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Electric heaters

bristles
Explorer
Explorer
This has probably been asked before, If so, sorry. Getting started early this year. I am looking to add an electric heater to help cut down on the propane use while plugged in. Are there any formula's to know what size heater I should use? Trying to heat 23 feet of camper and only help not over ride the furnace.
50 REPLIES 50

Gulfcoast
Explorer
Explorer
Same outlet on Amazon and cheaper...

Here ya go....
RV'ing since 1960
Dodge Cummins Diesel
Mega Cab
Jayco Travel Trailer

roadrat2
Explorer
Explorer
I wonder how many of us ordered the parts to do Barney's hook-up? (Forever named thus on our TT). I know I did. I've had a piece of 14 gauge cord with just a female end laying around. I finally found something useful to do with it. Rather than wire a junction box, I'll wire a 2' section of this cord to the Marino plug. This will be inside of one of the end cabinets at the couch, so I'll cut a grommet into the side of the cabinet to run the heater cord thru.

Thank you Barney!
2011 Crossroads Zinger ZT25SB
2006 F-350 6.0L

Gulfcoast
Explorer
Explorer
BarneyS wrote:
We did not have a problem with the electric plugs in our trailer getting warm but with all the cool weather we had down in Florida several years ago we needed a way to run our electric heater without going through the trailers electrical system. I put in a waterproof outside receptical and an inside outlet in the side of our slide out. Now we can run the electric heater or other higher usage items like toaster or frying pan without worrying about tripping the trailers breaker when we turn on the water heater or air conditioner at the same time.
Works great!

The device that I used was this one from West Marine.
Barney





Quite a simple mod.

1. I first determined where the studs were by tapping around on the outside. Then drilled a 2" hole ( I think that was the size) through the outside wall.

2.Cut an opening in the inside wall about 6 inches to the side of the outside hole for the inside plug outlet and box.

3.Snaked a 12/2 wire from outside over to inside hole.

4.Connected outside receptical to wire and mounted it on wall.

5.Connected inside receptical to wire and mounted it on the wall.

6.Checked wiring job with outlet checker - everything showed ok.

7.Plugged in the heater and it worked fine! ๐Ÿ™‚

We have been using a Vornado electric heater for the past several years. It circulates the heat very well with a large, quiet fan, and has a thermostat and adjustable heat output. We have been very pleased with its' performance during temps down to as low as the high 30's in our 30ft trailer. You can barely hear the fan running when it is on high position.
Barney




THANK YOU for this info, just the outlet i need on my trailer.
RV'ing since 1960
Dodge Cummins Diesel
Mega Cab
Jayco Travel Trailer

rbpru
Explorer
Explorer
So much depends on what you do and how you camp.

When we winter camp in below freezing nights we dry camp. We use an electric heater to keep the TT in the mid 40's at night and usually with sunshine and other activities such as cooking, the TT is in the mid 50s during the day.

If we were in the TT for any length of time, we would need more heat but we are usually at an event doing something outside like snowshoeing, bird count, or other winter oriented activities. Often the event include some indoor activities also.

There is a big difference between a sunny day in February in the high 30s and an overcast and windy day in December.

Our furnace can bring our TT into the mid 60s in a few minutes if we need too. I would say that on average we are in the TT and hour in the morning, an hour at lunch time, and perhaps three or four hours in the evening before bed. The evening hours are about the only time we use the furnace.

So, as you can see, everybody's camping style will effect how and how much heat they need. We see folks tent camping in the snow. That is something we have not done in several decades.

Take care.
Twenty six foot 2010 Dutchmen Lite pulled with a 2011 EcoBoost F-150 4x4.

Just right for Grandpa, Grandma and the dog.

LarryJM
Explorer
Explorer
Passin Thru wrote:
2 8 gal tanks of propane last me for over a month. I have an electric heater for emergency use but don't use it.


Then either you keep your trailer at 40-50 deg or don't camp in colder weather for any length of time since no way 16gal of propane will last a month heating a 25'+ trailer with ambients close to freezing for weeks on end. My guess would be if you lasted 10 days you would be doing good in consistently freezing weather heating a 25 to 30' trailer with propane heat only.

Larry
2001 standard box 7.3L E-350 PSD Van with 4.10 rear and 2007 Holiday Rambler Aluma-Lite 8306S Been RV'ing since 1974.
RAINKAP INSTALL////ETERNABOND INSTALL

Passin_Thru
Explorer
Explorer
2 8 gal tanks of propane last me for over a month. I have an electric heater for emergency use but don't use it.

GrandpaKip
Explorer
Explorer
Also make sure the tip over switch works. I bought one with the safety switch, turned it on, let it run for a while then knocked it over on its side. It didnโ€™t turn off and kept going, even when I picked it up and turned it upside down.
The one we have now does turn off.
Kip
2015 Skyline Dart 214RB
2018 Silverado Double Cab 4x4
Andersen Hitch

temccarthy1
Explorer
Explorer
trail-explorer wrote:
rbpru wrote:
and they shut off if tipped over.


Cheap ones that I've seen at Wal-Mart don't have a tip-over kill switch.
At least the last time I bought they didn't, that was about 3 years ago.


MAKE SURE you buy one with a tip over switch!.. Wal mart carries about 4-5 models.. only found 1 with a tip over switch-- Their most expensive one of course, but it was only $25. Got 2 but have only needed 1 so far. Camped in the mid 20's at night and put the furnace on then to keep the tanks from freezing but used only the 1 heater on med setting, 1200 watts, to heat the TT during the day and evening when it was mid 30's.
Tim, Ramona and dog Scruffy
1982 Coleman Sun Valley PUP (retired)
2014 Keystone Bullet 285RLS Ultralite TT
2013 Ford Expedition XLT 5.4L Triton V8
Equalizer E2 hitch

CavemanCharlie
Explorer II
Explorer II
I have a ceramic heater in the bathroom of my house. The only thing I don't like about it is that it gets plugged up with dust very couple of years and I have to take it apart and clean it. In the camper I have a oil filled unit.

If you get a fan forced heater of any kind make sure that it has a tip over switch.

pld33270
Explorer
Explorer
We use a little cube ceramic heater with the setting choice of 900 and 1500 watts. We have camped in some cool temp, low of 27 degrees at night in Nov, Dec, and Mar this winter and this heater has maintained the temperature in our TT very well. I switch between 900 and 1500 watts as needed, usually 900 during the day and 1500 at night. Also, in the event of a breaker trip, the propane T-stat is set about 5 degrees lower to keep us warm during the night or the dogs warm when we are not in the TT. I am conscious of load, so I use propane for water heater and will turn elec heater off when using the microwave.
Camp with my lovely wife, Rat Terriers and Jack Chi
2022 Rockwood Minilite 2205S
2015 GMC Canyon, crew cab, long bed
2 Honda EU 2000i
Andersen WDH

dieseltruckdriv
Explorer II
Explorer II
We have one of these that we use in the bedroom. I even use it with the generator, and it doesn't speed up the generator at all.

Walmart ceramic heater.

It works well enough that DW will shut it off in the middle of the night.
2000 F-250 7.3 Powerstroke
2018 Arctic Fox 27-5L

gmw_photos
Explorer
Explorer
pianotuna wrote:
Great advice.

Lynnmor wrote:
I got rid of my insulation displacement connectors and sleep very well knowing that the wiring is held in place by being wrapped around a screw and tightened. Jamming a copper wire into a slot makes for a connection dependent on a sheared edge holding it with just the spring tension of the part. I took my own good advice and took out the trash.


I too am one who installed two new outlets in my trailer. I did one install similar to Barney's install for my space heater. The second outlet I installed is for the sat dish receiver, TV set and sound bar. That outlet comes off a new breaker in the power panel.

I replaced the outlet up in the overhead cabinet that runs the microwave, because that outlet also runs the coffee maker now.

Like Lynnmor states, I like the wire wrapped around a screw that is tightened.

As to space heaters, I also found at Best Buy a little, I call it "half a heater". It is 350W on low and 700W on high. I like it for those long cloudy cool days when it's maybe 50 degrees outside and I just need a touch of added heat to keep it comfy inside.

The other space heater is a 600W/1200W. My trailer is small ( 19' ) so it's easy to heat with just the 600W most of the time.

toedtoes
Explorer II
Explorer II
BarneyS wrote:
toedtoes wrote:
I'm going to argue that if a portable heater is causing your breakers to trip, then you've got a wiring problem.

It didn't in my case, and I don't think anyone said it did in this thread.



Now if you routinely run multiple high usage items at the same time on one circuit then that's different.

Exactly! This is why I put in the extra line from the campground pedestal.



But just a portable heater during the night should not trip your breaker.

It didn't.


Red comments in quote are mine.
Barney


I wasn't arguing. Just with the conversation and comments about not having to worry about tripping breakers I felt it was important to point out that the breakers shouldn't trip due to a portable heater.
1975 American Clipper RV with Dodge 360 (photo in profile)
1998 American Clipper Fold n Roll Folding Trailer
Both born in Morgan Hill, CA to Irv Perch (Daddy of the Aristocrat trailers)

BarneyS
Explorer III
Explorer III
toedtoes wrote:
I'm going to argue that if a portable heater is causing your breakers to trip, then you've got a wiring problem.

It didn't in my case, and I don't think anyone said it did in this thread.



Now if you routinely run multiple high usage items at the same time on one circuit then that's different.

Exactly! This is why I put in the extra line from the campground pedestal.



But just a portable heater during the night should not trip your breaker.

It didn't.


Red comments in quote are mine.
Barney
2004 Sunnybrook Titan 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch (Sold)
Not towing now.
Former tow vehicles were 2016 Ram 2500 CTD, 2002 Ford F250, 7.3 PSD, 1997 Ram 2500 5.9 gas engine