Running heat while on the road?

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

Sure way to burn out your alternator. 1500 watts at 13 VDC is 115 DC amps on top of normal alternator loads.

Thx good to know.
Maybe low setting 750 watts?

[Dan-sr@perra-us.net]

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

Before this post becomes a typical cat-fight of know-it-all opinions...Post #2 and #3 are your best, most direct answers. 65 MPH drafts on a flame are not good and the furnace will burn through propane faster than the engine will burn through fuel. Save the propane for camping. Some have installed blanket type barriers hanging just behind the forward seats to keep the chassis heat all up front. Other run generators and electric heaters but you risk the possibility of them getting tipped over. While they have safety "tip switches" on them, they will still lay over at high temps...enough to ruin your floor or whatever else it tips onto.

So, what you are saying "Ask not the elves for advice, because they will tell you both 'yes' and 'no'." - J.R.R. Tolkien

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by JimOIB

On average it takes a gallon of water 4 hours to freeze at 32F. That’s in a freezer with no movement. You’ll probably have more volume than that in your tanks and the volume is in motion. The risk of freezing a holding tank while driving is fairly low in those conditions. If in doubt then add some anti-freeze to the tanks.

I personally would not risk running the propane or an electric heater while driving.

Reminds me of my pool, assuming I have electricity, it will never freeze because the Freeze-Protect kicks in and the surface tension of the moving water prevent it from freezing. The pool has gone overnight with 2 degrees or lower with no heat. In fact, per Heater Mfg, they say to not run the heater during freezing temperatures.

The OP is worried about his holding tanks, but others seem to want more heat in the coach? I honestly can't recall ever feeling like the coach was to cold while driving? I carry a 1500 watt heater, but I only use when camping and I have shore power. Actually I have used it with Generator, but only when exercising to pull a load.

But at the end of the day, I agree with your statement and it should at least be the goal; short a life threatening blizzard.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

Thx good to know.
Maybe low setting 750 watts?

May I suggest the Woodford Reserve as an alternative

[gte534j]

On my stock 2018 thor vegas 24.1 i added additional heating pads to the holding tank because the two stock ones were inadequate for camping below 20F (i had partially frozen black and grey tanks). Running the heat inside the coach will not make a difference as heat rises, so they would not help keep your holding tanks warmer if they are mounted outside/below your floor.
As per the other questions on driving with propane on for furnace and refridgerator- i have done that a lot many times- never an issue. I do turn off the propane when refilling my gas tank. I have run with a small 750W space heater running off the generator some times and also just running off my 2000W inverter. I can not run much more power draw than that off the inverter because it will draw too much power and trip the relay (100 Amp) to the batteries.

[Dan-sr@perra-us.net]

Originally Posted by gte534j

On my stock 2018 thor vegas 24.1 i added additional heating pads to the holding tank because the two stock ones were inadequate for camping below 20F (i had partially frozen black and grey tanks). Running the heat inside the coach will not make a difference as heat rises, so they would not help keep your holding tanks warmer if they are mounted outside/below your floor.
As per the other questions on driving with propane on for furnace and refridgerator- i have done that a lot many times- never an issue. I do turn off the propane when refilling my gas tank. I have run with a small 750W space heater running off the generator some times and also just running off my 2000W inverter. I can not run much more power draw than that off the inverter because it will draw too much power and trip the relay (100 Amp) to the batteries.

Actually, on My ACE 30.3 the bay under the low end of the Fresh water tank is heated. I have checked and the temperature is about the same or a little higher than the temperature inside the coach.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Dan-sr@perra-us.net

Actually, on My ACE 30.3 the bay under the low end of the Fresh water tank is heated. I have checked and the temperature is about the same or a little higher than the temperature inside the coach.

I have temp sensors in my wet bay and a opposite side lower compartment, it runs about 10 degrees warmer ( when very cold) than outside temperature when the coach is sitting still with every thing off.

I don't have any heating pads, but if I turn on my furnace which is ducted through the floor it also warms all of the holding tank. But thus far I have yet to need to run furnace just to warm the tanks. Rather just keeping the Coach inside temperature above freezing should be adequate. Think of the plumbing for a outdoor water faucet that may run inside a garage wall. It can be freezing outside but the temp inside the garage aided by ambient temperature of the heat from inside the house is enough to keep the pipes in the wall from freezing.

[roadrunner255]

We have a heat pump hvac unit, we would probably use it.

Any thoughts?

[lwmcguir]

Originally Posted by roadrunner255

We have a heat pump hvac unit, we would probably use it.



Any thoughts?

If temperatures are above freezing, sure

[Jimbo56]

If it’s 10 degrees or 32 degrees, I’m more than likely sitting at home in front of the fireplace reading this forum! Not out cruising in the MH.

[Travelin' Texans]

Originally Posted by roadrunner255

We have a heat pump hvac unit, we would probably use it.

Any thoughts?

Any temp below about 40F the heat pump will begin to blow cold air.

[lwmcguir]

All three of my heat pumps will still put out noticeably warm air down to around 30 degrees. From comments many apparently are challenged at warmer temperatures than freezing

Since they don't typically have defrost coils if it is humid then you might as well switch over earlier as they will freeze up

they are AirXcel and there is a difference for sure. The inverter unit at the house works well down to around zero but totally different than RV heat pumps

The best way to verify where they fail to produce heat is by checking the outlet temperature