Butane portable stove for heating or Mr Heater Little Buddy?

[poot_traveller]

I just wanted to know which one was the best to use and cheapest to run for a non-insulated van?  The winters here can get down to zero and gets frosty, although it doesn't snow.

I have a butane single burner portable stove, but I'm wondering if I should get the Mr Heater Little Buddy and use that for heating instead?

Any advice please?

 

[bullfrog]

Both of those will create a lot of condensation. If you have access to grid AC power the little 1500 watt ceramic heaters work well and provide dry heat. If you intend to fulltime for several days a month then I would be looking at some sort of small vented heater but be aware of the electrical needs, maybe one of the new small diesel ones. The small wood stoves provide dry heat but most require ventilation. Whatever you do make sure you have several options for staying warm and dry. If you only have one sleeping bag no matter how good it is if it gets wet you can be faced with a serious problem. A lot of the consideration needs to be based on how long you will spend inside during the day as you shouldn't depend on an outside source of heat at night but rather insulating your body while sleeping. If you are going to be cooking breakfast and heating water anyway the stove will do a pretty good job but without good ventilation condensation becomes a problem. The Little Buddy will in most cases makes plenty of heat so you can ventilate a lot and still stay warm but again condensation is a concern, just not as much. What part of the country you are in will also affect how much of a condensation problem you will have. The reason most here try to follow the seasons is so that heat is only rarely needed.

 

[Almost There]

If you're going to be using either of those  for heating during cold weather then definitely the Mr. Buddy.

Butane is notorious for putting out low BTUs when the canister is cold. I actually warm my canister before cooking breakfast when it's below about 40F.

You didn't note whether you were talking 0 F or 0 C, sure hope it's Celsius cause 0 F is going to really, really suck in an uninsulated van. If nothing else, I suggest you  hang moving blankets and use some reflectix in the windows to help keep the heat in.

A Mr. Buddy hooked to a 20 lb tank gets me about 9 to 10 days full time heating (NOT run during sleeping hours). My high top van is not insulated but has reflectix installed in all the walls and ceiling.

I don't find a problem with that much condensation that everyone else warns against but then I always have sufficient ventilation for the heater and am in and out or have an open window when I'm cooking.

Butane will be extremely costly as will the 1 lb propane tanks. A friend got maybe 4 - 5 hours of run time out of a 1 lb tank with the Mr. Buddy on low.

Whatever you do, DO NOT run any non-outside vented heater while you are sleeping (except electric). Choose a warm sleep system that will allow you to comfortably spend the night. There are many, many threads around here on how to match your sleeping gear to the weather.

I get out of bed in the  morning, turn on the heater and then cuddle in the warm bed for 20 minutes or so until the van is warm.

 

[deryk_the_gypsy]

I would really consider insulation it does make a difference, and I installed the small one of these in a teardrop trailer sized gypsy caravan I built years back...http://nuwaystove.com/product-category/propane-stove/  it vents to the outside so lessens the moisture inside the van, I winter camped in NJ down at my buddies place on the weekends and I stayed nice and toasty inside.  Add a fresh air line to the stove and you don't have to be worried of being too sealed up.

 

[MrNoodly]

Butane is notorious for putting out low BTUs when the canister is cold. I actually warm my canister before cooking breakfast when it's below about 40F.

In addition, butane canisters cool down as they're used. Dropping pressure means dropping temperature.

 

[poot_traveller]

Both of those will create a lot of condensation.  If you have access to grid AC power the little 1500 watt ceramic heaters work well and provide dry heat.  If you intend to fulltime for several days a month then I would be looking at some sort of small vented heater but be aware of the electrical needs, maybe one of the new small diesel ones.  The small wood stoves provide dry heat but most require ventilation.  Whatever you do make sure you have several options for staying warm and dry.  If you only have one sleeping bag no matter how good it is if it gets wet you can be faced with a serious problem.   A lot of the consideration needs to be based on how long you will spend inside during the day as you shouldn't depend on an outside source of heat at night but rather insulating your body while sleeping. If you are going to be cooking breakfast and heating water anyway the stove will do a pretty good job but without good ventilation condensation becomes a problem.  The Little Buddy will in most cases makes plenty of heat so you can ventilate a lot and still stay warm but again condensation is a concern, just not as much. What part of the country you are in will also affect how much of a condensation problem you will have.  The reason most here try to follow the seasons is so that heat is only rarely needed.

I plan to stay in it 365 days of the year.  I'll have to figure out how to create good ventilation.  Thanks

 

[poot_traveller]

If you're going to be using either of those  for heating during cold weather then definitely the Mr. Buddy.

Butane is notorious for putting out low BTUs when the canister is cold. I actually warm my canister before cooking breakfast when it's below about 40F.

You didn't note whether you were talking 0 F or 0 C, sure hope it's Celsius cause 0 F is going to really, really suck in an uninsulated van. If nothing else, I suggest you  hang moving blankets and use some reflectix in the windows to help keep the heat in.

A Mr. Buddy hooked to a 20 lb tank gets me about 9 to 10 days full time heating (NOT run during sleeping hours). My high top van is not insulated but has reflectix installed in all the walls and ceiling.

I don't find a problem with that much condensation that everyone else warns against but then I always have sufficient ventilation for the heater and am in and out or have an open window when I'm cooking.

Butane will be extremely costly as will the 1 lb propane tanks. A friend got maybe 4 - 5 hours of run time out of a 1 lb tank with the Mr. Buddy on low.

Whatever you do, DO NOT run any non-outside vented heater while you are sleeping (except electric). Choose a warm sleep system that will allow you to comfortably spend the night. There are many, many threads around here on how to match your sleeping gear to the weather.

I get out of bed in the  morning, turn on the heater and then cuddle in the warm bed for 20 minutes or so until the van is warm.

Thanks, it looks like Mr Buddy is the favorite by popular vote.

 

[poot_traveller]

I would really consider insulation it does make a difference, and I installed the small one of these in a teardrop trailer sized gypsy caravan I built years back...http://nuwaystove.com/product-category/propane-stove/  it vents to the outside so lessens the moisture inside the van, I winter camped in NJ down at my buddies place on the weekends and I stayed nice and toasty inside.  Add a fresh air line to the stove and you don't have to be worried of being too sealed up.

I will consider insulation if it gets too cold, at the moment I want to see if reflectix on the windows & front area will be good enough.

 

[LoupGarou]

Neither.

Consider a Wave 3 or a Wave 6.

 

[poot_traveller]

Neither.

Consider a Wave 3 or a Wave 6.

Why are those better may I ask?

 

[lenny flank]

Butane is notorious for putting out low BTUs when the canister is cold. 

In my younger backpacking days when lots of people used butane canister stoves, this was always a problem in winter. Often, the butane itself would get slushy from the cold and didn't want to burn. So in wintertime there were special canisters, with a bit of propane mixed inside, to prevent the butane from freezing. It was a PITA.

 

[highdesertranger]

what ever you do you must be able to stay warm without any artificial heat source. this is very important, heaters fail or don't work for various reasons. stay warm stay alive. first thing I would get is the best sleeping bag I could afford and then get the next best one. highdesertranger

 

[poot_traveller]

what ever you do you must be able to stay warm without any artificial heat source.  this is very important,  heaters fail or don't work for various reasons. stay warm stay  alive.  first thing I would get is the best sleeping bag I could afford and then get the next best one.   highdesertranger

I've got two winter duvets and that should be enough. The winters here get frosty and down to zero celsius but not snowing where I am.

I did three winters in a caravan without insulation or reflectix on the windows, yeah it was cold but warm and toasty under the blankets.  Just got to have good bedding.