Question Camper Winter Living

[destino.feliz]

Hello camper enthusiasts! My husband, I and our 5 kids recently started living in a camper. We are in a stabilized, non moving camper - a 1991 Nu Wa Hitchhiker II. We added insulation inside, which has helped a bunch with keeping the internal temps warmer - while just using a space heater on low. We are sticking with electric instead of propane since we have access to electricity. Now we are looking for the right solution to keeping the water tanks from freezing. We were going to put heater pads on each of the tanks - but they are covered with some kind of medium insulation & I don’t think it would be efficient at heating the tanks. Someone suggested an electric heater to put under the camper - as we have now put a plywood skirt all the way around the bottom. Any suggestions??

 

[John&Andrea]

Space heaters scare me. Be careful make sure your heater is under the amp max on the outlet. Likely 15 amps.
If you have skirting up I would insulate that.
Tank heaters may work. I have camped in below freezing temps but never full time.

 

[team bradfield]

You need a furnace to keep pipes from freezing, it heats your under belly, space heaters are dangerous and not efficient, tried it once, pipes froze, turned the furnace on, all good, just my experience

edit, guess I should ask where you are, we are northern Illinois, temps were below 15f

 

[destino.feliz]

You need a furnace to keep pipes from freezing, it heats your under belly, space heaters are dangerous and not efficient, tried it once, pipes froze, turned the furnace on, all good, just my experience

edit, guess I should ask where you are, we are northern Illinois, temps were below 15f

Ok thank you. I’m also worried about using propane as I have no experience with it - and that is what would run the furnace, which supposedly makes a clanging noise when it’s on. So not sure what to try.

 

[destino.feliz]

Space heaters scare me. Be careful make sure your heater is under the amp max on the outlet. Likely 15 amps.
If you have skirting up I would insulate that.
Tank heaters may work. I have camped in below freezing temps but never full time.

Thank you. Do you think it’s necessary to remove the insulation to attach the heat pads to the tanks or do you think it could work just adding them over the insulation?

 

[team bradfield]

If your tanks have insulation, they could already have heat pads, look for unmarked switches in your control panel, but in really cold weather, it does nothing for the pipes, explain clanging noise?

 

[Rollin Ollen]

You may also want to think about a DEHUMIDIFIER. Also use the range hood exhaust when cooking.