RV & Camper Heater FAQs
Xtreme is committed to making you our customer for life. We go overboard supporting our customers to make sure their experience in doing business with us exceeds expectations. Feel free to drop us an email, or give us a call if you have any questions before or during ownership of one of our products.
If you cannot find the help you need on this page or wish to communicate with us directly, please contact us.
Your Xtreme Heater is designed for unattended, fully automatic operation. That said, it is always a good idea to check on it periodically.
After a power outage, check that no circuit breakers tripped when power was restored. You should test your Xtreme Heater annually, but otherwise your heater is maintenance free.
Our line of bilge, RV and industrial heaters can be mounted in ANY orientation (upside down, sideways, etc.). The forced-air design of Xtreme Heaters makes them effective at any mounting angle, and allows you to direct the circulation toward areas of concern. Our cabin heater must be set on a flat surface. An internal tip-over switch will turn off the heater if mounted in other orientations.
Your heater will work fine just sitting on a surface, and many of our customers prefer to move their heaters in and out. If you wish to do so, we suggest you use our quick-disconnect mounting bracket to secure your heater. If you choose not to secure it, make sure it can’t fall into standing water or moving parts.
Your Xtreme Heater will not operate during power outages. Short power outages should not affect your equipment as it takes a bit of time for the warm components to chill down to freezing temperatures.
Your Xtreme Heater will simply resume operation when power is restored. If the power is expected to remain out for an extended period, you should be prepared to winterize your equipment in traditional fashion, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
The heater runs on standard 115V AC power. Boat and RV heaters come with a 15 ft power cord with a 3-prong plug, long enough to reach from the heater’s mounting point to a grounded, circuit-protected outlet. (Our industrial heaters and the 250W enclosure heater come with a 6 ft cord.)
Some customers wire our heaters directly into their RV’s breaker panel. We suggest this be done by a qualified RV electrical technician for safety.
Xtreme Heaters have been available in 220v, 50hz in the past but are not currently offered. We are considering bringing them back into production but do not have a solid date for availability at this time. They can be built for bulk or custom orders. Stay in touch or send us a message for availability.
All Xtreme Heaters are AC (household powered) devices. The only way to power them with DC power is through an inverter, which until recently has not been an option due to the size of the battery bank necessary. Over the last few years, lithium battery banks with large amounts of storage and solar, wind or generator backup have made this a more viable option. We are not in a position to help you calculate the size of the battery bank needed for your application.
There are a lot of variables that will affect your specific situation, such as the local climate conditions, where the equipment is stored, whether or not the space is well sealed, and where you are measuring temperature, just to name a few.
Your Xtreme Heater is designed to turn on at 40°F and off at 55°F, which should keep the space comfortably above freezing. If you notice temperature drops below 35°F, check whether you are losing heat through vents or other air passageways. If the space is well sealed, consider a larger or additional Xtreme Heater.
Our heaters should blow warm air within 30 seconds of turning on. The exit temperature of the air is warm enough to feel with your hand, but not hot enough to burn skin or nearby materials.
The thermostat is set at the factory to turn the heater on at 40°F and off at 55°F, each with a tolerance of +/- 3°F. That means it switches on automatically somewhere between 37°F and 43°F.
The latest version of our Boat/RV and Industrial heaters utilizes a tri-color LED to indicate status. It will glow green when on standby, red while heating and amber when in cool-down mode.
If you purchased your heater after 2009, when your heater is plugged in to a live circuit and receiving power, the power LED on the rear of the heater should be lit.
Heaters manufactured prior to 2009, included an LED that lights when the heater is actually generating heat. These heaters can be tested with freeze spray to ensure they are operating properly.
The Heater must be left in a stable environment for 30 to 45 minutes before it will come on. It can take this long for the metal to cool from room temperature, to the ambient temperature of your freezer, or a cold outside environment.
You may have an earlier version of the Xtreme Heater, in which case the LED will light when the heater is activated, generating heat. Use freeze spray to test your heater for proper operation.
Alternatively, the outlet you have plugged the heater into is not active. Try plugging in another electrical appliance, and check the circuit breakers to make sure there is power to the outlet.
There is no on/off switch on your Xtreme Heater. The heater operates automatically when plugged in.
The best location depends on your specific space and equipment. Since heat rises, it is best to mount the heater, and start its airflow, as low as practical. Air will circulate throughout the space, but direct the heater’s airflow toward the equipment or plumbing you wish to protect.
Do not install the heater where it may become submerged in standing water from rain, snow or leaks.
See our electrical current requirements for the startup (inrush) and running current of each model.
Your Xtreme Heater is built to last the lifetime of your RV.
Your Xtreme Heater is designed to move heat through forced air rather than radiate it from the case. The case should never feel hot to the touch and will not get hot enough to affect surrounding equipment. The more important point is that you want the air from the heater to circulate freely in the space, which is why we suggest clearance from other items rather than because of any safety issue.
The quick release bracket is permanently installed with screws. Your Xtreme Heater slides into the rear of the bracket, and is secured by the quick release on the front of the bracket.
No tools are required to mount/remove your heater from the quick release bracket, once installed. See your heater’s owner’s manual for further details.
Our Small Heater, model XHEAT-400 is 5 3/4" x 3 1/2" x 5 1/8" (L x W x H). The medium and large heaters, XXHEAT-600 and XXXHEAT-800 are 8" x 3 1/2" x 5 1/8"
Our heaters will plug into any standard 3-prong outlet. Do not use “adapters” with your heater to plug it into two-prong outlets that may not be properly grounded.
Xtreme Heaters do include a delay that will keep the fan running for about 10 minutes after the element has turned off. This is not a "cool down" cycle, per se, as our heating technology doesn't require one, rather it's an aid to efficiency, drawing the remaining heat in the element off and into the protected space rather than have it wasted by dissipating in the case.
This cycle also helps the heater return to ambient temperature more quickly for more consistent temperature control.
Many of our customers have their heater permanently installed and wired into the RV’s breaker panel. If you are not familiar with wiring and electricity, we strongly encourage you to consult a professional to complete the job.
Xtreme Heaters are designed to efficiently prevent freezing in the spaces they protect. As such, they are designed to shut off at 55°F. They are not a suitable replacement for a standard space heater.
Extension cords and power strips are not recommended for use with your heater. Power strips are not ignition protected, nor moisture resistant. Improperly sized extension cords can cause voltage drop, and could even present a fire hazard.
If you must use an extension cord, make sure it is heavy-duty, 12 AWG, to handle the electrical load of the heater, and rated for the environment you intend to use it in (i.e. outdoor, wet conditions).
The thermostat on your Xtreme Heater is fixed, sealed, and cannot be adjusted.
The thermostat, a round disk about ½” across, is located on the air inlet side of the heater. If you direct a blast of freeze spray toward the thermostat for 4 seconds, the heater will activate.