Jan-Feb-March in Mesa, AZ- few questions about heat sources

[pirlbeck]

My wife and I are looking into taking our 36" fifth-wheel to the Phoenix area next winter. My wife spent some time in the area last month and knows where she would like to be, which is at a park in Mesa. Her sister and her sisters husband spend March at this park, and another couple we are friends with are down there for the month of January, so this is where she wants to be.

As I am self-employed and still running a business, I will be flying back and forth some and a concern I have is her dealing with the propane fills if needed when I am gone. This unit has 2 roof AC units and I have installed the "Chill Chasers" heat strips in both units and it also has an electric fireplace. I know some people say these chill chasers heat strips are a joke, but we have used them some for fall camping and while they are very slow to warm up the unit, we never had any trouble keeping the unit comfortable at the temps we experienced, which may of been lows in the 40's. Looking at historical temp data the lowest temp recorded in Mesa is 20F and the coldest high temp is 44F. The average Jan temps are 39F for a low and 66F for a hi.

The park says the electricity cost is .08KW and that electric is the cheapest way to heat.

Anyway, I am looking for "real life" experiences as far as amount of propane and electricity costs from those that snowbird in this area.

Sorry about the length of this.
Thanks!

[tomcatphixer]

BarbaraOK wrote:

joebedford wrote:
I've stayed in Mesa several times. The parks had a truck that came around and filled propane tanks but I didn't use it because it was cheaper to take it / them down to the local Chevron station.

The trucks swap out propane tanks, they can not fill in the parks. It is a Mesa Fire Marshall rule. If you are in Mesa, electricity is cheap compared to the cost of propane and we never used the propane much - - only a couple of times when it got really cold (like freezing), otherwise we just used the space heaters and maybe the propane furnace for a little in the morning to take the chill off.

For weekend entertainment, I work security at an upperscale RV park in Mesa. I have propane trucks thru the gate every Saturday morning and I assure you that they are not swapping tanks on high dollar coaches.

[BarbaraOK]

joebedford wrote:
I've stayed in Mesa several times. The parks had a truck that came around and filled propane tanks but I didn't use it because it was cheaper to take it / them down to the local Chevron station.

The trucks swap out propane tanks, they can not fill in the parks. It is a Mesa Fire Marshall rule. If you are in Mesa, electricity is cheap compared to the cost of propane and we never used the propane much - - only a couple of times when it got really cold (like freezing), otherwise we just used the space heaters and maybe the propane furnace for a little in the morning to take the chill off.

[joebedford]

I've stayed in Mesa several times. The parks had a truck that came around and filled propane tanks but I didn't use it because it was cheaper to take it / them down to the local Chevron station.

[BarbaraOK]

Mesa does not allow for refilling any propane tank in parks. You either have a replacement delivered and attached, or you go and get refills. In our case, that would mean unhooking motorhome, etc. So, we always tried to make sure we had a full propane tank when setting down and then used electric space heaters and very, very, very seldom did we ever run the furnace. It has been a few years since we hit the freezing point as a low around here.

[jetboater454]

pirlbeck wrote:


One thing I did not mention was when I talked to the park office, the gal I talked to said the refilling of LP tanks on site is not permitted. I am not sure if this is a local ordinances or an RV park rule. So if I did obtain the 100 gallon LP tank it would have to be swapped out.

When you asked about on site LP refills,did you mention a 100# local rental,set tank? Those are a little different than the 20/30# portable tanks. Small tanks fill by weight while the "set" tanks fill with a gauge on them.

[pirlbeck]

OK, thanks for the replies.

Yes, I am aware that in sub freezing temps the LP furnace will be required to prevent freeze up and damage to the plumbing and the water supply line will need either heating tape or need to be disconnected over night. While I realize long cold spells are always possible, I don't think it is the norm.

One thing I did not mention was when I talked to the park office, the gal I talked to said the refilling of LP tanks on site is not permitted. I am not sure if this is a local ordinances or an RV park rule. So if I did obtain the 100 gallon LP tank it would have to be swapped out.

Thanks again!

[almcc]

We winter in southern California and pass through Arizona in November/December to get there. A couple of comments. Using electricity will not heat the basement area where the water lines are and if you get prolonged below freezing weather this could cause frozen water lines and leaks. Each year we ask our park for the cost of electricity and propane and I run a spreadsheet to see what's cheaper for heating based on an estimated 60% efficiency on the propane side, 100% on electric. I'm betting that the price of propane has jumped based on what's happening in Russia etc. Maybe next winter things will have settled

[rk911]

we snowbird in Mesa and rarely run the lp furnace. we will usually run the front rooftop heat pump and augment that with a portable electric space heater in the bedroom. we don't run the rooftop heat pump in the bedroom because of the noise. if need be we also have a heated mattress pad.

[Janss]

We were just down in that area in January through March. We ran our electric heat pump often because my spouse is always cold. Occasionally we ran the propane furnace. Our electric bill ran about $75/month. We didn't want to use up our propane because the delivery charge per gallon is quite a bit higher than driving over to the propane store. Don't really know which one would end up cheaper though.

[jdc1]

If you plan to stay at an RV park for any extended time, you can ask for a large propane tank rental (100 gallons). They will hook it up for you, and refill upon request. But, your best bet is an oil filled radiator style heater. Most efficient way to heat with electric. That AC heat strip? Heat rises.....

[Second_Chance]

Even with averages in the mid-30s, it doesn't mean that lows can't drop into the teens for several nights in a row - they did for us in Las Cruces this winter. Running the heat strips to the point that the main furnace doesn't cycle won't protect your water lines, pump, etc. The furnace is the only source of heat for the basement.

Rob

[valhalla360]

If you use electric heat as the primary, most of the time, the furnace will never kick on in the temps your are looking at.

Make sure you don't leave her with empty tanks and all should be good.

[Fizz]

We spent four winters in Mesa. I don't remember being too concerned about the cost. Don't want to sound flippant but it didn't break the bank.
I remember some cool days sitting in the sun with my feet in the shade to regulate body temp. On hot days sitting in the shade with my feet in the sun.
Very pleasant all round.