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Old 12-13-2007, 10:20 PM   #1
dz06
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2007 36TK3 Propane Use

Currently using #20 of propane daily. Thermostat set to 70 with outside temperatures mid 20s at night and 40-50 during the day. I have dual pane widows and no obvious drafts. You can feel the cold at the windows, but no drafts. I was expecting to have propane for at least a week with 2 #40 tanks.

Do you find my propane use in the normal range to be expected?
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Old 12-14-2007, 06:59 AM   #2
Gemstone
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On our TK3, the gaps around the kitchen and bedroom slides (along the floor) were contributing to our high fuel bills. I have stuffed the gaps with high density foam rubber to stop the drafts...it has made a huge difference.

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Old 12-14-2007, 08:02 AM   #3
2blackdogs
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Although our temps are not as cold we have used 8 gal in the past 21 days. ($25)
Temps low in 40's, highs in the 60's.
There is a major problem with yours somewhere like a propane leak but I would think you would be able to smell it. Check your ridgid pipe that runs under the rig, soap up the fittings and check for leaks.
Propane is heavier than air, so an outside leak would drift to the ground and would not be detected standing upright.
Hope this helps but it could be a bunch of other things also.
Bob
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Old 12-14-2007, 08:11 AM   #4
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If you have not skirted the underside of the unit this would sound about right. Getting down to 20 degrees is pretty cold. Folks we know stay in their MS all winter and use a ton of propane but have brought in one of those big tanks that the propane company fills on a regular basis and use electric heaters. If you skirt it in it may help but expect to use a lot of propane. The best I have heard from people staying all winter is a bottle every day and a half. I would not think you have a leak.
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Old 12-14-2007, 08:30 AM   #5
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Just weighing in with another usage. We have lows right at 30 and highs in the mid 50s and are using a bottle a week without using any electric heat.
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Old 12-14-2007, 08:36 AM   #6
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It also depends on your comfort level, and 70 is much higher than we have ours set at. We set night temps to 62, and daytime to 65. I just removed a tank last night for refill, and it ran for 12 days.
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Old 12-14-2007, 08:37 AM   #7
dz06
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Thanks for the replies.

What really got my attention was getting charged $42 for #40 of propane (Amerigas in Fulton, KY). Choice of filling there or driving 30 mile round trip to TriState for $28 fill.
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Old 12-14-2007, 09:03 AM   #8
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Oh, one other thing to check...are you getting heat from the registers in the bedroom ? Seems the installer on some rigs did not like working in tight spaces and did a half ass job of connecting the flex duct to the main duct....thus no heat in the bedroom (but plenty in the basement).

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Old 12-14-2007, 09:41 AM   #9
Gunship Guy
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I only use electric heaters. I bought 2 small ones from Wal Mart and put one in the living room and one in the bedroom. They can easily maintain 70 degrees throughout the trailer even when temps dip below freezing. I have not purchased propane in nearly a year since I only use gas for the stove top. Most cooking is done in the convection oven.

I have a small electric heater on a timer in the basement to keep lines from freezing.
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Old 12-14-2007, 10:23 AM   #10
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Check under the kitchen slide on the outside of the rig. You should find some notches cut in the seal there that allow free flow of air in 3 to 4 places.

You might also want to check for compressed and leaking gaskets around the doors in the basement area. Definitely check for duct leaks or disconnects.

Check your windows for dirt and debris in the gasket areas. I found that the windows didn't seal. They may be double pane but the wind sails right on through if there is any dirt in the gasket area. Even the vertical sliding windows leak air badly.

We also use a small space heater in the bedroom at night and turn the furnace down to about 60 and close the door to the bedroom. During the day we'll turn it up to 68 or 70 but we also get a lot of sun heating to help out. If it's really cold outside we bring the space heater into the front room.

If you are stationary for the winter skirt the rig to slow or stop the flow of air underneath. At the same time getting a larger tank (200 gallon) would be a good idea.
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Old 12-14-2007, 11:29 AM   #11
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I also use the square fluffly inserts in the three roof openings where the fan vents are. This will cut down on heat loss. They can be purchased at Camping World for around $6 each.
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Old 12-14-2007, 10:41 PM   #12
dz06
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Thanks again for all the replies. I'll start checking each suggestion to see if it applies. I'll be shutting down the RV for the winter and may not have time to get results.

Note: I have only 15A service so I'm not using a space heater.

I'm camping at a newly purchased property until prior owner vacates house. He's paying rent until his new property is ready. Probably will be available mid Jan. Until then I'm going back to California.
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Old 12-15-2007, 10:29 AM   #13
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Ditto what Gunship said.

Realize we are in milder climes. Staying at public park in North Texas with 30 amp svc. Patton quartz heater in living area. Basement heater is plugged into 20 amp plug on breaker box. Using electric cooking applicances. Will occasionally use furnace for short periods, when cold enough, to knock chill off in the morning.

Don't plan on having to refill all winter with 40# bottle.
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Old 12-15-2007, 01:43 PM   #14
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Cold Air Leak

With one person in the RV and one person looking under the kitchen slide, shine a flashlight under extented the kitchen slide. If you can see the light of the flashlight coming through, that should show you one of the reasons you are using a lot of propane.

Shine the light from the inside then from the outside.

The kitchen slide is the biggest problem with air leaks in a lot of Doubletree units.
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Old 12-15-2007, 02:39 PM   #15
jdwilson3
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Propane usage

This thread started just as I had filled my propane, so I have been able to verify my LP usage:

1st night: Turned furnace on at 6PM to 64 degrees and down to 62 at 9PM, the low was 34 degrees. Shut down the furnace at 6am.

2nd night: same

3rd night: Turned furnace on at 6PM to 66 degrees and down to 63 at 9PM, low was 26 degrees. Again shut down furnace at 6am

Filled the tank with 4.4 gallons.

I also placed a digital thermostat on the glass panel above the temperature sensor by the back window. When the furnace shut down at the 66 degree set point, the digital thermostat read 70 degrees. This morning, when I checked the digital thermostat it read 66 degrees.
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Old 12-15-2007, 06:50 PM   #16
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*Forgot to mention that I also bought two of the dense foam pipe insulators they sell for about $1.85 ea., slit them in half and stuffed them in the gap all the way across the kitchen slide and at the ends of the bedroom slide. As some have mentioned this is a big point of cold penetration into the coach.
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