geekbstrd wrote:
I occationally use my truck camper in the winter for skiing or going to overnight job sites. I don't run the heater all day, ...
You are in the Pacific Northwest (or NorthWET as it is better known). You are not in northern Minnesota. We don't get that enduring deep freezing for months on end.
And if you head to the mountains for some winter fun, you may want to re-think letting the heater run. I don't think leaving the heat on a low setting during the day is going to significantly change your battery or propane usage.
Let's say you hit the ski slopes and leave the heat set to 50 degrees. Eventually the camper will cool off and the heat will kick on occasionally. You get back to the camper and turn the heat on, and it warms up to a comfortable 65-70 degrees in a reasonable time. Or you shut the heat off completely when you go skiing. Now the camper cools down to almost freezing. You come back and turn the heat on. The heat runs a lot longer to get the camper back up to temp and you shiver while it is warming.
My point is there isn't that much difference in the amount of propane consumed in each scenario. So just leave the heat on low when you are out skiing, and the camper will be usable when you return. It is not like using a couple extra gallons of propane is a huge expense relative to the other expenses like lift tickets.
I have never heard of the rock salt in the black & gray tanks before. Makes sense for Minnesota in January. I just don't see the tanks freezing solid during a weekend at Snoqualmie Pass when the camper is in use. I wonder what long term effect the rock salt will have on any sensors or metal in the tanks. Remember, salt has to be neutralized, not washed out.
Just one guy's $.02
-Eric
