2016 Itasca Spirit 31k holding tank heaters

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tsrubas

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Jan 6, 2017
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Could someone please tell me how these holding tank heaters turn on?  My mother has a 2016 Itasca Spirit with holding tank heaters. The instructions on using them are less than helpful.  She turns on the RV truck and then turns on the holding tank heater switch.  It flashes red quickly but does not stay lit up.  Is there something we are missing to start/keep the holding tank heaters on?

Thank you for any help you may be able to provide!
 
Do they work when the RV is plugged into city electric?  If they do maybe the house battery or batteries voltage is low.  Have you checked to see if when the engine is running you are getting a charge into the house battery?  Also I think the temperature has to be below a certain level before they will work.  Dick   

John FYI that has been an option on Winnie class C's since about 2006, 12v heat pads on holding tanks.
 
Right on, nvrver.  The PO  of my rig kept all documentation....it includes a CD on the tank heaters.  Yup, the CD says the outside temp must be below 44 degrees F for them to "kick in" so to speak.  I asked the Winnebago tech support folks what the travel restrictions would be temperature wise.....they said I should be good down to 20 degrees or so, but they were kind of non-committal, actually.  Lots of precautions about how quick the heater(s) will draw the house batteries down if they are not being charged by the converter or the alternator; also to have at least some liquid in the holding tanks.  I believe the tank heaters were an extra cost option on my 2007 class C.
 
nvrver said:
...John FYI that has been an option on Winnie class C's since about 2006, 12v heat pads on holding tanks.
Click to expand...
Apparently the furnace doesn't doesn't have ducting to the plumbing bay then. 20 gallons or so of water is unlikely to freeze unless you are in really, really cold temps. I would be more concerned with freezing in and around the 12V water pump and the piping - that's where you would need heat.

Another problem area is the icemaker plumbing just inside the lower vent if you have a traditional Norcold fridge. I've had the fill solenoid freeze and break.
 
nvrver said:
Do they work when the RV is plugged into city electric?  If they do maybe the house battery or batteries voltage is low.  Have you checked to see if when the engine is running you are getting a charge into the house battery?  Also I think the temperature has to be below a certain level before they will work.  Dick   

John FYI that has been an option on Winnie class C's since about 2006, 12v heat pads on holding tanks.
Click to expand...

Yes, the RV is plugged in.  We have also tried running the truck.  The switch light doesn't come on (but a light in the fuse panel does come on when we switch it on).

We are in Georgia.  It has been VERY cold her.  Today is about 25 degrees but it has been colder than that.  Thankfully, nothing seems to have frozen
 
tsrubas said:
Yes, the RV is plugged in.  We have also tried running the truck.  The switch light doesn't come on (but a light in the fuse panel does come on when we switch it on).

We are in Georgia.  It has been VERY cold her.  Today is about 25 degrees but it has been colder than that.  Thankfully, nothing seems to have frozen
Click to expand...

We have been below freezing in Georgia.  Thankfully, tomorrow we will be back into the 50s. But, we got snow and ice this weekend that is still hanging around.
 
John,

My 2011 Access Premier 31JP has the heater option. Haven't needed to use it though.
 
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