Stay Warm in 21 Degrees F - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-06-2019, 11:11 AM   #1
Junior Member
 
Name: JUDE
Trailer: hunter compact jr.
WA
Posts: 3
Stay Warm in 21 Degrees F

Hi,

Wondering what the standard is for trying to stay warm overnight in a small trailer where it will get to about 21 Degrees F overnight. I have propane but no power in the trailer.

Bugz
buggo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 11:20 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
Stay Warm in 21 Degrees F

Do you have a propane furnace or heater? What type? Do you have a 12V system with a battery? What type and size? How do you recharge the battery? Just one night or multiple nights?

There’s no “standard”; in fact, lots of varying opinions on heating a small trailer. Starting point is how you camp and what you have already on the trailer.

We have the factory Suburban furnace. It’s probably the most common choice for OEM installations. Heats well, somewhat noisy and inefficient, good safety as it has a sealed combustion chamber and vents exhaust to the outside, requires a fair bit of 12V battery power to run the blower, so a means of recharging- power hookup, solar, generator, or tow vehicle charge line when driving- is needed for more than a few nights.
Jon in AZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 11:22 AM   #3
Junior Member
 
Name: JUDE
Trailer: hunter compact jr.
WA
Posts: 3
Im willing to buy anything but currently I do not have any type of propane heating system. I just have access to propane. I do have a 12V battery that is 100% charged and I also have an inverter. Its a deepcycle boat battery. Standard size. I also have a battery charger. Yes just one night.

Bug
buggo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 11:38 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
Stay Warm in 21 Degrees F

It this an immediate need? Most of the best options require ordering parts and, unless you are certified in LP and wiring, professional installation.
Jon in AZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 12:16 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Alex Adams's Avatar
 
Name: Alexander
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1300
New Hampshire
Posts: 1,140
If you are doing cold weather camping periodically or don't want to mess with the propane system you could get a portable propane catalytic heater. They don't have an open flame but they do have venting requirements when in use so you won't smother yourself. They also tend to create moisture as a byproduct of the catalytic reaction.
Alex Adams is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 12:26 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
Stay Warm in 21 Degrees F

I debated mentioning the same. Little Buddy is one. Available at many hardware and big box stores and runs off disposable 1# cylinders. It’s the riskiest option from a safety perspective and requires careful adherence to the instructions regarding clearances and venting. You’ll want a full set of alarms- smoke, carbon monoxide, and propane.
Jon in AZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 12:51 PM   #7
Junior Member
 
Name: JUDE
Trailer: hunter compact jr.
WA
Posts: 3
Has anyone tried a tiny space heater running off of a 12v? Will that last? Was going to test it tonight. Or maybe an electric blanket plugged into the inverter? any experience on how long an electric blanket will last on fully charged 12v?

bug

uh its not an immediate thing really. just wanted to start giving it a try. What would you have professionally installed? link?
buggo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 01:08 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Alex Adams's Avatar
 
Name: Alexander
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1300
New Hampshire
Posts: 1,140
Quote:
Originally Posted by buggo View Post
Has anyone tried a tiny space heater running off of a 12v? Will that last? Was going to test it tonight. Or maybe an electric blanket plugged into the inverter? any experience on how long an electric blanket will last on fully charged 12v?

bug

uh its not an immediate thing really. just wanted to start giving it a try. What would you have professionally installed? link?
The tag for the electric blanket or heater should tell you how many Watts it draws. If you divide the Watts by 12 that would give you how many amps would be drawn at 12 volts. Assuming you are going through an inverter, you can add a couple more amps of "wastage" converting 12 volt to 120 volt. So, assuming you have a battery of 100 Amp hour capacity and are running a blanket or heater that uses 700 watts you would be drawing 58 and 1/3 amps plus 2 amps for the converter which totals 60 1/3 amps. Since you are not supposed to draw a deep cycle battery below 50% of charge, you could run the blanket or heater for about 45 to 50 minutes before needing to charge. If you cut the wattage in half, then you would still only be able to run the device for 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour and 45 minutes before needing to charge. No matter how you calculate it, you would either need to draw so little power that the device would be ineffective or you would need to carry hundreds of pounds of battery.
Alex Adams is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 01:12 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
Posts: 4,500
Quote:
Originally Posted by buggo View Post
Has anyone tried a tiny space heater running off of a 12v? Will that last? Was going to test it tonight. Or maybe an electric blanket plugged into the inverter? any experience on how long an electric blanket will last on fully charged 12v?

bug

uh its not an immediate thing really. just wanted to start giving it a try. What would you have professionally installed? link?
The 12V heater or blanket will hold up just fine but your battery won’t
Neither method is a practical solution when temps are in the 20’s
The average FG trailer furnace is rated at 12,000 or 16,000 btu’s
which is the equivalent to 3500 to 4000 Watts of electric heat
A Mr Buddy propane heater is fairly cheap but only gets about 3 hours out of a one pound propane cylinder when set on high (9000 btu)
At $4 a cylinder your heat bill will be quite large
steve dunham is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 01:22 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,155
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Adams View Post
If you are doing cold weather camping periodically or don't want to mess with the propane system you could get a portable propane catalytic heater. They don't have an open flame but they do have venting requirements when in use so you won't smother yourself. They also tend to create moisture as a byproduct of the catalytic reaction.
Thats the best option (if not a good one) for short term use when you have no vented furnace and no shore power. Its an indirect heat and will take a whole to get you warm from a cold trailer. A Wave 3, for example, is very efficient and would keep the trailer warm for a long time on a 20 lb cylinder, but you would would still need to have a qualified person run the gas line and connector. A catalytic heater must be in good working condition to avoid a dangerous situation, and the instructions must be followed to the letter as well.

If this is a one night, or once in a while situation, then a hotel is a much better option if available.
gordon2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 05:00 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Name: Anne
Trailer: 2014 Parkliner 2016 Honda Pilot
North Carolina
Posts: 197
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
I debated mentioning the same. Little Buddy is one. Available at many hardware and big box stores and runs off disposable 1# cylinders. It’s the riskiest option from a safety perspective and requires careful adherence to the instructions regarding clearances and venting. You’ll want a full set of alarms- smoke, carbon monoxide, and propane.
This is what I use. I have the adapter option to run a line to the trailer's 20# cylinder, instead of the 1# cylinder. It sits in the doorway area, with clearance. Parkliner door gaskets are very soft so no problem with pinching the line. I have all the alarms, provide ventilation, and only use it to warm up the trailer. Once the space is warm, I turn it off. It works well.
neparker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 05:33 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
ZachO's Avatar
 
Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
Posts: 2,556
If you aren't going to do it very often the Mr Buddy is acceptable. I had to use one last spring because my heater wasn't working. I didn't enjoy it, but it did the job. You need to keep a window cracked, and as Steve mentioned when running them off the 1# cylinder, you'll be getting up in the middle of the night to put a new cylinder on.

Nothing electric will work unless you're plugged in.
ZachO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 06:00 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Name: Douglas
Trailer: Lil Snoozy
MD
Posts: 224
Registry
The Mr. Heater Buddy works with the cautions already mentioned and the condensation too.

We converted to a Propex furnace and it works great. Outside air intake and exhaust. But it is a non-trivial installation and expensive. Draws a couple of amps when running but is very efficient with propane. In mid-twenties weather in an uninsulated Lil Snoozy it runs non-stop to stay around 60F.
Air Doug is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2019, 08:41 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,137
Registry
Motel or a good sleeping bag.
thrifty bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2019, 06:54 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
CarlD's Avatar
 
Name: Carl
Trailer: LiL Hauley
Syracuse, NY
Posts: 656
I am installing a Heat Source Propex heater in my Lil Hauley. Others on this website have installed them with great success. They are small, relatively quite, draw low power from the battery and have designs that can be mounted on the exterior or inside. The model I have mounts inside and intakes and discharges combustion products thru to 1 1/2 inch holes in the floor. It connects to the heated space using flexible ducting. They are not cheap! Here is a link to them.



https://www.propexheatsource.com/
__________________
Your heirs will inherit money and stuff when you are gone. You can only save or spend money, but you can do things with stuff, so they are going to inherit stuff!
CarlD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2019, 10:41 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
Trailer: Scamp 16 ft Side Dinette
Posts: 1,279
Ditto Thrifty Bill's answer
Dress for the cold. use a sub zero sleeping bag.
Wayne Collins is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2019, 11:09 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
Steve Outlaw's Avatar
 
Trailer: Oliver
Posts: 713
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by buggo View Post
Im willing to buy anything but currently I do not have any type of propane heating system. I just have access to propane...
Bug
I would buy a propane furnace and install it properly. Done!
__________________
Steve and Tali - Dogs: Rocky and our beloved Reacher, Storm, Maggie and Lucy (waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)
2008 Outlaw Oliver Legacy Elite & 2014 Outlaw Oliver Legacy Elite II
2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD Diesel 4x4
Steve Outlaw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2019, 11:15 AM   #18
Member
 
Name: JAMES
Trailer: SCAMP
New Hampshire
Posts: 32
Recommend portable generator!!!

I have stayed in VT, at 19 deg overnight using a portable gas generator.
I plugged in a small ceramic heater and was very comfortable.
The generator ran continuous for 6 hrs per tankful. I would strongly
recommend a small portable generator. They are lightweight, reliable
and actually affordable, around $400, when you consider not only heat
but all your small electric needs and battery charging (phones, computer, etc.).
Also today they are very quiet. I guess there might be an issue if your parked
right next to someone. I wouldn't imagine there would be a crowd at 21 deg!!!
polskasila is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2019, 11:59 AM   #19
Senior Member
 
ZachO's Avatar
 
Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
Posts: 2,556
That would be the least efficient, most expensive way to do it, but it's definitely a viable option.

Even the most quiet generator would still annoy me if left running all night, but I agree, in the winter there may not be many people around to annoy.
ZachO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2019, 08:05 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
Name: Mitzi
Trailer: LilSnoozy 12/01/16, Tug 2012 Dodge Citadel
Florida
Posts: 573
I bought a 200 watt heater for my LilSnoozy after the first night cold camping was almost overwhelmed by the included 1000 to 1500 watt heater. Yes we have a Honda 2000 generator to use where no hookups available.

The large storage space under the bed helps keep the mattress cool in summer but aggravates the cold in the winter. I just found putting the fleece blanket atop the bottom sheet and sleeping atop that with the top sheet and comforter above kept me warmer than the bottom sheet and mattress cover alone on the underneath.
I also have a Celliant mattress cover. Celliant bedclothes are designed to keep you about 8*F warmer than usual sleep temps. Very useful for joint disease aggravated by cold.

You know to dress warm in the cold including sox and knit cap. When I had my Boy Scouts backpacking in Northwest GA mountains over our spring break I would carry extra handwarmers with me to distribute to kids that had ignored my cold weather camping instructions-3 for each needy youth- 1 each for armpits and crotch. It really helped until one youth ignored both my and the handwarmer's safety instructions and pulled the sleeping bag over his head- it uses up oxygen to some degree and he got hypoxic and vomited. In his sleeping bag. I let his dad deal with it

I noticed that Gander Outdoors has large footwarmers contoured to fit in shoes. I imagine one could put it inside a slipper sock and then wear a liner sock over one's foot before inserting in the slipper sock.
So let us know what worked and /or didnt work for you.
Mitzi Agnew-Giles is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
A year-long road trip @ 70 degrees F. Sands General Chat 4 10-27-2015 10:58 PM
Allure flooring. Install <65 degrees F? Tonia Modifications, Alterations and Updates 31 07-19-2013 12:12 AM
Has anyone used an electric blanket to stay warm at night? Donna D. Care and Feeding of Molded Fiberglass Trailers 20 10-08-2008 09:12 PM
70 Degrees F (21 C) Arghhhh! General Chat 0 01-01-1970 12:00 AM
32 degrees -- Life is good! General Chat 0 01-01-1970 12:00 AM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:13 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.