Escape Unplugged!

[PEI peapod]

The furnace is noisy. It's probably more to do with the small space, just as I find air conditioner very noisy in small space. Not sure if a quieter ones are available. I will use my furnace when I must.....boondocking for example. But I bought a neat little elect. heater at Walmat ($24.97). I had the same one in our Scamp for 3 years. Overheat shutoff and tipover shutoff. Thermostat control....750/1000/1500W variable. Very happy with it.

[Bruce Wray]

Meanwhile, back to conserving electrons when boondocking-- Tammy had a good source for LED lights, so we outfitted our 19 with them when we picked it up. We're very happy with their electro-stinginess.

Bruce

[ronstew]

Originally Posted by Texscapees

We have the Pelonis B-6A1, Classic 4 Disc Ceramic Safety Furnace. .... We picked ours up at the Burlington, Washington Camping World last Oct on our return trip from Chilliwack.

We got the same model, the same store, the same month. Huh.

Anyway, the wife doesn't like the sound it makes. Prefers the loud furnace flame and fan. Go figure. I am fine with it.

[ronstew]

Elizabeth,

I am glad you are asking these questions now. I think that you are starting to get an appreciation for the fact that batteries are a very limited power source. That's why electric cars are so rare.

If you have a 12-volt battery, and you want to run a 1000 watt appliance - like a hair dryer, toaster or heater - the current would be 83 amps. That is BIG current because of the low battery voltage. Your trailer wiring would not last long. Now, a typical battery can supply 1 amp for 140 hours (that is called 140 amp-hours). Or 83 amps for an hour and a half (although I am sure that could not really be acheived).

My notebook computer requires 90 watts at 20 volts, so I would need a converter to run it off my trailer batteries. Maybe it would be very efficient, and only require 8 amps. That means that continuous use of the computer, and nothing more, would drain that big heavy battery in 18 hours.

So you have to conserve power while boondocking. LEDs are great. Solar panels too. But you still have to watch your consumption, unless you get a generator. Doesn't mean you have to be miserly, just careful.

By the way, it was mentioned above but bears repeating that you have to order 12-volt outlets - they are not standard on Escape trailers. I wish I had a couple for charging camera batteries and running my computer.

Still, I suspect that full black-water tanks end more boondocking sessions than do dead batteries.

[Garand]

Regarding LED lights: We got a new model LED from from Escape, supposedly a bit brighter and more efficient than the older "warm white" LEDs. The color of the light is in the same range as fluorescent lights, and I dislike it. Reace was kind enough to offer to swap these our for the "yellower" emitters and I will report on them once we've tried 'em. We're going on a trial run this weekend so I'll have a chance to try our the more efficient bulbs before the yellower bulbs arrive.

Dave

[escape artist]

Hi: All...On the subject of "NOISE"...I suffer from Tinnitus so there is no quiet for ME!!! I find the furnace to be a non noise as is the MaxxFan or the A/C. I usually suffer from the quiet periods in the cycles.
A pair of foam earplugs helps and I have them at the ready...bedside.
The first time we used the furnace was in Virginia this spring. Cold wet night spent lotdocking at Tamarack in Beckley W.Va. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[thoer]

Originally Posted by medora

Is one of the reasons for the secondary unit then that the installed unit is actually TOO hot?

Has anyone tried a Vornado Space Heaterhttp://www.amazon.com/Vornado-VH2-Vo.../dp/B00006C7HJ? We have one in the house and like it quite a bit. Not sure what kind of power hog it is tho.

(I'll be in touch, Paul. Heard about a new cheesemaker near Dunbarton, I may need a fix)

E we have one of those Vornado's in our Escape and it does a great job. When we are somewhere with electricity we heat Blue with it. With the thermal windows and double insulation it is amazing how little heat we need. The LP furnace is quieter than the one we had in the Scamp, but you still know when it kicks in.

[bledsoe3]

With dual propane tanks and a full battery, how many days would I get running my refer while dry camping?

[gbaglo]

The fridge draws very little electricity while running on propane. So, that would leave the outside temp as a variable ( inside and outside the trailer ) and how many times you open it to get a beer.
I'm guessing a couple of months, if you don't run the furnace, hot water heater or use the stove.
No way to give you an answer. Too many variables.

[paulw]

The gas will last a long time & all your lights are LEDs (except in the range hood) so your solar panel should keep your battery going if you don't run your fan all the time - I'd say you're set for a week at the Redwood Gathering... I wish we were going.

[nealmccarter]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

For those of you using the catalytic heaters, where do you keep them when they are running, especially if you have a dog. And, are there any that can be plumbed in to the trailer gas so one could eliminate those darn disposable bottles?

We used the Mr. Buddy catalytic heater in our pop-up. It worked much better than the furnace which never seemed to work right. We put the heater on the floor and snaked a hose to it from a 1 gallon tank outside. With the pop-up, it wasn't hard to find a space in the tenting for the hose. Not sure what we'll end up doing with our 19' when we get it.

[barry]

Originally Posted by nealmccarter

We used the Mr. Buddy catalytic heater in our pop-up. It worked much better than the furnace which never seemed to work right. We put the heater on the floor and snaked a hose to it from a 1 gallon tank outside. With the pop-up, it wasn't hard to find a space in the tenting for the hose. Not sure what we'll end up doing with our 19' when we get it.

I would think that you would have a problem with moisture using a catalytic heater in an Escape. Using the built in propane heater supplied with the trailer provides you with "dry" heat rather than the "moist" heat from a catalytic one. With the supplied heater the fumes and moisture of combustion are vented to the outside and the heat is provided via a heat exchanger. With the catalytic heater the heat is provided via the process of combustion.

I've found that the heater in the Escape works very well with very little draw on the battery even when camping in the shoulder seasons.

Barry

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

For those of you using the catalytic heaters, where do you keep them when they are running, especially if you have a dog. And, are there any that can be plumbed in to the trailer gas so one could eliminate those darn disposable bottles?

I have a portable catalytic heater, but have not used it routinely, so I can't help with placement. A commonly referenced model range which is set up for permanent installation including fuel supply from the trailer's low-pressure propane feed is the widely available Olympian Wave series from Camco; the smallest of them is the Wave 3.

This is not an endorsement - I have serious reservations regarding the use of unvented propane heaters - but at least if you are going to use one, it should not involve running a high-pressure propane hose to a big tank outside.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by nealmccarter

We used the Mr. Buddy catalytic heater in our pop-up.

The Big Buddy, Portable Buddy, and Hunting Buddy heaters from Mr. Heater are not of the catalytic type. They are unvented heaters, but use a flame rather than catalytic combustion. The glowing tiles hide the flame, so most people don't realize this. In practice, I don't think it matters much.

These heaters can be set up to run on low-pressure propane from the trailer's regulator, although it is perhaps more common to just run a hose to a remote high-pressure supply.