What is best portable electric heater

[DavidJ]

Hello,
We are planning on boondocking a few days this winter down south. What do you all recommend for inside an RV? We plan to use the heater at RV and State parks with electricity and boondocking with a generator.

Thanks

[bikendan]

Ceramic or oil-filled radiator heater.

[DavidBo]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This has worked well for us. It's compact but makes a lot of heat, plenty for southern winters. The lower power settings should be OK if you have enough generator.
Just out of curiosity, why don't you want to use propane?

[DavidJ]

Originally Posted by DavidBo

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This has worked well for us. It's compact but makes a lot of heat, plenty for southern winters. The lower power settings should be OK if you have enough generator.
Just out of curiosity, why don't you want to use propane?

Yeah we can use our TT heater. Just finding options. Thanks

[DavidBo]

Originally Posted by DavidJ

Yeah we can use our TT heater. Just finding options. Thanks

I agree, especially when plugged in. A small electric heater tends to maintain a much more even temperature. If it's particularly chilly outside, the furnace would be a good way to initially warm the trailer up, then the ceramic heater to keep it that way.

[Rmstack]

We love our Dyson. It keeps the temperature constant and is safe near furniture. It is somewhat expensive, though.

[firemedicmark]

Originally Posted by DavidBo

I agree, especially when plugged in. A small electric heater tends to maintain a much more even temperature. If it's particularly chilly outside, the furnace would be a good way to initially warm the trailer up, then the ceramic heater to keep it that way.

X2

[frank4711]

Originally Posted by Rmstack

We love our Dyson. It keeps the temperature constant and is safe near furniture. It is somewhat expensive, though.

Yep ... X2

[Swampy]

Like you, we usually camp in the state parks here in SE Louisiana and Mississippi, with full hook-ups over the winter. I have had very good luck with an inexpensive "Patton" electric forced air space heater from Walmart (<$20) in my TT. It has a Hi and Low setting (750W/1500W) and it has kept us as snug as a bug in a rug down into the upper 20's a few times. I normally use it in conjunction with a 16" pedestal fan on low speed to circulate the heat throughout the 28 ft bunkhouse TT since the A/C fan is so noisy. These heaters have a built in fan to push the heat out and the metal case stays cool to the touch. It has a tip-over kill switch in case you have fur babies running around and they knock it over. It stores easily in my shoe bench, so it stays in the TT all year. It is rectangular measuring 10"w X 6"d X 14" H. It has a variable temperature control setting on it as well. I do recommend you run it from a separate power cord directly from the pedestal to avoid any tripped breakers in the TT if you run a hair dryer or turn on the microwave. Last spring, I wasted $50 installing a "chill Chaser" on my Coleman Mach A/C, but it does little as far as heating the TT goes. Good Camping ... Swampy

[chuckyb9876]

I don't know how many amps your rig is but we found a little work around. We installed a NOCO 13 amp plug on our rig that does not use the converter for a power source. We can plug in our 30 amp converter in the pedestal and than make use of the 120 volt circuit that most pedestals have available. This allows you some luxury items to run along with the coffee maker or add and extra ceramic heater if needed. It is an easy install and soooo worth it.

[frank4711]

The Dyson I mentioned is in the house ... during the PDI we checked out the fireplace which also has thermostat with heat and I would never need more that here in FL ...

[McCormickJim]

I use a $20 forced air heater from Walmart. I use it in both my single axle TT and my 35 foot Georgetown.

I added a digital, plug in thermostat: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The thermostat allows me to control the temperature to a specific degree setting.

[andrewlay]

We lived in our 5th wheel through three winters in Northeast New Mexico at 7000 feet. We had lows to -8F.

We bought an oil filled radiator heater and a ceramic heater. The oil filled we used in the living room and the ceramic in the bedroom. We used them to supplement the furnace. The heat from the oiled filled seemed to go straight up without warming the room. We put it in storage and bought the quartz heater listed below. It was the best of the three heaters.

We are in our house now. We just donated the oil filled and ceramic heaters to our local volunteer fire department garage sale. We kept the quartz.

https://www.doitbest.com/products/40...702d410a00447b

[rockfordroo]

Don't waste your $$ on an expensive heater. Largest are 1500 watts (so about 12.5 amps). It all gets turned into heat, so none are more efficient than others. 1500W = 5118 Btu/hr.

The oil ones warm up slower, then give that heat off after they turn off. The idea is to even out the temperature swings. The ceramic ones don't get "red hot," so are considered to be a bit safer.

Nice features are 2 or 3 heat settings (750W/1500W or 500W/1000W/1500W), as well as a thermostat to allow it to turn on/off itself at your desired temperature.

If you pay more than $30-40 (ceramics a bit more), you're getting ripped off, IMHO.

And stay away from the Amish Heater - LOL

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news...h_heaters.html

[Wilco]

I do not heaters with fans because they are noisy at night. (As is the propane heater.) That is why we use an oil filled electric heater. The only noise is the click of the thermostat opening or closing. Our newest is digital so it does not even click when energizing.

If you do buy a heater with a fan, try to find one where the fan runs constantly. The start/stop of the fan during the night may interrupt your sleep by waking you. I rewired one for a friend so the fan ran constantly when turned on (only the heating element cycled with the thermostat.)

[mwdilday]

We use a wooden cabinet heater with a digital temperature setting. Seems to work great for us.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Duraflame-1...ater/999918322

[Filterman]

Originally Posted by DavidBo

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This has worked well for us. It's compact but makes a lot of heat, plenty for southern winters. The lower power settings should be OK if you have enough generator.
Just out of curiosity, why don't you want to use propane?

Draws close to 13 Amps. Just have to be careful what other items you run with it. We always use a space heater when on power and it’s cool. Once you get down to cool nights it takes a lot of gas to heat a large trailer. We have a 28 Wildcat with double pane windows and an insulated floor but once you get close to freezing it sucks up a lot of propane .

[frank4711]

so how many use the heat from the fireplace ?? seems like most units have one? thanks Frank

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by frank4711

so how many use the heat from the fireplace ?? seems like most units have one? thanks Frank

Unless you're referring to a specific manufacturer/brand or RV type, I'd say "most" units do NOT have a fireplace. Certainly none of the Mini Lites, that the OP has.

Although it does seem it's becoming more popular and your statement may be more correct in another 5 or 10 years.

[frank4711]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Unless you're referring to a specific manufacturer/brand or RV type, I'd say "most" units do NOT have a fireplace. Certainly none of the Mini Lites, that the OP has.

Although it does seem it's becoming more popular and your statement may be more correct in another 5 or 10 years.

That's me always ahead of the crowd