Gina,
From The CAT troubleshooting guide found on Donna's reply, it would appear that you might damage the circuit board if used without the blower. Best to double-check using the model # of your heater.
By now you may have fixed the broken connector, but I wouldn't try to save power by operating it without the fan until you are sure it's OK.
Thanks for sharing your progress with us. Not quite the same as personally taking the trip, but sure beats staying home wondering what life is like travelling over the holiday season. A bunch of us are vicariously travelling along with you.
Enjoy,
(He's stuck again, as of this post. Well he
did twitch twice?)
Kurt & Ann K.