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Electric Space Heaters in RVs

Many RVers use electric space heaters to supplement their propane furnace. Some heaters are well suited to the purpose while others can turn your home into a death trap. An article recently posted to the RV News Service tells the tale of man in Oklahoma whose body was recovered from his burned out trailer before providing tips for safely using electric space heaters.

I’ve used cube-type heaters in the past and have always been worried my home would burn down while I was doing so, even with so-called safety features like tip-off switches and temperature gauges to shut off the machine before it overheats.

A fellow camphost in Oliver raved about electric oil-filled radiators and I decided to try one out, buying a large one on wheels at Canadian Tire for the front room. I liked it so much that this year I took advantage of a sale and bought a smaller unit for the dressing room and study.

The first heater I bought looks like this. It can run constantly without overheating. It's kept in the front room and I store it in the entrance stairwell when traveling. It can draw 600, 900 or 1500W, so there is some amperage flexibility since you can use 5, 7.5 or 12.5A depending on how much is available to you.

The first heater I bought looks like this. It can run constantly without overheating. It’s kept in the front room and I store it in the entrance stairwell when traveling. It can draw 600, 900 or 1500W, so there is some amperage flexibility since you can use 5, 7.5 or 12.5A depending on how much is available to you.

This is the second one I bought. It's tiny, but it gets a lot hotter than the big one! I occasionally turn it off to give it a chance to cool down. It's kept in the dressing room and stored in the toilet room when traveling. It draws 550W, so it only needs 5A.

This is the second one I bought. It’s tiny, but it gets a lot hotter than the big one! I occasionally turn it off to give it a chance to cool down. It’s kept in the dressing room and stored in the toilet room when traveling. It draws 550W, so it only needs 5A.

I like oil-filled heaters because they are:

-silent;

-safe;

-economical;

-low power consumers;

-dehumidifers.

These two heaters set on high can keep Miranda’s interior temperature to a reasonably comfortable level until about minus five Celsius. It’s a good idea in those kinds of temperatures to run a fan as well in order to circulate the warm air. I don’t have heated tanks, so there’s no reason to run the propane furnace when the electric heat is sufficient.

It’s been averaging plus four since before Christmas and I have them both set on low to cut through the dampness. This sure beats been woken up by the furnace cycling through the night and having to deal with the moisture from the propane in addition to the damp ocean air.

Electric space heaters exist in all price points and it’s definitely been my experience that the more expensive oil-filled radiators will pay for themselves if only in peace of mind.