tank pads 12v or 120v ?

our's are 120 volt. they will not work without shore power or the gen-set running.

Use 12V tank pads - they can be used anywhere and anytime you have power - whether the power be from your battery(ies) or from your RV's 12V converter while you're on hookups.

I've never understood why 120V tank pads should ever be installed instead of 12V pads ... assuming of course that an RV designed to be used on hookups also has some way to keep it's battery(ies) charged while on those hookups.

In other words, 12V tank heating pads are more versatile than 120V heating pads.

As far as 12V tank heating pads' power consumption when drycamping is concerned, in my opinion one has no business drycamping in temperatures low enough to need tank heating pads UNLESS they have a robust battery system and a robust way of keeping their battery(ies) topped up. We especially like our tanks and furnace working when it's cold outside - on hookups or not. :)

Factory installed Heat pads will be 12 volt. Doug

honda1 wrote:
factory tank pads , i have 2 6v gc2 batteries & progressive 60 amp converter ,..

More than one, prolly 12V pads. So potentially >3A current draw.

When plugged into shorepower, no problem. Your progressive converter will handle it.

When travelling, it's a toss-up. Depends upon whether there are other 12V loads, and how well your tow vehicle's alternator is at providing current to the RV. When necessary, I run my single pad heater all the time when towing, but I know that my tow vehicle's charging system can provide the amps.

When Boondocking, don't use them. Your 2 GC2s will be quickly depleted, unless you have some other source of energy like a generator or lots of solar.

factory tank pads , i have 2 6v gc2 batteries & progressive 60 amp converter ,..

There are tank pads made for 12V, 120V, and some combination 12/120v. Some have built in thermostats, some don't.

I have the 12V version installed (from the factory) on my tanks and drain pipes. They will drain a battery, very quickly. On the road, I use them sparingly, and shut them off during stops that may last more than an hour. On shore power, I can leave them on. Mine have the built in thermostat, that turns the heat on at 43 degrees and off at 44 degrees.

You can get both 12VDC and 120VAC tank pads.

The 12VDC heater than came with my trailer is only ~35W, so it sucks maybe 1.5A when on. Whether that's a problem or not depends on your charging system and batteries.

honda1 wrote:
are tank pads 12v or 120v , just wondering if going down road will heat off 12v batteries .

Of course, that's the raison d'etre of 12 vdc tank heating pads, for those times you don't have shore power available, but of course their effectiveness will be determined by the capacity of your 12 vdc system to supply power to those pads. For those who always do have shore power then 120 vac is the more logical choice.