KING 1000 watt portable baseboard heater in the Truck Camper

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Got a nice little portable electric baseboard heater for the Truck_Camper. This will be good for heating when we travel and have shore power so we don't need to run the furnace and use propane. It will also be nice for between trips to keep the Truck_Camper warm and dry when not in use and over the winter when it's cold and wet.
KING, 3 foot, 1000 watt, portable electric baseboard heater.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Kayteg1 wrote:

2oldman wrote:

Mikeryder wrote:
Will a heater in the living space protect the water lines and tanks?

No.

It will when you set the furnace to running fan only.

Leave the cabinet doors open and this heater will keep the pipes from freezing pending no electrical outage. The basement will be warmed a little through the warmth on the floor. If you setup a small fan to circulate warmed air into the basement, it will be protected from freezing. There are limitations to everything. The only for sure way to guarantee no freezing is to completely drain AND blow out the system. Perhaps pour RV antifreeze into the gray and black tanks.

[Kayteg1]

2oldman wrote:

Mikeryder wrote:
Will a heater in the living space protect the water lines and tanks?

No.

It will when you set the furnace to running fan only.

[2oldman]

Mikeryder wrote:
Will a heater in the living space protect the water lines and tanks?

No.

[work2much]

Mikeryder wrote:
Will a heater in the living space protect the water lines and tanks? I have a NL 9.5 and don’t thinck the heat will reach the basement.

If your basement isn't heated you could do what Arctic Fox did on our old camper. install a small electric fan that forced cabin air into the basement and a second hole with grill to allow circulation back into the cabin. You would need to cut a couple holes with a hole saw drill bit in appropriate places, find a small 12v fan and a grill.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Mikeryder wrote:
Will a heater in the living space protect the water lines and tanks? I have a NL 9.5 and don’t thinck the heat will reach the basement.

Leave cabinet doors open where pipes are and those spaces will be warmed. Can't guarantee the basement tanks. A furnace sometimes has a duct that blows into the basement to warm that area. I have an access door on the step I leave open to get some air flow into the basement. Never had a freeze yet. I do keep the TC filled loaded and ready to go all year. We generally have mild winters here but it does turn frozen a few times a year.

[Tizi]

This is the one we use. On low setting it pulls less than 300 watts.

Caframo Heater

[Mikeryder]

Will a heater in the living space protect the water lines and tanks? I have a NL 9.5 and don’t thinck the heat will reach the basement.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

JimK-NY wrote:
My TC just does not need a 3 or 4 foot heater with a 1000 watts. Even in the coldest weather my 600 watt unit is way more than I need to maintain 70 degree heat in below freezing weather. If you need a big heater to maintain comfort at 45 degrees you might want to check for air leaks and areas where the insulation could be improved. I have sealed the wheel well areas and added a carpet. Both made large improvements in the warm and comfort.

Hi Jim,
Really the only difference between heaters wattage is how fast it will bring you up to the set temperature. Once at temperature the heater will cycle to maintain the temperature. My S&S is a 4 season camper so it is sealed and insulated well. I have also added 1" Styrofoam to the entire underside of the TC.

[JimK-NY]

My TC just does not need a 3 or 4 foot heater with a 1000 watts. Even in the coldest weather my 600 watt unit is way more than I need to maintain 70 degree heat in below freezing weather. If you need a big heater to maintain comfort at 45 degrees you might want to check for air leaks and areas where the insulation could be improved. I have sealed the wheel well areas and added a carpet. Both made large improvements in the warm and comfort.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

2oldman wrote:
And that's where it stays, in the middle of the floor?

So far tonight, the heater has been under the dinette,
Across the room in front of the stove.
Now it is in front of the step.

I'm currently camped in front of a barn with electrical so I get to enjoy using the little portable heater. It's 70 inside and 45 with wind outside. Very cozy in here. It's 2:00 AM and been up getting some work done. The silent operation without fan noise makes for a good work environment with no distraction.

Remember, the primary reason for this heater is keeping the TC warm and dry when not in use. But as a side benefit, it is in real time working very nicely as a primary heater. It is not in the way at all and if it is, it's easy to move. Just grab the handle and place it where you aren't going to be. The space inside a truck camper is in a constant state of conflict with something. Something is always having to be moved. Being in a TC is like living in a Rubik's Cube sometimes.

SO yeah, It doesn't just sit in the middle of the floor. It's portable. It goes where you want it. There are no perfect solutions.

[old_guy]

my wife would trip over than in a heartbeat
.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Just to answer a couple questions:
This heater is built by a company KING, that produces a large percentage of residential baseboard heaters in homes, apartments, and commercial locations across the nation. A well proven design by a company with a good reputation of quality. The element gets hot but does not turn red. It's double walled so the external surface gets warm but not nearly enough to burn. If you stick your fingers in the heating area it will be hot but you can't touch the actual element, only the aluminum fins. The unit in my opinion best met my requirement of small, light, 1000 W, silent operation, reputable brand and good construction. At 3 feet, it's small enough to fit under the table and keep out of the way when not in use or to use while sitting at the table warming the table and heating around the seating area. Being portable, it's easy to move around. Being low to the floor, it draws in the cool floor air and sends up a warm current of air. Since heat rises, the heat works nicely into the cabover area. This one is sized just about right for the area of the TC to be rated as a primary heater as stated on the packaging. Best of all, it's silent, non distracting. All portable heaters are going to take up some space. I've had the cube or ceramic heaters before and those get hot plus you have to be aware of the direction the fan is pointed. to close to a wall of something and you can burn that. This is much more compact than any fluid filled heater and much lighter. Having tried several types of secondary heat in the past, the small baseboard is what we've liked best.

[JimK-NY]

I am also concerned about the amount of space needed. Space heaters are not all that safe and I would only feel comfortable with a large space around the unit. I also bought my space heater at Lowe's. It has a pretty quiet fan, 2 levels of heat, a tip over safety and a thermostat. It was about $15-20. Mostly mine is small and I found a relatively safe place for it. The lowest setting is 600 watts. I have never needed the high setting. I use it to keep my TC just above freezing during the winter months of storage.

[Kayteg1]

From all electric heating I found Handy Heaters the best hands down.
Low noise, no drastic temperature spikes and put 2-3 around camper for even heating.