Efficient elect htr for bedroom

[dsprik]

We have a 3400 and I am toying with the idea of getting a small heater for the bedroom for when we make our trek back up north this spring. We will have probably one cold month before it gets recreationally tolerable up there.

We will have a 30 amp hookup, so I would need to have something with minimal amp pull and max heating capacity. Please let me know your recommendations. Also, where are you guys placing any bedroom heaters? I know many MOCers use them.

I will need the furnace on some nights up there as it most likely will still have a few subfreezing punches left in May in N. MI. I am thinking of the ~32 to 50 nights. Anything warmer than that we run without heat.

Thanks in advance...

[bsmeaton]

Dave,

I bought a small ceramic for the bedroom, but on this 3400 that is the hottest room in the house. I've never put the heater up there, and still wake up in a sweat most of the time. I ended up running it in the kitchen at night for the kids if they are on the floor.

I guess if you're running without the furnace on cold nights that might be different.

[bncinwv]

Ditto Brad on the kitchen heater. On really cold nights we have put the space heater in front of the bathroom door on the floor using the electric outlet at the stairs in addition to another one in the kitchen facing the rear of the rig. Either of these units are usually on the lowest settings (wattage and thermostat). We are anxious to see how much the heat strip on the 2nd AC helps this year, will know this weekend since I believe the nights are supposed to still be in the 30's for a while.
Bingo

[H. John Kohl]

We have the fire place and use a 1500 watt ceramic heater powered off the washer outlet. As stated we have to close the sliding door to the bedroom about an hour before bed time to cool down the bedroom. We shut the electric heaters off at night and set the furnace at 55. That is my cushion to protect the tanks and water lines.
I also blocked 3/4 of the bedroom register cut the heat up there.
Good luck.

[Ozz]

I use a small ceramic heater with a thermostat, sit on top of the dresser by the window, leave the setting on 65. We use the heater I installed in from Granger's downstairs, have it set on low. I haven't even fired my propane heater up this winter. And yes it has been in the high 50's here a time or two.
I know when you are in freezing temperatures, you will need the propane, but you can shut off the bedroom air register and just use the ceramic. We like it cold at night, just depends on your comfort zone.
You do have to keep the tanks and lines warm under the unit, so your heat regulation should keep this in mind.

[Parrothead]

When it is really cold, we set the little heater on the floor next to the bathroom door plugged into the outlet by the sink. It is on low and angled just a little towards the bathroom door. This helps to heat the bathroom since we always leave the vent open in there.
Happy trails..................

[dsprik]

Thanks, everyone for the ideas. I forgot to mention that I do run my elect fireplace and leave the bedroom door halfway open. On cooler nights, it still gets too cold - especially on the front side of the bedroom, next to the closet, where I sleep.

So a 1500 watt ceramic heater maybe on the dresser might work? I would like to put it down on the floor there, under the TV, but I am afraid that I would trip over it...

[HughM]

David, If you get a ceramic heater make sure its a digital controlled heater. No guessing what the temp will be when it cuts off. I picked one up from Home Depot for $17 at a end of season special.
Mine goes on the dresser in the bedroom if its in the 30's for a low. If not then it goes on the kitchen counter.
I've been very satisfied with the results.
Hugh

[Ozzie]

Many of these ceramic heaters also have the 750 watt (low) setting.
That does help quite a bit when using two. For us, I picked up a small oil filled panel heater that only draws 400 watts. I haven't had much chance to use it yet, but it is for the bath and bedroom area, which doesn't need as much as I feel will be a better match for us.

[Trailer Trash 2]

I have noticed that if you have the frig,wat/heater,micro,tv,coffee pot, all going at the same time you will pop a main.
Sooooooo I have decided to add a seperate 30 amp Sub Pannel in my trailer to run the electric heaters only, seperate from the trailer wiring and install two sets of plugs for them, and not have to worry about poping a braker, it seems that the service box or power tower the RV park has 2 15 amp plugs, a 30, and a 50 I'll run the trailer on the 50 and the sub on the 30.
It should work very good.

[Exnavydiver]

I think that the reason the 3400rls and the 340RLQ Big Sky bedrooms are always so warm is that the living room/ kitchen ceilings slope up and forward and all the heat in the living room migrates up to the bedroom. We haven't had to use the furnace but a few times this winter. We just use the fireplace set for 64 and then take the chill off in the morning with the furnace... Dave and Betsy

[OntMont]

At many campgrounds, the power post has multiple outlets, one of which is probably a 15 or 20 amp outlet. You can, with care, run an extension cord out beside the slideout and have an independent source of power for an electric heater. I don't really like doing this, although it works well enough, I think I will wire in an extra power line that can be pluged in. Anyway, we have been doing this with a 1500 watt Calore heater from Wal-Mart. It has two heat settings and we use whichever seems appropriate for the conditions. We always leave it on top of the kitchen stove top with the ceiling fan on in the downward flow position. Usually we have our back window open a little and the bedroom roof vent open, this is supposed to make for enough air flow to ventilate the trailer, control humidity, and keep the bedroom moderately warm.

(To answer you original question about efficiency, all electric heaters are 100% efficient. Every watt they use is converted into heat, its just the laws of physics).

[richfaa]

Dave...walk a couple campers up and I will show you what we got..Draws 9 amps low..13 amps high.

[dsprik]

I'll do that, Rich. I was at Walmart today and I found a 1500w ceramic heater for $18.50 Two settings (750w) with a thermostat. I take it ALL ceramic heaters are equal??? None that I need to be cautious of?

[Army Guy]

Dave, I can't say all ceramic heaters are the same or not but I prefer them. We have one on our dresser where the light used to be aimed at DW side of the bed. It is on a timer set to go off about 30 minutes prior to us getting up. This takes the chill off the bedroom in the morning. We winter in Kansas so it does get a little cool here. That works best for us. I don't keep the elect heat on at night as I want the propane heater to work through the night.

[dsprik]

Thanks, Rick!

[garyka]

I do the same thing H.John Kohl does.

[deerrahn]

Dave-Did you ever try one of the electric mattress pad. It is like an electric blanket except it goes on the mattress. They usually run around $140-$160. We got ours on sale at Penny's for $40. A Good Deal.. Nice to accompany the little ceramic heater on those real cool nights.

[JimF]

We put a ceramic heater on a flip up shelf on the end of the dresser in our 3400. Works great, can point it at the wife and it doesn't heat me up. Set it on low (750 watt).

Made the flip up shelf, modeled after the flip up bedroom tv tables in tag alongs. Got the hinges at the rv dealer for $6.00 and used some left over oak for the shelf.