as well.

25 Replies

  • Your not a camper or RV person, You had, have a specific reason for what you are doing
    Just try to remember a travel trailer is built to travel to go camping in places where electric power is not provided
  • RVs come with a propane furnace for two reasons: #1, not all are going to be used where there is consistent shore electricity. Many, many RVers like to go boondocking where unless you are going to run a generator all night, an electric heater of any stripe is useless.

    #2, truth be told, electric heat is more expensive to run than propane heat. Unless, of course, you are somewhere that the electricity is free. (Anyone who disagrees is welcome to do the math. The simple truth is that a BTU of heat from electricity costs more than one from burning propane, everywhere in North America. Just how it is.)

    Not to mention that there is some comfort in knowing that if the blizzard knocks out power for a couple days, YOU at least can stay warm anyway, while all your neighbors freeze.
  • Stuka wrote:
    Why do trailers use the propane heaters?,,, It seems like a lot of complication (blowers, vents, ducting) when a single electric heater does the job as well.
    a) ducted heat is more uniform and comfortable, and usually quieter
    b) heat is also directed to basement areas to keep pipes from freezing
    c) dry camping -no hookups at Walmart
  • How warm do you think that 5,000 Btu/h heater will keep you at below freezing temps. Our 35,000 Btu/h propane heater kept us toasty warm at -4 deg. F last January. The ducted circulation system also keeps the temps much more even throughout the coach.

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