Carla's Camper

[user 22017]

If your shore-power was wired up to commercial standards then there should be somewhere inside your trailer with a door that opens up with breakers that look like those for a house in it... Maybe inside a cabinet or closet. I've never seen one that was accessible only from outside but I haven't looked at too many trailers either. If it was DIY or homemade then there is no telling how it was done. Keep in mind that if there is not a fuse box then you need to make sure you don't use electricity in the trailer exceeding the max wattage of your extension cord just to make sure you stay safe.

It's not homemade. It is a 2004 Coachmen Oasis 24TB. I just meant that the cord is plugged into the trailer outside. I used to have an extension cord (for the heater only) going through a window. Now I plug into a wall plug inside the trailer.

Yesterday I stayed in the house all afternoon and night with the oil filled radiator on in the trailer. So I thought. At some point a fuse blew and I froze my butt off in the trailer last night. Trailer thermometer said 30 degrees inside (24 outside). PLugged in the milkhouse heater I bought at Walmart yesterday (at the bedroom circuit) and that circuit worked.

I haven't found the breaker box. And I had my truck towed into the shop this morning. There were fuses in the truck. But I have a box of assorted fuses coming from Amazon. Should be here today.

I have the manual out, but so far can't find the "power center". I'll try looking online.

Thanks Frood.

 

[Happy Camper]

Carla. Just a different train of thought here. While I agree having your space warm enough to live in is important, there is another part of heat to think about.

Have you set yourself up for warm sleep at night? 12 heated mattress pad? 12v heated blanket? Proper sleeping bag, blankets, etc?

I have seen many many people over the years deal with crazy cold and not have the best space heating solution in this forum.

Just want you to be fully prepared for every situation you'll be in on the road. If your heater goes out and you have power. No power. Propane, no propane. Etc.

You're doing great and learning a ton with the great advice here.

But the saying is "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" for a reason. We want you fully prepared, or as close as you can be. Keep going. I'm looking forward to reading your posts when you're on the road.

 

[bullfrog !]

You shouldn’t need fuses for the 120 volt circuits. You should have breakers in a breaker box just like in a modern house. You reset those by pushing them full off then pushing them full on. They should sort of click into place. Look for a grey or black panel maybe beneath the fridge or in a closet or an under bed cabinet. They usually have a flush mount tab or folding handle to open the door to reveal the breakers. You may have 12 volt fuses in there as well for the 12 volt circuits. In most cases they are labeled.

 

[LargeMarge]

... didn't wanna blow up...the previous owner. He said to take them to Walmart or Ace Hardware to get them exchanged. He said one is half full....

.
a)
re : exchange vs re-fill
.
Depending on the certification date stamped into the collar of a (for example) twenty-pound five-gallon propane bottle, you may be many dollars ahead by taking your bottles to a propane shop for re-fill.
.
In the rig, we dedicate one five-gallon bottle to the Wave 3 catalytic heater.
Yesterday, it lift-tested light enough for me to take it to the propane dealer for a re-fill -- about ten fedbux (us$10).
.
At Wal*Mart and Lowe's, the signs on their exchange boxes demand around double that for an equivalent size bottle.
.
!!! Warning !!!
That value comparison -- $10 vs $21 -- is wildly misleading.
An exchange bottle is usually only a partial fill.
Indeed, right there on the label, it says "15# (fifteen pounds)", or about 3/4 of full.
.
Why is this important?
q : if your equipment claims it will operate 'X' number of hours on one bottle, but your new exchange bottle is only 3/4 full, would your run-time be compromised?
a : probably.
.
How about a spare?
If I was me, I might ask at yard-sales for twenty-pound/five-gallon propane bottles:
* "Do you have any BBQ tanks you want to get rid of?"
['Yes', some people refer to propane bottles as 'tanks', and 'yes', some people end a sentence with a preposition.]
I can usually pick one up for less than five fedbux.
Depending on the cert date stamped into the collar -- twelve years at a time -- if it is close to the end of its cert, the astute negotiator might get it for free.
.
Would free be in the budget?
.
A word about certification dates:
We foraged a full twenty-pounder out of a Dumpster™ after some lunatics gave it the toss.
It was a side-mount, probably 'borrowed' from a forklift.
.
keyword : 'side-mount'
With the amount of excitement displayed by its prior 'operators', I got the impression they attempted to use it in the upright position...
... leading to raw fluid propane spewing into the stove or heater...
... and hence, their KeystoneKops response as their crew bailed from various doors and windows...
... without further adieu.
.
Why?
* a side-mount pulls gas-propane from the highest point.
* a side-mount on its tuchus pulls liquid-propane, leading to the aforementioned chinese fire-drill.
.
And its date?
1947... about a half-century before our rescue.
About a half-decade before I was born.
Leading the astute observer to wonder if the certification process is a scam [shrugs indifferently].
.
.
b)
I think blowing up the prior owner is probably premature.
Wait a while, give it some time.
Certain 'issues' are self-resolving...

 

[bullfrog !]

^^^only time I use the exchange bottles is when the certification date on the empty bottle I have is only a few years away. I trade them my old beat up almost out of date for a brand new or recently recertified bottle with nice new paint and several years worth of easy and legal refilling. Again yard sales and abandoned grills with bottles can be gotten cheaply or free if you haul off the old grill! Lol!!

 

[LargeMarge]

... the trailer last night. Trailer thermometer said 30 degrees inside (24 outside)...

I haven't found the breaker box...but I have a box of assorted fuses coming from Amazon...

.
a)
If I was me, I might ask any experienced RVer about your breaker-box, its location, and components.
.
Your breaker-box probably has circuit breakers.
Your breaker-box probably has few-to-none fuses.
.
.
b)
We boondock exclusively.
Accordingly, we are gleefully off-grid.
If the grid collapsed last week, we might discover that sometime next month.
No big.
.
If a fuse blew at Three Mile Island or Chernobyl, we would trudge on.
Just another day.
.
If we engineered our ExpeditionVehicle with fuses or circuit breakers -- nope, and nope -- we would instantly know if something popped and something failed.
But a half-century of make-do camping in lesser rigs educated us on the value of simplicity... everything out in the open, nothing hidden inside walls or dark cabinets.
.
As you might imagine, our Wave 3 catalytic heater operates without any connection to the grid.
A propane bottle, a hose, a heater.
Very little to go wrong.
.
.
c)
If I was me, I would look at a back-up source of heat.
Your electric situation sounds fraught with potentially-continual chillishivering.
And all indicators suggest that would be different from chillaxing.
.
Eugene, Oregon.
Last night was 27°f.
This morning, the dogs looked at me for some way, some human invention, to avoid going outside to get emptied.
[shrugs indifferently]
So, they scampered back inside with all due haste.
.
Your interior temperature -- below freezing? -- sounds like it could mess with your fung-shway.
I think you should stop doing that...

 

[minanimal]

Here are a few thoughts I had as I caught up reading the thread.
Exchanging an LP tank rather than refilling is more expensive (at least in my areas of travel), plus you can - and I have - gotten a faulty exchange that required a trip back. I'm echoing comments from others, above.
It is surprising how long it can take LP to travel through the pipes to the furnace or stove when the lines are empty.
The power center has a small cooling fan. They are almost always audible - making more noise if there is an electrical demand. You should be able to find the unit. Some are under a bed and kind of out of sight, but they all should be accessible.

 

[Malamute]

I haven't found the breaker box.

I have the manual out, but so far can't find the "power center". I'll try looking online.

Carla, whats the small door under the fridge? If thats not it start looking in every small door down low.

 

[tx2sturgis]

What is being referred to as the 'breaker box' is almost always the RV 120v to 12v converter box, (also called the power center) which should be easily accessible. It 'should' be more or less situated (inside) near where the shore power cord or plug is located on the outside of the trailer.

In other words if the shore power cord is connected into a box, or a plug, 5 feet forward from the back of the trailer on the left side of the trailer, then look inside in the cabinets and behind any doors or covers, about 5 feet forward of the back wall, and on the same side of the trailer. It WILL be there, somewhere.

It is usually a brown or black metal door covering the breakers and fuses, if any.

 

[user 22017]

Carla. Just a different train of thought here. While I agree having your space warm enough to live in is important, there is another part of heat to think about.

Have you set yourself up for warm sleep at night? 12 heated mattress pad? 12v heated blanket? Proper sleeping bag, blankets, etc? <snip>

But the saying is "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" for a reason. We want you fully prepared, or as close as you can be. Keep going. I'm looking forward to reading your posts when you're on the road.

Thank you I do stay warm once I am under the covers. But I learned that there is some really bad info floating around regarding memory foam, lol. That stuff is horrid. And it's not just because it turns into concrete when cold. When warm it is like quick sand. It is hard to scoot across the bed on that stuff. Even harder to get out of bed. Last night i had to put a blanket and an afghan under the sheets, because the foam was so cold.

Luckily I didn't buy the memory foam. The camper came with 4 inches on each of the beds.

If anyone can recommend mattresses, I'd appreciate it. (The bunks ONLY have memory foam)

I have a 100% wool blanket that is awesome. Then a comforter. Then an extra large zero degree sleeping bag. And I sleep in wool socks.
But I'm getting tired of sitting in a cold camper. It's not very relaxing. Makes me want to be in a warm climate ASAP.

Like you said, this is good practice.

Ps. Also have an electric blanket on order: https://a.co/d/8vumQeb

 

[abnorm]

...............the desert is whispering your name..............CARLA................

 

[user 22017]

You shouldn’t need fuses for the 120 volt circuits. You should have breakers in a breaker box just like in a modern house. You reset those by pushing them full off then pushing them full on. They should sort of click into place. Look for a grey or black panel maybe beneath the fridge or in a closet or an under bed cabinet. They usually have a flush mount tab or folding handle to open the door to reveal the breakers. You may have 12 volt fuses in there as well for the 12 volt circuits. In most cases they are labeled.

The manual refers to the "power center" repeatedly, but there is only one reference to the location and it is vague. Upper left hand corner behind the decorative door. That's it! lol. Can't find any decorative doors either.

Under the fridge would be nuts. I'll check there. It's not in the closets and the under bed cabinet would be tough to access. Hmm... be nice if the bed lifted up. Haven't checked that yet.

Thank you!

 

[user 22017]

.
a)
re : exchange vs re-fill
.
Depending on the certification date stamped into the collar of a (for example) twenty-pound five-gallon propane bottle, you may be many dollars ahead by taking your bottles to a propane shop for re-fill.
<snip>

Thanks for the tips, Marge. I think I read somewhere to keep/use your own bottles. Didn't know about certification dates.

 

[user 22017]

Carla, whats the small door under the fridge? If thats not it start looking in every small door down low.

Hmm... I'll go look, even though it is 31 degrees outside. Grrr. My camper was so exciting when I first got it. Sniff. Sniff.

 

[user 22017]

What is being referred to as the 'breaker box' is almost always the RV 120v to 12v converter box, (also called the power center) which should be easily accessible. It 'should' be more or less situated (inside) near where the shore power cord or plug is located on the outside of the trailer.

In other words if the shore power cord is connected into a box, or a plug, 5 feet forward from the back of the trailer on the left side of the trailer, then look inside in the cabinets and behind any doors or covers, about 5 feet forward of the back wall, and on the same side of the trailer. It WILL be there, somewhere.

It is usually a brown or black metal door covering the breakers and fuses, if any.

That would be the bunk area. OMW. Thx.

 

[user 22017]

What is being referred to as the 'breaker box' is almost always the RV 120v to 12v converter box, (also called the power center) which should be easily accessible. It 'should' be more or less situated (inside) near where the shore power cord or plug is located on the outside of the trailer.

In other words if the shore power cord is connected into a box, or a plug, 5 feet forward from the back of the trailer on the left side of the trailer, then look inside in the cabinets and behind any doors or covers, about 5 feet forward of the back wall, and on the same side of the trailer. It WILL be there, somewhere.

It is usually a brown or black metal door covering the breakers and fuses, if any.

Pretty close, Tx Under the dinette bench seat closest to the bunks. I'm not very observant. Or maybe my brain works best above freezing. In my defense, there is another vent cover under the other bench seat.

Grabbed some photos from my phone...


My new curtains and lamp. Next is my truck with no odometer/speedometer. It's supposed to be fixed in ten days. Next is a tail light on the trailer missing the red cover. Last are my tanks and power jack. Think that's what it is called.

 

[user 22017]

More pics...

Reminder of last night's chilly trailer (after I turned on the milkhouse heater).
My fat Coachmen Manual that only told me to find the decorative door for the breakers. It has a bigger section about the microwave.
The brown correct panel.
The other panel.
The power center at last (with mouse droppings in the fuse panel).

 

[NctryBen]

Your camper will be more “exciting” again when you get somewhere warmer…

 

[bullfrog !]

Yep, in the last picture that 15 amp breaker that is labeled rear is tripped (the one setting slightly lower than the others) needs to be pushed down then pushed up till it clicks and stays in place like the others. Once you do that you should have power. If it trips again there is too much load on that circuit or the breaker has been tripped so many times it has gotten “weak” and needs to be replaced.

 

[RonDean]

Just noticed a jar candle in Carla's pic. That made me wonder if she had considered using a Crisco heater as background heat. Bob posted a video on this at: and there are plenty of other videos on YouTube on how to make them. I have asl seen videos using such candles and copper/sand as well as the terracotta pots like Bob demos. I know that in very cold areas this wouldn't seem like enough, and it probably isn't - on it's own. But in a small enclosed space (like an RV) and as an adjunct to other heat it might be worthwhile. Then there is also something like a propane heater like Mr. Buddy. In all cases, keeping safety in mind.