Doing without propane

[Brownleaf]

I eat alot raw and enjoy use of the microwave. For heat would there not be possible alternatives for a small 24 ft. motorhome? I have never tried anything but propane and would want something very safe. I guess there would be no other options for "dry camping" Long range I will get a new propane tank just exploring alternatives. Doug

[mlts22]

I know I'm late to this topic, but if I were looking for something as an alternative to propane, and electric didn't do it, I'd look into the no-name Chinese diesel heaters that a lot of people are touting. They can throw out quite the BTUs for the relative small size and power usage (around 3-4 amps), and exhaust the stuff outside.

If I were putting in a furnace, and could use propane, I'd go with a vented Platinum Cat, as it uses relatively few amps to keep a rig warm.

[afidel]

pianotuna wrote:
afidel,

Did you happen to note the voltage under load when measuring the wattage on the heaters?

I love my kill-a-watt and my watt meter.

My voltage is generally around 123-125V, according to my smart switch this month it's been 120-123.3V at the device for the heater in my living room.

[pianotuna]

afidel,

Did you happen to note the voltage under load when measuring the wattage on the heaters?

I love my kill-a-watt and my watt meter.

[afidel]

I'm using this style of heater, they say 1500W but they really draw ~1,000W on high and 500W on low according to my killowatt and smart plugs. On a 30A you could run 2 on high easily enough. If it gets really cold they might or might not be enough to keep it comfortable, you might want to have a buddy heater available for the very coldest nights. Also note they'll do nothing to keep your tank warm, my trailer was winterized back in November and I've been carrying jugs of water in and using the facilities in the house.

As far as temps, 10F is the coldest day I've seen without any propane use, that was after I got the 3rd heater. My trailer stays at 45 at night and then starts warming up to 72 90 minutes before my work day starts, 30 minutes before the propane furnace is set to 65, so it only comes on if the electric hasn't raised the temp from 45 to 65 in 1 hour. At anything below 10 degrees that was happening most days with 2,000W of electric, like I said with 2,500W it's only happened once that I've seen.

Basically at least in my trailer with Reflectix in the windows and the vents stuffed with Camco reflective pillows I'd be fine down to 10F easily, below that I'd want a supplemental source of heat.

[Grit_dog]

Brownleaf wrote:
Thanks to both, which specfic 1500 heater do you use? doug

They’re all basically the same, just different shapes and/or fans.
No point in spending more than what a milk house heater costs, on your budget.

[pianotuna]

Brownleaf,

If using 1500 watt heaters it is a wise idea to replace the "junk" stab connector outlets in the unit.

It is best to not exceed 24 amps on a 30 amp service. That works out to 2880 watts @ 120 volts.

Power changes by the square of the voltage.

I added two auxiliary shore power cords, one at 15 amps and the other at 20.

[Brownleaf]

Thanks to both, which specfic 1500 heater do you use? doug

[JRscooby]

In sub-freezing temps I run 3 heaters in my Pop-up. My 30 AMP has a 15, and a 20 for AC. I also run a 12 G cord to the post. The quietest heater plugs into that cord. The next quiet plugs into a short cord from AC plug, with 2 duplex outlets in a box. Also powers the mattress pad, and CPAP
3rd sets next to coffee maker, so wife can remember it is plugged in with other loads

[rlw999]

Brownleaf wrote:
afidel, are you insinuating that a 30 A hook-up is insufficient? My cord is a 30 amp. Doug

Depends how well insulated your RV is and how cold it is outside.

A 1500W electric heater puts out around 5000BTU/hr, and you can run 2 of them on a 30A circuit (assuming your outlets are on separate 15A breakers), so you'll get around 10,000BTU/hr of heating from those 2 heaters.

In 50 degree weather, one 1500W heater kept my 30 foot Class C comfortable, but below that I had to use the propane heater (which was rated at 30,000 BTU/hr). I don't know how well it would have done with 2 1500W heaters, but am guessing it would have been good to 40 degrees?

Keep in mind that with 3000W of heaters running, you're consuming pretty much all the power that 30A circuit can provide, so you can't run any other high drain devices, like a microwave, electric water heater, etc. Even your power converter might be too much load if the batteries are low on charge - a 60A charger will use around 6A of 120VAC to charge the batteries.

[Brownleaf]

afidel, are you insinuating that a 30 A hook-up is insufficient? My cord is a 30 amp. Doug

[afidel]

valhalla360 wrote:
If you are boondocking, likely nothing that will be simpler and cheaper than just fixing the propane tank problem.

If you are in a formal campground with power and it's not really cold, a space heater carefully set up, it an option.

Even if it is really cold if you've got a 50A hookup then electric is fine. I've been using 3x '1500'W heaters (really just over 1kw each) to heat my 34' trailer this winter, barely used any propane at all even though we had the third longest string of snow on the ground in recorded history (31 days) and temps as low as -5F. I did have to wire an extra outlet to run the 3rd heater as all of the non-dedicated outlets were only on 2 strings in my trailer.

[ajriding]

valhalla360 wrote:

ajriding wrote:
No, solar panels will not compromise your roof, not any more than sitting on a chair will compromise the chair, even less in this example.
You will need a hole or entrance through the roof, so that is a compromise, but you already have a lot of holes for vents. The Fridge vent is a hole you can use if needed too.
The weight of a panel is nothing on a roof.

I hear people say this but the most common end of life issue for RVs is roof leaks causing rot.

In theory if you are religious about it, it can be OK but it adds more holes and more places you can miss a leak. Back in real life, yes, it increases the chances of leaks.

Honestly, I would love if they switched to mini-split air/con units and wall mount vents, so you could largely eliminate roof penetrations. That would eliminate a lot of roof leaks.

I mean... who knows what he is asking about "compromise the roof"? I was thinking he was concerned about the weight, and that is just a silly question, so maybe he was talking about a bunch of screws being drilled into it. This is why to use the VHB tape. His description was too vague to go too far with advice.

[Brownleaf]

Following a youtube pres. I will just refurbish with it attached. Doug

[steveh27]

Brownleaf wrote:
Im going to attempt to refurbish the tank and in the process will discover how deep that rust is. First I am going to have my Onan taken it out as it is not cost effective to repair it. Doug

Have you figured out how to remove the tank for refurbishment? On my Class B it is underneath and I have not yet determined where the mounts are. I will take it to a Cummins Truck service place for them to look at once all the snow and salt are gone. They may be able to figure out how to remove it and if they can get a replacement tank. I will do my best to wire brush the rust and apply coats of rustoleum, thinking that will help it last until it is replaced..