Supplemental Heaters - Who's using what?

Originally Posted by rumbleweed

A 1500 watt heater running for 1 hour at 100% efficiency generates approximately 5100 BTU of heat energy regardless of the make or model of the heater. This means that a generic 1500 watt heater will produce essentially the same amount of heat as a 1500 watt Amish miracle heater. Although the Amish produce a little bit fancier heater, they have not learned how to defy the laws of physics.

Just avoid the ones that, apparently, produce an odor far longer than they ought to.

Do you loose any heat because the power is converted into odor? Now I am being silly.

Very little. Odor only wastes about 2 BTU.

Check out the electric heater add on at www.rvcomfortsystems.com
These people seem to have a pretty cool deal. its a electric heater built into the existing furnace.

Originally Posted by LiveTicker

To address the original question...

I also carry 1 or 2 electric space heaters if there will be power, and set the furnace if they don't suffice.
When there won't be electric, I carry my old Mr Heater Buddy(4000/9000btu) in case the furnace has another problem.
The Buddy can be used outside if a campfire isn't wanted or allowed.
Sometimes we bring an electric mattress pad & electric blanket.

Last year I bought a heated footrest for Grandpa at home. It works good with or without shoes. We are going to try it in the TM on the next trip.

This winter I am going to also try a electric rug/mat floor warmer (such as: http://cozywinters.com/cozy/) at home and in the TM. Grandpa likes the house at 80F! maybe I can keep him warm and set the house and TM at a normal temperature. He won't wear long-johns.

A heated towel warmer in the cold restroom would be nice...
.

Get grandpa one of those heated throws. Then he can wrap up in it and be as toasty as he wants. It will warm his back and his arms and up around his neck. Arms and legs get the coldest on the elderly due to poor circulation. And the rest of you won't have to run around in your shorts trying to stay cool!!

Karen

[Bill]

In the style of Camp2canoe and his plea for a front hitch on the tow vehicle, I will make my umptyninth post evangelizing the necessary characteristics of electric heaters.

First, all electric heaters produce the same amount of heat for a given number of watts. A small table-top fan-forced unit will do as well as a cast-iron, oil-filled, quartz-lined, mahogany-trimmed unit for 10 times the price. And it will be a lot smaller and lighter.

Next, to be a serious contender for use in a TM, the unit must have a tip-over switch. In the confined space of a camper especially, it is easy to knock a heater over, and it must shut itself off when that happens.

An electric heater must also have an overheat switch. If air circulation through it is blocked for some reason (maybe someone sets a box of Cheerioes on the counter behind it), the temperature will increase to the point of a fire, unless an overheat swtich shuts it off.

As noted above, we carry a 1200-watt DeLonghi electric heater. It is small, cost about $20, and is virtually silent on 2 of its 3 fan speeds. It is a wonderful thing to have.

Bill

[Bill]

With apologies to ljm2071, I'm of the opinion that the RVComfort CheapHeat is a horrible solution for electric heat in a TM. The kit itself is expensive - over $200 for the unit that would fit on a TM furnace. It looks like a pain to retrofit into your furnace, it requires a new AC wire run to the furnace, and installation of a new thermostat. It uses the existing furnace fan, which as many have noted is very noisy. And it protrudes 1-3/4 inches from the front of the existing furnace. In my 2720SL, the folding dining table would not fold up or down past this protrusion.

Am I missing something, Larry? You have pushed it in several posts. I do notice that you and your brother Mike have built the web site where RV Comfort sells this thing. Do you work for RV Comfort?

Bill

I am also a believer in the inexpensive ceramic heaters as a solution where shore power is available. I use a separate HD 25ft extension cord slipped between the fold down flaps to connect the heater to the 20 standard outlet that is in most campground power pedestals

Originally Posted by Bill

I'm very surprised that your electric heater smells after many hours of use. Most of them smell for the first few minutes, but after that, the smell abates.

I'm never very popular when I say this, but any 1500-watt electric heater puts out exactly the same amount of heat as any other 1500-watt electric heater. Every bit of electricity is converted to heat, so the same amount of electricity generates the same amount of heat. None of the frills - ceramic, quartz, oil, imitation flame look, or an Amish fireplace mantel - create any more heat. But they cost more, which is why they are so heavily advertised. And once he has paid extra for those things, the buyer thinks he must be getting more heat. It's the psychology of advertising, and it works.

A good fan-circulated portable electric heater (as opposed to a radiant heater) can be had for less than $25. To me, "good" means
1. A quiet multispeed fan
2. Thermostatic control
3. Internal overheat shutoff switch (shuts it off if airflow is blocked and the thing overheats)
4. Tip-over switch (shuts it off if the cat knocks it off the countertop, for example)
5. Conveniently small size.
6. Perhaps oscillation, though I'm not convinced that is really needed.

An earlier discussion took place here. I'm sure there is more.
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=6360

Bill

Bill, our tiny heater (tiny in physical size, still 1500W!) from wal-mart came with a digital thermostat, and you can now buy heaters with a remote control! This would come in handy if you got too hot or too cold and only had to click a button while still under the covers.

The little heater we bought had the oscillation option and I thought it didn't matter. Well, I turned it on and it wasn't really heating our little pop-up we had at the time. My wife suggested turning on the oscillation, I rolled my eyes, but turned it on anyway, Boy was I in for a surprise! up to 74 in about 10 or 15 minutes, maybe less.

I don't know why, but the oscillation option has made a believer out of me.

[mjlaupp]

After 10 years and 4 Tm's, I finally found a combination of full hook-up electric heat that works for me in the 3326.

First line is an oil filled electric heater next to the door running on an extension cord from the campground 20 amp outlet. This is quiet and works well down to around 40 deg.

Second line is an electric heat element in the A/C that I turn on when the temperature goes below 42 deg. I have a 15K rooftop A/C on the 3326. It is quieter than the 13.5K low profile units. The advantages of this heat source are that the heat is evenly circulated throughout the TM and the fan runs continuously. Even the start-up of the quiet fan on a ceramic heater is enough to wake me. I don't have that problem with a constant running fan.

Third is an electric heat mattress pad on the bed along with pipe insulation under the sides of the bed slide out. I keep this turned down to the lowest setting whenever the temperature is below 55 deg. At that setting all it does is offset the heat loss out the bottom of the mattress.

This has worked well down to 28 deg. and 35mph wind. Cold enough to freeze the water hose overnight.

Originally Posted by mjlaupp

After 10 years and 4 Tm's, I finally found a combination of full hook-up electric heat that works for me in the 3326...

Second line is an electric heat element in the A/C that I turn on when the temperature goes below 42 deg. I have a 15K rooftop A/C on the 3326. It is quieter than the 13.5K low profile units. The advantages of this heat source are that the heat is evenly circulated throughout the TM and the fan runs continuously. ....

Thanks. Although we do likewise, your way is a better systematic approach. Where do you store the oil-filled heater when not in use? Mine is not light!

Currently, our weather has warm-days (hi 70's) and cool-nights (hi 50's), so we use mostly the AC low fan setting at night, then turn the low heat on the AC on for a short time in the morning in order to dress and start the first cup of coffee - TM warms very quickly! We leave the thermostat setting the same for both the heating and cooling.

What I really want to know is how to warm that toilet seat!