RV Heater Best Solution For Cold Weather. Stay Warm And Protect The Water Lines.

[@GirdHerd]

We're just recreational campers. We use the smaller Mr Buddy (with one heating element ) for chilly mornings and late evenings only. We never run it while sleeping or away from the trailer. A one pound cylinder lasts about 4 hours on High. I bought a dozen of the Flame King refillable cylinders before Covid when they were about $11 per cylinder and refill them myself.

[@aMeemsb]

Using a propane fueled fire heater inside but open a window? Was glad to hear you say never sleep with propane open flamed heater on. My father died of carbin monoxide poisoning because the flame went out and the gas filled up the space. (Not in an RV, though, on his job in a Steel Mill) SO PLEASE EVERYONE- DONT USE INDOOR OPEN FLAMED PROPANE HEATERS- Especially in a small space- too many risks and ONE that you wont recover from ever.

[@chevyvantravel9735]

i spent an entire winter with the mr buddy heater inside my rv during the night.

[@kcbluebutterfly2182]

How did you use it safely?​@@chevyvantravel9735

[@daviddrake8147]

I like this guys no-nonsense get right down to business style. 👍

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

I used a Mr. Heater Buddy in a truck camper and found that the pilot light was actually useful to take the chill off at night. I was not comfortable running the Mr. Buddy Heater at night, but it worked great during the day and could heat up my small space well. The downside of having the heater off at night was it could be very cold in the morning. In the truck camper, just the pilot light could warm up the space 20 degrees warmer than it would otherwise be. Body heat alone will make it a few degrees warmer in the camper, and I normally had a window cracked for humidity control (plus the camper had plenty of air leaks). This was sort of like running a candle all night expect the pilot light puts off about 7 times the heat of a candle. Getting out of bed in the morning was a lot more pleasant when the temperature was in the 50's as opposed to in the 30's.

[@joanneleiser1044]

Mini split for the win! I bought 1988 class c. Furnace was shot and estimate to repair $1600. Removed a/c off roof, it was so loud we couldnt hold concersation, sold it for $300 and bought a mini split $750, used amazon prime no shipping charge, installed and certied for $150. $900 - 300 FROM A/C $600. Best choice ever! I snowbird workcamp. A/C and heat both totally quiet inside, work really well and also very quiet outside. 26' of comfort from Pioneer 9000, no I dont work for the company Just happy with the product. Have a soft start to get before i can run on my solar system and no worries where ever I park as a full timer. :)

[@Burton1973]

I use a combo. Mini until the winter hits. Then use my furnace. cost savings are amazing.

[@Burton1973]

btw. Vermont here.

[@Burton1973]

Around 1.40 a day. For the math people. lol

[@danielnillo]

why use your furnace instead of the minisplit in winter? are you saying your rv propane furmace is cheaper to run / more effective than the split?​@Burton1973

[@capodad2u]

I've tried all the boondocking (off grid) options. With regards to fuel costs, effectiveness and low wattage (we have tiltable roof solar and portable panels) the clear winner is diesel heater, amazing!!! Sure we have heat pump AC and propane furnace and mr (not your) buddy, and space heaters ranging from 200w -1500w and 12v blankets/trucker pads tried them all. Diesel for the win. We have a 2009 Winnebago View.

[@zanesutherland406]

I’ve been full time in my camper since sept 2019, and my main source of heat is an electric radiator heater. It’s really safe. I have it on a baking sheet on top of my rug. It’s on low, medium, or high all winter with no issues. I have 2 small 250w heaters that I occasionally use for a boost of heat, as well as my Cubic Mini Woodstove if it’s super cold. That was essential and a lifesaver during the -28°F weather not including wind chill. I don’t use my onboard water though because that does freeze. I think I was able to use my water lines till November, and then I was using my toilet for urine and flushing it manually till it froze in December. Hoping this will be my last winter in the camper. It’s hard if there isn’t normal utilities in the winter, but grateful for what my little home has provided me

[@Alyssasun353]

How do you Power without generator

[@deniceloes1552]

I used one in camper, caught outlet on fire😢

[@joneal8360]

@zanesutherland406 I've a radiator heater also. It hit 42° last night, and the heater was on the low setting to number 4 for bdrm & bathroom. I had it on high the other day, 2 bdrms opened up. I had to turn it off! Was too hot! Great heater for a camper!

[@hakansalihoglu]

What is the brand, model and wattage of your heater?

[@joneal8360]

@@hakansalihoglu you can get Walmart brand for $60. Low, medium, and high; each w/ settings 1-6.

[@trevonkollars1874]

I own a 5k diesel heater and I have to say I love it! I keep it in my cargo van to keep my liquids (I'm a handyman) from freezing. It does shut off. It maintains the temp that you set and once it reaches that, it shuts off and then restarts at the temp setting you set it at, just like the furnace. I have no problem running it all night on the 1 litre tank it came with and the van battery. Never had an issue with it draining the battery. It gets cold here btw. We are in the negatives a lot here recently.

[@danemmerich6775]

Which Brand diesel heater do you own? Do you recommend another brand?

[@LovesTruth1]

@trevonkollars1874 I’d also love to know the brand of heater you referred to, and a year later if you’d still recommend it. Is it an all in one diesel heater?

[@warrenbaker2586]

One of the better videos on heaters that I have watched. Good job.

[@JAYFEATHERBOONDOCKS]

1. I’m glad you mentioned the lack of humidity from RV furnace. I hear that a lot that they do cause humidity but I know for a fact it is extremely dry heat. 2. My calculations on furnace vs diesel heater was that my propane furnace costs less to fuel and only used 1 Ah more per hour than the diesel heater. (My camper is 20’ and propane is relatively cheap where I’m at) so I will not get one simply due to me not wanting to carry around a third fuel even though I would prefer the diesel heater because it is quieter. 3. I’ve used buddy heaters in campers for a decade now and had great success. Luckily I live in extremely dry climate and the condensation become overwhelming. I too only ran it when I was awake and inside the camper. Shut it off when sleeping or outside. 4. Thanks for showing the extreme heat I hadn’t seen that before.

[@Diyfix777]

I live in a poorly insulated camper in Canadian winter and I get by with a Diesel heater - but the propane buddy is absolutely necessary because in frigid temperatures The Diesel heater always quits for one reason or another... also when I can’t seem to keep my feet warm I boil water in my drinking cannister and keep it at my feet and it works really well to stay warm and comfortable when you just can’t get that comfort level.. Great video thank you

[@Burton1973]

Diesel gets thicker when its cold. Convert to propane if your below diesels temp.

[@Burton1973]

It gets 30 below zero in Vermont. Soo yes thin out your Diesel with Kerosene or convert to Propane.

[@CharlieSheen-j7o]

Or use howes antigel

[@MaritimeUnprepared]

Diesel heaters are fantastic when you get a good one! My first one was a piece of junk and it always failed. My 2nd one has been great.

[@larrydowns6267]

We’ve used the Olympian Wave 8 for years now, very happy with it.

[@ronb6182]

Outdoor only heaters are not for an RV. That includes all Mr and Buddy heaters. 73

[@johncarter9054]

@@ronb6182 I so totally agree. Any type of heater that exhausts spent fuel into living quarters is a HUGE no - no It is actually the worst thing anyone could do given the alternatives. I tried to heat the inside of my outfit during a short winter excursion up in Montana with a Mr Buddy heater, and every morning I woke up feeling stuffed up and slightly dizzy. Then because of condensation, I had to scrape the ICE off the INSIDE of all the glass before I could leave to get to the job site. The whole ''rolling down the window for fresh air'' nonsense was a freakin' joke. As soon as I rolled down the window the ''required amount'' there went all the heat. Then for about 100 bucks, I installed a diesel heater, and for the next 5 years no more cold winters : ) You do need a separate power source to run the heater however but that was not really a problem. Me ? I simply went to O Rileys auto parts and bought two ''group 31'' ''deep cycle RV / Marine batterys'' and hooked them up under my hood in place of the regular battery. Easy peazy. Later I installed a 100 watt solar panel on the roof because I eventually installed a 12 volt fridge and some other accessories as well. That small addition ran about 250.00 for the solar system. Self installed.

[@AndreAngelantoni]

== Webasto 2000STC Review (Cab Heater) == Great review. I have a Webasto in my gasoline (not diesel; Webasto makes diesel and gasoline versions) 23ft class C and it's excellent. Here's why. 1. It maintains the set temperature by lowering the fan speed and emitting only the amount of heat required to maintain the temperature once the desired temperature is reached. Unlike the propane furnace, which allows the temperature to vary by +/- 5°F (for a total of 10°F range between full blast and off), the temperature stays the same throughout the night. 2. It's MUCH quieter than the propane furnace. Between the atrocious sound of the propane heater in the winter and the atrocious sound of the built-in a/c unit in the summer, I wanted to pull my hair out. Trying to sleep with that noise was challenging for me. 3. It has a timer. (There is a mod available online to get the software to offer multiple timers, too.) 4. It takes its fuel from my main 55-gallon tank (regular gas, not diesel in my case). I never worry about running out of fuel. 5. It sips gas: just 0.12L - 0.24L per hour. On average a heater needs 100ml of fuel per hour, per kW. I use perhaps a 0.8 of a gallon a night on average. 6. It doesn't use my very limited propane, which reserves the propane for the fridge, cooking and hot water. A few things to consider: 1. It will accumulate soot even lower than 8000ft; after staying for just a few weeks at 2000ft and opening the unit, there was appreciable accumulated soot. Be aware that soot cleaning (or at least checking) is recommended once per season, at least. 2. I can't hear the clicking with my unit but I would explore getting a unit with a wider diameter output nozzle next time. It still has to push a lot of air through a small diameter hole and it is louder than I would like. Not unbearable like the propane furnace but still noticeable. 3. 95% of the time the unit is more than sufficient for my uninsulated 23ft rig. However, it runs at full speed and nonstop when it dips below freezing. This is the right size for my unit but it's definitely at the limit for cold winter camping and an uninsulated 23ft rig. 4. It's not the cheapest brand but I do a lot of boondocking so reliability and the additional features are important to me.

[@1UofACat12]

I own the Webasto EVO 40 diesel & it's awesome, works above 9,000' & haven't had the soot issues as long as its run for over 30 min. The cheap Chinese junk is just that... junk that may work, but they have serious issues... Mine is in a 29' travel trailer.

[@austinado16]

Huge fan of the Olympian Wave heaters. We use a wave 6, and it runs all night, silently.

[@chachi5975]

Sounds like a nice unit, I wish he had actually reviewed it.

[@Obliticus]

I've used Mr Buddy inside my house, with all my safety detectors, for 4 months at a time, and never a single issue that ever set off any safety devices. The one caveat with Mr Buddy is if you use a larger tank with a hose, you gotta have a filter. Don't trust Mr Buddy's "filter free" hoses... I've already had to send those back under warranty. Just use a filter and save yourself a headache.

[@sunseeker8457]

Nice video! With the diesel heater. If you leave it on the elevation mode and put the Hz to a low setting like 1.3 Hz the fuel will least longer also (and the ticking sound is slower too) it's nice that they come with a remote control also. These are great has you can run them while you are sleeping in the night. What I like the most is that you can add extension hoses to this and connect extra vents around the RV / camper including the garage area and where your pipes, water and batters are, keeping them all warm and freeze free.

[@SquirrelDarling1]

As a truck driver and can attest that the diesel heaters work very well. I’ve left mine on in the truck when I’ve went home for the day to keep sleeper warm and to keep toilet and water on truck from freezing.

[@timothyculliver1993]

Great job! I would also recommend the 1,200-Watt Electric Oil-Filled Radiant Space Heater, they work very well. Cost less than $60.00 at The Home Depot.

[@jeremywaldrop3247]

+1 on the electric oil heaters, just picked on up the other day at Home Depot and work very well. We have left it on 24/7 since we got it.

[@NickKarpen]

I thought about it but worry about it leaking after bouncing around on travel days.

[@uhjyuff2095]

I heard that the oil filled heaters overheat and then the internal safety switch shuts off the heater so that means they don't actually produce as much heat as a space heater with a fan or heating coil. Try putting a kill-a-watt meter and blast it on full and then compare it to another heater on full power for a hour or two and see which one puts out more POWER!

[@vernonsteinkamp1088]

I purchased an older RV (1981), and the previous owner removed the furnace and the water heater. I purchased a Little Buddy (propane, boondocking) and I also have a small electric heater (plug in campsite)

[@deltabravo1257]

In several of my recent RVs that I've owned, I install a new circuit breaker and wire run to a dedicated outlet specifically to run my electric space heater when on shore power.

[@P_RO_]

Though getting these wet is unlikely, always use a GFCI breaker or outlet for these. Almost perfect for shore power being clean, cheap dry heat but even those with built-in thermostats tend to run too hot or too cold. You can run a 1500W unit safely on a built-in 15A circuit but it should be the only thing on that circuit as that reaches the 80% limit of capacity for full-time power draw circuits are rated for.

[@RVwithTito]

Tip: To heat a large area, put a fan behind an oil heater (on high). I've heated my entire house doing this with a box fan while on generator. Stay comfy! 😃

[@AllAboutRVs]

Great tip! Thanks Brian!

[@bobknob8440]

I use the oil heater in my house as well. Fan really helps push that heat around. I used a Mr. Buddy and separate fan when I lived in my RV and it worked great for me. I was cheap and didn't want to use to much propane so I found using it in the late evenings when temps are freezing kept the RV warm for a couple hours so I could sleep under a heavy blanket. In the morning, I turn it on again to get my body moving.

[@nosoupforyou425]

Oil filled radiator heaters are great. Most efficient as well

[@waggtech4883]

There are wall outlet thermostats available to use with cheaper electric heaters. I’ve managed to keep my Raptor comfortable in sub zero temps long term. I’d say skirting makes the biggest difference.

[@pdirv]

Some notes from a lifetime camper and mobile tech/mechanic: 1. The furnace and diesel heaters are what I call "uneven extreme heat". They'll put out ~180F-200F+ with no problem like you showed in the video. In a small space though, that heat is so hot, that you may find it that you have to take your blanket off while it's running, and then it shuts off and cools off that you need to cover yourself back up. Ultimately, it leads to not so great night sleeping. 2. On the class B diesel heater you showed, or really anything like that, where you're tying into the fuel line, the issue I see is people let it run too long, and it draws the fuel below ~1/4 tank, then they go to run the generator, or are also running the generator and the generator won't start or turns off due to the low fuel cutoff. So either occasionally check your fuel level, or install an auxiliary gauge if that's possible. 3. I know you didn't want to cover them, but on the Aqua Hot, Oasis, and other similar systems, you're basically dealing with a larger factory installed version of the class B system, but it normally also handles your on demand hot water, and potentially things like radiant floor heating. The key things with these systems is the maintenance. I would say 3 out of 4 service calls I get on these units could have been avoided. Like most things, turning a $50-$100 preventative piece into a $300-$500 service call. 4. It's possible, but probably unlikely that your 15K BTU A/C also does 15K BTU on the heat pump side. It probably only does ~12K BTU on the heat pump.

[@mtgut1962]

Remember if you have a diesel heater you can buy diesel for off-road which has no fuel tax. Depending on the state that is a significant amount of money. If you use your fuel card at the pump for discount. Just flip it over for reefer fuel. No tax on it. Just a suggestion.

[@MyMy-tv7fd]

the best RV heater is Florida

[@duane4972]

Great unless you are a Floridian and acclimated to the area. I have been out west to Quartzite Arizona, the nights are colder and the lack of humidity dried my skin terribly. Also the non stop wind and dust and allergens are the deal breakers. Florida for the WIN !!

[@Montu4g63]

Except I live in FL and it's going to below freezing over night for a few days over the holiday

[@donaldbailey5576]

@@Montu4g63 You must be above Tampa.

[@Montu4g63]

@@donaldbailey5576 yup, even Tampa is towing the line at 33 though

[@donaldbailey5576]

@@Montu4g63 Ya. These two days of winter a year are killer.

[@opprometheus]

An digital electric radiator style works great for us. Ours has a remote, three wattage settings (500,1000 and 1500) , a thermostat you can set at a desired temp, a timer if you want it to shut off automatically. It's quite, no fan. Perfect RV heater.

[@joygypsiestv9883]

We gotta say, Jared, your channel is one of our favorite RV channels. Thanks for always delivering great information and tips!

[@ianberry5879]

I've got two 1500 watt space heaters in my 28 foot class C with no slides, it's a winterized unit with great insulation and sprayed foam insulation underneath, with temps ranging from 25 to 45 in Virginia right now, I'm only using about $10 a week in electricity at 10 cents per kw/h to keep it at 60 inside when I'm at work and 68 when I am there. If it's getting into the lower 20s overnight, I'll fire the propane furnace too with the thermostat set at 65 just to make sure the pipes don't freeze.

[@magician2020]

I have a 38' Class A and used a Big Buddy heater upfront and Mr. Buddy heater in the back half (bathroom/bedroom) and used them for an entire winter in Phoenix. I would have the top vent cracked open and the fan on 10% and worked well.

[@danielnillo]

do you run a hose to an outside propane tank? it's not a health concern to live fulltime with this type of heat?

[@timaz1066]

I’m so glad my 2000 Monaco has an Aqua Hot. I have had to figure out problems with it over the years but I love how it works and what it’s capable of doing and I should add it is so efficient.

[@ricknielsen3660]

I live in Northern Canada and I use a buddy heater in my Hunting Trailer at -20 and colder that is Celsius. All I do is open as side window 1 inch and a roof roof vent by 1 inch and I never have a problem with oxygen or humidity, it works fantastic

[@saviorsigner]

Very well done video. It was really informative and straight to the point. Thank you so much!

[@dougmartin5861]

We live in south western Canada, we are full timers and use our rv fireplace as the primary heat assisted with the furnace. We also run a space heater in the basement. If boondocking we will run a little buddy but not when sleeping or away.

[@AllAboutRVs]

Very good plan.

[@norliasmith]

Good video for those who want to start building a mini camper as well from a van.

[@yellowglider]

Reagan ding the ceramic heater: I have a Lasko just a little bit bigger than the one you showed, around $40 at Costco. It has also a remote so you can adjust the temperature from the bed if necessary (…happening often in the mornings). It does go into a very low setting if it doesn’t need a big temperature gain, you literally can’t hear it, I have been letting it on all night long when the temperatures are not going to be lower than 30F, in which case I need to use the propane heater to keep the tanks from freezing. Highly recommended.

[@okinawadonkichi]

I use a Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool fan and it works really well, very even heat with a thermostat. The only issue is cost of the unit, which has more than doubled since I bought it a few years ago. We only use the furnace as secondary heat if the outside temp goes below 28 degrees, to keep the belly from freezing.

[@kaylingle3890]

OMG too fast too confusing

[@kknight8112]

Love the Dyson very efficient

[@anthonyb2334]

Jared, another good and informative video. For me, as someone who has spend decades RV’ing, I’ve tried most of the items you show. They all have good applications, but simplicity is best for me. AND SAFETY!! I don’t full time ( about 50% time RV’er) and I don’t spend much time below 35 degrees but have camped at 10-16 degrees a number of times. I like it WARMER! I use the coach (Motorhome) furnace and boost the front or bathroom area with a small electric space heater as needed. I wish I had the heat strip on my AC units. I had it on my previous two Motorhomes and they made a difference in combination with, or by themselves. Thank you for your review

[@goldwingrocks3859]

Someone did a test on the little buddy propane heaters and tested constant running for several several hours, and the O2 level didn't change within the rv. I would be more careful where placing this heater because it is open flame. I've only ever put mine on low and that reduces propane consumption significantly. But if had to I wouldn't be apposed to running over night. Just place it carefully. Awesome video. Thank you.

[@bluenetmarketing]

Excellent information!

[@NomadSurvivor]

I'm so happy to see a MaxSpeedingRods unit being used !! Do you know those units are far better than the other Chinese branded models ? If you look carefully at the combustion unit itself , it is German made and that unit is almost the same quality as a $1000 Espar type unit. I have 2 of them and they work GREAT !! I only suggest upgrading the supplied Fuel hose and clamps and to use an upgraded muffler that has the S baffle chamber to keep it quiet and efficient ! Thanks !

[@jimbeaver27]

I have an original Webasto diesel heater and just rebuilt it, it is not that hard and parts are cheap. It works great and it's all I need. I also use an electric blanket for sleeping, when I can turn the diesel heater to low and hardly hear it.

[@RonTarr-l9o]

I actually love the noise of the RG furnace, I have a loud fan running for when the furnace kicks off

[@Cacheola]

#1 Kimberly woodstove, #2 oil heater - super efficient and nice radiant quiet heat. Heed the manufacturers recommendations with heatpumps operating at sub 0. If they don't have a defrost cycle, you can freeze em up and potentially cause damage.

[@josephharrell5724]

Another nicely done and informative video! My take away is that the RV furnace that comes in an RV is hard to beat especially if it also heats the underbelly. We use the electric space heater when temps are above freezing but turn it off to let the furnace heat the underbelly and basement when freezing. The only disadvantage I see to the propane furnace is that it uses propane that may be scarce in some situations and uses some 12V power but we have that covered. As far as camping in extreme temperatures; some full timers may find that hard to avoid but I find Florida and Arizona to be good solutions. Otherwise I winterize the RV and stay home.

[@xXRenaxChanXx]

Another option that doesn't get discussed much is that some RV AC units have the option of installing a heat-strip or other type of heating-element. Although they're usually only designed for chilly weather, not extreme below zero cold. They basically turn your AC unit into a 1500watt space heater. (Or 5200BTU)

[@Apollyon67]

Would the electric strip heat help reduce the humidity from a propane heater? Also, why don't the RV dealers ask the furnace makers to have an "on" setting for use when you use an alternative heat source to keep the wetbay heated?

[@randybobandy9828]

May as well stick with a space heater. I bought my 1500w heaters for $12 each lol.

[@xXRenaxChanXx]

@@Apollyon67 I honestly have no idea. I just know they exist.

[@mondavou9408]

Thanks for sharing. I didn't know they existed.

[@goud2488]

Are you talking about a heat pump?

[@robinrapport8728]

good information. In my fifth wheel in the front bay for the lithium batteries, I use a small radiant oil heater, which does a really good job and then I also have a larger, radiant oil heater that I use when I am plugged in at campgrounds, the Mr. buddy heater is great for taking the chill off in the morning in the living room. I was thinking about using a diesel heater to heat just the underbelly of the RV to warm it up more

[@Big.Ron1]

Thank you. It froze a few nites ago here in the NW outskirts of Phoenix. It didn't stay cold enough for long enough to hurt anything here but out in the open desert away from the city it got brisk. Thank you and be safe.

[@xrbe_cheetah]

For people that are leaving their camper where it is at a lake lot or something like that you could get a 9000-12000 BTU mini split that runs of the standard 115v from your hook up

[@PaulMercier-k4k]

We use the Big buddy heater while winter camping during hunting season. We always have a window opened and one vent opened and have never had an issue. We have two fire and CO2 detectors in the trailer and have never had an issue. The heater has kept this 31foot older travel trailer warn at minus 25C in the Canadian Rockies. At this temp, we use about 25LB of propane over the weekend. We supplement the buddy heater with the trailer heater, but at this temp, the furnace will will empty two 35LB bottles in two days. Lots of moisture on the windows, but that happens with the furnace as well, it's just a fact of life when camping at ultra low temps. Also be aware when cold camping using gas fridge, NEVER use your gas fridge below minus 7C, it will destroy your fridge.

[@yooperdog]

We have used Dickinson marine heater in two of our rigs and love it.

[@TheoCrossen]

Thanks for the information. I'm looking into buying a Travel Tailer to go camping with the family. You covered all the ways that I was figuring I was going about heating it more efficiently.

[@wally1957]

I use a wood stove for heat in my RV and love it. I have tried propane heaters in the past and the moisture was so bad that it ruined my roof. The moisture loosened the glue in the OSB board which fell apart. Water was actually dripping down the interior of the walls and soaking the carpet. I will never use propane inside! I also use an electric radiator heater up in the bedroom and keep it only on low setting.

[@gregpatey6355]

the standard rv furnace can be made about 30% more efficient just by SEALING the distribution manifold with foil ducting tape.... also, straightening out and shortening (as needed) the duct tubing will help a lot, as manufactures like to use a lot more than is necessary and just wad it up behind the access panel and call it an "install well done".... the fan in these RV furnace units run fast and blows reasonably hard, but due to the resistance of the many feet of corrugated flexible duct lines they use, a LOT of the heated air escapes thru the many small joints and cracks in the manifold, which then gets sucked back in to the furnace intake to be heated again, and blown out to start the cycle all over again..... the only heated air that gets pushed out to the registers/vents is what can get blown thru the resistive duct tube at the lower pressure in the manifold due to the leakage AT the manifold... ducting with a smooth inner wall is 50% more efficient than the standard flexible mylar foil ducting is, BUT, sealing the gaps in the furnace manifold can offer an average of 30% more efficient heating throughout the RV than it does without being sealed.... anyone who questions if their system has leaks, just take a piece of tissue paper and hold it by its corner and move it slowly around the distribution manifold while the furnace is running, and you will quickly know if you have leaks... or use a lit candle and watch the flame get blown out from the escaping air....

[@vincebotkin1960]

I use a portable oil radiator heater from Home Depot. Heats the room up great with radiating heat. When not in use , I store it under the bed on its side.

[@deniceloes1552]

Caught electrical outlet on fire in my camper

[@risbill1]

Our big buddy saved us during some below freezing nights when our furnace stopped working. I do agree not running it while you sleep though.

[@lisablake4237]

I live full time in a 33ft Class A, 1994 Fleetwood Bounder here in Alaska. Yes, I said Alaska. Right now we are knee deep in winter, so the RV isn't moving. I haul in water, and to heat my rolling Palace, I use 2, 12V heaters, one near th front and the other in my bedroom. These two heaters keep things barely above freezing, but I also have a Cubic Mini wood burning stove and a Mr. Buddy heater. With Mr. Buddy I use 3 5 gallon propane tanks. So when its 1degree outside, my RV is 72. So that's how I do it. I don't use the on coach systems due to having to drive it, but, during the winter I'm stationary so things are different. I have removed the toilet for a composting toilet.

[@ThePackDad]

We prefer the radiant (radiator type) space heaters (1500w) inside at about $60. We rarely need to use the propane when we have electric for the space heater. Turn it on early to warm things up. I also have 2" foam inserts I cut for ceiling vents and Reflectex for the larger windows. I've also cranked my radiant heater as hight as I use it, then laid it on its side on a piece of carpet and some balsa wood to test. No damage. That's my experience and damage may still occur. Be safe.

[@bobbliss9607]

We were taking a break and was surfing KZbin and came across you RV session. Nicely done, good video and very informatative. We went to your web site and found more.

[@C10sRule]

Use the furnace. I winter camp as low as -30 C. (-22F). It’s simple, effective, not finicky, really not that loud, is really set & forget and the heat gets where it needs to be if you have a 4 season unit. Solar more than makes up for the draw on the battery and if you are camping for really long terms and 2 x 30 lb tanks aren’t enough, get a 100 lb unit and haul it in the tow vehicle. If you live where forced air heating is used in homes, I guess for some people, that’s noisy too, but for those of us that are used to it, it’s white noise, so is the furnace in the RV as well.

[@bobknob8440]

Do you carry a 100 lbs tank in your tow vehicle? I've been considering this when traveling to cold areas to camp with family. Any issues traveling state lines when carrying it?

[@mainelivin3699]

I have a 24ft rv on my property in Maine I have a buddy blue flame 30,000btu thermostat control and fan so it kicks on and off as needed a tank of propane last twice as long as my rv heater keeps me nice and toasty no matter how cold it is and no noise

[@terryt2910]

Well done, and thank you. There has been a lot of negative press about Buddy and electric space heaters. There are safe heaters, in spite of what you may have heard, IF you use them correctly.

[@P_RO_]

So true. Where most people go wrong is having combustibles too close to there (especially above them) and not understanding how to use electrical circuits. The Amp rating of a circuit is a maximum and meant to only be sustained for a short time; in full-time use only 80% of the max load is safe and anything more is an overload even though that doesn't trip the breaker. A 1500W heater is a 13A load which is the max full-time load for a 15A circuit, so it's safe only if there's nothing else on that circuit. It's screwy to rate circuits like this and hardly known about unless you're an electrician.

[@88corinutza]

We have a Pioneer 21.5 seer 12,000 btu mini split heat pump on the tongue of our TT and it heated down to 10 degrees no problem

[@88corinutza]

9 months later and the mini split has been AWESOME currently 30 outside and 76 inside

[@marianneburgher4177]

The best alternative source we found for our class c is an oil radiator. No flame great heat !

[@robertaviles8451]

Watching during a 27°f night! I have 2 electric heaters going right now in my travel trailer - One in the bunk room. The other in the master. I try to make my propane last for the water heater. I do use the rv furnace only in the morning - just to make it more bearable for Mom and the dogs.

[@safisher83]

I'm in the process of adding 2 of the 5kw diesel heaters in my 2022 valor toyhauler right now. Love those little things. Built a mount for a 10" round fuel tank, holds about 13.5 gallons.

[@FelipeAdventures]

Great video! I really liked how you started talking about efficiency and cost of use of the RV furnace, but then you stopped talking about that and went more into safety and how you use it and that is amazing and great info. However, it would be really cool if you talked about efficiency and cost of use on all of them. I know that is extremely hard specifically since most of the heaters you mentioned have different applications. I think the information that most full-timers that are in cold environments are looking for is How to keep pipes from freezing and inside warm the cheapest! At least that is the info I'm looking for! 😆 I hope I was not negative towards your work into this video, it was great info! Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[@mgkleym]

The electric heaters are all 100% efficient. The heat pump is around 300% "efficient" since its moving heat instead of directly converting electricity to heat. The diesel heater should be similar to the propane furnace. The unvented propane heaters are technically 100% efficient, but in practice you're losing more heat than you would normally because you have to crack a window so it's mostly a wash vs the forced air furnace. The main advantage for them is zero electrical usage. If you have shore power it's usually cheaper to run resistive heaters than use hydrocarbon fuels. Heat pump is way cheaper since your getting around 3 watts of heat for every 1 watt of electricity you use

[@marciabrainard9837]

Watched for info on catalytic heater you mentioned many times but did not deliver any info, ?….?….

[@FelipeAdventures]

@@mgkleym thank you for that information!

[@martysk8r]

11:22 Good info. Just to emphasize and a bit simplified: All fuels, no matter how clean burning, combine carbon (C) with oxygen (O) and put out carbon-monoxide (CO) which can suffocate you - Be sure to leave a window or vent open with the inside, non-vented heaters.

[@mattangerman8810]

I have the rec pro ac heat pump in my garage. It goes it get installed the first week of January. We can’t wait !

[@Erical65]

We love our electric fireplace! It’s getting a lot of use in AZ this year. Brrr

[@donnaevans7]

Would it do pretty good for a 32 foot or would be need to supplement?

[@reddragonrvlife8469]

The downside of using heaters other than the furnace in sub zero temps is that the furnace thermostat will see that the RV is warm enough and not kick in, this can be a problem if it also heats your pipes underneath to stop them freezing, unless you also install a heater down there as shown in the video.

[@webe1959]

Good video. Didn't hear this mentioned in the video nor did I see in the comments, I didn't read them all..... Anyway heat pump we had was a couple of years ago and those made today may work better now but ours did not work well below 40 degrees. Also, heat pump does not provide heated air in the belly areas so water pipes and tanks may freeze. Just be aware of this issue. Also, there are electric elements that can be installed in the some A/C units. Not all A/C units have this feature. Again, these do not heat the under belly areas but do provide heat at any outside temperature.

[@BottomleyAdventures]

Our home heat pump can still run effectively at 15 degrees F or above, though I know some can't go that low. Obviously, it's less efficient at that temperature than higher temperatures, but it is still more efficient than resistive electric heat.

[@jimegan7077]

I have a three season bumper pull toy hauler. There is a lot of open space at the back of the trailer and the furnace vents are mainly at the front. The coldest I've camped is -8°F (as observed when I woke up in the morning). I use the on-board propane furnace as my primary heat source. It does a good job. The downsides are that it really dries out the air and goes through a lot of propane. I tried my Mr Heater Big Buddy, but the odor was just too much. Plus, the moisture was excessive. Every window was iced over. As an emergency fallback, I would have no problem with it. I often have sufficient solar production during the day - even in the winter (1280 watts of PV) - that after the batteries are topped off I run a 400 watt space heater off of the inverter. It helps enough that the furnace doesn't have to run as much during the day. Should I get into a situation where I need to run my onboard generator, I crank up two 1500 watt space heaters to use up the excess watts that aren't being used to charge the 560 Ah LiFePO4 battery bank. Since it's only a three season trailer, I have done a lot of work to insulate where I can. The cargo door gets 2" rigid foam insulation on the inside and every window gets 3/4 rigid foam insulation cut to fit the window frame. All the roof vents are insulated. The fresh water tank is insulated to R-20 with layers of rigid foam. The front wall was rebuild due to delamination and the insulation was significantly upgraded. I use a heavy vinyl skirt around the entire trailer to keep the wind out. This alone is a significant upgrade, but it's expensive and not a lot of fun to setup/remove/store. I hear good things about the Webasto diesel heaters. But at the elevation and temperature I operate at, there is concern about gelled fuel. The easy solution is to use diesel #1 all the time.

[@Tsch6373]

Our motorcoaches had Webasto engine preheaters on them. I'm going back to the 80s, a timer was set for it to start 15 minutes before the bus was to leave the depot. When the engine was started, the coolant was hot and there was full coach heat available. Not sure how this would work in a TT/RV application. But my experience is from 40 years ago.

[@chateauski2176]

Great article. We do winter camping in our Lance 960 truck camper which uses the Truma Combi system. It is a furnace with a water heater combined in one unit so it saves weight. We have been in -40 weather these past few days and the truck camper is staying warm and it heats up the tanks and pipes below as well. The Truma is very quiet and efficient. It works well for us. Lance is impressed too and will be using Truma products in all their RVs starting in 2023. It will be interesting to see who else switches over... Keep up the great work. Steve

[@SlightlyDirtbag]

Do you have any additional insulation on your piping??? -40 is very impressive to get down to and have everything function still

[@chateauski2176]

@@SlightlyDirtbag Noting extra. The Lance is a four seasons camper so we are testing it. 😎 It has pex pipes and lots of insulation. The furnace does keep the basement heated as well as the living space. At -40 we do find a campground where we can plug in which helps a lot. So far so good.

[@SlightlyDirtbag]

@@chateauski2176 whats the camper rated down to? for instance, the cougar is a four season but it's only rated down to 0.

[@chateauski2176]

@@SlightlyDirtbag No rating as far as I am aware. Lance just lists it as a 4 season camper. Good for us so far down to -40 which is great since it is the same in C or F.

[@godrulesme8619]

*Incredible teaching on his videos as always!* - Thank you!

[@bearco.propertymaintenance6399]

I live north of the 49° so please remember we're not all on °F so °60 something means nothing to a lot of us, but otherwise love the BTU to Watt it's great thanks for the overall knowledge in your video. And to conclude I understand it's about 8% water for propane per lb.

[@b.s.g.1586]

I use a Kerosene heater, it puts out lots of heat, kerosene/diesel is relatively cheap per hour, I set a small fan above it (not on it) to circulate the air & it keeps my RV toasty warm. I don't rin it while I'm sleeping but it says it can be used at night, soooo ......... ? As with propane I keep a window cracked open to supply fresh air & let CO out

[@Infernotaco15]

I like the heat pump information! Didnt know that was a thing 😊 Also, furrion has just developed mini spits made for RV'S!! 40% more efficient.

[@thomaspearce7704]

Excellent, Jared, as usual! I really like the Xtreme Heater. I have had one for a couple of years in my front storage area with my LIPO4 batteries. It has a set temp range on it, and I thought it was too warm (Kicks on at 48-50f I believe). So I hooked it up with a temp controller and set it to 38f. Works great! Excellent heater for this specific purpose. I’m glad you mentioned it.

[@W101NFM01]

killer video. I was gonna skip but super glad I didn't. my rv furnace went out and I need some help figuring out what to use

[@jwp2166]

I'm always impressed with your wealth of knowledge and your gift of being able to communicate that so clearly. Yet another excellent and very helpful video. Thanks.

[@mondavou9408]

Jared, you did a great job on this one. I have used all the same stuff, come up with similar numbers and have similar opinions. Now when people ask me, I can just send them this video. :-)

[@dennislynton7706]

Nice review, the diesel cab heaters have come along way. Lavaner is now making some more high end units that stand up to the Webasto bench mark units. I use these heaters in Co at high altitude. For me it is all about reducing the propane consumption an fan noise.

[@Neveragain1111-r4y]

How high of altitude?

[@dennislynton7706]

@@Neveragain1111-r4y normally around 8000 feet. Rabbit Ears pass snowmobiling. Been a cold winter -10 at night or lower with wind chill. Propane furnace runs but not very much. One heater in the RV another in sled trailer.

[@larrytanton5787]

Yeah we have the Thermoking in our semi trucks they put a lot of heat out but do have to be rebuilt overtime from carbon buildup inside em then when i get up in higher elevations it has problems and will not work.

[@horizon42q]

Good one. Lots of information My Motorhome has 45,000 BTU Aquahot and 1800 watt Electric fireplace. Keeps us warm. 20 amp circuit. 43ft, 400 sq ft. Diesel RV with giant slide outs. Heat pump for in my RV limit is about 45f.

[@al1here]

Try this electric heater, Newair 1500 watt ceramic compact. Keeps my trailer nice and warm. I don't use propane too much. Ebay for $95.00.

[@davidgates1122]

My RV furnace is also 28,000 BTU, but it is over 95 percent efficient. I upgraded my 12 volt system to be able to use it off grid.

[@Clint3029]

Outstanding intro about heat sources!

[@AdventureRocks]

Thanks for tip on that extreme RV compartment heater unit. Have not seen that one before.

[@johnuppole]

Something I don't think you mentioned was the RV Comfort System's CheapHeat 30/50 amp heat strip that is a add-on unit to the original forced air propane furnace

[@davidchrismer]

Usually the heat pump cuts out at 37 degrees outdoor, ductless mini-splits can go down to -13 degrees outdoor

[@bethmerrill305]

Good choice in coach! Cheers, from my 320MKS and I

[@mattbfarmer]

Interested in hearing how you installed the "mid" roof top A/C unit!!!!!!!

[@SEANRMZ]

I see them solar panels cant wait to see the build, thanks for all your great content sean from montreal, florida for now

[@TomandLoriRVLife]

What an awesome video! By far the most comprehensive one out there that's really easy to understand!

[@AllAboutRVs]

Thanks!

[@JohnBoling-n2n]

I would’ve liked to hear more information on the Olympian heaters

[@GirdHerd]

Jared, A very informative video. Regarding the diesel air heater, most of the time your heater will be running on Low or Medium heat mode. Turn the heater to High and let it run for a couple of minutes before turning it off to help prevent soot build up in the chamber. Also, a few of the diesel air heaters on the market have an automatic elevation adjustment feature so you don't have to manually adjust the thermostat.

[@DeepDoseMusic]

Ok I'm just spit balling here, and it's a bit of a tangent, but I always wondered if there was a way to use that wasted heat from the RV furnace exhaust. Wouldn't want it used inside the cab at all, and wouldn't want to create a fire hazard, but what if it was routed underneath the RV to keep the holding tanks warm in some way? Just brainstorming but would love to hear any feedback. It's a lot of wasted heat energy

[@aaronsexton6434]

Thank you I have never heard of the extreme heater but I’m going to buy one

[@kentrichardson9070]

Noise. Not sure if you mentioned it but a small space heater is directional with a small footprint but noisy. An oil filled radiator is quiet but a large footprint and instructions say to have minimal clearance around them. Also efficiency is a relative term. Cost to the consumer is what I would deem efficient. A wood stove may not be as efficient as a gas furnace but might cost nothing. I live in Canada.cheers.

[@somedayistodayrv]

Great video topic for this time of year. Your videos are always very informative and helpful, so thank you! Take care all and "stay warm", Dave.