Small Space Heater—Recommendations? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 11-10-2022, 07:39 PM   #1
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Name: Lynn
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21C, NTU April 2022 (was 2013 Casita Spirit Deluxe 17)
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Small Space Heater—Recommendations?

I want to use our Escape as a spare bedroom over Thanksgiving week. It's on shore power, so I won't need to use the propane furnace. I'm thinking of getting a small, safe electric heater. Any recommendations?

I do have an electric 'milk barn' heater, with the heating elements behind a grill, but it is a little large for the trailer and easily knocked over. So I'd like something smaller, maybe without visible hot elements.
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Old 11-10-2022, 09:02 PM   #2
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We probably have 5 or 6 little electric heaters, a couple being those "milk house" type. But the ones we use in our Casita 17 are Vornado. They move air good and are quiet. The larger one has a thermostat control, and the smaller one is either on or off but has a couple heat settings. The thermostat control on the larger heater is typical of other heaters we've tried, a big variance from off to back on when the room temperature drops, probably not that many actual degree difference but noticeable. Bought the first of the large size at Bed, Bath, and Beyond in the Fall, then later in the Spring we were in the store and they had a large one and a small one on sale that had been the display units so bought both.
EDIT; the larger one we have is the VH200
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Old 11-11-2022, 05:22 AM   #3
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In late November in Massachusetts, purchase two small ceramic heaters, likely dual voltage 900/1,500 watts. There are two main outlet circuits in your Escape. Plug one into each circuit, specifically, on the “kitchen” counter and the other into an outlet on the driver’s side, the best being one under the dinette. Run the heaters on the low setting (900 watts) as it is not wise to run wattage through any outlet that is near or at their capacity, which in the case of the Escape is 15 amps. A 1,500 watt heater will draw 12.5 amps. Two ceramic heaters will keep the trailer toasty warm. In my case, with a 5.0TA, I find that a single ceramic heater on the low setting at 32° runs constantly, but will keep the interior of the trailer in the 68°-72° range.
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Old 11-11-2022, 07:40 AM   #4
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Sorry, cant help it, but; Be Careful. Concerns me when I hear someone using an electric heater as a primary source of heat.
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Old 11-11-2022, 07:49 AM   #5
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These plug into the outlet and so don't take up floor space (+)
They can't be 'aimed' to direct the warm air (-)
They are low power consumption at about 4 amps (+)
The are low heat output at 450 watts (-)
There are dozens of different brands of these identical heater from what appear to be a single manufacturer so this model name and retailer is not your only choice.
https://www.target.com/p/optimus-min...&adgroup=85-19

We have one (black case, "Soleil" branded) for use in the Casita, but have found that the heatstrip in our roof AC/heater is more convenient.
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Old 11-11-2022, 08:48 AM   #6
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What’s the amperage of the outlet you’re plugging into? Unless you installed a dedicated 30A RV circuit, you probably only have 15 or 20A. That means a single heater on a low or medium setting, and let your guests know they can’t run the microwave, hair dryer/curling iron, or any other high wattage appliances while the heater is running. Make sure you’re only using the trailer’s heavy gauge power cord and no extensions.

I assume the plumbing is winterized, so the water heater is off, right?

I like the small ceramic cube heaters because they are compact, quiet, and have lower surface temperatures. It’s the safest option in a small space.
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Old 11-11-2022, 05:04 PM   #7
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Before you buy a heater, see this: https://youtu.be/V-jmSjy2ArM


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Old 11-11-2022, 05:57 PM   #8
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I keep a Pelonis oil heater in my Casita during the winter. They look like the old fashioned steam heat radiators but use a type of oil instead of water. I doubt it's crankcase oil, I really have no idea, but the heater is silent and efficient.


The one problem..well, two, problems I have with the Pelonis is that the on/off switch eventually stops working. The heater itself still works but the switch won't stay in a position. So I put a switch on the plug end of the electrical wire and turn it on and off using the plug switch rather than the heater switch.
THe other problem is the feet on the Pelonis have a habit of coming off.

Otherwise they're great heaters.
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Old 11-11-2022, 06:01 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon MB View Post
We have one (black case, "Soleil" branded) for use in the Casita, but have found that the heatstrip in our roof AC/heater is more convenient.
We found the heatstrip in our Casita AC unit worked well, even down to 28ºF outside overnight; no need to fire up the furnace. Unfortunately, our Escape AC doesn't have one.

Might be better for a guest to just splurge on propane and use the furnace; no need then to fiddle with an electric space heater, and maybe less worry for me.
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Old 11-12-2022, 08:23 AM   #10
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Another vote for oil filled electric heaters that look like old radiators. They have very large surface areas, so the temp doesn’t get too high. Lower risk of igniting anything in the trailer.
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Old 11-12-2022, 05:38 PM   #11
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My favorite is a Pelonis Ceramic Disk Furnace. 5"x5"x6" tall with tip over switch. The thing I like about it is the electronics. You can choose between constant and variable speed. On constant you dial the wattage & fan speed to select anywhere between 200 - 1500 watts. On the variable setting (my favorite), as the room temperature reaches the set point the fan slows down & the wattage drops. The end result is very even heat and (within a degree or two) and once it reaches temperature, very quiet.

I haven't recently seen that particular model in stores - mine is a 1986 version.
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Old 11-12-2022, 06:20 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye View Post
My favorite is a Pelonis Ceramic Disk Furnace. 5"x5"x6" tall with tip over switch. The thing I like about it is the electronics. You can choose between constant and variable speed. On constant you dial the wattage & fan speed to select anywhere between 200 - 1500 watts. On the variable setting (my favorite), as the room temperature reaches the set point the fan slows down & the wattage drops. The end result is very even heat and (within a degree or two) and once it reaches temperature, very quiet.

I haven't recently seen that particular model in stores - mine is a 1986 version.
Is yours a box with discs behind the grill? There are 'vintage' ones available. The ability set low wattage could be useful.

But I'm rethinking the need. For my own use the 'milk house' heater is adequate. For a guest in the trailer for several days, I now think I should just use the propane furnace and avoid the bother of dealing with a small space heater, which might never be in the right place. The furnace is built in.

Thanks for the suggestions, all.
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Old 11-12-2022, 09:21 PM   #13
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Name: Shangie
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Hi- years ago, when we were involved with an Airstream Club it was always recommended to never use the max 1500 watt setting on a space heater due to overheating the wiring and to always have one with a built in thermostat. My husband, who is trained in electrical agrees. We have a low profile West Marine portable cabin heater that has a thermostat and comes on if the temps fall below freezing and many different watt settings, including sleep, silent and just fan for air circulation. We use between 400-900 depending on our needs. It has been very reliable.
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