Winter heating performance and water heater problem at 15°F

Winter Camping

The good news is that the Pebble heating system worked great during a 15°F overnight low on this Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona trip. The cabin was comfortable, and the interior walls were just a bit cool to the touch with no condensation. Of course, it consumed a lot of power: 4+ kW for the appliances. In my opinion, campground power is a practical necessity on long, cold winter nights. One might dry camp for a night or two in these conditions if one got really serious about energy conservation. Solar won’t contribute much in winter, maxing out at 0.6 kW with the low winter sun angle in these latitudes.

I’ve found that heating works well and quieter on manual Fan Speed 1 and Recirculate Air. On Auto, the fan blows loudly and never stops; even when the heat pump cycles, the fan continues and blows cool air. Not sure if this is a malfunction; I’ve initiated a service case. Your experience?

The bathroom does get a bit cold, with little air exchange with the cabin. I’ll search for a little wall-outlet resistance heater safe for that environment.

Our first significant equipment failure: the water heater. Regardless of setting, it yields warm water—not warm enough for a shower. Really helped with water conservation on this trip. Another service case submitted.