Community Forums

2LeftHands · 02-09-2018, 09:28 AM

Hello,
Has anyone here had any experience with aftermarket holding tank heaters? I am going to have to live in our 31' Coachman Freelander for a while in South Dakota and am wondering if the heater units are worth adding on, if one brand is better than others and if they will keep things free-flowing.
Thanks.

Jim.B1 · 02-09-2018, 11:09 AM

Have you checked to see if the propane furnace also has a duct into the tank area?
One other thing you may want to consider is buying a digital thermometer with a remote sensor $20.00.
You leave the display in the coach and put the remote in the tank compartment.
We just tested things on our new Motorhome during our 1st Winter trip south -4F and the Black, Grey and Fresh tanks were all around 38-42F while driving.

2LeftHands · 02-09-2018, 11:21 AM

Thanks for the reply. On our Class C the Black and Gray tanks are exposed. I see that there are several different manufacturers of aftermarket heaters that stick to the bottom of the tanks, pipes, and gate valves. Most have decent reviews but I am reluctant to trust reviews on manufacturers websites.. Hoping to find someone with some experience on this forum.

IDntWannaWrk · 02-09-2018, 05:47 PM

My freelander came with Ultra Heat tank pads from the factory but I’ve never used them.

ALLOY · 02-09-2018, 06:10 PM

Some quick comments

120VAC are useful but the 12VDC heaters use allot of juice. One 12V pad for say a 60gal tank will use as much power as the furnace.

The 120VAC heat pads used for sprouting seeds come to mind.

With plastics one needs to be careful with the the amount of wattage being applied when the tanks are empty

Self limiting heat tape will only turn the sections on as needed

There are many types of silicone heat tape/pads on Ebay.

A variable thermostatic (digital display) controller with a remote thermostat will allow the heat tape/pad to be controlled remotely.

youracman · 02-09-2018, 10:37 PM

From "2 Left's" Post #1:
"I am going to have to live in our 31' Coachman Freelander for a while in South Dakota and am wondering if the heater units are worth adding on, if one brand is better than others ........................"

I know you are looking for real-life "where the rubber meets the road" comments, and I don't have user experience ..... yet. But FWIW, I am in the process of replacing both the black and gray holding tank heater pads (UltraHeat brand) on my Class C. One of the originals was poorly installed and the other has just become partially detached over the past 10 years since the original owner had them installed. I don't believe they were ever used .............. both the PO's lived in Southern Calif. and, to my knowledge, never traveled in colder climes.

I am now installing ThermaHeat brand pads from etrailer.com They are much less expensive and I believe they will be very adequate since my primary use will be to extend my camping season a month or so on each end and I just don't want to get surprised by a "cold snap".

I spent 2 winters in Rapid City, SD and with that experience still giving me the shivers, I would strongly advise using the more expensive UltraHeat pads for full-timing in a South Dakota winter. The UltraHeats draw twice as much current as my comparable-size ThermaHeats; so, the Laws of Physics being what they are, they will input (approx) twice the heat into your holding tank contents. The ones I removed drew almost the whole 15 amps that the holding tank heater(s) ckt in the coach was designed for ...... but your converter won't care.

I am a "belt and suspenders" guy, so if I am ever in cold enuff weather to use the heaters, I will occasionally check the current draw in that ckt with my little old Craftsman "snap around" DC ammeter to verify they are working.....I can only imagine what the cost would be to have new tanks installed.....and I am WAY to old to do it myself. lol

If you haven't already done so, you can read a lot about this type of heat pad on the etrailer web site; e.g., all about the built-in t'stat turn on/turn off temperatures, installation tips, etc. You can talk to real-life techs there too if you have questions/problems with their hardware.

I'll be monitoring your post with interest. I'd like to hear comments from real users too.

Safe travels, and good luck with your SD stay. ed s