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Old 10-28-2018, 01:54 PM   #21
glw1973
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It will work fine, but if you have a weak (older) battery, you may have issues.
 
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Old 10-28-2018, 02:24 PM   #22
CaptnJohn
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Works for me~~ I have 2 size 27 batteries. We generally rub it at 70 until bed and drop to 66, then 70 until before we leave. Works to at least 30....
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Old 10-28-2018, 02:37 PM   #23
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I can't run the furnace overnight on one battery. You'll need two, or just stop at a CG overnight.
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Old 10-28-2018, 02:46 PM   #24
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We have a wave catalytic heater for those times. Best purchase we ever made.
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Old 10-28-2018, 04:06 PM   #25
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Is that like a Buddy propane heater? We already have one of those. Sounds like Buddy and I need to buddy up


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Old 10-28-2018, 04:16 PM   #26
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Depends on the type and size of your batteries. If you've got a single 12V car battery, you may have a problem. My Monty has a couple of 6V deep charge Trojan batteries. They claim to last 450 minutes (7.5 hrs) on a 10A load. Your mileage may vary.
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Old 10-28-2018, 04:48 PM   #27
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Choices, choices, choices—- if you don’t have a generator yet go buy a Harbor Freght 2000 watt quiet generator for 449.00. We use a Honda 6500’quiet generator we keep in a tool box in the truck bed. But we do dry camp a lot and some places won’t let you run the quiet generator all night. We also use a Buddy Heater propane catalyst heater and leave the furnace off at night. Works great and is safe. We have 2 deep cycle group 27 batteries but if it’s really cold they won’t make it. We’ve camped with temps as low as -20 below using the buddy or the generator. I bought my wife a Harbor Freight 2000 watt Preditor quiet generator a year ago for her vintage trailer. It’s great! They also have a 3500 watt quiet generator for 699.00. They’re all made in the same factory as Honda I’m China !
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Old 10-28-2018, 05:29 PM   #28
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I have a 2000W Wen quiet generator, but don't want to run it stopped in a Wally World, rest stop or even Cracker Barrel type of area. I'll try the Buddy heater and a new battery to see how that works first. We are considering upgrading if we like being on the move this winter.



Thanks for all the suggestions.
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Old 10-28-2018, 05:59 PM   #29
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two golf cart batteries for us, will run furnace all night
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Old 10-28-2018, 07:04 PM   #30
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If all you have is the single battery it came with, then you will probably wake to a propane detector chirp indicating low voltage and a near dead battery. Usually your truck won’t adequately recharge it once you are back on the road. A lot of good suggestions about a 2nd battery and a inverter generator in your truck. We use an sine wave inverter and a electric blanket. A lot less battery drain than the furnace.
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Old 10-28-2018, 07:18 PM   #31
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A few years ago in Texas temp got down to 24 and the power went out during the morning after 8AM. The furnace came on and ran for about 15 mins. Was off for about 30 mins then furnace came on again for another 15 mins. I watched the battery gage go down. After the 3rd 15 min cycle the battery got down to 1/3rd. I plugged into truck and ran it for about 25 mins to fully charge the 2-12 volt batteries the dealer had installed. After 3 more cyclings of the furnace had to recharge again. I think the power was off about 3-4 hours then came back on. I now have bigger batteries so might be able to go a little longer before charging. I think we had the thermostt set to around 71 degrees so if I had it down around 50-55 degrees the furnace wouldn't have cycled on as often.
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Old 10-28-2018, 09:15 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deanrd View Post
Is that like a Buddy propane heater? We already have one of those. Sounds like Buddy and I need to buddy up


Dean
Yes, very similar to the buddy heater. We dry camp in Quartzsite in January and swear by our wave heater. Uses very little propane, you can adjust output and no worries about the fridge beeping in the middle of the night.
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Old 10-28-2018, 10:48 PM   #33
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To save out battery power on colder nights, I cover the air outlets in the LR and Kitchen and leave the one in the BR open so it get most of the heat. I turn the thermostat down to the low 60's to keep the furnace cycling to a minimum. The bedroom stays warm enough for sleeping and it doesn't drain the batteries too much. It works well for us, but we do have 4-6v deep cycle batteries - a must!
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Old 10-29-2018, 06:38 AM   #34
powerhaulic
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golf cart batteries make a huge difference over marine/RV batteries.
Look at the reserve numbers, much more reserve power plus they are make for deep discharge.
After a cold night this trip in a truck stop I still had 11.4 volts in the morning. Truck ran at 15.2 volts charging the next day, but did bring them back up by the end of the day.

There was no discharge to the truck, and it was plugged in.
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Old 10-29-2018, 10:30 AM   #35
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Boy, you guys that have the furnace only run 15 minutes and off 30 got me beat! When in mountains and overnight low of around 30, my furnace ran about 10-12 minutes and then off 5 or 6. Killed my single battery by 5 a.m. when heat on at 7 pm.
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Old 10-29-2018, 10:55 AM   #36
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I can't say that the last half of that 30 minute off cycle is very comfortable as it puts a chill in the RV. Thats why when we're hooked up to shore power we like to run the fireplace along with the furnace as it keeps a constant temp and avoids the chill.
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Old 10-29-2018, 06:26 PM   #37
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We have a 2012 3750FL Montana and have traveled well over 70,000 miles all over this great country after purchasing new. It came with a battery from the dealer. I went to a battery supply house, ( that's all they do is battery's) and asked their opinion. They suggested the larger 27 series deep cycle batteries. They took the new one that came with the coach in on trade and I purchased TWO of the good batteries, (Deep cycle) and I connected them up that included another battery box and attached the vents to both battery boxes. We drive a 2012 GMC diesel that has two alternator and two batteries in the truck as standard equipment. We have dry camped for three days with out connecting to shore power. We have put on board enough water for our personal used for that time of traveling and sit seeing. Wal-Marts Parking over night, run furnace, lights, 12 volt TV in our Bed Room, showers, etc. Our truck charges the batteries while we are driving during the day. We do disconnect the truck, RV power cable when we parked. Well into our 6th year of travel did we have a low power indicator in the morning. We just plugged the truck in and were good to go. That told us that we may need new batteries. But after six plus year not bad. Replaced the Batteries and are on the road again. Old saying you get what you pay for. Hope this helps you. Happy travels
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Old 10-30-2018, 07:00 PM   #38
RParker
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Will Furnace Kill Battery Overnight

We purchased a 2018 Montana in Feb. 2018 and headed to AZ. We had full hook ups the first 2 nights and stayed at an Indian Casino the 3rd. Temperature was 24 degrees when we arrived about 7 PM. Used hydraulic jacks to level, extend two slides, and the furnace ran off/on for about 3 hours before I noticed the voltage was down to 11.7 volts. Shut the furnace down and used extra blankets. It was 42 degrees inside the next morning. With an outside temperature of 20 degrees the next morning the hydraulic pump nearly killed the batteries and had to plug in the truck the next morning in order to fully retract the jacks. We have 2 - 12 volt batteries. I learned later the hydraulic system is an energy hog at low temperatures.
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Old 10-30-2018, 11:09 PM   #39
Texan
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I use 2 - 6 volt Trojan 105 batterys and they run all night with no problem. I set my thermostat at 61 degrees with outside temp at 40 degrees.
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