Thor Forums

[Irontent]

We spend the summers in Creede, Colorado at about 9,000 feet where it frequently gets below freezing at night many times during the summer months. When it gets this cold, the heat pump is ineffective at keeping the trailer warm. And, the heat pump does not heat the basement on our trailer.

This past summer, we had to be gone nearly a month, so I left the propane heat on while we were gone to avoid freeze-ups. When we returned, we were nearly out of propane, and I wondered during the absence if I would have a mess when I returned.

So, I decided that we needed electric heat to remedy the problem of running out of propane while gone from the trailer during extended periods. I also found the 40 Lb propane tanks heavy to lift after filling, and the 75 mile drive to reasonably priced propane was a pain-in-the-a**.

After researching the CheapHeat Electrical add-on from RV Comfort Systems, I rang the owner and had a good discussion about installing it. I also got good information from a dealer in Oklahoma, but they could not do the install anytime soon. I decided to do the install myself.

I spent 3-4 hours a day over four days to finish the install. The tight quarters in the basement of our trailer made the job more challenging, but anyone with household electrical 240volt wiring experience and basic skills should be fine doing this project. The instructions were very detailed and clear, and the owner of RV Comfort Systems had good, practical suggestions on how to avoid potential issues.

I opted for the 30/50 Amp automatic change-over option to provide the capability for electric heat when connected to 30 Amp pedestals while traveling, instead of the normal 50 Amp service we have at our winter and summer RV lots.
Attached are several pictures showing steps of my install.

Please ignore this if you are not interested in installing the system.

Others have debated the cost of propane versus electrical heating, but the cost of either fuel was not a concern for our situation.