Community Forums

okmunky · 12-31-2013, 12:45 AM

My coach, listed below, is a clone of the Forester motorhome. Does anyone know how many amps the Artic package uses? I'm having some issues with my battery isolation manager and have a 6 amp battery charger supplying my battery recharging. I need to know how many hours I can leave the Artic Pkg running each day until I can get a new BIM installed.

My minimal amp draw is ~ 2 amps and we only run a few LED lights after dark, so the tank warmers are the only major 12 volt battery drain. We are plugged into shore power, but with the bad BIM it's not getting to any batteries, chassis or house.

BFlinn181 · 12-31-2013, 01:19 AM

If the arctic package only means tank warmers, why not put a couple of 75 ~100 watt light bulbs in the wet bay area and leave the warmers off. If you also keep a remote thermometer in the tank area you'll know if you need more bulbs or a heater.

okmunky · 12-31-2013, 01:35 AM

I'll look into finding a way to put bulbs in my bays tomorrow, Bob. Thanks for the suggestion.

frankdamp · 12-31-2013, 10:58 AM

According to the data I got from my rig's original owners, the Artic Pack consists of four resistance heating elements (2 on the black tank and two on the grey tank).

The each draw 7 amps at 12 Volts dc. They have built-in thermostats that are not adjustable. They turn the heat on as the temperature of the tank drops below 40 degrees F and keep them on until it reaches 64 F.

Personally, I can't see pulling 28 amps out of the batteries to heat sewage to 64 degrees! I'm also concerned about heat damage to the tanks if the heaters come on when the tanks are empty. Since we always stay at FHU sites, I disconnected the system.

okmunky · 12-31-2013, 11:21 AM

Thanks Frank. I was afraid they would be power hogs.

Realredrebel · 08-15-2014, 09:20 PM

I have been researching a little on tank heaters. My Leprechaun didn't come with them but has a spot on the control panel for a switch.

UltraHeat has tank heaters that use both AC and DC. They have two separate heat coils in the same pad. I plan on installing them on the black and gray tanks before winter. My fresh tank is under the bed and I don't see a need to have one there. They also have pipe and valve heaters.

I spent this past winter in Northern Mississippi and there were several nights I could have used them. I just kept an eye on the weather and emptied the tanks before the cold hit and used the park showers and bathroom facilities. Would have been nice to just flip a switch.

BFlinn181 · 08-15-2014, 09:54 PM

If your tanks are in an enclosed space, a couple of light bulbs will provide enough heat to keep the tanks from freezing. It takes a number of days below 32º to freeze those large tanks. If you put a wireless thermometer in the compartment, it can tell if you need more heat or not. Buying dedicated heat pads for sewage seems a bit much to me when a light bulb will do the work. If it really gets cold, you could move a small heater or a bigger light into the area.

Realredrebel · 08-15-2014, 09:57 PM

My tanks are not in compartments. They are exposed. Just hanging under the motorhome. Only the fresh tank is inside and under the bed.

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rgvtexan · 08-15-2014, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Realredrebel

My tanks are not in compartments. They are exposed. Just hanging under the motorhome. Only the fresh tank is inside and under the bed.

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It takes a Really Good, BIG heater to heat the Great Outdoors!