Tank heating Blankets.

Ok, I have been told by the dealer that our tank heating blankets are on all the time. There is not switch on my panel to turn them on/off . Now I know I live in Canada and we do have a polar pac on the trailer but today its 84F. Only solution I'm told is, pull the fuse or fiqure out how to put a switch on it. The issue arouse because I had major power parasites, I would lose 2/3 of my battery when the 5er was parked for 2 weeks. I have since put a battery disconnect on for when its parked, but the heating blanket thing sounds crazy. Anybody know???

They normally have a self regulating system and are off when temperature is warm.

Earl, how are the tanks heated by the furnace? I know the basement storage is because I see the furnace vents.

Don't have heating blankets here. Sounds like not very good planning on the manufacturer's part. A switch would work...... or a thermostat would be a good addition. Back when we had a pool, we had a freeze switch. If the weather got down below a certain temp (35 deg. for instance), the pump turned on. It made the water circulate through the filter and pipes and kept them from freezing. Seems like something like that could be adapted to your situation. But, maybe that freeze override would put a constant drain on the system, too...... don't know.

Tater

We love to go winter camping. Because of that, I'd like to heat the tanks and external plumbing. When it gets less expensive, I just might pull the trigger. As it stands now, we bring our water and put antifreeze in the waste tanks. The furnace duct is passive at best, and to be frank, it's a joke. Sounds impressive at first, but impractical when actually used. If you truly have after market heating pads on your tanks and external plumbing, I would definitely go the route of putting them on a separate circuit with at least one switch if not more than one.

As for the phantom power, as long as you have a functioning CO2 detector and lights on the stereo, etc., you'll always have a fractional amp discharge. A heavy duty battery switch is the best thing you can do to stop the drain.

TC

We also get concerned about the lack of heat around the plumbing. It really doesn't look like the plumbing running to the shower and sinks is protected very well by the outside wall, and the little holes in the furnace duct don't look adequate to heat the fresh water tank and the plumbing associated with it.

When/if you do this mod, please post pix.

Tater