Cirrus 820 heating while driving

Eugene · February 23

When driving from one destination to another in below freezing temperatures, does the Alde system still work on the electrical feed from truck alternator to maintain an above freezing temperature so lines and tanks don't freeze? I have the standard single Battleborn package.

MuttonChops · February 23

Short Answer:
- - Adle will need Propane to operate while driving
- - Propane supply, Not Electrical power
Is the critical factor.

Long Answer:
If the Alde is set to 'Heat Source' Propane &
the propane burner is not blown out by road driving wind then . . .
Yes, the Alde will run and keep the slide-in camper warm.

So, what you are proposing is doable If you use Propane. The Adle can operate on 120VAC or Propane to create 'heat' . . . the truck/battery 12VDC is only used by the Alde Control PCB. That DCV load is well below what your truck will be able to source to the camper.

There are lots of pro/con opinions on the benefit/danger of operating propane heat while driving . . . you need to decide your safety comfort level.

Side Note:
A few years ago while winter season camping in a 320S, I forgot to turn the Alde Off before hitting-the-road and was [pleasantly] surprised to find a very comfortable temperature TAB at my first Rest Stop as the Alde worked fine and in that drive the burner did not blow out - - - my issue/concern was propane usage as trailers only have one tank (don't you have two?)

Eugene · February 23

I think the Alde has 2 electric elements at 950 watts each, and I can select to use one or both (1900 watts). I have a dual battery with a 410-amp dual alternator; will this supply the 950 watts or more through the 7-pin connector needed to run the Alde?

Eugene · February 23

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GBL_citruscountyfl · February 23

The Alde can be damaged if operated while traveling. It needs to remain fairly level at all.times of operation. These is no way anything will freeze with your vehicle moving/banging around during trips. I've done many -3 F trips with my 400,and never had water freeze. In fact, once setup at truck stop, the Alde heated the rv up within 15 minutes using my two built-in Honda generators.

Eugene · February 23

Therefore, what you are saying is that if traveling in below freezing temperatures I will need to stop every couple of hours and run the heater for a certain amount of time? Is there another way to heat the camper while driving? Do the AC outlets function when driving? If so, maybe I can set up a space heater.

pthomas745 · February 23

The Alde does not need to be level to operate. A propane fridge has to be pretty level for things to work. There is no mention of "level" in any of the Alde manuals or the service manual, at least as far as I know.

You don't say what year trailer you have, but for the Alde to work on electric without shore power, an inverter would be needed. If the Alde tops out at 1800 watts on the "2KW" setting, that would need something larger than a 2000 watt inverter.

You would have to work out yourself how much charging your alternator setup will provide to run the Alde on either electric element. If it is really cold out there, the trailer is a drafty place. On the "1KW" setting it takes a bit of time to warm the trailer. So, if you were using the 2KW setting that would need about 15.8 amps from the battery, so with your battery setup, you might be able to spare a couple of hours of battery use, even without a lot of charging. The trailer might not get "warm", but at least the hoses and convectors will be a bit "pre-heated", which will help.

Owners ask about "driving with this or that on propane" and the invariable ending to all the discussion is "you will be a rolling ball of flame" if you do this. Judging by the amount of times this sort of question comes up, I'm sure that many owners use either the propane fridge or the Alde while driving.

elbolillo · February 23

I have never heard that the Alde can be damaged while traveling. Also, while traveling the Alde should be fairly level at most times. To remain safe, turn off the Alde before pulling into a gas station to fill up. We have run the Alde on both our 320 and 400 without issues.

Eugene · February 23

pthomas745 said:

The Alde does not need to be level to operate. A propane fridge has to be pretty level for things to work. There is no mention of "level" in any of the Alde manuals or the service manual, at least as far as I know.
You don't say what year trailer you have, but for the Alde to work on electric without shore power, an inverter would be needed. If the Alde tops out at 1800 watts on the "2KW" setting, that would need something larger than a 2000 watt inverter.
You would have to work out yourself how much charging your alternator setup will provide to run the Alde on either electric element. If it is really cold out there, the trailer is a drafty place. On the "1KW" setting it takes a bit of time to warm the trailer. So, if you were using the 2KW setting that would need about 15.8 amps from the battery, so with your battery setup, you might be able to spare a couple of hours of battery use, even without a lot of charging. The trailer might not get "warm", but at least the hoses and convectors will be a bit "pre-heated", which will help.
Owners ask about "driving with this or that on propane" and the invariable ending to all the discussion is "you will be a rolling ball of flame" if you do this. Judging by the amount of times this sort of question comes up, I'm sure that many owners use either the propane fridge or the Alde while driving.

I just bought a 2025 Cirrus 820 and will be picking it up at the dealership on Thursday. It has whatever the standard lithium package is offered. I do not have the multi-battery lithium upgrade package. It is going into a 2026 F250 with a dual battery and a 410-amp dual alternator. I'm not familiar with the Cirrus and whether it is capable of supplying enough power to one element (950 watts) in the hope that it will keep the lines from freezing while I drive in below freezing conditions.

pthomas745 · February 23

If the "lines" you are talking about are the plumbing lines, ask the dealer if the trailer is winterized. If you are in one of the colder parts of the country, it should be. If it is winterized, ask if it was winterized with RV antifreeze or with the "blow out" method. If there is no water in the trailer, there is no real issue with anything freezing as far as plumbing goes.

The trailers cannot power the outlets without either shore power or an inverter, so running the Alde on electric will not be an option.

If the trailer is not winterized, we can show you how to do that, or at least drain the water from the trailer and go from there.

So, let us know, we can help with the basic winterizing.

Eugene · February 23

pthomas745 said:

If the "lines" you are talking about are the plumbing lines, ask the dealer if the trailer is winterized. If you are in one of the colder parts of the country, it should be. If it is winterized, ask if it was winterized with RV antifreeze or with the "blow out" method. If there is no water in the trailer, there is no real issue with anything freezing as far as plumbing goes.
The trailers cannot power the outlets without either shore power or an inverter, so running the Alde on electric will not be an option.
If the trailer is not winterized, we can show you how to do that, or at least drain the water from the trailer and go from there.
So, let us know, we can help with the basic winterizing.

It is currently winterized at the dealership, but when I pick it up on Thursday, I asked them to de-winterize it as I will be immediately using it to go camping. I thought the Cirrus 820 has an inverter.

qhumberd · February 24

@Eugene I just checked specs from a dealer site and neither the base or convenience package shows an inverter. The 920 with the larger battery bank shows a 3000W inverter.

Even a smaller inverter will drain a 100amp Lithium pretty quickly if the load is at 1 kW for a length of time.

It helps to convert everything to Watt hours so this makes sense.

12V Lithium Battery:12.8V×100Ah=1280Wh

A 1 kw setting on the Alde will drain 1,000 Watts each 60 minutes of run time. That runs down a small 100amphour battery bank in just over an hour, not counting efficiency losses.

your best bet is to pre heat on shore power and then look for a hook up at the end of your drive day.

MODEL 820

Base Package

Deluxe Amish Cabinetry
Alde® Heating/Hot Water System
Froli™ Sleep System
Stargazer Window
Large Farmhouse Sink
2-Burner Glass-Top Stove
Convection – Oven/Microwave
Custom Molded Bathroom Sink
Medicine Cabinet
Electric Jacks
Nautilus w/ External Shower
Pass Through Window
Roof Mounted A/C
Maggie Roof Rack
Battery Isolator
Dual LP Compartment
External LP Hook-Up
Signature Bumper w/ Accent Light
Bluetooth® Media Center w/ 19? TV
Intelligent Battery Detection Converter
Rear Observation Camera

Convenience Package

2 Solar Panels: (1) 190-Watt & (1) 180-Watt
External Solar Port
120" Side Awning
86" Rear Awning
100 Ah 12V Lithium Battery
Bluetooth® Battery Monitor Smartshunt

Eugene · February 24

Well, it is sounding more like I will need to use the gas to run the Alde while driving. Or I get a DC-to-DC charger hooked up to my second alternator and get another camper battery.

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Cirrus 820 heating while driving

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