How Long Will The Propane Last When I Run My RV Furnace?
by Meme
(MS)
Our 1997 5th wheel is central air and ducted and we just purchased it. The furnace comes on when the furnace mode is selected at the thermostat control. The owner we purchased from said he only ran the furnace to get the chill off.
Others have told us to buy an electric heater because the furnace would burn up the gas quickly. Is this true? About how long would a 40lb tank last if we were running the furnace during cold weather?
ANSWER: Greetings Meme thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.
I am afraid that you are not going to like my answer. My answer is "I Dunno". There are too many variables for me to give you a good answer. The answer depends on several factors; how well your 5th wheel is insulated, the outside temperature, what temperature you have the thermostat set to, whether you need to run it both day and night, whether your RV is equipped with more than 1 furnace, etc.
The best way of finding out is to fill up your propane tank and run the furnace until you run out of Propane and then you will know the answer for sure.
If after you do this experiment you decide that you need an alternate or supplemental way of heating up your RV you can choose to use an Electric Portable Heater
. A lot of RVers safely use portable electric heaters in their RVs. The keyword here is "safely use". Here are a few rules to keep in mind when using an electric portable heater in your RV.
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1. Use only heaters that have been tested and approved by a recognized independent testing lab.
2. Buy only heaters that have automatic shut off switches that activate when the heater is tipped over.
3. Keep the heater at least 3 feet away from any flammable materials.
4. Do not overload the 120 volt electrical circuits on your RV.
5. Do not use an electric heater that has a damaged power cord.
6. Do not use an extension cord with an electric heater.
7. If you travel with pets, make sure that the heater is secured so that the pets cannot knock it over.
If not used properly any heater being used in an RV can cause serious injury or death.
I hope that this information has been helpful to you.
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RVing Al
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