winter camping for the first time... help!

Pop,
If u run dual heaters (without running a separate line) does it throw a breaker or what?

Done more than enough sub zero camping in the TM. Can’t say it was fun but it was do-able. Before I can try to answer your question it would help to know if you will have hookups or if you are boon docking and if you have a generator also, how long will you be camping.

Ed

[Barb&Tim]

On our last trip we ran the heat strip in the Ac unit and an additional heater we got from Sams Club. Worked ok for about 5 minutes then it tripped the main 30A ac breaker in the TM. The additional heater had a low setting so we tried again with it on low and it no longer tripped the breaker. In the future, if we need the high setting I will run another heave duty cord to the 20A plug on the CG pedestal for the extra heater.

[rvcycleguy]

We are in Sedona this week with temps in the low 30's. We are using the furnace a few times during the night and a ceramic electric heater placed on the floor. I'm turning off the camp water hose at night. I'm also running the water heater on electric mode. I've got an antifreeze in the gray tank. We don't expect temps dropping in the 20's or teens.

Originally Posted by moaboy

Pop,
If u run dual heaters (without running a separate line) does it throw a breaker or what?

Someone else might correct my simplified math, but ...

A 1500 watt appliance will draw approximately 15 amps at 120 volts. Two will draw 30 amps.

The TM plugs into a 30 amp receptacle. Just the two heaters puts you right at capacity.

Theoretically, if you ran only the two heaters, meaning no lights, no fans, no heater, no charging the batteries, no flushing the toilet, then you might squeak by.

[T and C]

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

Someone else might correct my simplified math, but ...

A 1500 watt appliance will draw approximately 15 amps at 120 volts. Two will draw 30 amps.

The TM plugs into a 30 amp receptacle. Just the two heaters puts you right at capacity.

Theoretically, if you ran only the two heaters, meaning no lights, no fans, no heater, no charging the batteries, no flushing the toilet, then you might squeak by.

Well, I cannot disagree with the math. However, I ran two 1500 watt electric heaters last January in Tucson and then a few times during the night the TM heater kicked on. That is more than 3000 watts, but the breakers did not kick off.

Tom

[Bill]

Well, PopBeavers has done the quick approximate math (my favorite approach to problems) quite correctly. He concludes that two 1500-watt heaters are just about at the limit of total current. If you want to be more precise, you need to say "1500 watts at 120 VAC = 12.5 amps, so two heaters is 25 amps, leaving 5 amps to spare". But this much precision isn't really warranted, because so many other things are approximate. The voltage is probably lower than 120 volts, so the each heater draws a bit less than 12.5 amps. The manufacturer of the heaters leaves some slack in his build - he doesn't want the hassle of having his heaters pop breakers in someone's home. And by design, the 30-amp breaker will hold at 30 amps forever, and at 31 amps, or 32 amps, for a long time. So Pop's initial conclusion is correct - two 1500-watt heaters will work, but you can't add too much more without popping the 30-amp breaker.

In this case, working harder doesn't really produce a better result. The "approximate" approach is fine.

Bill

So looks like I could run my two ceramic heaters on low which would total 2000 watts and have some juice (amps) left over?

One of the major heat loss places is from under the pull-out bed. It is pretty easy to heat the top of the bed (more clothes, blankets, heaters, etc.) but much more difficult to insulate the bottom. I think I would be inclined to add a 1" or so thick piece of closed-cell foam under the mattress to add insulation if I spent more time camping in cold climates.

[tgpmd1]

You might want to reference this post and how I've used a 1500w heater and two 200w heaters to keep everything warm and toasty: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...highlight=200w

Also remember that you'll need to wipe down all the windows in the morning from all the condensation in very cold weather.