Stand-by heating/power supply system for a motor vehicle

In a fluid-cooled motor vehicle having a heating system comprised of a heat exchanger for heating the vehicle interior and a recirculating fluid line interconnecting the heat exchanger and the engine coolant supply and having an electric heater fan controlled by a standard vehicle heater fan control for moving air across the heat exchanger, the improvement comprising a stand-by heating/power supply system including in combination:

• an auxiliary electric heater and pump connected in series in the recirculation coolant line adjacent the heat exchanger in the vehicle interior, said pump operating to circulate coolant from said auxiliary electric heater first into the heat exchanger in said coolant line and from the heat exchanger to recirculate coolant throughout the entire motor vehicle cooling system so long as said pump is operating;
• an auxiliary fan control connected to said heater fan for operating said heater fan independently of the standard vehicle fan control;
• electrically operated auxiliary accessories in the motor vehicle interior;
• and
• a control unit mounted in the vehicle and adapted for connection with an electrical power source external to the motor vehicle and having a plurality of outputs respectively connected with said electrically operated accessories, said auxiliary electric heater and pump, and with said auxiliary fan control to maintain said auxiliary accessories in a stand-by operating condition and for operating said auxiliary electric heater, pump and auxiliary fan control when said motor vehicle is inoperative and said control unit is connected with the external power source.