Recommendation for heater?

[Brettmm92]

Hey,

I'm looking for a recommendation for an electric space heater. I live in my camper . Last year I bought a well reviewed space heater on amazon that kept flipping the circuit breaker switch. I returned it and settled with just the propane furnace. To help with the cost, I'm looking for a space heater that won't flip the switch. I'm assuming a lower wattage or amps one, but am kind of in the dark when it comes to electricity and how it works. If anyone has any input at all that would be appreciated. Especially if it's information about why space heaters are so ready to trip the breaker.

[CA_Traveler]

I wired a separate internal circuit that can be plugged into a dedicated storage plug or extension cord to the pedestal. One heater on high and one on low works great.

ie (1200W + 600W) / 120V = 15A. 1A less than the recommended sustained load of 80% ie 20A * 80%.

[austinjenna]

I agree with jaycocreek. When we had our 30 amp trailer, we would run a heavy duty extension cord through our slide to the pedestal and plug into the 20 amp plug. That way, it did not run through the camper's circuits and we never had a problem, just don't forget to unplug it before pulling in the slide

This is what I do as well. I will run 2 electric heaters and the one on the extension cord to the pedestal is set to high while the other one if needed will be set to low and plugged inside the trailer.

[time2roll]

I use this one I bought a Costco awhile ago liking the max 1200 watt rating.

delonghi.com/radiant-heaters/bambino

[ktmrfs]

Grit dog wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
Heater is a heater is a heater. All electric heaters are limited to 1500Watts. That keeps them undrr the 20A most household breakers will be. What else are you attempting to use in the same circuit? Realisticslly an electric heater must be on a circuit that nothing else is on it. Also plan on replqcing the breaker. Once they start tripping it will only get weaker.

Again, only in your world.
I have a couple electric heaters that pull significantly more than 1500W. But yes most Walmart plug in heaters are designed to work on normal household circuits.

Agree though, contrary to Dutchman, new breakers are stronger and get weaker with each flip. Same with GFCIs. They do wear out.

If a 120V heater (or any other load) draws much more than 1500 Watts to be U.L. listed and meet NEC code it MUST have a 20A plug so it CANNOT be plugged into a 15A outlet. Or it's a 240V heater.

Max single device power draw on a 15A circuit for code and U.L listing is limited to less than 15A, about 12A IIRC which is 1500 ish watts depending on line voltage.

[OleManOleCan]

DutchmenSport wrote:
In my previous 3 travel trailers I could not run very much more than the standard equipment that came with the trailer. Maybe a coffee pot and a toaster, or hair blower, but that was about all.

It took some trial and error, but here's some tricks I discovered to stay within the 30 amp allocated usage all my travel trailers permitted.

1st. I always ran my water heater on gas, not electric. Although electric does not run all the time, just when it's actually heating, about the time I plugged in a space heater at 1500 watts and then the water heater turned on, it would blow the breaker. So, running your water heater on Gas, saves some electrical AMPS from that 30 limit.

2nd. When running the microwave, we always turned the air conditioners off first.

3rd. If we ran a portable electric heater, or an electric skillet, or an electric griddle, we always plugged it into the campground shore power post by running a separate orange 50 foot extension cord into the camper. Every camper we had, I was able to find a hole somewhere I could fish the orange extension cord through from the outside. The port where the camper electrical unbilical cord fed through was usually the place. I had to dismantle some paneling, but eventually I made a way to fish the orange cord and bring it inside the camper. I did this with 3 different travel trailers.

When using electric griddles or electric frying pans outside, we always plug them into the campground shore power post, never through the camper itself for this very reason.

These simple changes in the way we used the camper made all the difference in the world.

Our last camper, our Outback 298RE, I could run one 1500 watt space heater through the camper wiring as long as the water heater was on gas. I then ran a second extension cord from the campground post, put it through the umbilical port and could run a second 1500 watt space heater.

But in the Summer, if we ever used an electric skillet or the electric griddle inside, I always ran the extension cord.

This worked.

My current camper is 50 amp, and last week-end I discovered that plugging in my 1500 watt electric griddle through the outside plug on the camper popped the breaker. But I did have both air conditioners running, the water heater on electric, and the microwave running all at the same time. I went ahead and ran the extension cord and will probably continue doing so when cooking outside.

In my last 3 campers I have ran a dedicated line for my space heaters. It works.

[mtofell1]

OleManOleCan wrote:
I ran a extension cord into my camper thru a pass thru

Ah, yes... the poor man's 50A service 🙂 🙂 I've done it plenty of times myself. And before all you techie Nazis jump on me I know a 30A + 20A like this is just 120V and a true 50A service is 2X that.

This method does work great though as 30A/120V goes pretty quick while trying to run the microwave, run the water heater and then some space heaters. I do worry that the campground staff are going to see it and know what I'm up to. They always seem to have those signs that say "no electric heaters". I wouldn't even mind paying for the electricity. I just really hate the noise of my RV furnace.

[trail-explorer]

OleManOleCan wrote:
Electric heaters are pretty quite.

Quite what?

[trail-explorer]

SoundGuy wrote:
A typical 1500 watt electric heater won't draw any more than 12.5 amps @ 120 vac so if you tripped a breaker then you've got something else running on that same circuit. Buying a different electric heater isn't going to change this, nor would you want one rated at less draw as it will also output less heat. Rather, the solution is to select whatever 1500 watt heater you prefer based on features offered and ensure it's the only device running on that circuit.

Best response yet.

I tripping breaker is because you probably have something else on that same circuit.

It's all too often that RV builders piggy back the converter and a string of outlets on the same breaker.

One of the first things I do when I get a new RV is to map out the outlets and see what is on each breaker.

[pianotuna]

315RLTSinPA wrote:
Take a look at these heaters
https://www.eheat.com/envi-high-efficiency-whole-room-120v-plug-in-electric-panel-wall-heater-2nd-ge...

Just as good as a $12 buck heater from Walmart of the same wattage.

[315RLTSinPA]

Take a look at these heaters
https://www.eheat.com/envi-high-efficiency-whole-room-120v-plug-in-electric-panel-wall-heater-2nd-ge...

[OleManOleCan]

Lwiddis wrote:
My electric heater (much unused) has two settings..700 and 1500 watts. I use only the 700 setting. The basics of RV electric power aren’t difficult but IMO essential. Read and study an online tutorial.

I had a Gray Wolf that had a noisy heater. I bought a 2 speed electric heater and heated my camper on the campgrounds dime.
The campers electric capability is limited SO... I ran a extension cord into my camper thru a pass thru and used the heater on low.
Low would nearly run you out of the camper.
My wife also used it for hair drying ect...

Putting the heater on it's own 15 amp line solved our problem.
BTW: Electric heaters are pretty quite.

[gmw_photos]

To the OP, if all you need is a small amount of heat, consider buying a smaller wattage electric heater. I have one that is 350 watts on low, and 700 watts on high.
To do the math for you, in amps, on the 350 watt setting that's just under 3 amps. At the 700 then, it would be just under 6 amps.

I found this Vornado brand heater at Best Buy

I too run a separate 12 ga extension cord to a dedicated outlet in the trailer for my heater.

[Huntindog]

MHs are not the same as TTs. 5vers can be close to TT construction, so what I wrote MAY apply to them.... But not for MHs.

pianotuna wrote:
Since I'm in a class C, the dash heat would not circulate and there is no "fan only" option on the furnace. That is why I replaced the return air grill with dual window fans. I've tested them to -27 c (-17 f) and there were no freeze ups of the fresh water system. The fans draw a scant 27 watts so it is easy to run them from an inverter.

Huntindog wrote:
Another point. Most TTs use the furnace to keep the tanks/plumbing from freezing. In my TT, this would work down to about 6 degrees. (YMMV). That was with the furnace running. If I were to use electric heat instead, the tanks/plumbing would freeze at a higher temp.

[Gdetrailer]

pianotuna wrote:
Gdetrailer,

The "usual" furnace on an RV is about 5862 watts.

I do have the OEM power cord, and two auxiliary shore power cords. I have pretty good luck finding two outlets on different breakers. Three is a bit harder but still possible at some locations.

At -27 C (-17 f) my peak load goes to 7100 watts and the average is about 4000. That includes running a block heater for the car. At those temperatures I need 3 15 amp circuits--or a 50 amp with a "break out box".

Correct, YOU are using a highly MODIFIED RV setup.

The OP from what I can tell is attempting to do something similar using ONE SINGLE 15A/20A house circuit which for all we know most likely is a shared circuit in the house with something else..

They do not have the luxury of drawing 2400W let alone 7000 W that you do..

Huge difference.

OP NEEDS to acquire an additional 15A/20A circuit and extension cord in order to use any portable 1500W 120V heater.

Messing around with even 600W setting on a oil heater most likely will result in tripped breakers in the house..