Heat just the bed area and porta potty?

[davem]

I've been browsing the vandwelling sites for a few days now and plan to do this lifestyle when I retire. &nbsp;<br /><br />I got to thinking about heating in vans. &nbsp;Has anyone tried blocking off with thermal drapes/etc just the bed area (and porty potty if next to the bed) and then have the heater placed so it only is heating that smaller area? &nbsp;<br /><br />It seems it would cut down on how much fuel is needed for heating (and yes, I would have the porta potty near the bed, a cold toilet is not fun at night) and you would stay warmer?<br /><br />When you get up in the morning just open the thermal drapes and the heat would escape into the rest of the van.<br /><br />Thoughts?

 

[katelyn]

that sounds like it might work, it'd be kind of like if you had an air conditioner in one room and used a blanket/sheet to keep the cold air in if there wasn't a door...good idea!<img src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" />

 

[peacetara]

My entire house area is 72 sq feet.&nbsp; I'm not sure cutting it in half would make enough of a difference heat wise to do any good.&nbsp; Of course I don't bother to heat the place at all at night.&nbsp; It gets down to the 20's where I am right now. The coldest night for me so far was 0 degrees, and I was warm IN bed, but getting out of bed was very very unpleasant, and most of my water froze over or slushied.&nbsp; I know I can survive 0 degree weather now tho!<br /><br />I just use the heater in the morning to take the chill off, and maybe a little at night when I change into my PJ's. But 0 degree day, I drove to the nearest library and stayed ALL day!<br /><br />But perhaps if you were running your heater all night, every night all winter long it would make enough of a difference, but my house is so small, I'm not sure it would make enough of a difference.&nbsp; For those in larger houses, or that want their house to be a decent temperature at night, it might matter.<br /><br />With Love,<br />Tara<br /><br />P.S. by house, I mean the living area of your vehicle of choice (van, RV, trailer, etc)&nbsp; For me that would be the entire back part of my van (I have a wall separating the driving area from the living area), which measures 12' long by 6' wide and 4' tall.

 

[She]

I posted a reply with out reading the whole thing....So I took it off Sorry!!

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;A way to save on heating is to sleep higher up. The air will tend to stratify and sleeping up high, you can turn down the heat and stay where it's warm. Have a little 12v computer fan that you can turn on in the morning to help keep the temps homogenous. The toilet contents won't generally freeze overnight.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Did something similar when I was staying in a cold unfinished basement, with a busted out window.&nbsp; Used a towel to block the window then hung some old but thick blankets i found down there around a bed and 1 small table.&nbsp; The heater went on the 'nightstand'.&nbsp; It kept me warm (and alive..) in winter.&nbsp; It was freezing getting out of that cacoon... <img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" /><br /><br /><br /><br />Going back to what tara mentioned, you can stay pretty warm just being bundled up in bed itself.&nbsp; I have a very large coleman sleeping bag, and when i lost power not too long back I wrapped up in that with clothes on, and a toque on my head, and stayed warm for hours.&nbsp; It was in the 20s outside and snowing, and no heat and I just read a book and took a nap.&nbsp; When the heat kicked back on i was boiling though.<br /><br /><br />Wont help the potty tho <img src="/images/boards/smilies/tongue.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[offroad]

Why would you not use an electric blanket? &nbsp;Maybe get one for the toilet? &nbsp;Keep on the lowest setting.&nbsp;

 

[josephusminimus]

Wearing warm sleeping headgear and keeping warm inside your sleeping gear is certainly a lot more efficient and cheap than trying to raise the ambient temperature of any amount of air inside the remainder of the vehicle.&nbsp; For keeping the toilet seat warm you might consider the small warming coils sold in feed stores so's livestock owners don't have to break the ice off their troughs.&nbsp; One of those between a couple of blankets might do the job.&nbsp; Or, as someone else mentioned, a heating pad across the seat.