Electric heaters for travel trailers

[philnoah]

Can someone provide some information on they type of electric supplemental heat
you use in your RV. This is in lieu of using propane over extended stays.

[RoyB]

PHILNOAH - A couple of your posts on here mentioned that the heaters draw too much current and they sometimes have to turn them off to maybe run the coffee pot on the same breaker...

To get around this problem I use a heavy extension cord and run it to the camp ground 20AMP Pedestal 20AMP Service. This is on its own circuit breaker and will not interfere with your Trailer SHore Power Connection.

You may have to figure out an easy way to run this extension cord into your trailer but does have a big plus running your portable electric heater from its own circuit breaker and not overload any of your trailer 120VAc circuits.

Some camp grounds may not allow multiple connections going to the trailer.

Just another idea that works well for us... Some folks like the idea its better to use the CG electric for heat instead of using their propane fuel haha...

Roy Ken

[colliehauler]

I started out using cube heaters but found like Road Dog they made a lot of noise. I bought a oil filled heater and it works well but takes up a lot of room. I like Ranger Jay's idea of baseboard heater.

[Padlin]

dfm wrote:
I have been looking at the Vornado AVH2 . Does anyone use one of these and if so what are your comments?

I've got one, tried it a few times but with the air it blows it feels like it makes you cooler instead of warmer. It sits unused on a shelf in the basement.

We use a small cheap 1500w cube, have a small trailer so size matters for storage purposes.

[I_am_still_wayn]

naturist wrote:
I believe you will find that it is illegal to sell any small electric heater that DOESN'T have a safety shut off switch for tip-overs and the like, and has been so for enough years that you will be hard-pressed to find one, even in the junk stores.

This is totally wrong. There are no laws on the books that control whether heaters have tip over shut off switches. What you will find is Underwriters Labratories (the "UL" certification) may well require such devices.

[wthibeaux]

We have a generic ceramic cube heater that works very well, however, we can't run the coffee pot at the same time as the heater.

[Road_Dog]

Google "Vornado" Great heater and very quiet! The problem with small cube heaters is they are noisy. Small fan and high rpm's make more noise!

[newman_fulltime]

The vernado pulls to many amps they love power

[philnoah]

Jay, what brand of baseboard heater did you use?

[philnoah]

Thanks to everyone for your comments and insights; I appreciate them all and you
have given me things to think about.

[RangerJay]

We played with ceramic heaters, tower heaters, radiant heaters and oil-filled radiators ad nauseam for several years before finally installing two 120V baseboard heaters and a digital wall-mount thermostat that has very narrow and precise temperature control (+/- .15 degrees C) - the difference in comfort is night and day - there are no longer "cold" times or "hot" times waiting for the heating to cut in or out - there is no longer any fan noise. Night-time adjustment of the heater is no longer guesswork.

In our case we put in two 120V 400W baseboard heaters (our trailer is only 19 feet) - one under the dinette and one in the entrance way. The total 800W serves us very well to freezing point - and in temperatures below freezing the furnace will come on - but at a greatly reduced frequency.

I can't emphasize enough the difference in comfort with these baseboards and this thermostat - the inside temperature is incredibly consistent - no ups or down at all. If you plan on keeping your current trailer for a while then investigating this option is very worthwhile.


Jay

[dfm]

I have been looking at the Vornado AVH2 . Does anyone use one of these and if so what are your comments?

[FunnyCamper]

we use an oil filled heater also. What I love is when it clicks off, the oil is heated and still releases alot of heat until it finally does click back on. extra heating without electric usage. While they get 'hot' they aren't deadly if you touch them quickly. (ask me how I know that :))

RoyB gave my reasons for using them also.

[fla-gypsy]

12th Man Fan wrote:
Ceramic cube heaters are best in my opinion.

X2, this is what I use

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I like the DeLonghi heaters with the temperature you can set, like you do to your thermostat at home. Granted, there's a little more "swing" before the heater clicks on, and it has a fan, so it's a bit noisy - but still quieter than the darn furnace! Also oscillates, so puts more heat to a larger area. Many nights camping in below-freezing temps, and this single heater has kept us comfortable (with heavy blankets and extra window insulation on our Class C) through the night.

[12th_Man_Fan]

Ceramic cube heaters are best in my opinion.