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Old 09-10-2015, 07:08 AM   #1
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Experience with tank heaters....

Anyone have experiance with external tank heaters that they would like to share? We have two external tanks (black and gray) on the t-1950 and I'm thinking about heaters. It seems like they make 12V, but the draw would have to be very high when boondocking. We have a hard time keeping the 2 group 24 topped off when running the furnace at night. We have a generator, but I wouldn't want to run it at night to keep the tank heater going, but could I an "emergency".

brands? Tips?
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Old 09-10-2015, 10:55 AM   #2
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Tod we have factory tank heaters, all three of our tanks are external, and they work very well. I believe they are 12v. I've never boondocked, so can't answer there.

We've had are trailer out where temps were high 30s during the day, near 0 at night. The big thing is to remember to disconnect the water hose and drain it at night. We used the heated fresh tank water for overnight needs.
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Old 09-10-2015, 11:22 AM   #3
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Tod we have factory tank heaters, all three of our tanks are external, and they work very well. I believe they are 12v. I've never boondocked, so can't answer there.

We've had are trailer out where temps were high 30s during the day, near 0 at night. The big thing is to remember to disconnect the water hose and drain it at night. We used the heated fresh tank water for overnight needs.
Thanks, I assume they are hard wired with a switch panel somewhere?
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Old 09-10-2015, 06:05 PM   #4
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Any resistance heater is going to use a lot of DC power. If it's above freezing during the day and near or below at night there isn't much chance of any thing freezing yeah your water hose out side might but if your comfortable every thing should be fine. I usually don't winterize mine until Nov.some thing.
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Old 09-10-2015, 06:19 PM   #5
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Thanks, I assume they are hard wired with a switch panel somewhere?
Yes a Sunline standard two switch panel on the wall near the kitchen sink. Fresh water on one, black and gray on the other.
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Old 09-10-2015, 06:22 PM   #6
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Any resistance heater is going to use a lot of DC power. If it's above freezing during the day and near or below at night there isn't much chance of any thing freezing yeah your water hose out side might but if your comfortable every thing should be fine. I usually don't winterize mine until Nov.some thing.
Mainah:

All three of our tanks are underneath the trailer, exposed to the cold.
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Old 09-11-2015, 06:38 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by mainah View Post
Any resistance heater is going to use a lot of DC power. If it's above freezing during the day and near or below at night there isn't much chance of any thing freezing yeah your water hose out side might but if your comfortable every thing should be fine. I usually don't winterize mine until Nov.some thing.
Yes, that was what I was thinking as far as draw. When we have been out west we have had a couple experiences where the temps really dropped and didn't have heaters. I always have enough antifreeze to winterize if need be, but the black and grey would be a problem. I did some calculations of freezing point a couple years ago to see if you could put antifreeze in the black and you loose protection really fast with any dilution, so that is nearly pointless.

I'll have to look into it a bit more, the only benefit of 12 v would be that you can use it running, but at highway speeds, that would really suck the heat away in a well below freezing situation.
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Old 09-11-2015, 06:39 AM   #8
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Yes a Sunline standard two switch panel on the wall near the kitchen sink. Fresh water on one, black and gray on the other.
Thanks!
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Old 09-11-2015, 08:02 AM   #9
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Mainah:

All three of our tanks are underneath the trailer, exposed to the cold.
My fresh water tank is inside the black and gray are not I have camped in the snow I usually don't give up until the day time temps only get into the low 40's. The insulation in most campers is marginal so if you are comfortable the tanks most likely are above freezing even a bit of ice will do no damage to any tank the biggest issue would be the plumbing fittings and pipes and they are inside of the camper.
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