living in a 5th wheel gas or electrict $$$

[drae0814]

Just moved into an rv park for the next year while my wife finnish Med school. we are in a nice park in Southern California the weather is 77 out but it gets cold for us at night is it cheaper to run the gas for hot water and heat, or electric advice please from some of you folks that have been doing this for awhile i will have a electrict bill but we have only been in the park for a week

The RV we are in 2011 Douthchman Colorado 37ft 5th wheel


Thanks folks

[Merrykalia]

We purchased a Duraflame infared heater from Sam's Club a couple of years ago and that is what we use in our fifth wheel. It will heat it up pretty quick, has a great thermostat and is not really loud. It does have a fan, but we can heat our 36' 5'er with it until the temps get down in the high 20s, so it is good.

They have them at Northern Equipment for $149 now.

[qtla9111]

Mattress warmer and turn off the heat until morning. Works for us. Do you have any solar to help reduce electric use?

[dave17352]

I grew up in Huntington Beach CA and it was very rare to run any heat at all.

[drae0814]

wow that is a big bill i did factor bill money but was thinking since i was moving from 2500sf to 245sf or so the bills would be little but i forgot the walls are much thinner then an house and heat loss is much faster. i will let you guys know wnen i receive my first bill

[Racine96]

Because these things are not well insulated vs a house, unless you want to be cold, you will spend some money either way. I have to have mine at 70 because my wife health issues and use both I spent $125--$175/month last winter. Here in south Texas it can go down to 30s at night. I have learned that electric heaters are more efficient than the FW furnaces so I use them as much as possible before going to bed. I do not feel comfortable leaving them when I go to bed. So, I use the furnace when in bed. My 2cents.

[drae0814]

we have gas and electrict not sure what a heat pump is? we will receive a bill its only been about 2 weeks no bill yet, i guess the bill will help me decide

[drae0814]

I will try that

[sdetweil]

drae0814 wrote:
Just moved into an rv park for the next year while my wife finnish Med school. we are in a nice park in Southern California the weather is 77 out but it gets cold for us at night is it cheaper to run the gas for hot water and heat, or electric advice please from some of you folks that have been doing this for awhile i will have a electrict bill but we have only been in the park for a week

The RV we are in 2011 Douthchman Colorado 37ft 5th wheel


Thanks folks

what does the park charge you for electricity? use every watt of it first. Do you have a heat pump or only gas furnace?

[blkdodge]

This is what we do for the winter months.
Heat water with electric, if we run out of hot water I turn on propane with electric and it will recover faster.

Set furnace temp to 55 at night, close bedroom door and turn on the small ceramic heater. It is thermostatically controlled.

First one up in the morning will raise furnace to 65 and turn on fire place.

Good Luck and Enjoy.

[donn0128]

If you run a couple of electric heaters 55 is plenty for the gas furnace. BTW find out from the park office who comes and fills propane tanks in the park. Call them and rent a 25 gallon tank and sign up for keep full service. Thats how we did it last winter while we were looking for a house. If you insist on keeping the trailer at 70+ be prepared for high utility bills. Instead I suggest lots of sweaters and blankets.

[drae0814]

Donn0128 we are from a house and i did prep for bills just was wondering what might be better. almost out of propane already in just a little over 15 days as my wife like long showers and i like heat set the heater to 50 or 55 that is way to cold for us i turn tne heater to 65 at night i guess we will adjust the longer we are out threir.:h

[donn0128]

Run everything you can on electricity. I assume your metered? Nothing is cheap, but usually electric will be least costly. Portable electric heaters work wonders. Set your furnace thermostat at maybe 50 55 for the really cold nights.

[HappyKayakers]

A lot depends on your local costs for electric and propane. I've recently changed my philosophy about water heating though. At one point I read that it was easier to keep that water hot than it was to get it hot from scratch. Well, that may be I'm using much less propane now that I'm only heating it when I need it.