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10-30-2008, 02:36 AM
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#1
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 38
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?When boondocking and it is getting cold at night, like 30, how do you keep warm without starting the generator and furnace after going to bed?
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10-30-2008, 02:36 AM
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#2
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 38
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?When boondocking and it is getting cold at night, like 30, how do you keep warm without starting the generator and furnace after going to bed?
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10-30-2008, 03:06 AM
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#3
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Florida Keys
Posts: 112
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I do a lot of winter tent camping with the Boy Scouts with NO genset or furnace and we sleep soundly often when it is 10 degrees. A few tips that work:
1. wear a ski hat
2. zero degree sleeping bag
3. a liner for your sleeping bag
4. 18-hour hot packs. You can get them in Wal Mart. Just open the bag and they heat up in a few minutes.
5. Cup of hot chocolate with a pat of butter melted in before bed. The fats in the butter will keep you warm at night.
6. Change ALL your clothes before bed so that you are completely dry - no persperation to chill you later that night. Fleece is great to sleep in.
If it stays 30 degrees for a prolonged period of time, you will need your furnace on so your water pipes don't freeze. When we keep our furnace on at night, we keep a window open a crack and make sure the CO detector is working.
My favorite option is sleeping close to the DW!
__________________
Tom and Katharine
'07 Winnebago Tour 40TD, 400hp Cummins
'17 Winnebago View 24V, '02 R-Vision B+
RVing for 19 years & 150,000+ miles
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10-30-2008, 03:10 AM
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#4
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 773
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The LP furnace only uses 12V DC. So, if your batteries are charged, you shouldn't need the generator during the night...
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Tom
'04 Journey 36G - Cat C7
'04 Honda CR-V
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10-30-2008, 03:47 AM
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#5
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Back at the ranch
Posts: 2,041
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tomsm:
The LP furnace only uses 12V DC. So, if your batteries are charged, you shouldn't need the generator during the night... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Yup - that's what we have done. Shutdown everything you don't need, turn the inverter off, set the furnace on 60 or 65 and have a nice sleep
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--John
2005 Horizon 40AD, 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD
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10-30-2008, 04:42 AM
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#6
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 193
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I don't have one, but some have a 12 volt mattress pad to heat the bed.
We only have the 120 volt version. With that you would not need to run the furnace.
On our new motorhome with the larger inverter will try the 120 volt mattress pad to see how that goes, but the 12 volt version you could shut the inverter off at night.
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2008 Winnebago Vectra 40TD
1999-2008 traded in Suncruiser 90,000 miles
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10-30-2008, 05:35 AM
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#7
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Palisade CO
Posts: 895
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We turn the furnace down to 50 degrees and sleep under a king size down comforter.
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Clay WA5NMR - Ex Snowbird - 1 year, Ex Full timer for 11 years - 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N Workhorse chassis. Honda Accord toad.
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10-30-2008, 05:51 AM
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#8
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Glen Allen, VA
Posts: 2,169
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We also turn off the inverter and all non-essential stuff, set the gas furnace to 65, and let the 12 volt batteries run that for the night.
I did the Boy Scout thing when I was a kid...too old for that now.
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'07 Country Coach Allure 470 Siskiyou Summit #31578, Cummins ISL 425; 2014 Ford F150 toad; Air Force One Toad Brake.
Glen Allen, VA; Smith Mountain Lake, VA.
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10-30-2008, 06:25 AM
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#9
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 26
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We never keep any kind of heat going during the night, whether we're boondocking or not. If it's cold at night, we have a nice down comforter that we put on the bed that keeps us toasty warm!
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2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul
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10-30-2008, 10:11 AM
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#10
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Belfair WA.
Posts: 9
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As others have said, turn off stuff that you don't need, set your thermo to around 60 +/- degrees, retire for the evening. If your batteries are in good condition, and charged up, you should not have any problem running your furnace through the nite, you should still have enough power for your needs in the morning. Run your generator during the day, or in the evening to charge up your battery bank, couple of hours is all you should need depending on your installed battery charging equipment.
Spike
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"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything"
2008 Newmar VTDP - 3330 - ISBXT 350 Spartan NVS
Toad - 2013 Mini Cooper S or 93 Nissan 4WD PU
FMCA F113720, NKK 18573
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10-30-2008, 11:33 AM
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#11
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: So. Calif.
Posts: 367
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LindaH:
We never keep any kind of heat going during the night, whether we're boondocking or not. If it's cold at night, we have a nice down comforter that we put on the bed that keeps us toasty warm! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
--------------------------------------------------- Ditto
The exception is when its going to be freezing I set thermostat at 55 for basement heat.
I dont like warm air blowing on me when I sleep.
Sometime I put on a ski cap and wear socks.
Good down comforter or some wool blankets beats propane anyday
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2002 Winnebago Journey DL 34 ' Cat. 330 hp
Great wife and Charlie, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel RIP
TTN
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10-30-2008, 12:45 PM
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#12
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 195
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Same here, when we are skiing we just set the furnace at 60 and go to bed, the batteries handle the furnace overnight, and I've done it at5 to 10 deg's F
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rvcarpenter
Seattle, WA
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10-30-2008, 05:22 PM
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#13
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,520
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chandler Bing:
?When boondocking and it is getting cold at night, like 30, how do you keep warm without starting the generator and furnace after going to bed? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
As others have mentioned the furnace is 12 volts and runs off the batteries so just make sure you batteries are in good shape, set the thermostat to 60/65 and run the furnace at night. Charge the batteries up during the day.
I always travel with a fully charged portable jump starter with me just in case so I don't have to worry.
After 12 days in the New Hampshire White Mountains a week ago with 30+/- degree nightime temps we only went through about 30 lbs of propane for daily cooking, showers and heating for 4 adults. We could have stayed a month before refilling the propane tank.
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Neil V
2001 Winnebago Adventurer WFG35U
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10-30-2008, 08:55 PM
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#14
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Tri-Cities, WA
Posts: 334
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Another thing you can do is to bring your slides in, or at least the main slide which reduces the volume of air the furnace needs to heat.
If you are going to camp often like this do check around your RV for openings to the outside. I found one in the back of my pocket door which leads to the wet bay which isn't insulated at all.
Use pillows or something in your roof vents to keep in heat. Anything you can do to keep heat in, blankets over windows, etc. will help too.
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2007 Winnebago Sightseer 35J
2007 Four Winns Horizon 190 Bowrider
2011 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited
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10-31-2008, 12:41 AM
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#15
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,520
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Y-Guy:
Another thing you can do is to bring your slides in, or at least the main slide which reduces the volume of air the furnace needs to heat.
If you are going to camp often like this do check around your RV for openings to the outside. I found one in the back of my pocket door which leads to the wet bay which isn't insulated at all.
Use pillows or something in your roof vents to keep in heat. Anything you can do to keep heat in, blankets over windows, etc. will help too. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Be carefull of plugging the vents that provide airflow to the wet bays and keep them from freezing. Plug too many of them up and you could create a problem down there.
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Neil V
2001 Winnebago Adventurer WFG35U
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10-31-2008, 05:21 AM
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#16
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 38
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Wow, I appreciate all the answers to my question. I guess we will let it run around 60. We will let our two papillons sleep with us too! Thanks so much everone!
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11-01-2008, 09:06 AM
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#17
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Nashua, NH
Posts: 1,837
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jeeperrmartin:
...
On our new motorhome with the larger inverter will try the 120 volt mattress pad to see how that goes, but the 12 volt version you could shut the inverter off at night. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Be carefull--you may find that the Modified Sine Wave output of the standard inverter may cause the 120V heating pad to overheat or even catch fire. There was another posting recently either here or on rv.net where that happened. That would not be a problem with a True Sine Wave inverter.
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Chris Beierl
2005 Winnebago Vectra 36RD
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11-01-2008, 04:26 PM
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#18
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 193
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Thanks for the info on possible problem with heat pad on inverter.
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2008 Winnebago Vectra 40TD
1999-2008 traded in Suncruiser 90,000 miles
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11-01-2008, 07:59 PM
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#19
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 724
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we have been using a 12v mattress warmer from backwoods solar company for over a year now. it works great. our queen size has a dual control and draws about 5 amps per side when you first turn it on, less than half of that when the bed has warmed up.
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01 WINNEBAGO 35U W20.8.1L SW Wa, Hi. Good Sam, SKP. AMSOIL fluids. BANKS ecm program. SCAN GAUGE II w/ Ally temp. 2 LIFELINE GPL-6CT AGM Batts on their sides. TST tptts. K&N panel air filter. AERO mufflers. TAYLOR plug wires. ULTRA POWER track bar. KONI fsd shocks, toad '14 smart car
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11-02-2008, 01:53 AM
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#20
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wallaceburg,Ontario,Canada
Posts: 6
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If You want a 2 word to use it,s GO SOUTH....lol Bushman boondocks where it is warm and I boondock almost all the time..summer and winter I have a great time being a camper with out hook ups...Bushman
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John&Jeannette Just enjoying life, camping, friends, sitting around the fire at night LOL life is good. Bye John the Bushman!! EH
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