With the arrival of winter (at least in my part of the country) and if you are planning to continue camping into the cold weather, we must be concerned about keeping the RV warm and toasty. Most of us have a propane fueled furnace to do this, but many RVers either supplement the propane furnace with an electric space heater, or totally rely on an electric heater. While this is a good way to conserve propane, it presents at least two concerns for the RVer. First is to insure the electrical system in the RV, and the campground power source is adequate to power the heater, and then of course, we have to make certain the electric heater itself does not present a fire hazard.
A typical small electric heater that might be chosen by an RVer will be rated around 1500 watts, similar to the photo below.
The heater shown above is dual rated at 750 watts on low, and 1500 watts on the high setting. Virtually all the small space heaters like this are rated at a maximum of 1500 watts. The reason for this is because a typical residential convenience outlet can safely deliver 1500 watts without overheating and without tripping a circuit breaker.
Additional features of this heater include a tip over switch. This switch will shut the heater off if it is accidentally knocked over during use. There is another safety feature which will shut the heater off if it is covered by a curtain or blanket. Another nice aspect of this type of heater is that it during operation the outside of the heater does not get too hot, thus minimizing the chance of getting burned by touching the heater.
I use a heater like this when camping in the fall and winter. It helps keep the RV warm while minimizing the use of propane. It is a save and convenient way to heat your RV if used properly and if the necessary steps are taken to insure safe operation.
larrycad
Art, I would be a hypocrit if I said you couldn’t use the heater because we use one all the time when it is cold outside. The small ceramic heaters are really nice because they are designed to be safe in use, and unlike heaters which use fuel, they do not consume oxygen in the room. The small ceramic heaters also come equipped with a “tip over” switch which shuts them off if they get knocked over.
A little caution can go a long way however. Even though the operating temperatures of these heaters doesn’t get real high, it is a good idea to keep them away from any flamables such as curtains, etc. Also, you need to be certain that the electrical circuit you are plugged into with the heater is adequate for the heater to operate from.
And as a final note, Art, if momma wants the heater turned off at night, maybe momma is trying to tell you something……………………………….
Larry
Arthur Dallaire
We use a small ceramics heater in the fall, I have on a heavy duty timer that will go on at 5am and it works good. My question is would it be safe to leave it on all night while sleeping.. ? My wife says no. Art……
larrycad
Carolyn, you are referring to the kind of heaters that burn oil, or kerosene. I was referring to an electric heater that is filled with oil but does not burn oil. The oil surrounds the electric heating elements which heats up the oil. The heat then radiates from the oil very evenly. These types of heaters produce a very even heat with no on/off cycles. There is no flame to produce soot or smoke.
Carolyn
Don’t the oil heaters put out alot of dirt in the air and on the walls, etc. I use to have one in my stick home and I had to wash down the walls and woodwork as it just smoked them up something terrific. So no oil heater for me in my RV besides the size of them. Ceramic is so much cleaner. I’d do Catalytic if I had wall space to install it….they take up so much extra room also.
larrycad
Jim, I actually have two of the oil filled heaters in my stick house and really like them. However, they do take up more space than the little ceramic heaters, and space is at a premium in an RV. I also have a ceramic heater in my basement compartment to help prevent freezing tanks. I don’t think I can get an oil heater into that space.
Larry
Jim
WOW way would you use a space heater any more? The best type to use is the OIL FILLED. Much safer.
I have used one for a couple of years now and other RV’rs I now also love’m, Pets and Kids to, No Fans or Heating Elements to Get ya!…
And like a hot rock they are a more even heat source.
Did I mention no noise.
r charlie w
The additional benefit of the electric heater, and the reason we use one in addition to the furnace whenever possible is that it evens the temperature cycle out. The thermostat control used by the furnace coupled with poor insulation and/or air leaks makes the RV either too hot or too cool. The electric heater helps even at the low setting of 500 or 750 watts (about 1700 or 2500 BTU). I found that in a class A or C the best location is between the front seats where the cold air is coming off the expansive front glass area and sinking to the floor.