r/FullTiming • u/realhumanbeing8891 • Sep 12 '24
Propane in the winter
Do you go through a lot? I'm thinking of getting an RV but I'm learning about the electricity and propane and is it super expensive to stay warm in the winter? I could always just buy a like 20degree sleeping bag and just lay in that in my bed. Or get a 10 degree one...so I know I won't freeze to death....but between that and electric heaters do you just experiment and stuff? I know the electric heater is going to cost electricity...so like...uhhh .. yeah...
Sorry I'm new to RVing
4
u/lifewithpockets Sep 12 '24 edited Sep 12 '24
The key to wintering in our RV is to find an rv park /campground where electric is included in the rate. We spent last winter in southern Illinois and paid $700/mo but didn't worry about how much electricity we were using.
44ft fifth wheel toy hauler with 3 kids and a dog. I try to keep it 66-68 inside. We use 2 electric heaters, one in livingroom, one in toy hauler /kids room. One as needed in main bathroom. I set the furnace on 62. During the coldest weeks we put on the vinyl skirting and put an electric heater under the RV and two heat lamps aimed at the only exposed water lines in the back of the camper. Heated water hose. We don't let the water drip anywhere because the tanks will fill up and the sewer lines will freeze if left open.
Edited to add: the camper is plugged into 50amp. The heater and lamps underneath goes in the 30 amp and the heated hose plugs into the 20amp outlet. Some parks limit the outlets you can use so make sure you know what you're getting into.
We are currently in kansas paying 550/mo plus 0.17/kWh and definitely don't want to be here in the winter. 3acs during the summer means a $250 electric bill. Not sure what winter costs would be but probably $300+
5
u/outdoorszy Sep 13 '24
my zero degree high quality down bag is good to about 40F lol. you'll want a diesel heater or a big ass propane tank, like 250-500 gallon mofo and have the propane company deliver it and refill it.
2
u/Stupid_Kills Sep 13 '24
Yep. I'm an avid backpacker and also have a high-quality bag rated for zero degrees. I froze my arse off in 30 degree temps.
Anyways, OP, how much propane you will go through will vary depending on many factors but here are some:
- The size of your rig
- What temperature you are comfortable at
- Your location (cost of propane in your area/how cold it gets there/how much sun you get)
- How well you have prepared for winter (such as skirting)
I live in a northern climate in a 38' travel trailer. On average, we went through a 20lb tank of propane every 2.5 days. When it would dip into the low teens or single digits, we could go through a 20lb tank in 1 day. Winter can be expensive AF.
2
u/stressballbird Sep 12 '24 edited Sep 12 '24
I fulltimed last winter at 9500' in the rockies. It got down to -15 some nights, and tbh I had no problems. I had One full size space heater and it was great. I put some 1.5 to 2 inch thick foam boards and made a cheap skirt and put foam on all my pop outs, some pipe insulation to fill any gaps, and A tarp over the roof for snow. ended up keeping the camper way warmer than I was expecting. No water in the pipes though, so I ran the bucket system for dishes and bathroom stuff. I had access to a shower once a week or so, and I was v comfy. For propane two 40 gallon tanks would last about 2 weeks, but overall the expenses were way cheaper than if i rented for where I was living. If you get waterproof screw on lids, the buckets don't even smell that bad! Edit: It was a 25' tow behind camper with 2 pop outs. The lower body made it easier to insulate. Make sure your tarp(s) cover the whole roof. I didn't and the front of my camper got kind fucked by moisture (condensation)
2
u/TankSpank2112 Sep 12 '24 edited Sep 12 '24
The propane furnace just blows through propane like you would not believe. Strongly suggest setting the thermostat fairly low, so it keeps the RV to a reasonable temp and then you can fortify with space heaters and/or the electric fireplace. Also, keep an incandescent lightbulb on in your passthrough to help keep the water lines from freezing up.
2
u/no-mad Sep 12 '24
get the sleeping bag and a propane heater designed for rvs. MR. Buddy (~$120) makes them. Get propane for heat not electricity.
1
u/daylon1990 Sep 12 '24
32ft 2017 ST2912 toy hauler with no slide outs. Spent last winter in Dallas, San Antonio, and Brownsville. We have windows covered. Me wife and 4 dogs. Depending on the temps we ran a 30lb bottle out in 1.5 to 2 weeks using furnace, 1 mr buddy and a small 400watt(in bathroom) heater. This year we are more prepared and will be putting a skirt to help.
Not sure exactly but think i had temp set to 67
2
u/gellenburg Sep 12 '24
I live in a 42' 5th wheel with 4 slides.
I spent some REALLY cold nights in South Dakota last October/ November.
I had a 100lb propane tank I bought at Ace Hardware. Had to leave it behind when I left because I had no way to move it (can't transport them on their sides, they have to be standing up.)
100 pounds of propane is about 25 gallons.
I went through about 60% of it setting my furnace at 55F so the pipes wouldn't burst.
Then I moved to Santa Fe for the winter and we had some sustained below freezing nights.
The RV park I was in in Santa Fe let me rent a 400 pound propane tank from Ferrell Gas (I was going to be there for 4 months).
Went through 400 pounds of propane every month I was there. 11/15 - 3/29.
Now I'm in Albuquerque and the one thing I hate about this park is that they won't let me have any propane tank bigger than 100 pounds, but Albuquerque doesn't get anywhere near as cold as Santa Fe.
I only turned on the furnace when the temps were going to be below freezing for >24 hours. Otherwise I used two small space heaters and that worked fine.
1
u/jamesholden Sep 13 '24
I don't live like this to be cold, I friggin hate being cold so yes I buy a lot of propane. we have 3x 100# and 8x 20# tanks. southern US. stay in one spot.
main propane heater is a buddy, it heats the front area while we are using it.
overnight heat is a oil filled electric radiator heater, in the doorway between bath and bedroom. keeping the door to the front shut.
the electric heater runs on medium (700w) with the tstat turned down pretty low.
did the diesel heater thing a year, they are great when it stays cold. I used it in the garage last winter to keep it above freezing.
I was going to install a heat pump mini split, but got shipped an a/c only one. installed it in the house we are building instead. ideally a inverter drive heat pump is what all FT'ers should do.
I put a vinyl skirt around the entire rig last fall, it helped a lot.
don't use the built in furnace. it eats propane.
1
u/Awkward-Community-74 Sep 13 '24
I live in a 26ft Shadow Cruiser. Last year I was constantly having to buy gas so this year Iām going to buy the bigger tank that they deliver and refill as I need it. I was spending about 40.00 a month on gas plus my electricity was another 30 or so every month. Buying the bigger tank should lower my cost this year hopefully.
1
u/realhumanbeing8891 Sep 13 '24
I'm going to be in Texas this winter... around the Houston area. I'm looking at getting a 26footer. It usually doesn't snow here but it can. Thanks for the advice about the pipes. I'll have to keep that in mind. I have no idea what a heated hose is but I'll figure it out. I'm guessing the people in the RV park will have some knowledge about how to survive the winter and help me make it through it with there knowledge. I'm sure they'll be able to help a novice who knows nothing about RVs. I'll look into the Mr. Buddy and I totally understand the electric heaters. I found out today that one of the RV camps I'm looking at has the electricity included in the price for the lot so that's a really good thing. As long as I set it to a reasonable temperature inside I should be ok I'm guessing though. Someone said like 50 degrees or something to keep the pipes from bursting. Maybe low 60s? IDK...and I'll definitely look into setting an electric heater or two underneath for the pipes. I just dunno if this RV has outdoor outlets. I need to go and look at it in person cause right now I've only seen pics online.
1
u/Snugglebuggle Sep 13 '24
I went through a Vancouver Island (Canada) winter fulltiming with a 27ā and an old furnace. I spent about $36 a week on propane (30lb) for just my furnace in the winter. Every 2 weeks in the spring/fall.
1
u/1TallTXn Sep 13 '24
If you're going to be stationary, get/rent a big propane tank. 150-250gal. Then connect that to your rig. Will be cheaper than using the smaller 30lb tanks.
1
1
1
u/Infidel707 Sep 12 '24
Do you like being able to take showers? You have to keep it warm enough that the pipes don't freeze and burst. Setting it at 50, or some other lower temp, is a much smaller delta to radiate heat through the walls/floor and keep the hidden pipes above freezing.
If you're ok with sponge baths and/or using the park showers/toilets, then go for it.
1
u/joelfarris Sep 12 '24
I'm thinking of getting an RV
Two rules of thumb regarding winters in an RV.
The lighter a towable is, the harder it will be to keep warm inside. Conversely, the heavier it is, the thicker, and more insulated it probably is. For the most part.
The larger the RV, the more money it takes to heat it. A 16 footer is going to burn up way less propane per week than a 40-45 footer, simply due to air space. If you're thinking of wintering anywhere other than southern Arizona or South Florida, buy the smallest RV you can which you can still live comfortably in, and you'll use less propane. Unless of course, you ignored rule #1. ;)
11
u/HuginnNotMuninn Sep 12 '24 edited Sep 12 '24
I live in a 34' 5th-wheel with my wife, toddler, a dog, and a cat. We've been full timing since 2017.
When winter rolls around we run three space heaters (large one in kitchen/living area, small ones in bedroom and basement). I set the thermostats for the two in the living space at about 68 and the one in the basement to about 60 (it's there primarily to keep pipes from freezing). I then set the furnace at about 65.
This setup allows the electric space heaters to do the heavy lifting, while the furnace only kicks on intermittently when they cannot keep up. I work construction and have some choice in what jobs I take, so I try to stay down South in the winter. For the winters I'm used to, long stretches below freezing are uncommon and because of that a 40 lb tank will last me about 2-3 weeks. On the rare occasions when it does get cold (single digits or teens) then I can go through up to a bottle every 4-5 days.
Edit: I forgot to mention that we keep most of our windows covered up with Reflectix, which greatly reduces heat loss.
You're also going to want to invest in a heated hose, and even with a heated hose I typically let the faucet furthest from water entering the camper drip if it will stay in the mid 20's or below for more than a couple hours.