12 volt Electric Blanket

Gypsyjoe#1 · Nov 4, 2020

I am thinking of buying a 12 volt electric blanket for my motorhome, with the thought that I won't have to run the furnace at night saving on propane and the electric to run it. The one I am looking at has a 60 minute timer on it so it won't be running my batteries down by running all night and I will only have to turn it back on for 6o minutes if I wake up cold in the night. Does anyone know how much juice these take and are they very good? I know I have a 120 volt electric blanket, are the 12 volt variety as good? I don't want to run the generator at night to use the 120 volt one, just use it as another regular blanket. Any and all comments on the 12 volt blanket would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!!!!

eDJ_ · Nov 4, 2020

A comment:

A lot of what makes these blankets warm is the material that they are made from. The electric warms
the bed up from cold, but once you are in the bed and the electric is off the blanket material will be what makes up the difference.

If you find one of these where the blanket material is acrylic it would be very warm in the winter and possibly way too hot in "just cool" weather.

I learned this from reading a Consumer Reports article.

Sofisintown · Nov 4, 2020

I have two electric blankets, (110volt and 12volt) and both have settings (low, med-high) so you can adjust how much heat they produce, as well as the power usage, 45W, 60W or 75W. They are both polyester, with sherpa on one side and fleece on the other.
Both have timers and turn off after 3 hours.

A blanket with all the functions will set you back 40 dollars or so, and there are cheaper ones (20-25) without timer or settings. Get the good one.

tx2sturgis · Nov 5, 2020

A 12v mattress heater will use less power and be more comfortable on lower settings, and will not lose heat to the room like the blanket will.

I've used them....they work well.

maki2 · Nov 5, 2020

first of all you do have one issue that won't allow your concept of how it will be used to work. Electric blankets should not have other blankets put over them as it is a fire hazard. So when the timer shuts off you will be very cold very quickly.

Instead of a heated blanket you need to purchase a heated mattress pad that is used underneath your body. That will allow you to pile the blankets over the top of you and the heated pad. This is actually going to use less energy than an electric blanket as the heat is now slowed down by that layer of insulated blankets. Then you can also place a layer of Reflextic under your mattress and that will direct that heat back up at you therefore getting even more heat from the electrical output. You will also be avoiding that dreaded condition of condensation under your mattress where warm, moist air meets a cold surface.

Very few people understand that they should be buying a electric mattress pad rather than an electric blanket. They have never thought it out in terms of how much more energy efficient it is to use the mattress pad versus the blanket on top.

Please do pass on this knowledge of how much better an electric mattress pad is going to work vs an electric blanket. People don't always realize this because they have never heard of a heated mattress pad and all they know about are electric blankets. The next time this subject comes up this winter ....and it will come up again, you might want to mention this option as a better choice versus a blanket. The trucker sites do sell 12v electric mattress pads. A mattress pad set on high that only runs for 1 hour versus one set on low that can run for more hours. I would opt for the one with variable heat settings as well as variable length of time so that you can fine tune it to meet your comfort and power needs.

Sofisintown · Nov 5, 2020

I never heard you can't use them covered.
I have used them for years under the bed sheet, with a top sheet over me and a comforter on top too.
it has worked for many years. They are also machine washable.
I don't think they are so sensitive. They are UL listed, and safe.
Nowhere in the manual says 'do not use covered', or everyone would know about it.

LoupGarou · Nov 5, 2020

I’ve used both a heated blanket and mattress pad. I’ve found the heated pad to be much more manageable. It stays on the mattress year around weither I turn it on or not.

tripper · Nov 5, 2020

I've been using a heated mattress pad for years, even on lowest seeing it works amazing. Greatest feeling ever having pre warned bad on cold night..

JohnnyM · Nov 5, 2020

I've tried several different setups over the years and have settled on this one:

I use a 12v heated mattress pad on top of me, covered by a good thermal blanket on top of the pad (actually I stitched the two of them together, but that's just for my convenience -- it makes them easier to keep straight in the middle of the night). In my experience, those 12v truckers' mattress pads are the best tool for the job, because they're really sturdy and they heat up uniformly, with no hot or cold spots. And I like 12v because it uses less energy than 120v -- you don't waste all that energy operating the inverter. The thermal blanket keeps the heat in where I want it so I'm not trying to heat the whole van with the blanket. I don't see any fire hazard in this arrangement, and in any case, I'd be the first to know if there were a problem

It uses about 22-24 watts for the few minutes while it's warming up, but that's the only time I run it. As soon as it is nice and warm (like 2 minutes maybe?) I shut it off and go to sleep and the thermal blanket keeps all the heat in. I may have to repeat this process a couple of times during the night, but I've learned it's better not to go to sleep with the electric blanket running, and I have to get up a couple of times during the night anyway, so no problem.

Happy winter and stay warm!

Johnny

maki2 · Nov 5, 2020

Sofisintown said:
I never heard you can't use them covered.
I have used them for years under the bed sheet, with a top sheet over me and a comforter on top too.
it has worked for many years. They are also machine washable.
I don't think they are so sensitive. They are UL listed, and safe.
Nowhere in the manual says 'do not use covered', or everyone would know about it.

Tnat was stated in the insructions of the electric blankets i have purchased in recent years. But fortunately even in past years I have not had a fire when using one although I have had them fail. One of the issues with relectric blankets in the past was repeated folding of the blanket could cause the wires in the blanket to break (metal fatigue) which sometimes created fires. But I believe that there now has to be a built in safety device in the wiring to shut off the electricity should that happen.

highdesertranger · Nov 5, 2020

I have never used any type of electric anything to keep warm. I am curious why doesn't every body just get the proper sleeping gear. relying on an artificial heat source to stay warm and alive is dangerous in my opinion. a good blanket/sleeping bag is a million times more reliable than anything electric.

highdesertranger

Gypsyjoe#1 · Nov 5, 2020

I have good blankets, the problem with me is I have a serious medical condition and cannot tolerate cold. I don't intend to use the mattress pad all the time just when the cold makes me too painful. It is either that or take more morphine and I prefer to take as little as possible!!!!

66788 · Nov 6, 2020

I would recommend a thermostatically controlled vented propane heater in your rig. I sleep with a top sheet and one blanket on top of me in 15 degree weather, and iit stays 68-70 degrees all night long.

No more non vented heaters or waking up cold for various reasons.

I also agree with HDR on not relying 100% on artificial heat. I carry a Wave 3 and North Face down sleeping bag as backup.

TooFarGone · Nov 6, 2020

I hear ya. I'm sorry you have to deal with that, and I support your preference for minimizing that medication. I have a mild case of a circulatory malfunction which means that even if I'm bundled up (coat, gloves, boots, etc.) when I go out into cold weather, my hands and feet can quickly become painful and even frostbitten.

I hate it when people blithely say, oh you can always just put on another sweater when it's cold. Well, blankets and gloves and sweaters are fine for conserving (slowing the dissipation of) body heat, but when the circulation is shut down in your extremities, there's no body heat being created and nothing to conserve once the original body heat in those areas has dissipated. I'm grateful that I have a mild case but it's no joke, being outdoors in winter can be painful for me, and I've come close to frostbitten hands more than I like, in relatively mild outdoor conditions. I have put that 12v heated mattress pad on my Amazon wishlist, as it seems to be a sensible way to have a comfortable night's sleep when it's cold outside.

Good luck in your travels.

Cousin_Eddie · Nov 6, 2020

I'm with highdesertranger.

I have a 40 degree sleeping bag for warmer weather and a 15 degree for cooler weather and can hardly stay under it.. I un-zip them and use them as a top-quilt like a blanket. If needed the heater always goes off at night and on for a little in the mornings if it’s below 45-50.

I would NEVER run heating while I was asleep under any conditions.

I sleep with a thin base layer called 32 Degrees easily available and cheep. I have used these products 10+ years in my backpacking gear. Oddly even in the summer sleeping in them at night helps your body maintain its core temperature and keeps your bedding much cleaner.

CindyKick · Feb 3, 2021

I think that a natural wool blanket is the best option for all times.

CindyKick · Feb 4, 2021

By the way, I remember we bought an electric blanket when they have just appeared on the market. They only comfortable when you have a fever, and you need to get warm quickly. In other cases, they are pointless. I even got burnt once by this blanket. Now, I prefer only natural wool. Besides, it looks way nicer and cozy compared with ugly electric blankets with wires. I recently purchased a chunky knit blanket from https://sommio.co.uk/KnittedWeightedBlanket for my bedroom. I really liked the way they look on Instagram and Pinterest. Surprisingly, it is not that easy to find them online.

maki2 · Feb 4, 2021

An artic rated dowwn sleeping bag is heavenly. I know what mean about cold and pain and before I went on the road I used an electric heating pad. But I am warm and cozy at night with my thrift store find of a below zero rated down blanket. I dont want to rely on electricity for staying warm at night. I might run out of generator fuel or accidently leave something else on that drains my battery.

Even if you do decide to get an electric blanket you should have an alternative to it.

Inti · Jan 24, 2022

I bought this blanket https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B099DZMS3S/ and use it with GoLabs R300 power station. It draws 50 watts but goes on and off to prevent overheating, so average wattage is smaller but hard to estimate precisely. Yes, it can be too hot if you cover it with warm second blanket. To cope with overheating and to save electricity I bought 12V Voltage Regulator PWM DC Motor Speed Controller - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ADeHzV - so I can draw less wattage when it becomes too hot, for example sometimes 15-20 watts is enough and in such case it is not switching on and off at all, without such regulator I am too hot or too cold. It is really small, I used small plastic container for prescription antibiotics as a casing for this regulator. I guess all these blankets have overheating protection and probably they all will benefit from this regulator. It's hard to set the desired wattage if you plug it into 12v car outlet, but very easy with power station displaying wattage.

RVTravel · Jan 24, 2022

Here is Bob's recent vid on electric blankets.

12 volt Electric Blanket

Help Support Van Living Forum:

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Moderator

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

R.I.P HDR

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

New member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!