We took our new trailer to my parents house for our bed (the queen size sure works better than the doubles my parents have in our rooms!). Of course it was wonderful, just load the closets and off we go. Sure had enough room for all the presents this time!

Anyway, we had some trouble keeping the radiant heater from tripping the breaker when I would make coffee (it's the kind that Colorado uses in their homes and condos - very slow and quiet). It seemed to take all the voltage for the heater to run - we used an adapter to plug into the garage. My question is: does that seem strange to anyone, or typical?? We never used the propane heater, just because we didn't really need it. Plus I wanted to see how warm it would stay with just the radiant heater. It's a very safe way to keep heat in your trailer without having that electric strip and a blower on the little heaters you can buy at Walmart. I've kept it out there when my trailer is in the barn, just to keep some heat on. It always seemed to work great for that, but I was not out there doing anything else either, like making coffee!

BTW- after 10 years, this heater finally went out. I went to check on it the other day, and it had quit working. Brought it into the house, but no luck...still didn't work. So it wasn't the trailer.

How big is the breaker?  A small radiant heater will pull as much as 1500 watts,  which roughly translates to 15 amps at peak load (when it cycles on).  A coffee maker will pull almost that, 10 amps for sure.  I assume you have a twenty amp breaker, and probably even less.  So, 15 amp heater plus 10 amp coffee maker is too much for that breaker to let thru, so it trips.

I can make coffee and use the electric skillet at the same time, but I don't try to run the microwave at the same time, or something's gotta give.

In addition to what Hank has related, is the recommendation that no circuit be used above an 80 % continuous capacity. If any extension cords are used, this will also lower the effective usable amount of amps that are available to the trailer.

As your heater gets older, the fan motor will work harder because the lack of lubrication will increase the bearing's friction. This can increase the current needed from the initial design specifications. As the fan slows down, the air that cools the coils is reduced, allowing the whole heater to run hotter. This increase eventually results in the unit overheating and failing.

I've been at many shows when campers were used in a full 30 amp plug and blowing breakers, because the air conditioner was on with a coffee maker perking and someone  decided to use a hair dryer or toaster.

My family was given the "two" rule, no more than two electrical appliances at a time. The heater or air is always one and you can only use one more appliance at a time.

BOL  Gard

The real electric consumption is the resitance of the heater element.

The fan consumes a  small amount of electricity compared to the elements.

That's why you probably could run 3 items if one of them was the Propane heater. Where only the fan is consuming electricity.

Look at the circuit breakers in the trailer. Probably 15 or 20 amp service. If you plug a space heater and a coffee pot into the same circuit, Something is going to pop. But you might not pop the trailer breakers if the coffee pot is plugged into the electrial outlet and the A/C unit has it's own breaker.

But most trailers have multiple breakers, so you might pop the breaker on the source of your electrical service (Lets say you plugged into your parents garage wall plug.

Since the combined useage of multiple breakers in your trailer could exceed the output of your folks garage outlet.  Most trailers are rated at 30amp some big trailers at 50amps of TOTAL service. If you folks garage circuit is only a 20amp service.  Your trailer  could consume more than the garage can provide. That's why most camp grounds have 30 amp or 50amp plug ins for RV hook up.

Thanks for the great comments. I will remember this in the future. I just figured that my big new trailer could handle it. I've also used the "2" rule in my older trailer, so when I'm hooked up to the 120, I'll have to keep that rule in the new trailer. I didn't use an extension cord; it was the cord on the trailer, but used the adapter to plug into the 120 outlet. What's weird is that we could watch TV with a DVD going, but couldn't run the coffee pot (with the heater going). I even moved the heater to another plug on the opposite wall of the pot, but still wouldn't work.

I went and bought a new radiant heater. I didn't realize they were so easy to find - even in Walmart! Sorry about that.

Again, thanks for the input. Man I love this forum. I'm learning so much!!