Running multiple electric heaters?

[D2Reid]

On some units it's possible to run a cord through a slide. Put the slide in/out halfway, feed the cord end through, then open slide. Don't plug the cord in while doing this, it is possible to cut the cord.

Another trick when using multi-heaters is to turn your refrigerator and water heater over to the propane side.

It took a while to get DW trained up on circuit load. She kept wondering why her hair dryer wouldn't work when she had a portable heater running in the bathroom.

+1 on the gas furnace running during temps below 25. In most GD products the bays and water tank areas are heated via the furnace, keeps them from freezing up.

Don't place an electric heater too close to the gas furnace thermostat...

[boyscout]

In my last travel trailer i would run one 1500 watt electric heater and it would do just fine. I plan on using the same heater in my 311BHS along with the electric fireplace. I was thinking about adding a small tabletop one to the master bedroom. I have seen a photo or tow online of these burning outlets. All 3 would only be on during the night when most other big draw items are off.

I began doing this this year when we have free electricity; cheaper than propane for sure.

We got one of the heaters below last year and were very pleased with it. It and our fireplace coped pretty well with cool nights, but were not enough by themselves on colder nights so the furnace was required.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...ceramic-heater

Thinking that our fireplace if overworked would cost a lot more to replace than those heaters, I recently bought three more of the heaters and have run all four at the same time, without running the fireplace. I run them on their low setting, which is 1300 watts, and they've done well at maintaining temp when outside dropped to near-freezing. I plug them into the hutch near the door, the kitchen island, the dining slide, and the bedroom near the washer-dryer closet, but as @FT4NOW has pointed out there's no certainty that your trailer (or even another 310GK like ours!) would be wired the same way to support that.

One of the heaters - I don't know if it's last year's or one of the new ones - has a sometimes-noisy fan but so far that's my only complaint. At that price I feel like it has been a good move even if I have to replace them once in a while.

[DuffMan]

A: Be sure to use different circuits

B: Don't overload or continuously max out a circuit.

C: If you can't run it from the rig without doing the above, install a feedthrough electrical connector that allows you to run an extension cord to the post and utilize the additional outlets available without loading your rig. One thought: NOCO GCP1 15 Amp 125V AC Port Plug Power Inlet with 16-Inch Integrated Extension Cord o Amazon)

[tim-o-w4yn]

In my last travel trailer i would run one 1500 watt electric heater and it would do just fine. I plan on using the same heater in my 311BHS along with the electric fireplace. I was thinking about adding a small tabletop one to the master bedroom. I have seen a photo or tow online of these burning outlets. All 3 would only be on during the night when most other big draw items are off.

Our 2670MK has only 1 115V circuit breaker for all the outlets. The fireplace is on separate breaker. On cold but not below freezing nights we run 2 small heaters on low one near back and one in bedroom and leave bath door open. Below freezing we use propane furance to keep tanks from freezing. At Home I keep one electric heater in front compartment (tanks empty water lines drained,) and one towards rear all doors and drawers open below sink. Keep temps at 50 degrees.
Tim

[billdorn]

Your 311 should be like mine. 1 circuit is on your plugs in rooms, TV's, etc. The others circuit you can use is your GFCI in bathrooms and kitchen. You could also put the third on the microwave outlet.

[rphilb]

"Circuits" are the individual breakers on your AC power panel - they serve X number of outlets and/or appliances each. The EMS shows you the amp draw and voltage on each leg of your power coming in from the pedestal outside. They are two completely different things. Each leg from the pedestal can provide 50 amps of service. Each circuit from your panel can serve (typically) 15 - 20 amps depending on what's on it and what the circuit breaker is rated for.

Rob

PS - Make sure you're not depending on electric heaters in sub-freezing weather. Only your propane furnace will keep the basement/underbelly thawed out and your water lines and utilities from freezing.

The GFI's are certainly on a separate circuit as are the non-GFI in the main cabin. If you have washer and dryer hook-ups, the accompanying electrical outlet would typically be on a separate circuit as well. That's three that should hold the heater load.

[kscaddo]

The big concern is that they need to be on different circuits. A 1500 watt heater draws about 12A and the outlet circuits are 15 - 20A depending how GD wired them. Just figure out what's is powered by each circuit and make sure it's not overloaded. There is no standard how GD wired your trailer, so best bet is to operate each circuit one at a time and see what has power and what doesnt. Make your own diagram or write it down and you should be good to go.

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Yep! IMHO every RV owner needs to map out their circuits. Here in Texas, in the cooler weather I run a 1500/750W heater in the cabin and one in the basement. In the 337 I learned early on that where I had the basement plugged in and the cabin it blew the breaker. Put that one in the rear. Problem solved. YMMV and regards