Buddy heaters and high altitude

[tx2sturgis]

The Wave 3 heater is the perfect size for vans...on low setting its about 1500 BTU and that's about right on cool to cold evenings.

In the small space of a minivan it will warm the cabin up quickly even on low, and with ventilation it will be fine.

To be safe around other objects, you need probably about a foot of space on each side of it, 2-3 feet above it, and at least 2 feet of open space in front of the heater. The back side of the heater only gets warm, not hot.

I just happen to take a couple of pictures of mine this last weekend, running on low and then on high in my van:





Don't worry, I moved those blankets and stuff after I took these pics....  :angel:

 

[Kathleen]

Thx, tx. It's the foot of space on each side of it that has me concerned. That's about the amount I figured it needed.
My back requires the bed frame 32 wide. Interior of minivan 48 inches. That means not enough room for a foot on either side of heater.

For trip to RTR I could try my Dual Fuel Gas stove & see if the cast iron skillet with volcanic stones releases enough heat. But I really don't like being cold. Would pop for the cost of the Wave 3 if I had a wider vehicle.

 

[tx2sturgis]

You can use one in a smaller space if you line the nearby objects with aluminum foil.

Yep. You read that right. If you tape or hang a sheet of foil on nearby objects, they will remain cool under the foil.

This might not be applicable in your installation, its kinda hard to line blankets with foil, but wood framing or plastic cabinets can be covered with foil and the infrared heat will just bounce right off.

 

[Kathleen]

You can use one in a smaller space if you line the nearby objects with aluminum foil.

Yep. You read that right. If you tape or hang a sheet of foil on nearby objects, they will remain cool under the foil.

This might not be applicable in your installation, its kinda hard to line blankets with foil, but wood framing or plastic cabinets can be covered with foil and the infrared heat will just bounce right off.

I've got 8 rolls heavy duty alum foil. Now I have a use for them I also have 2 large NASA style silver tarps whiich reflect heat. They are big, could be weighted on top of the bed and draped over all. Would those work or do they have some kinda chem component that would be flammable?

I'll look at the dimensions of the Wave 3, see how that would fit in minivan with flame barrier.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I dont know about the tarps...if they accidentally ended up close to the heater they could ignite...I'd be careful about doing that!

 

[bullfrog]

I had a problem with the over head space required and made a permanent heat shield out of an air cookie sheet baking pan from Walmart using 1" spacers. It never got over 85 degrees on the wall side.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Yep...good idea.

 

[Colorado_Chris]

Here is an update (October 2020)... I just camped in Colorado in my small campervan in a ford E series with a Colorado Campervan Pop Top 

and a Maxxair Deluxe Fan

 for ventilation, but I kept the fan off.  Only heat I have is a little buddy and I ONLY used it when I was awake. (Note, good blankets are warmer than sleeping bags).  Be sure to know the space clearances.   I used a 1 pound green bottle as my propane source.  I only used it on low setting to keep the  need for O2 down, and because I have a small space to heat.  It heated up my space really nicely (I also haver the silver bubble foil stuff on all my windows and a thick curtain closing off the driver cabin. It was my first time with the heater and I want to use it for skiing out of my van, so I wanted to test the limits.

First night... 8,700 feet.  No issues at all.  It fired up every time with the click starter and never kicked off.  

Second night - 9,700 feet.  Some issues.  The click start did not work very well, I am guessing the 02 sensor wanted things to shut down and thus I could not get the pilot light to warm up the thermocoupler before the O2 sensor shut things down. The propane would kick on and kind of POOF to try to start up, then shut down immediately. HOWEVER, I did bring along a long handled lighter, and by pressing the start knob to get the propane started, and by holding the lighter right where the pilot flame came on, and by keeping it there for about 10 seconds or so, I was able to get the heater to light, and it stayed lit pretty well.  I could tell the heat was a bit less than at 8,700.  So it did work but was a bit of a challenge.

MY RECOMMENDATION:  Don't bank on it working over about 9,200, but you can get it to if you need to.  Below that, and on the low setting no problem.

 

[bullfrog]

I started with the Buddy and am glad I did as it allowed me to experiment somewhat safely. It was also too much heat for my small space. I ended up with an Olympic Wave III but condensation is still a consideration and will eventually end up with a vented system.

 

[hugemoth]

Oxygen depletion system. Look that up on YouTube and you'll see how it works in Buddy Heaters.