Having coach heater on while driving

[Wheelhouse]

Are there any pros and cons to having the coach heater running while towing in cold weather. I figure it should keep the chill down in the coach so when you stop, it won't be as cold inside as it is outside to get settled in. Also, does having the propane fed water heater on help keep the pipes from freezing? I hate the cold and hate working on a problem outside in it even more. I am pulling all the stops for questions. All helpful tricks and hints welcome. The forum has helped clear a few things for me on winter travel, ty.

[scductman]

Wheelhouse I will turn mine on when we are about 25 miles from our destination that way it will be warm when we get there. I will set the t-stat on about 68 and let it run and have had no problems. I dont run the WH till we get setup it will not help with the lines in my OP you would have to run water for that to make a difference.JMHO
Bobby

[wingerphil]

ditto what Bobby said

[bncinwv]

We travel with the creatures (pets, not children......hmmm, I must admit that would be tempting......)in the rig (crated). If it is hot, the air conditioner is on. If it is cold, the heater is on. The water heater will have little if any effect on keeping the pipes from freezing. The furnace, however, will assist, since there is (should be) a functional duct that runs to the basement area and assists in keeping the pipes somewhat in a climate controlled area. If running the heater, keep an eye on the battery charge state since the furnace blower is 12V and will use up the battery at a pretty good clip. Also keep in mind that the battery disconnect cannot be engaged or the furnace will not fire since the control board is also energized by the battery.
Bingo

[HOOK]

Make yourself happy. Larry

[mhs4771]

When we headed South in Feb is was below freezing so we put the t-stat around 55 to keep things from freezing while on the road. When we stopped for the night, would turn-up the t-stat and turn-on our electric heater also. Worked for us with no probs.

[washley1]

Guess all that is mute point for me unless I just run all day withthose items on. Can't reach the thermostat in our rig unless the slides are out!

[klash]

If you are in an accident and your propane valves are open, I am thinking it is a sure way to get to heaven very quickly. On a less serious note, I am thinking after the bodies are removed and the burned pieces are cleaned up, your next of kin would find that your insurance would be null and void if you were traveling with propane valves open.
I was in the Navy and when we went through the fire fighting mock up, the instructors told us that if a 20 lb tank of propane was admitted into a structure and then a source of ignition was introduced, the resulting explosion had the same effect as 6 sticks of dynamite.
We are heading south on the 24th of October leaving Canada and going to Yuma for the winter. Typically when we get to the campground and we are plugged into 50 amp service, we will put on the propane furnace and flash up the 1,500 watt portable electric heater.
I know many people use propane while in transit, I guess they have been lucky. Some years ago near where we live a serious explosion happened. A gentleman had a camperized van and he was filling up his gas tank and the fridge in the unit was on propane. The flash and explosion blew him back about 50 feet, burned all the hair off his body, and thank goodness the hose and filler nozzle was blown out of the tank. The anti flash fitting inside the filler neck of the tank prevented a total melt down of his van. I am thinking that after this incident this gentleman probably joined a church.
I know that this will cause a lot of negative feedback from RVer's that have been using their propane appliances while in transit. If they have not had an incident, I think they are lucky, but how long will they be lucky.

[bncinwv]

By that reasoning if I am traveling down the road and my propane valves are closed and I get in an accident and the propane valve is broken off in the accident, then I am in the same situation. I further believe that the tanks are equipped with excess flow shut-offs. I would also like to see where an insurance policy prohibits traveling with propane on, does this apply to motor homes as well?? Obviously, there are risks, one of which should be mitigated by not having propane devices on when fueling (this has been discussed many times on the forum and is particularly important when dealing with gasoline engines). As my usual disclaimer, all of this is provided as my opinion only as was the original post, but when you see us going down the road, steer clear, we will always have the fridge on propane, and if it is cold the heater will be on in the rig for the comfort of the dog and cat. I respectfully disagree, but I respect the opinions of those who oppose the practice as well. I am not endorsing the practice, but rather relating our experiences and our habits.
Bingo

[drsmart]

Last year we added one very nice appliance to the trailer for our trip south. A Sunbeam electric mattress pad heater. Each night we stopped, hooked up to electric and turned on the pad heater. Fifteen minutes later, bed and blankets were warm as toast. Once down south, depending on where you are, you can reduce propane and electric heating costs on those occasional cold nights by setting the thermostat night time program several degrees lower. The pad heater uses very little power and each side of the bed can be set to the desired temperature. If the coach isn't pre-heated, the mattress never seams to warm up and draws body heat through the night.
As others have said though, running the furnace during travel is an option and will keep water lines from freezing and everything cozy.

[TAKPAK]

We don't run with the heat on, but we do leave the fridge on. And I never shut off the propane valves, because, as mentioned, they have excess flow cutoffs.

By the same token, I guess you could rationalize leaving them on by thinking of all the delivery trucks and vehicles running around with propane tanks underneath them. They NEVER shut off those valves.

Did anyone ever watch the "Mythbuster" episode where they tried to get a propane tank to blow up? Only way was to cap off ALL the safeties, and deliberately make it blow up. And it WAS hard to do, too.

A friend of mine actually watched a pickup burn up once, but it NEVER exploded. The guy had two propane tanks in the back (truck had a canopy on it). Somehow, a fire got started in some of the sleeping gear. He tried backing the truck down the boat ramp into the lake, but it didn't help. The propane tanks safety vents both melted open, and the propane burned off harmlessly (well, not to the truck) but they never did anything else, and he said the fire got plently hot!!!

Regarding fueling up the "rig" at a station, well, there IS a reason the signs all say "shut off ignition/engine" and "NO SMOKING" before refueling! Gas vapors (any kind) are VERY volitile!

[Bill-N-Donna]

Something happened to us once when we were traveling when we owned an older and a different brand of camper. I’m thinking I had the heater on but I can’t say for certain that I did. What I do remember is that the gas was on. It may have been just for the water heater or to keep the refrigerator going. We stopped at a rest area and after I opened the door I noticed a strong pungent odor. I’m not certain but I believe it may have been a gas smell where the pilot had blown out and it still leaked gas. It didn’t smell like propane though. After this I became very concerned whether or not this was a safe practice.

[mhs4771]

Just think, if everyone and every vehicle traveled with valves closed, those inspectors at tunnels would be out of a job and they wouldn't need to post the signs about closing the valves before entering certian tunnels. We have been traveling with propane on for the fridge for just about forever. As I posted earlier, yes we ran the furnace this past winter when traveling south as the outside temps were well below freezing when we started out so we needed to keep the water lines from freezing. The other option would have been wait until we reached warmer climate then un-winterize, but we wanted to use the rig on our way south. Again, as Bingo stated, "It was our choice".

[scductman]

I'm With Bingo My tanks stay on when we are using the rv. I only cut them off when stored in my back yard. I do keep cking for leaks just in case never had a problem in 20 some yrs. JMHO
Bobby

[stiles watson]

When I travel in sub freezing weather. I run with the thermostat at 60 degrees. It is to keep the pipes from freezing. I don't have a generator or I would crank it up and run the A/C about 30 minutes before the day's stop. Weighing risk against benefits, that's my decision.

[Sinterior]

quote:Originally posted by drsmart

Last year we added one very nice appliance to the trailer for our trip south. A Sunbeam electric mattress pad heater. Each night we stopped, hooked up to electric and turned on the pad heater. Fifteen minutes later, bed and blankets were warm as toast. Once down south, depending on where you are, you can reduce propane and electric heating costs on those occasional cold nights by setting the thermostat night time program several degrees lower. The pad heater uses very little power and each side of the bed can be set to the desired temperature. If the coach isn't pre-heated, the mattress never seams to warm up and draws body heat through the night.
As others have said though, running the furnace during travel is an option and will keep water lines from freezing and everything cozy.

Not to steal the thread, but can you use an electric mattress heater on top of memory foam?

Thanks

[exav8tr]

Everyone has their own opinion. When I first started RVing, Cathy and I attended a "Life on Wheels" conference and the safety guy recommended NEVER travel with the tanks on. Seems that one is putting a lot of faith in an overflow protection valve actually doing what it is supposed to do. He had seen many a reports where this valve failed and the excess flow of propane casued a lot of damage, also, what if the valve is knocked off? I know these are rare cases but do happen. My cat always rode in the trailer and whenever we stopped to check on him, he had burrowed himself under the covers of our bed. Also, our fridge always kept things cold for up to about 8 hours. Another thing to consider: Some states require that the tanks be turned OFF when traveling in a tunnel or over a bridge. Heavy fines if caught....Just saying!!!!!!!

[ols1932]

[quote]quote:Originally posted by Sinterior

Originally posted by drsmart


Not to steal the thread, but can you use an electric mattress heater on top of memory foam?

Thanks

We've been doing that for six years full time. No problem.

Orv

[Sinterior]

Thanks Orv

[kjansen]

It is wise however to turn off your refrig, furnace, and water heater
before pulling up to the gas pump. I always pull with the frig on, but turn off when fueling up.