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Heat For A Total Newbie


yogiinavan

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So to start, I want to say that this is my first Sunrader, and my first camper at all. I have no idea what I'm doing just yet but hey, i'm here to learn!

Right now i've got my camper hooked up to an extension cord which leads into my parents house. I am in New York, temps are quite cold. I'm wondering whether my heat is broken (I don't think it is because air comes out of the vents) or if there is another adapter/type of extension cord I should be using in order to get the heat pumping in my camper?

Please help!

Much Thanks and Love

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Got a full propane tank??

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what type of furnace does it have a pilot light that has to be lit by hand older 1970s often do.

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IMHO the furnace of the motor home is notoriously inefficient.

Since you have electrical hookup, why not just use a electrical fan heater? I always have one in my rig so when there's hookup I can use it.

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There is an owners manual for the furnace that is commonly used in these RV's in the files section. You can take a look at the factory service manual and see how to properly use the furnace. I don't know how to add a link but someone on here will probably do that for you.

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I agree with Centralman. Although I have a gas heater, I never use it opting for a small ceramic electric heater which I keep stored in the RV. I am amazed at how quickly it heats the interior and maintains warmth.

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IMHO the furnace of the motor home is notoriously inefficient.

Since you have electrical hookup, why not just use a electrical fan heater? I always have one in my rig so when there's hookup I can use it.

I had an inkling that somebody might suggest an electric heater! I'll bet it warms the van up pretty quickly. Thanks for two cents!

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I agree with Centralman. Although I have a gas heater, I never use it opting for a small ceramic electric heater which I keep stored in the RV. I am amazed at how quickly it heats the interior and maintains warmth.

Ah yes, an electric heater is just the ticket! Thanks!

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A plug-in electric heater is going to make a maximum of around 4000 BTUs of heat. That is not near enough to heat a 21 foot RV in real cold weather. The RV came with a either a 12,000 or 16,000 BTU furnace that either makes 9600 BTUs or 12,800 BTUs of heat inside the cabin. Even the smaller propane furnace makes three times the heat of an electric plug-in heater. Also - for "greenies" an electric heater is no more efficient then a propane heater. But hey - if you don't camp when it's 10-20F outside and have AC power available - an electric heater certainly is convenient.

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I do indeed! With propane the heat works very well! Thanks!

HUH! The first post said no heat. Now it has heat with propane.

Propane is the only heat, unless you have a heat strip in the A/C.

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Just be sure to use an extension cord that is rated for the heavy load an electric heater puts on it. Also after having the heater plugged in for around 10 minutes feel the plugs at the connection between the heater and the extension cord and also where the extension cord plugs into the wall receptacle. If you feel heat there you need to upgrade the plug ends on the cord. If you feel heat at the wall receptacle it will also need to be replaced. Unless there is a very good grip on the tangs of the plugs at these connections you will have a risk of fire due to the heat that will be generated at those locations from a poor quality connection when running an electric heater. You can have a super heavy duty cord but if those plug ends are not making a tight connection you are still at risk for fire. In older buildings and older motorhomes you should replace any wall receptacles that do not engage a firm grip on plugs.

Seeking out an electric heater that has specific wattage settings is a good idea for travel in a motorhome. Some of them might have several specific choices for wattage such as 600, 900 and 1500. That way if you get into a situation where running at 1500 watts is tripping a breaker you can opt to run it at a lower wattage and still be able to use it to generate some heat for yourself. Or you can choose a lower wattage for economic reasons or for night time use. I purchased one of these marine electric cabin heaters. http://www.amazon.com/Caframo-Deluxe-120VAC-Performance-Heater/dp/B002EIM6SA It has a very low profile which minimizes the tip over risk and having a pair of rambunctious Siamese cats as well as a puppy around and my own clumsy feet the low profile was important to me. It also has overheat protection and even an anti-freeze setting that will come on at 38 degrees. West Marine also sells this same heater in the color beige but at a higher price unless they are running a sale on it. But you can also find small ceramic disc heaters that have specific settings for several different wattage and even some infrared dish heaters that have that type of heat selection.

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Even a 1500 watt heater should work unless you have other stuff running do not use an home extension on any electric heater the cords are way to light. The propane heater produces far more heat than an electric plug in, once you have the temp up to 60 or so then unless it's really cold and windy the electric heat maybe all you need but heating up a cold camper won't happen

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