Doing single digits tonight, plug the truck into a timer starting a 4am for three hours. This is the first time I've done this so if anyone has input it would be appreciated.
Thanks,

 

It's going to take awhile to warm up while driving, I used to have to go at least 30 min to get decent heat when it got below 0. I plug my truck in all night when I work up north when it starts getting to -10 and worse. Doesn't hurt to leave em all night, only thing it does is drive up your power bill a little.

PS - I'm with you on feeling the cold, I went from living in AZ to working oilfield up in northern Canada this winter!

 

That sounds about right, should fire right up.

The hardest thing to remember is to not forget to unplug the long orange snake that will follow you down the road....... And if you do, don't worry, it happens to almost all of us at one point or the other.

 

patdaly beat me to it!! I run the cord up over my passenger mirror to help me remember..

I drop a piece of cardboard 3/4 size in front of the radiator to help heat up a little faster, cutting a hole in the center area helps save the fan clutch.

 

I plug mine in whenever it's supposes to be in the low 30s or below. Not because I have to to make it start but because I leave the house ~530 am and I don't want to wake the neighbors with the clacking or fogg the place on startup.
I park behind my Jeep so I run the extension cord around the spare tire and even if I forget to take it off it unplugs itself when I back up. In the garage I have a timer that is set to go on at 1 am and off at 6 (in case I get to sleep late) I've found that 3+ hrs is plenty to warm it up enough to make it start quieter and no smoke.
It was 14 this morning and it started like a spring day.

 

Unless I stupidly overlooked it, I dont think anyone said that the block heater needs at least a 15 amp circuit, pulls about 7 amps, uses 750 watts, and after being plugged in for a few hours the engine coolant will reach around 100* maximum. Depending on how cold it is outside.

 

I remember seeing a little higher than 100º the last time I measured the temp using my infrared thermometer. It was highest near the heater, and lowest at the back of the block. Even lower at the oil pan, but even that warmed up above ambient temperatures somewhat. Next time I run mine, I get temperature numbers again.