Question about heating

[Insertfubnyforumname]

Hey guys, I’m currently living in my 24’ Bullet full time. This is a new development for me and I’m new to campers in general. I had a question about heating with a space heater, it’s going to get expensive for me to heat with gas through the winter. My unit is a 30 amp hook up but I’m a little concerned with running a space heater because of the pull and strain on the electrical. How dangerous is this? Is there anything I can do to minimize the danger? And would it be better to find a way to run a heavy duty drop cord through the wall(I have an easy access spot) and run it off that? Or is that more dangerous? Thanks in advance guys

[SummitPond]

Hey guys, I’m currently living in my 24’ Bullet full time. <snip> I had a question about heating with a space heater, it’s going to get expensive for me to heat with gas through the winter. My unit is a 30 amp hook up but I’m a little concerned with running a space heater because of the pull and strain on the electrical. How dangerous is this? Is there anything I can do to minimize the danger? <snip>

Welcome to the forum.

I can't address the question regarding electrical strain, although we do use a portable space heater when the need arises in conjunction with the LP furnace (the furnace does a much better job of taking the chill off quickly throughout the trailer, whereas the space heater keeps our bedroom comfortable).

Have you looked into one of the large external LP tanks that the LP company often provides for a small rental fee and holds lots of fuel?

[travelin texans]

Welcome to the forum.

I can't address the question regarding electrical strain, although we do use a portable space heater when the need arises in conjunction with the LP furnace (the furnace does a much better job of taking the chill off quickly throughout the trailer, whereas the space heater keeps our bedroom comfortable).

Have you looked into one of the large external LP tanks that the LP company often provides for a small rental fee and holds lots of fuel?

You beat to the punch!
Contact your local LP distributor to set up a larger tank & keep it filled on a scheduled plan, this could possibly be cheaper than running portable electric heat. Plus you'll still need to run the furnace to keep underbelly warmed.

[Canonman]

What I think you're really concerned about is the amount of amp draw created by the heater. A 1500 watt (pretty much the max for a space heater) would draw around 13.5 amps. That's close to 1/2 your 30 amp service. But you'll probably not be running it at full power all the time. Here's an example of a space heater that has multiple power levels and is either thermostat or timer controlled.
https://www.amazon.com/Aireplus-Radiator-Adjustable-Thermostat-Protection/dp/B07X9M8HDY/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw74b7BRA_EiwAF8yHFK18uzK_nz_XbEsUBeqb tsyJ30yYeGuFyCTpvWTP2D253zh-QMssVhoCjpcQAvD_BwE&hvadid=176943870950&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1026984&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=6200242975185480816&hvtargid=kwd-6020096186&hydadcr=13894_9624512&keywords=thermostat+controlled+space+heater&qid=1600293249&sr=8-7&tag=googhydr-20
Wiring to your 110v outlets in the trailer should be either 15 or 20 amp so you'd be well within the safety limits.
Concerns about freezing the plumbing need to be addressed as well. Cold air under the trailer can cause the interior plumbing to freeze. Your city water supply needs to be protected as well. A little more information about your planned environment would help with suggested options in this area.

[BrooksFam]

We've run a 1500 watt ceramic space heater in our 30', 30amp motorhome on winter days/nights. Use LP to take morning chill off if needed. Will use one in our TT this winter.

We are just careful not to run other high amp draw appliances at the same time, ie microwave, wife's hair drier. We'll turn off the heater when needed to do so. At night there is no problem as there is nothing else running.

[wiredgeorge]

If you have a pedestal with 30A and 15/20A, run a heavy duty extension cord out the window if concerned. We have 30A and use a ceramic heater in the winter and if really chilly, turn on the rig's propane heat for a few minutes to take off the chill as others have mentioned.