"Normal" LPG Usage?

[GTHill]

This thread may be premature, but what is normal LPG usage? I left my wife and kids in Oregon with the coach while I went to WA State for work. 8 days later, the LPG was empty. Only LPG service being used was the furnace. Is this normal? I filled it up today and it is already down to 3/4 tank.

Prior to this trip (cold weather) the LPG lasted all spring and summer so it is only a leak if it happened recently.

Thoughts?

GT

[MonacoMama]

GTHill..What size LP tank do you have?

It does not sound normal unless you have the heater cranked up pretty high...and it happens to be a small tank.

[TXiceman]

Depending on the weather and how warm you keep the coach, 8 days can empty a tank. Try to run it a bit cooler and keep one or two of the 1500 watt ceramic heaters running to take some of the load off the furnace. The furnace and water heater can use a lot of propane in cold weather.

Ken

[GTHill]

I thought I had a 30 gallon tank, but when I had it filled from empty it took 33 gallons.

We had the temperature at about 66 degrees. It was between 15 and 35 degrees outside.

You said to keep one or two of the 1500 Watt ceramic heaters running... meaning I have these or I should buy them? I am not aware of any heating system on my coach other than the heat pumps and the furnace.

GT

[Bill Adams]

He is talking about buying one or 2. They provide a very consistent heat and they can take a big load off of the propane heater. Some campgrounds do not allow heaters unless you pay extra or if you are on a monthly rate you may have to pay for your electric but it's still likely cheaper than filling the propane tank again and again.
Keep an eye on your hot water usage as well. If you don't really need the water heater running all day be sure to turn it off.

[EngineerMike]

If the coach is where you have 30A (or better 50A) hookup, you can plug in a cube heater. We do and down to the 40's it keeps the moho warm; lower and you need a second one. These don't come w/the coach.

Another great idea is electric blanket(s). We run ours off the inverter when boondocking. Now you can dial it down to 58 or even less at night.

Do they have the door open? Just a thought

[Dale777]

GThill,

The brochure for the 2003 model year states that you have a 42 gallon propane tank. However, to safely allow for expansion, propane tanks are not supposed to be filled to more than 80% of their capacity. Therefore, 80% of 42 gallons equals 33.6 gallons.

[MonacoMama]

Our propane tank is a bit smaller than yours (39 gal.) and our coach is almost 41' with 7' ceilings and full slide on one side and 2 slides on the other....with that being said...I lived in our coach for a year. I believe I only had our tank refilled twice during that time. I cooked with propane, I would also use the furnace on propane, plus the hot water heater would be sometimes supplemented with the propane. (We also did a little boondocking where everything including the fridge would be using the propane.)
I would usually turn the heat down to 64 when I was at work. The heatpump would be used unless the temps were under 40 outside....which was quite a bit in the winter-time. I would then depend on the furnace and some small electric heaters to keep the coach warm.
I think you may have some sort of leak if you are using that much propane with that size tank...

[Louie & Linda]

Your 03 should have AC/heat pumps. While the heat pump will auto switch to the furnace at temps below 32, they do not use any LP when running. Use them when you can.

[Mike & Mike]

GT,

We installed a Camco Olympian Wave 6 Propane catalytic heater and like it a lot. It puts out a ton of heat and uses very little propane to do it. It doesn't have a blower or fan though.

I mounted ours in the main living area wall near the sink and it keeps that main living area completely warm at the temperatures we see (which are higher than yours). I plumbed it into the main propane line going to the cooktop and water heater.

There are some safety aspects that you must pay attention to, mainly that you have at minimum opening to allow fresh air into the coach since the combustion takes place in the living area (read the instrutions well). We do that easily by having the Fantastic Fan vents open a bit in the kitchen and bath areas. There is also a minimal 'flame' on the catalytic surface and you wouldn't want your dog to stand there close to it.

You can Google it or find them at Amazon or most RV shops including Camping World. Take a look at the three 5-star reviews at Amazon for this item.

You can also buy the accessory mounting stand and a propane hose and move it around inside the RV if you wish. And, best of all, it is completely silent and uses zero electricity.

Sorry but I have no data on the amount of propane it uses but it'll be WAY less than the furnace.

Cheers!

[Jim A]

My heat pumps do not automatically switch to the furnace. I was not aware they are supposed to. I think the manual just said to not run them if the temperature is below 37°. Mine shuts off and begins to hum. The furnace does not then come on.

[Wayne R]

Jim A, When they are humming at cold temperatures I believe they are in the defrost mode. I don't believe mine switches to furnace either. It is usually too cold to wait and see so I just switch to furnace mode.

[GTHill]

I use my heat pumps as long as I can, but it has been quite cold on this trip.

When it gets too cold for the heat pumps, the thermostat reads "Aux Heat" or something like that and runs the furnace.

I'm in SF California so the furnace won't be needed, but I'm still not pleased with the amount of LPG usage. Thanks!

GT

[Mike & Mike]

GT,

It might be a good time to check the battery or service life of your Propane Detector in the coach on the off chance that there's a leak causing your high usage.

Also, take a look towards the bottom of this webpage where they give you some math to figure out usage for different appliances (furnace, stovetop, etc.):
http://www.motleyrvrepair.com/propan...ty_and_use.htm


Cheers!