Furnace usage

[sixkilo]

I am getting the idea that lp furnace usage is more dependent on the battery life than the amount of lp being used. We are wanting to stand alone for a couple of days at Christmas at our grand children's home in SC. Who knows temps will be, could be 60, could be 20. I put two new 27 house batteries in the unit in September. I also CPAP. If I can get 120 ( no 30 amp outlet)to the unit then with only lp side running I believe I will be ok. I do have a gen, but this is in a subdivision. Oh yeah, I am threatening them with a Griswald's moment just to keep them on their toes. Any thoughts? Thanks.

[450Donn]

Using a 120/20A outlet is just fine. Get the 30/20 adapter and your good to go. Just be sure to switch the refer and WH over to gas only, then you will have plenty of power for the converter.

[sixkilo]

The 120 is only a possibility. I am new to all the various " yes, but" aspects of MH living.

[RayJr]

You'll be fine the unit will let you know if you don't have enough power and the house will let you know if your using too much.

[jacwjames]

If you do not have access to 120 volt outlet and it is extremely cold I doubt your batteries will last.

We had a Class C, originally with 1 battery, and we could barely go overnight when the furnace was running a lot. I ended up putting in a 2nd battery and also adding a selector switch that I could use to run #1, #2, or both batteries. This did help.

You have 2 batteries so you might fair better, but depending on how cold it is. If you don't have 120 volt outlet access you will have to limit your battery consumption,

Unplug anything you aren't using, TV's, DVD's, Microwave, Coffee Makers etc, this will reduce parasitic draw. Turn thermostat down/off during the day even if gets chilly. Set it at 60 F at night and put on extra blankets.

Monitor your battery voltage, if it approaches 12 volts you will have to recharge one way or another, generator of running coach engine although not efficient.

Good luck

[mgscott4]

We use an electric mattress pad, this keeps us warm while the RV cools over nite, I do keep my thermostat at 60 over nite too. The power drain is almost 1 amp, hardly anything.

It is so nice to climb into a nice warm bed when it is cold outside.

[vsheetz]

A good down comforter goes a long way towards keeping warm through the night, while keeping the thermostat turned down.


Our coach has two furnaces, one for the bedroom/bathroom, other for main living area. We run just the bedroom/bathroom one when dry camping on cold nights.

[Dutch Star Don]

You're correct that in cold weather, batteries discharge before you run out of LP. In cold weather your heater could run as often as 20 minutes on and 5 minutes off. That draws a lot of power.

I would do my best to try and run a long cord to the coach and at least power the coach's battery charger. If that's not possible, try and move the coach close enough to an outlet during the day to fully recharge the batteries.

We stay in Yosemite Valley every year at Thanksgiving....leave on Monday. It gets down in the 20's at night. To keep the heater use down, we drop the thermostat to 58 and cover up. Keep in mind that everyone's thermostats are different and you just need to find the lowest setting you can live with.

Lastly.....your coach engine can recharge your batteries at a fast rate and will be very quiet while idling. Run the generator during the day to recharge and then start the coach and let it idle 30-60 minutes before bed. If you lose power in the middle of the night, start the coach.

[cimplexsound]

I do not use my furnace on battery power if I can help it. I always find my house battery is dead by morning, and in desperate need of a recharge. Instead A cover up with electric blanket. Keeps me and fito (my 9 year old puddle toasty) during the night. The battery lasts all night long. I can then use the furnace for an hour in the morning to warm my MH up nicely

[sixkilo]

Is everyone saying a 12V blanket or pad will not deplete batteries down overnite? My CPAP makes the 12v lights flicker now. Thanks

[mel s]

Originally Posted by RayJr

You'll be fine the unit will let you know if you don't have enough power and the house will let you know if your using too much.

RayJr
WHAT "UNIT" will do that...and exactly how will the house "let you know" if you're using "too much" power?
Puzzled!
Mel
'96 Safari

[dvmweb]

Mel,
You'll trip a breaker if you're drawing too many amps.

OP,
We "camp out" in our children's driveway often. Get appropriate extension cord adapters and plug in your mh. Use a nice heavy duty extension cord. If you are running your furnace and water heater on propane you'll be ok. You may even be able to run a microwave if you have one. Try to plug into an outlet that does not have any other high amp draw on it.

We are going to put in a 50 amp outlet at our kids'.

Good lick.


2013 FleetWood Expedition 38B

[mgscott4]

Actually my electric mattress pad runs off my inverter. Beware, not all electric blankets or mattress pads will work when operating from a MSW inverter. Keep your receipt until you find one that will work.

[Melmoses]

Here is what we do. I take a portable power supply for DH Cpap machine. I keep heaters set at 50 at night and use a down comforter since we have a MSW inverter. We minimize use of anything not essential. I monitor the house batteries and do not let them drop below 12.2 and we have learned over time we can make it from 10 pm until 6 am. I do have to start the generator to recharge the batteries in the am and let it run for 2 hours. I use that time to make coffee, use the MW if needed, take a bath and anything else. Then I am set until evening when we hit the bed. We are out all day with the family. It has worked for us for a few years now. I do have to run the generator though since we don't have access to 120. Besides, I have to have my coffee in the morning and I can't wait long enough for those kids of ours to get up.