I am new to RVing and just got a 2020 R-Pod 180. Have taken 4 trips so far and will go on first trip in a few days where I may need to use furnace at night. I have just the one battery that came with it and I have a Champion dual fuel 3500W generator to use to recharge the battery. Do I need to run the generator all night to keep the battery charged while the furnace is running or let battery handle it overnight and then crank up generator next morning to recharge battery? 

Thanks! 

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2020 R-Pod 180

2020 Subaru Ascent

You should be fine overnight without the generator, and depending on where you're camping, you won't be allowed to use the generator anyway.  But, if you can use it, or if you are somewhere with electric hookups, you should consider a small electric heater. Much quieter than the onboard furnace.  If you're at a campground with hookups you're already paying for the electricity, so why not use it instead of your propane?

As Jato said, don't even think about running the fridge on 12v power. 

TT

RV furnaces are noisy, suck DC power and also drain your propane rapidly. But they are safe, simple to operate, and included when you write that big check.

I designed and tested solar modules for many years for a living and I highly recommend you get a standard glass surface solar module with an aluminum frame, NOT a so-called "flexible" module with a plastic surface. The glass ones will last 30 plus years, the "flexible" ones a few years if you're lucky. Solar cells are crystalline silicon and are NOT flexible.  100 watts is a good starting point, get a charge controller that handle 20 amps and you can add another 100 watts later without needed to change controllers. 

I agree that the furnace uses battery power, but its not a lot, as I point out in my earlier post. They are also certainly noisy. 

As for draining the propane rapidly, relative to what? I doubt that the furnace efficiency (roughly 75-80%)  is any worse than an alternative catalytic heater would be once you provide adequate ventilation for it both for safety and to avoid condensation, and probably better on a cold or high humidity night. Someone would have to do some side by side testing to prove that one way or the other, maintaining the same inside temperature using both heating systems while monitoring CO and condensation. Otherwise it's just marketing chatter from the cat heater companies.                                                 

It gets tiring responding to your contradictions. I guess that's all you have going on. But whenever I indulge you, and I type out my answers, then it comes up weeks later and you would have me to do it all over again...explaining or defending my statements again and again and again. I only have so much time on here, and I spend a good amount of it arguing with you after I have provided help to a member here. If I toss a suggestion out there, no matter what it is, you try to shoot it down.

Tell you what, when the OP asks (in any thread or subject) I will direct my help that way, but I wont waste my time and try the patience of these readers, arguing the same subject matter with you again, over and over, ad nauseum. It just gets old.

Apologies to the OP....but this annoying behavior has been happening for quite awhile now. 

But if you state something as a recommendation to someone that is asking for help, like steering someone away from a vehicle brand that they prefer without explaining why, or suggesting that a heating system is more efficient without data, then you can expect to be questioned, its a forum.  I certainly expect to be.

In this case if you have data to support that catalytic heaters are more efficient in actual use, please share it. Nothing unusual about debate on that topic, it is the subject of plenty of discussion on other RV forums as well. 

I use a http://www.camco.net/heaters/olympian-wave-3-3000-btu-htr-57331 - Wave 3 catalytic heater.

It works great for boondocking.  If you search on my username, you'll find pics of my installation.

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