how much propane does an rv furnace use

**RV Furnaces and Propane: How Much Fuel Do You Really Burn Through?**

(how much propane does an rv furnace use)

Picture this: you’re camping in the mountains, bundled under three layers of blankets, and your RV furnace suddenly sputters. The cozy warmth fades. Your first thought? “Did I pack enough propane?” If you’ve ever wondered how much propane an RV furnace actually uses, you’re not alone. Let’s break it down—no jargon, no guesswork—just straight talk about propane, cold nights, and keeping warm without emptying your tank.

RV furnaces are hungry for propane. They need it to blow heat into your rig. But exactly how much they consume depends on a few things. Think about the outside temperature. A freezing night in Alaska? Your furnace will work harder. A chilly evening in Arizona? It might barely sip propane. The size of your furnace matters too. Bigger RVs need bigger furnaces, which burn more fuel.

Let’s get specific. Most RV furnaces use between 20,000 and 40,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour. One gallon of propane holds about 92,000 BTUs. If your furnace runs at 30,000 BTUs nonstop for an hour, it’ll burn roughly a third of a gallon. That sounds small, but here’s the catch: furnaces don’t run nonstop. They cycle on and off to keep your set temperature.

Say it’s 30°F outside. Your furnace might kick on for 10 minutes every hour. In a day, that adds up to about four hours of runtime. At 30,000 BTUs per hour, you’d use around 1.3 gallons daily. But if temperatures drop to 0°F? Your furnace might run 15 minutes every hour—six hours total. That jumps to nearly 2 gallons a day.

Numbers can feel abstract. Let’s make it real. Imagine a weekend trip in mild fall weather. Two nights, three days. Your furnace runs five hours total. You’d use roughly 1.7 gallons. Now picture a weeklong winter trip. Seven days, furnace running eight hours daily. That’s 56 hours—over 18 gallons. Suddenly, that 30-pound propane tank (which holds about 7 gallons) doesn’t seem so big.

But wait. Other things eat propane too. Your fridge, water heater, and stove share the tank. A fridge might use 1.5 pounds of propane daily. A water heater? Another 2 pounds. Cooking dinner? Maybe half a pound. Add it all up, and propane disappears faster than marshmallows at a campfire.

How do you keep track? Start by checking your furnace’s BTU rating. It’s usually on a label inside the furnace door. Divide that by 92,000 to see gallons burned per hour. Then estimate how often it runs. Cold nights mean more cycles. Warm days? Maybe just mornings and evenings.

Here’s a pro tip: insulation is your friend. Poorly sealed windows or thin walls let heat escape. Your furnace works overtime. Fix drafts, add thermal curtains, or park in sunny spots. Every bit helps.

What about real-life stories? Take Sarah and Mark. They camped in Colorado last winter. Their 25-foot RV had a 30,000 BTU furnace. Temperatures hit 10°F at night. They burned through a 30-pound propane tank (7 gallons) in four days. They skipped extra blankets the first night. Big mistake.

Or Jake, who boondocked in Texas during a “cold snap” of 40°F. His furnace cycled lightly. A single tank lasted two weeks. Weather changes everything.

Don’t panic. Most RVs carry two 30-pound tanks. That’s 14 gallons total. At 1-3 gallons daily, you’ve got 4-14 days of heat. But always pack a backup. Portable propane tanks or electric space heaters (if you’ve got hookups) ease the load.

One last thing. Propane isn’t just about math. It’s about comfort. Running out mid-trip isn’t fun. Check your tanks daily. Listen for the furnace’s hum. Feel the air vents. Warm? Good. Cold? Time to troubleshoot.

(how much propane does an rv furnace use)

RV life is about adventure. A little planning keeps the heat on and the good times rolling. Now go stock up on propane—and maybe an extra bag of marshmallows.