Block Heater and 110 outlets

[Danss]

Are the 2 110 outlets above the engine at the back door for general use? Only hot when block heater is on. Does this mean if I put block heater circuit breaker on that I am heating the block? Are does the block heater plug in one of these outlets? I want to use one for battery tender without heating block as I am in the promise land of So. Ms. where it is 80 degrees!!! Dan

[dale farley]

I had the receptacle on my Marathon, and the block heater cord was secured beside it with a tie strap. If I wanted to use the heater, I just plugged it in. I used the other side of the receptacle for my battery tender.

[truk4u]

Dan,

My previous post to you...

When you wanted the 110v block heater, you plug in the heater cord located up near the oil reservoir and then throw the breaker.

[Danss]

Dan,

My previous post to you...

When you wanted the 110v block heater, you plug in the heater cord located up near the oil reservoir and then throw the breaker.

I did not see a cord ,but will do a closer insp. tomorrow. Thanks

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I think it is confusing to generalize. On coaches I have seen the outlet for the block heater is located in the area around the oil reservoir. On mine it is not a duplex outlet, but a single receptacle.

I use mine for my engine compartment bling lights, because I no longer do cold or snow, and because my Webasto will be my primary engine heater if I should have brain fade and end up in the cold.

Again, what I have seen is the block heater receptacle is controlled from the coach's 120 VAC CB panel.

To specifically answer Dan's question however, if the block heater is not required, unplug it. Check the outlet or receptacle for power and verify the CB in the panel in the house does control it, and it is a perfect spot to get power for a battery tender.

FWIW, have you checked to see if there is wiring, an outlet, and/or a circuit breaker already in place in your coach for this purpose?

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Marathon did not put a switch on the control panel to turn on the block heater

Ya gotta get out and go back to the engine bay and plug it in or leave it plugged in and use the circuit breaker as a switch?

SHEEEEEEEEEEEESH What is this world coming to.

Hard-wire that block-heater out of that box and run a couple wire up to the control panel and utilize one of those extra switches. That way you can just leave that circuit on and it will also free up another outlet out back and you can turn the block heater on and off in your bare feet. That is how Mr. Hickox did it.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

"Hard-wire that block-heater out of that box and run a couple wire up to the control panel and utilize one of those extra switches. "

Joe...you say that like it no big deal. Maybe on the order of stringing Christmas tree lights.

I would rather eat bees than try to run new wiring on my coach. I can see a project like that taking days due to all that has to be disassembled to get access.

[jello_jeep]

In my Marathon, there is a switch on the dash for the block heater, but it fires off the webasto block heater.

You do have a swtich for the outlet, being the circuit breaker in the interior panel if you wanted to use it that way.

Circuit breakers are not really designed to be switches, but you wouldn't be cycling it very many times, and as Jon pointed out, running wire for forward to aft is not easy.

[wrongagain]

Fwiw,
In my marathon the block heater push botton switch is on the upper front console above the drivers head, it also has its own breaker in the panel.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

I guess it is a matter of what you want and how bad you want it.