Electric heating options when on shore power?

[ricks99]

NOOB heating question...

What are the electric heating options when on shore power? Our HTT has propane heat, but when it is cold (as it was this past weekend), it can run A LOT. Seems like an easy way to burn through the tanks rather quickly. I did remember to switch to the electric water heater at least!

Do y'all use small electric space heaters? Is that preferable to running the onboard gas heater all the time? I assume that if I'm on full 30amp shore power, the draw from the heater(s) should be OK?

TIA

[Lwiddis]

Do y'all use small electric space heaters? Yes set to 750 watts for my smaller TT. Works great. I never use higher 1500 setting.

[pianotuna]

Be aware as the load increases on the shore power supply, there will be voltage drop. That will lower the number of watts the heater can produce. A 30 amp circuit should not be run constantly over 24 amps.

[soon2bexpat]

I've run two $10 Pelonis electric heaters for two winters now. They have fans and thermostats. One is on the floor and one is on the counter (trying for bi-level heating). Works fine down to high 20s. If it got lower than that regularly, I would get some insulation for the windows and bunk end. Luckily, it hasn't got that low.

[doxiemom11]

We use a 1500 watt electric heater in the living area during the day to keep that area comfortable. If it's below 40 out, it supplements the propane furnace. At night we do not run the electric heat, but set the furnace at 60 for overnight and turn it to 70 when we get up to warm the inside. Then it's back to the electric only. We stay comfortable. Of course we do try to winter where it's warm and the heat isn't necessary too much.

[bikendan]

We've been using an oscillating ceramic heater in our HTT for 10 years.
Cuts down now the amount of propane usage.

Since you have a hybrid, are you using Popup Gizmos and Reflectix in the tent ends? They will really help insulate.

[GordonThree]

I made the switch from forced air to oil radiant and I'm very happy. I bought a real cheapy, with a bimetallic thermostat. It took a long time to find what tick on the dial was a comfortable temperature.

It easily heats my tiny space on its medium 900 watt setting. With forced air it took 1500 watts plus sometimes.

[cmcdar]

I guess I should add that I too have a Hybrid Camper and am able to keep warm in 20 degree weather with the oil filled heater.

BUT BUT BUT - REFLECTIX if a MUST.

I cut Reflectix panels that fit perfectly into the tent end screens. While the tent itself is vinyl the panels that cover the screens are canvas and wind will blow right through them.

I also made two Reflectix blankets that are covered by a tarp that cover the bunk ends and help hold in the heat.

Without the reflectix, it would be near impossible to keep warm.

I will post pictures if anyone interested.

BTW - Camping now - it is 48 outside and 70 inside.

[SoundGuy]

ricks99 wrote:
So, it looks like the DW and I will be adding a portable, electric heater to our cold-weather list.

Probably the least expensive option is a cheap fan driven ceramic heater sold at all the big box stores ... problem is, fan noise is often quite noticeable, especially late at night when you can otherwise hear a pin drop. 🙂 I have an older Bionaire I got years ago that can barely be heard, in fact it's sitting on the floor beside me right now and I can just tell the fan is running. Look carefully though and you can see this "1500 watt" heater isn't pulling anywhere near that much. We have just the one but if I felt I needed more I'd have bought a second quiet heater rather than just one noisy heater than puts out more heat. I have a couple of those too but use them just in the workshop where noise level isn't an issue.



Point is - quiet fan driven heaters are out there, you just gotta look and listen before you buy. 😉

[ricks99]

So, it looks like the DW and I will be adding a portable, electric heater to our cold-weather list.

Thanks all!

[time2roll]

ricks99 wrote:
Our HTT has propane heat, but when it is cold (as it was this past weekend), it can run A LOT.

First check the operation of the propane furnace. Especially the ducting needs to be open and clear moving lots of hot air. If the furnace burner cycles while it is in the heating mode then you have poor air flow.

Otherwise I use a 1200 watt radiator style heater to supplement the furnace when temperatures are expected to approach freezing or below.

[DrewE]

Yes to electric heaters. Others have covered most of the details quite well. I use an inexpensive basic heater from time to time, both for warming and as a load for exercising the generator in seasons when running the air conditioner as a load is inappropriate or impossible.

Do check that the plug isn't getting warm after a minute or so of operation. Some RV outlets tend to make rather poor connections with the plug or with the AC wiring, and heavy loads (like an electric heater) will cause poor connections to heat up...sometimes dangerously. From that point of view, having two heaters on low would be preferable to one on high, even though the heat output is usually about the same.

[ksg5000]

We use a Vornado electric heater - one of the features we like is that it has a big silent fan which moves the heater air through the rig. Some of the inexpensive electric heaters don't move the air much and their thermostats tend to shut down the heaters because the heat tends to stay close to the heaters.

If you decide to use two electric heaters make sure you put them on different electric circuits - electric systems in RV's aren't that robust and you don't want to risk a fire.

[SoundGuy]

ScottG wrote:
Just keep in mind that all electric heaters, regardless of price, are very nearly 100% efficient.
So choose the style of your choice but dont be fooled by crazy expensive heaters thinking they will give more heat. They wont.

Also don't believe that just because the heater is labeled as a "1500 watt" model that it actually consumes anywhere near that much. Some do but many don't and since there's a direct relationship between energy consumed (in watts) and output heat (in BTUs) the less energy the heater uses the less heat it's going to put out. Measure a number of different heaters randomly with a Kill-a-Watt meter and it's not unusual at all to find so-called "1500 watt" heaters than consume as little as 900 watts on their highest heat setting and therefore won't generate anywhere near as much heat energy as a true 1500 watt model.

[DutchmenSport]

I have access to run a separate extension cord from the camp site electric post through my camper. (I use the same hole the shore power cord slips through, but I can access it from inside the camper). I run a separate electric cord inside the camper for the space heater. We actually have 2. One works OK via the trailer, but the second just draws too much. The second independent 20 amp electric line works great. (as long as the campground post has both the 30 amp and the 20 amp plugs available).

The electric heaters work very well with temps above 30. Below 30 and if the wind is blowing, one by itself will not keep up. Two will do better, but simply because of the space we're heating, two will keep the living room, and kitchen area reasonably warm, but the bedroom is still cold.

One heater by itself will keep the bedroom and bathroom comfortable, even down to zero. But even with 2 heaters, the entire trailer can't be heated with temps are that cold. The furnace has to run too.

For the OP: We were at Andrew Jackson State Park (South Carolina) (South of Charolotte, NC) all last week. The 2 ceramic heaters kept our camper comfortable. Although the furnace was on, it turned on very seldom.

[pianotuna]

My first choice is radiant heaters, however, those need to be carefully placed. My next choice is oil filled which are about the safest of all the electric heaters. I love my electric heated carpets.

If I were to start over, I'd get baseboard heaters and run them along outside walls.

I do heat 100% electrically if I have a sufficient power supply. To the OEM 30 amp shore power, I've added 20 amp and 15 amp. I have run up to 7000 watts.

I chose to replace the return air grill on the furnace with dual window fans--that solved water freeze up problems and pushes a small amount of air through the ducts.

I've camped at -37 c (-34 f).