There are a lot of portable electric heaters for sale at the moment because of the weather we are experiencing and tempting as they are I thought I’d post a reminder on how to avoid power problems in your Motorhome.

There are many advantages to going away for a few nights at this time of year because it’s quiet for one thing, shops and pubs are not as busy and the country walks are free and easy.  The one disadvantage of course is the temperature and this is where the temptation to purchase a portable electric heater comes from.

Our Autocruise Stareeker is typical of most coach built Motorhomes in that it has an on board central heating system. Ours is a diesel driven Eberspacher that works really well but unfortunately we do not have a heating outlet in the cab so on those cold wintry nights the main lounge and bedroom are fine but the cab is really cold.

I have alleviated this to a certain extent by purchasing a Silver Screens windscreen cover.  These are fantastic and fit onto the outside of the Motorhome and cover the windscreen and the 2 side windows and they make a massive difference.  They keep the cold out in the winter and the heat and sun out in the summer.  They are not cheap but worth every penny and the service and advice that Silver Screen offer is second to none.  The internal blinds on the Starseeker do not offer any insulation properties at all.

Even with the windows covered as best as I can it’s still cold because the cab itself is not insulated.  We use a portable electric heater placed in the cab area and this provides all the heat necessary to solve the problem.  Our heater is rated at 800 watts and we find this absolutely fine because we always use it in conjunction with our Motorhome central heating.

These portable electric heaters vary in cost, weight and features but most importantly, power consumption.

Most sites in the UK are either 10 amp or 15 amp but there may still be some 5 amp one’s around and these are certainly more prevalent in Europe.  You need to be aware of the amperage provided at the site and then you can be sure that your heater will not blow the fuse – very embarrassing if this happens especially late at night.

The way to calculate how much power you can use is to multiply the hook-up’s total amperage by the site voltage (240v in the UK)  and this will give you the total wattage you can safely use. Examples are below:

• A 5 amp supply will give you;   5 x 230 = 1,150 watts total power
• A 10 amp supply will give you;  10 x 230 = 2,300 watts total power
• A 15 amp supply will give you;  15 x 230 = 3,450 watts total power

Now please remember that this is total power and must include the power rating of any other electrical devices you are using such as fridge, TV, radio and importantly an electric cooker burner ring if you have one on your hob.  These use quite a bit of power on their own.  Your Motorhome handbook will give you the power rating of your pre-installed electrical devices.

Using the above calculation you can see that a portable electric heater with a power consumption of 1000 watts can be safely used on a site with either a 10 amp or a 15 amp supply but I would definitely not use it on a site with a 5 amp supply.  Before you purchase one of these portable electric heaters make sure you know what the power rating is and bear these total power ratings in mind.

I hope this post helps you to enjoy the winter and keep warm safely.