233s- Who has one? - Page 2

FourWheelers · 09-26-2013, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TK421

The camper is closed up but I took a few pictures to give you an idea what the bins look like and what bins we use.

Thanks for the pics! Looks like I'm going to Wal-Mart...

urocav2001 · 09-26-2013, 09:13 PM

X2 on the pics thanks

Campman33 · 10-10-2013, 09:41 AM

It's getting to that heater season! As a new owner of a 233s, a question I have is, is the furnace just propane or is it electric as well? Just curious because I couldn't find it in the manual anywhere and I will be taking it out for the first time before I winterize it at the end of October. Thanks.

KMP44 · 10-10-2013, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Campman33

It's getting to that heater season! As a new owner of a 233s, a question I have is, is the furnace just propane or is it electric as well? Just curious because I couldn't find it in the manual anywhere and I will be taking it out for the first time before I winterize it at the end of October. Thanks.

Striclty fueled by propane, but you need 12V power as well for the controls and CO detector.

**ependydad** · 10-10-2013, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMP44

Striclty fueled by propane, but you need 12V power as well for the controls and CO detector.

(Sorry, I don't know this camper nor much about furnaces..) BUT- doesn't it have a fan on it to blow the hot air into the unit? Would that fan be electric?

KMP44 · 10-10-2013, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ependydad

(Sorry, I don't know this camper nor much about furnaces..) BUT- doesn't it have a fan on it to blow the hot air into the unit? Would that fan be electric?

Yes - should have said 12v for controls & fan...

But its not like the fridge, where you could run exclusively on electric. The heat only comes from propane.

**ependydad** · 10-10-2013, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMP44

But its not like the fridge, where you could run exclusively on electric. The heat only comes from propane.

Oh, right- of course. I didn't think of it that way.

And, sadly- I know that one all too well. I've ran out of propane twice before I finally wised up to reading my changeover. Once (in FLORIDA of all places) I had to go to the gas station and buy a regular 18lb tank to get through until the propane filling station opened.

Campman33 · 10-10-2013, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMP44

Striclty fueled by propane, but you need 12V power as well for the controls and CO detector.

Ok. Thank you. I should be all set to go then.

**bikendan** · 10-10-2013, 11:44 AM

Campman, be aware that if you are dry camping or boondocking, the furnace is the trailer's biggest power hog on the its battery.
that's why most of us dry campers/boondockers have at least two deep cycle batteries, along with a generator or solar system.
you'll run out of battery power way before you run out of propane.

if you have hookups, most of us use an ceramic heater to run and allow the trailer's furnace to supplement the ceramic heater.

FourWheelers · 10-10-2013, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

Campman, be aware that if you are dry camping or boondocking, the furnace is the trailer's biggest power hog on the its battery. that's why most of us dry campers/boondockers have at least two deep cycle batteries, along with a generator or solar system. you'll run out of battery power way before you run out of propane. if you have hookups, most of us use an ceramic heater to run and allow the trailer's furnace to supplement the ceramic heater.

Thanks for the ceramic heater tip! I'm leaving tomorrow for the maiden voyage with my 233s and it promises to be cool in PA.
Might save some propane with this tip.

**bikendan** · 10-10-2013, 01:17 PM

FourWheelers, make sure the heater has a tipover cutoff safety switch.

FourWheelers · 10-10-2013, 01:39 PM

Nofitpitchin: Heading out to get that table cart you showed us. Thanks again.

Bikendad: Safety first of course. Made sure the tip over protection was there.

Campman33 · 10-10-2013, 02:12 PM

I'll definitely look into the ceramic heater. I'm from PA and the nights get chilly this time of year but it doesn't stop us from camping.

FourWheelers · 10-10-2013, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Campman33

I'll definitely look into the ceramic heater. I'm from PA and the nights get chilly this time of year but it doesn't stop us from camping.

We are heading out to Hickory Oaks Campground in the Lancaster area. Not only do I have the Nor easter to deal with but the temps should be chilly.

MuddauberE · 10-10-2013, 03:29 PM

Speaking of propane and power heating, I wanted to make sure you knew that the water heater has a switch located in the outside access for propane or electric heating.

FourWheelers · 10-10-2013, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuddauberE

Speaking of propane and power heating, I wanted to make sure you knew that the water heater has a switch located in the outside access for propane or electric heating.

I found that switch after I bought the camper. The previous owner told me it needed to stay " on " to use propane or turn it " off " to use electric. He also didn't know why the electric heater never worked that well.

I promptly turned it off, then replaced the heating element and zinc.

BeagleIL · 10-17-2013, 03:35 PM

Thought I'd chime in here. We had our 233S out this past weekend with temps dropping into the low 30's. I used 2 of the small ceramic heaters and the furnace only ran a couple of times. Good thing too as I found we were almost out of propane when we got home!

Comfort wise, we served breakfast for ourselves and the other family we were camping with. 4 Adults and 5 kids, all at one time, very comfortably!

MuddauberE · 10-20-2013, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeagleIL

Thought I'd chime in here. We had our 233S out this past weekend with temps dropping into the low 30's. I used 2 of the small ceramic heaters and the furnace only ran a couple of times. Good thing too as I found we were almost out of propane when we got home! Comfort wise, we served breakfast for ourselves and the other family we were camping with. 4 Adults and 5 kids, all at one time, very comfortably!

I will be taking mine out in the middle if November. I'll winterized it this week because of the lowering temperatures but won't stop the trip from happening. I want to see how comfortable we are when it cooler out anyway. Glad to hear you were warm.

BeagleIL · 10-20-2013, 08:58 PM

My biggest problem was that 2 ceramic heaters and 3 mattresses were popping the breaker inside the camper. So the second night I snaked an extension cord in from the site pedestal for the second ceramic. I will definitely be adding a second outlet on the hot water heater circuit as we never run it on electric. I can easily tap in and have an outlet right there below the sofa. Hard to believe they ran all 7 outlets on one 15 amp breaker.

biken201 · 10-21-2013, 07:22 AM

Last winter we experienced a drop to 14 degrees at night without issue. We were expecting unusually cold temps at night (for the Tucson area), but unusually cold should have been in the upper 20s range, and only for a short time at night. Because the daytime highs should have been in the upper 40s, we weren't too concerned with a short duration of below freezing temps. Although the camper weathered the exceptionally (for us) cold temps, I would not recommend it. With the tank heaters, a ceramic heater, mattress heaters and furnace, we stayed plenty warm in the camper.

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