Traveling with heat on

[jwedell]

We'll be traveling from New York to florida this week and would like to keep the heat on as we travel and stay at Walmarts etc. Has anyone done this.

[wingerphil]

yep, I set the thermometer in the mid-upper 50's and headed out. One thing to remember though is to shut it down before fueling up.

Phil

[jwedell]

Excellent point. I don't want the trailer getting to Florida before the truck.

[snfexpress]

Also, your refrigerator as it is on the driver side next to the pumps.

[jjackflash]

This may be a silly question! Why don't you just turn the heater on when you reach your destination every day.
No reason to waste propane.
Jack

[BusyCarol]

We traveled all the way from Billings Montana to Quartzsite Arizona with the tanks running the entire time. We would keep the furnace at 50 degrees and at our last stop before our final destination for the night we would turn it up to 60 so the inside cabin would be comfortable when we had to go to bed. It worked great. While at 50 it kept the underbelly around 38-40. Please keep in mind we did NOT have an option. We were traveling in -8 up to 10 degree weather and didn't want any of our stuff to freeze. Plus if we did not have the heat on the cabin would have taken FOREVER to warm up. Before we left the trailer was 5 degrees inside. To prep we turned the furnace on around 8AM. It took until 2PM to come up to 62degrees. It was never opened and the slides were in. So if you want the trailer to be bearable when you arrive somewhere, and it is cold inside the trailer, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get it warmed up. We went through approximately 2 - 30# tanks in 3 days with severe cold temps. For example our first night was -8 in Idaho Falls our 2nd night was 2 degrees in Cedar City. Someone asked me how we knew what the temps were. We purchased two inexpensive wireless weather centers. We tested their accuracy against our high end weather station at home. They were very accurate. We put one sensor in the pass through and the other in the cabin. Then we kept the monitors in the truck on our way down.

I do not know what the temps are like on your side of the country but hopefully our experience can give you some idea of what you may experience. I think Farmhawk also posted his experiences traveling from Libby MT to Arizona. He shared how much propane he went through too.

Normally we do travel with the propane on because of our fridge although it is not recommended by the fire safety gurus. We just purchased a halon fire safety device for the back of our fridge to deal with a fire if it does start.

Good luck and enjoy your trip! I was born in Jacksonville Florida. I would love to make a trip down there. Where are you headed?

[DQDick]

X2. I make sure the propane is off whenever we move the rig. Tires that let go under the kitchen slide worry me enough (even though it almost never happens) that we keep the tanks closed when moving.

[Art-n-Marge]

If you need the rig along the way and the temps are wicked cold, this is a good idea to keep things warm if you have to stop and don't want to "freeze to the seat" on a stopover if you know what I mean. Plus, it takes less time to heat up a rig when you finally do stop. As the weather warms up during your travels, no sense wasting the furnace if the rig interior isn't gonna get that cold.

I must add the following precaution:

Besides at refueling it is highly recommended you turn off everything if you get to a tunnel! Propane devices left on and if a spark ignition occurs as they try to turn themselves on even with the propane supply turned off, then there's a possibility of an unexpected boom! THIS is why the rule is just to NOT transport with the propane open or any propane devices being left on. If anything sparks to turn itself on and you are in a tunnel or refueling, well, you can imagine the consequences. Tunnel accidents have been known to occur this way and the results are horrifying. Just remember to turn off the propane-using devices (fridge, furnace, oven/stove, water heater, did I miss anything) to eliminate the chances of sparking as they try to turn themselves on.

[1retired06]

If you are doing it because of concerns with water freeze, don't think that will happen while moving on the road, too much movement/vibration to occur unless you are in really really really cold temperatures. We personally do not like running with any hot propane operation. Some do, some don't, personal choice. Having said that, we do on long trips keep the refrigerator on.

[bncinwv]

We run with heat on in the cold, fridge on when on the road, ac on periodically when it is hot (remote in the truck), interior lights on in the dark, and all of this in what can probably be considered a reckless fashion (considering Art's and others posts!). Not a recommendation, just saying "been doing it that way for years!" As a disclaimer, the furry friends do appreciate the troubles we go through for them (they ride back there - probably in a reckless fashion as well). Flame away!! Hee Hee!!
Bingo

[mhs4771]

Two years ago when we left Western NY for Florida we had to plow the Monty out before we could even hook-up. We ran the Furnace at about 50 to keep can good and other items inside from freezing, plus we de-winterized before leaving, so we need a little heat in the belly to keep lines from freezing. Now we leave mid to late October and don't return until late spring. Don't have to worry about freezing.

[pineranch]

Some of the responses begs another thread on travelling with the fridge on.
Mike

[mainer]

We do not travel with the heat on. When we headed south last year (from Maine) in January we had one night in Pa. Had made reservations in a campground which was open, hooked up, put the furnace on, electric fireplace and our electric heater and we were okay. Of course we had flannel sheets and a down comforter for the bed.

Next time I might think of staying the night in a hotel, run the furnace at 50 for the Montana. Next night we are far enough south that it is not a problem.

Of course the best option would be to leave here in November...

[jwedell]

BusyCarol,
This is our schedule,
1week at lazydays
2 weeks at Fort Wilderness (premiun site)
1 week in Wesley Chaple
1 week in Brooksville
2 weeks unassigned so far
And finally the month of April at Treasure Coast in Fort Pirece
Then home to Long Island for a full summer of camping then on to Maberry Campground in North Carolina for more fun

Mainer,
I like the idea of motels up north until the weather warms up heading down, that's what i'll do and leave the propane off and the unit winterized until then.

[Ozz]

We travel with both on, the mix of Propane, or gas fumes necessary for ignition would be so overpowering a person would not be able to stand next to a gas pump, or RV. And usually, the truck in position to fuel has the trailer nowhere near the pumps.
Just my opinion.
I remember the episode of Myth busters where they had a leaky fuel source and ignition device, they had a heck of a time getting the mix of fuel/air to ignite in the experiment, and that was in an enclosed controlled space.