# Heater Question



## countrygirl (Apr 9, 2006)

We are going camping this weekend. On Monday the projected weather was with the tempature dropping to 25 early Saturday morning for about an hour. Now a low of 31 degrees is predicted for tonight and a low if 26 for Friday night early Saturday morning. Since we get up at 4:30 a.m. to go hunting...I wonder if it is safe to leave the heat running when the camper is not occupied. We will be camping in a KOA campground. Common sense tells me not to do this...but I do wonder if it would be safe. I have the camper furnace as well as a Lasko ceramic heater. Thanks for your help.


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## ftroop (Sep 1, 2006)

we have left the camper heater on before when we out, so I see no problem with it. I wouldn't leave the ceramic heater, however. That would make me nervous.


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## Moosegut (Sep 24, 2005)

countrygirl said:


> We are going camping this weekend. On Monday the projected weather was with the tempature dropping to 25 early Saturday morning for about an hour. Now a low of 31 degrees is predicted for tonight and a low if 26 for Friday night early Saturday morning. Since we get up at 4:30 a.m. to go hunting...I wonder if it is safe to leave the heat running when the camper is not occupied. We will be camping in a KOA campground. Common sense tells me not to do this...but I do wonder if it would be safe. I have the camper furnace as well as a Lasko ceramic heater. Thanks for your help.


I always leave my heater running when we go out for the day - I set the thermostat for around 50. I wouldn't leave the ceramic heater running though. Just my personal bugaboo.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

If you trust it while you are sleeping, why would you not trust it when you are away?


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## countrygirl (Apr 9, 2006)

Thanks!! Good point tdvffjohn! LOL at myself!

BTw...this is our first trip where we will need to use the heater...we ran it for a little while Tuesday night and it worked fine.


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

I would let it run for a while before you need it to burn off the oils on the metal. It may get a little smokey and set off the smoke detector but after that it should be fine.

John


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

why sudden concern over ceramic heaters ...

many more trailers a year destroyed from faulty furnaces then ceramic heaters ...

also being cheap i try to use the camp grounds electricity and keep the trailer toasty instead of my propane $$$

get a good ceramic heater -- keep it clear of things ... and itwill do just fine ..


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Ghosty said:


> why sudden concern over ceramic heaters ...
> 
> many more trailers a year destroyed from faulty furnaces then ceramic heaters ...
> 
> ...


Ghosty how would you know anything about heaters I thought you removed yours and sold it on Ebay becuase you never needed it. This is the time of year you laugh at us for winterizing. You let me down on this one.

John


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

johnp2000 said:


> why sudden concern over ceramic heaters ...
> 
> many more trailers a year destroyed from faulty furnaces then ceramic heaters ...
> 
> ...


Ghosty how would you know anything about heaters I thought you removed yours and sold it on Ebay becuase you never needed it. This is the time of year you laugh at us for winterizing. You let me down on this one.

John
[/quote]

yes it just barely got to 65 today ... BUT ... I did see a story on the Discovery Channel about snow once so I consider myself an expert on heating ...

LOL


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## Moosegut (Sep 24, 2005)

Ghosty said:


> why sudden concern over ceramic heaters ...
> 
> many more trailers a year destroyed from faulty furnaces then ceramic heaters ...
> 
> ...


My only concernm is that it circumvents that "heated underbelly."


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

Moosegut said:


> why sudden concern over ceramic heaters ...
> 
> many more trailers a year destroyed from faulty furnaces then ceramic heaters ...
> 
> ...


My only concernm is that it circumvents that "heated underbelly."
[/quote]

Scott, we also are cheep and use the RV park/CG's juice, for which we have already paid, rather than the propane. Also - gotta remove the bottle to fill it; the ol' back doesn't appreciate that. Anyway, we have two fan-equipped heaters. One is 600/900/2500 watts with a no-numbers thermostat. The other is 900/1500 watts with a numbered, but wildly inaccurate, thermostat. After considerable use, we know how to set them to keep the joint toasty. As for the underbelly - if that's a concern, and it will be tonight (22*F), I just leave the blower going. Alternatively, I back off the electrics a notch so the furnace will come on now and then. It's all in the practice...

Now 32 in beautiful Flint, TX.

Sluggo


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## tripphammer (Oct 3, 2006)

When I go up to hunting camp (the temperature this season was never above 40 degrees and usually was down below zero at night) I hooked up my 100 lb bottle and left it running for the whole two weeks. When I came to town (can't do without a shower you know) I just turned it down. Figured it was better than letting the bottled water freeze and the soda pop burst and make a mess







. I had absolutely no problems.

Take Care,
Tripp


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Moosegut said:


> why sudden concern over ceramic heaters ...
> 
> many more trailers a year destroyed from faulty furnaces then ceramic heaters ...
> 
> ...


My only concernm is that it circumvents that "heated underbelly."
[/quote]

"heated underbelly" -- isn't that just an urban myth ... LOL

actually if you keep the inside warm via a ceramic heater the ambient temp will radiate out to the underbelly ....


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Time to weigh in, I guess!









1. I see no reason at all to worry about the furnace when you are gone. As John said, you trust it when you are sleeping (Much more potential risk then!)

2. I would also have no problem leaving a portable ceramic heater going, but I would make sure it was a quality unit. There have been fire from all types of portable heaters, and I think it almost always come down to poor quality units. Pass up the $(9.99 3,000 watt) heater, and get a quality unit you are willing to trust your families lives with.

3. We also try to take advantage of the campgrounds 'free' electricity. Besides, the heaters are quieter!

4. Ghosty, I am disappointed... After all the talk... Umm, umm, umm (You should be ashamed of yourself!)

5. countrygirl, in the extreme conditions you are talking about, there is certainly a valid argument to be made for using the furnace to keep the underbelly warm.

6. I don't think I fully agree with Ghosty's opinion that by heating the Outbacks interior, radiant heat will also warm the underside. That is probably true to a small degree, but heat rises. The vast majority of radiated heat will go out the top and the sides... not the floor.

In conclusion, I think for this particular trip, were it me, I would let point #5 rule the day, and keep the furnace on (but at a reduced temperature) while you are out hunting. Once you get back, crank it up, and then use the ceramic heaters to maintain the temperature.









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## countrygirl (Apr 9, 2006)

Thanks Everyone...

today it dropped from 50 at 4:00 to 32 at 5:30pm...it is now 27 but we are toasty warm in the OB!


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

We use a ceramic heater while on shore power and the furnance when dry camping. I have no issue with either one of them running. The ceramic heater is temp controlled and autoshut-off if it tips over.

Thor


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## countrygirl (Apr 9, 2006)

This weekend...it was pretty cold camping...it got down to 22 degrees...I bought a ceramic heater thinking I would use it to supplement the furnace. I saw this done in Missouri by my brother in law who had some trouble keeping his older motor home warm.

Between the great insulation in the OB and and the furnace we were toasty warm. The heater did not wake us up either. Sgalady is right the OB furnace will run you out of there!


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