LOL! Yes you can use the furnace. If you don't there is no way you can heat up that big coach with the dash heater. If you stop and thing about using the furnace while driving down the road is no different then being at a RV park with a blizzard blowing out side. The furnace should not turn off because of wind. The furnace is located right under the refrigerator on my coach. We use ours all the time in the winter months while driving and the batteries should hold up just fine, unless you have bad batteries.