Propane Usage

[DanandBrenda]

I am wondering how much propane people use that are full-timers. We just started full time about 3 months ago. Not sure what to expect this winter. Using about 24 gallons a week right now. We are in Washington State in the northwest.
Thanks, Dan

[glb1950]

Don't have an answer for you because we use our propane only in an emergency. It causes too much condensation in the trailer and that ain't good. We use a couple of oil filled radiator heaters in the main part, in conjunction with the electric fire place and in the bathroom we have a very small space heater. Works for us.

[AZ Traveler]

Dan,

It will vary quite a bit depending on what temp you keep the rig at, what the outside temp is and what other heat sources you are using.

If you are primarily staying in campgrounds with electric power you can save a lot of propane with a couple of ceramic electric heaters and using your fireplace. You want to use some furnace on nights below 20 deg to keep pipes from freezing.

[rohrmann]

In 2013, we were parked north of Kansas City with temps in the teens over night and daytime below freezing, and we were using a 7 gallon cylinder every two days, so that would be about 24 gallons a week. Not sure what your temps are, but it would have to be very cold to use that much propane. We keep our thermostat at 68 degrees during the day, turn it down to 65 at night.

[Creeker]

Originally Posted by DanandBrenda

Using about 24 gallons a week right now.

Wow! That's nearly $350 per month at our current propane prices here.

[DadsHemi]

During the summer we don’t use any propane, winter will very pending the out side temps. Last year during January and especially February in the -12 degrees we were in I would use about 30lb bottle every 3 days. I carry 2 extra 30lb bottles all the time because of the cold weather. When temps are 34 and above the Heat pump and fire place do a good job on keeping it warm.

I keep a small ceramic heater in the basement on low 750w and it helps down there by not relying on the propane heater to keep water line from freezing and helps supplement the propane heater when we do use it as well as keeping our bedroom floor warm.

Everyone had there style and pending where you frequent the most you will find what works the best for you.

[Montana Man]

If you are staying put a while perhaps a local gas company could set you up with a large temporary tank. Not sure if the price would be better or not but it would certainly be convenient.

[rames14]

Dan, lots of good answers here. As what others have said, it will depend on three things - outside temperature, where you set the thermostat and what auxiliary heat sources you use. When we’re not paying separate for electric, we use our fireplace and a Dyson heater in the bedroom. If it is very cold (below 20 or so) you want your furnace to run to keep the tanks and water lines from freezing. The other thing we have is an electric blanket which allows us to lower the thermostat. Best of luck.

[DanandBrenda]

The problem with running electric heaters is we only have 30-amp power. The cord gets warm if we run the fireplace very long.

[R.S.O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by DanandBrenda

I am wondering how much propane people use that are full-timers. We just started full time about 3 months ago. Not sure what to expect this winter. Using about 24 gallons a week right now. We are in Washington State in the northwest.
Thanks, Dan

We're full timers as well. Using roughly 7 gallons a week with overnight temps in the mid 20's to mid 30's. Our heat and AC ran a lot more before I discovered a panel missing behind the "convenience center". I also foamed all the frame holes paying especial attention the the J channel at the rear as the frame underneath doesn't go all the way to the back wall. Also made removable seals for the slide cylinders. The difference is remarkable.

If you do you get your rig as tight as ours you'll have to operate the slides with a door or big window open to allow for air equalization or the slide seals will buss like a kazoo. I put a reminder beside our slide switches so as to not forget. Scared the crap out of me the first time it did it.

https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...08#post1239008

[DutchmenSport]

We will use one 30 pound tank of propane all Summer, (or less), as we always have electric hook-up (camping and at home), and run the water heater on electric.

However, in the winter (and we use the camper almost all winter), we will go through a 30 pound tank in 2 days when the temperatures get to about 20 degrees or less. When we hit that level of usage, we move back into the house, it's just too costly.

One thing I did about a year ago, was to seal tight all the underbelly chloroplast so there are no air gaps. I pumped about 20 or more tubs of caulking all around the gaps (and there were many), that allowed air to blow right into the underbelly, under the upper level floor, and behind the wall in the front pass-through. After I did that, several things happened (all for the better).

1. Drafts on the lower level stopped. You know, those cold drafts you feel on your feet, which is actually coming from the furnace return grate located in the steps going to the upper level. That is not sealed at all as the furnace return is actually on the furnace, and pulls from both the vent in the steps AND from the underbelly as a return for the heat system to keep pipes and sewer lines from freezing.

2. Because the drafts stopped, and the furnace wasn't sucking new air from all the gaps in the underbelly exposed to the outside, the return of the furnace is now actually returning recirculated air, and NOT pulling new air from outside. The result: The furnace runs a lot less, and the camper stays a lot warmer.

3. Because the gaps are sealed up now, the air conditioner does not run as much either, and the camper is actually cooler in the Summer.

4/ And the temperature between the upper level and the bottom level of the fifth wheel isn't so different either any more. (both heat and cold).

When I started sealing up those gaps under the trailer, I thought to myself, "Wow, this is going to be costly." I kept going back to the hardware store for more caulking, and more, and more.

But the end result has saved A LOT more now than my initial pay out for the caulking, especially when running my furnace.

[bcrvman]

Originally Posted by DanandBrenda

I am wondering how much propane people use that are full-timers. We just started full time about 3 months ago. Not sure what to expect this winter. Using about 24 gallons a week right now. We are in Washington State in the northwest.
Thanks, Dan

We are going through 120G a month. We are north of you but near the ocean so temps here rarely get as low as freezing although we are having a few cold days now. We are on Vancouver Island about mid way. I keep thermostat at 66 to 68 in the day and 62 at night. We augment with the 5,000 BTU electric fireplace. My tank regulator leaks and a replacement is impossible to find so far. But it's still listed on Amazon so maybe I will get it (actually ordered 2 so I have a spare) Your usage sounds normal.

[Gunny B]

We were in Dallas during some freezing temps back in the eighties and felt like we were going through a bottle every other day. We ended up using two oil space heaters the next time it got cold. Kept tripping breakers plugging both into the trailers outlets so we ran an extension cord at the pedestal and up through a compartment under the booth seating. After a few days we had icicles hanging from the vents and we had a layer of ice on the windows inside.

[bcrvman]

Originally Posted by Gunny B

We were in Dallas during some freezing temps back in the eighties and felt like we were going through a bottle every other day. We ended up using two oil space heaters the next time it got cold. Kept tripping breakers plugging both into the trailers outlets so we ran an extension cord at the pedestal and up through a compartment under the booth seating. After a few days we had icicles hanging from the vents and we had a layer of ice on the windows inside.

We have a Montana so don't get any condensation on the windows, they are factory installed Thermopane. We get a little on the front safety glass panorama window so I ru a small 400W heater pointed against it to remove the water.

[hookseter]

I'm in tri-cities, been full time for about 4 years. I go through about 100 gallons in about 1 month

[hookseter]

What is your thermostat normally set at? I run 70 during the day and 65 at night.

[Dan50]

Originally Posted by glb1950

Don't have an answer for you because we use our propane only in an emergency. It causes too much condensation in the trailer and that ain't good. We use a couple of oil filled radiator heaters in the main part, in conjunction with the electric fire place and in the bathroom we have a very small space heater. Works for us.

Electric will not keep the plumbing from freezing.

[DougVelting]

We have been full time in NJ for 6 months, hitting the road 2nd week of January.
The temps here this past month have ranged from 20 to 60.

We are going through a 40 pound bottle every 2 weeks in a 381TH.
We cook on the propane.
We have the water heater set to propane & electric so we can actually take a 10 minute shower.
We also have the thermostat set to 68, 24 hours a day.

We are planning on being full time at least the next 2 years, so we did spend a few bucks to do some upgrades, but in the long run we feel they will be worth it in cost savings or not having to refill every few days, which so far just not having to refill the bottle every 4 or 5 days has been worth it.

First we went around and found every air leak we could and stuff insulation in it, they are everywhere, behind cabinets, around pipes etc.
Then we added the frost king shrink window plastic on every window screen to improve the thermal value of the windows. This lets the radiant heat from the sun in during the day, and the furnace almost never kicks on in the day time.

We also add a delonghi convection panel heater in the kitchen (center or our rig).
It is SILENT on ECO mode, and if the temp dips because it got really cold over night the unit auto turns the fan on for faster heating, and it has been fantastic at helping and doesn't draw a lot of power.

We also made a cubby in the basement for the furnace so its pulling most of the air from the inside stair vents instead of the belly. that alone cut the furnace run time in half.
With all of this stuff done our furnace will kick on once an hour to hour and a half when its in the 20s, and it only runs for about 3 minutes.

We have had all of this done the last 6 weeks, and the usage has been pretty consistent, with only one time getting 11 days out of a tank instead of 14.

My wife decided to bake cookies for the entire campground and was using the stove literally all day long, but that's been the only thing that has changed our usage.

[bcrvman]

Originally Posted by DougVelting

We have been full time in NJ for 6 months, hitting the road 2nd week of January.
The temps here this past month have ranged from 20 to 60.

We are going through a 40 pound bottle every 2 weeks in a 381TH.
We cook on the propane.
We have the water heater set to propane & electric so we can actually take a 10 minute shower.
We also have the thermostat set to 68, 24 hours a day.

We are planning on being full time at least the next 2 years, so we did spend a few bucks to do some upgrades, but in the long run we feel they will be worth it in cost savings or not having to refill every few days, which so far just not having to refill the bottle every 4 or 5 days has been worth it.

First we went around and found every air leak we could and stuff insulation in it, they are everywhere, behind cabinets, around pipes etc.
Then we added the frost king shrink window plastic on every window screen to improve the thermal value of the windows. This lets the radiant heat from the sun in during the day, and the furnace almost never kicks on in the day time.

We also add a delonghi convection panel heater in the kitchen (center or our rig).
It is SILENT on ECO mode, and if the temp dips because it got really cold over night the unit auto turns the fan on for faster heating, and it has been fantastic at helping and doesn't draw a lot of power.

We also made a cubby in the basement for the furnace so its pulling most of the air from the inside stair vents instead of the belly. that alone cut the furnace run time in half.
With all of this stuff done our furnace will kick on once an hour to hour and a half when its in the 20s, and it only runs for about 3 minutes.

We have had all of this done the last 6 weeks, and the usage has been pretty consistent, with only one time getting 11 days out of a tank instead of 14.

My wife decided to bake cookies for the entire campground and was using the stove literally all day long, but that's been the only thing that has changed our usage.

VERY impressive. Now I will look at the possibility of getting the furnace to only use cabin air but since mine is installed in the basement wide open it will be a challenge. Electric heaters are not magic, if it plugs into a 120V receptacle it is likely rated at 1500W (12.5A x 120V) which is 5,118 BTU/Hr. With the unit that tight, how is the condensation? We discovered areas under the bed that were bad so added 4 USB powered 3" fans to circulate the air.

[DougVelting]

When the rv gets cold enough for it to come out of ECO mode and kick the fan on, then its on high, but its got some smart thermostat that auto adjusts the power its using depending on how well it is keeping up with the temps inside.

Condensation honestly hasnt been too bad. Little bit on the bottoms of the windows that usually burns off within an hour of the sun coming up.

Our big headache is the giant front cap panoramic window. that thing is ALWAYS getting condensation that wont go away. We recently put 2 small USB type fans blowing on it to try and negate it, not a whole lotta luck, maybe like half as much now.

The furnace cubby was a PITA for us too. It took me around 2 hours or so to get it done because its in the belly and no normal sized human can fit in there easily. was definitely worth the headache tho. Before doing the cubby it would run 6 to 8 minutes each time depending on outside temp.

One side note, ours did have a 2 inch vent tube for the basement that blows hot air in the belly, so if yours doesnt, i would be sure to add it before closing it all in so that you dont end up with an iced up line.