Help me decide on a heater?

[Rojo Zoso]

I ended up going with the Chinese diesel heater as well, supplemented by a Mr Buddy junior for those times when I need heat fast. I feel good about this set up.

 

[tripper]

I have used a wave 3 for 10 years, reliable and no maintenance required. I've run it all night, it does not cause condensation when correctly ventilated as per their instructions. I do use 2 lithium powered carbon monoxide detectors to be safe. The Olympian burns very clean when it is vented correctly, I. E. Have a fresh air source located very near the unit, I have a small fresh air register cut into my floor just a few inches below the wave 3. It uses only a small amount of propane on low. I keep it covered and use it in many dusty areas. In my opinion there is not a better heater out there, no electricity draw either.

 

[tripper]

I have used a wave 3 for 10 years, reliance and no maintenance required. I've run it all night, it does not cause condensation when correctly ventilated as per their instructions. I do use 2 lithium powered carbon monoxide detectors to be safe. The Olympian burns very clean when it is vented correctly, I. E. Have a fresh air source located very near the unit, I have a small fresh air register cut into my floor just a few inches below the wave 3. It uses only a small amount of propane on low.

 

[MrNoodly]

Don't forget, the differences between heaters are tiny compared to the difference between a heater and no heater. Don't get too hung up on the little stuff.

 

[gwave]

If you want to hear from experts then coming to a forum that was primarily  intended as a gathering place for newbies to get together and learn and share  will be rather frustrating. What you will hear from people is how they did it for themselves. But doing it one time in your own nomadic living space does not mean that person has expertise. But what they do have is a lot of second hand knowledge gained by reading about what others have done, what they found on the internet, what they watched on youtube.  But as far as experts, they are not here, they are busy working in their full times jobs where they sell and install the kind of equipment that is used for heating. Usually they are only "expert" in the products they represent and/or install.  But those experts are not out on the road living in an old van they have renovated. They are not hanging out in this forum either. If you want to talk to experts then you have to contact them at their places of business.

Well, ok then.

 

[66788]

I've narrowed my choices down to a Propex propane heater ($720) and a Wave 3 ($180). I'm leaning toward the Propex in case I'm in the Pac NW during winter, for holidays and stuff.

I want something where I can set the temp at 68 and can leave on at night. I don't think the Wave 3 does this.

I just finished the installation of my Propex HS2800 9,500 BTU vented propane heater.  This heater exceeded my expectations in all areas.

It literally sips propane.  My step van is super insulated (2 inches of Owens Corning pink Foamular all around and dual pane windows) and in 28 degree weather it runs about 5 to 10 minutes per hour.  I might be using 4 ounces of propane per night.

Since it is vented underneath the van, condensation is not a problem.  My Wave 3 and Wave 6 heaters cranked out the condensation to the point of water droplets raining down on me every morning in my Dodge high top van.   Additionally the thermostat keeps the interior temperature at 66 degrees all night.   No more "too hot" or "too cold".

Some have complained that the blower is too loud.   The HS2800 uses larger ducting and the blower noise does not disturb me.  

All in all the Propex heaters are in my book the ultimate boondocking heaters.  Yeah it cost $850.00 but it's worth every penny.

BTW, I'm in the Pacific NorthWest also.

 

[Giuseppe Hardblast]

Thanks for that. Propex is always something I wanted but someday.

I been using a buddy heater for 3 years now. Was thinking about upgrading to the wave 6 but after your review I'm thinking twice. Thought there would be less condensation. I am tired of scraping ice off the inside windshield. Thought switching heaters would help.

 

[66788]

Depending on your rigs setup, the Propex may or may not be the best for you.  A van is tough to heat without excess condensation.  The laws of physics reign supreme and steps must be taken to compartmenalize the living area.  Bare glass in cold weather will attract humidity on the warmer side (living quarters) so a bulkhead is a must.  Metal doors and uninsulated body areas are thermal bridges and transfer heat and cold, often forming condensation.      In my rig there is minimal thermal bridging, just the aluminum dual pane window frames.

With an attention to the foregoing, a Propex heater will do as good a job as any vented RV heater and do it with thermostatically controlled precision, while using 22 grams of propane per hour of use, and at a 1.9 amp draw while running.

It was 26 degrees this morning, but my rig was 69 degrees all night long.

I really can't say enough about this heater!

BTW, the US dealers are Westfalia and marine sites...

 

[Giuseppe Hardblast]

Is a wave worth 250 over a buddy heater or would I be better off saving my money for a propex?

 

[66788]

I believe a Wave heater is safer than the Buddy heater for all night use.  I have used my Wave3 and Wave6 heaters for more than 5 years for all night use in my Dodge van.  Lots of moisture though, as moisture is a by-product of combustion, as well as respiration.  High moisture can easily lead to mold inside your vehicle.   Just search "mold" on this forum.

The advantage of a vented heating system is the moisture formed by combustion is vented outside the vehicle, not inside.  Additionally  there is no need to ventilate the vehicle which allows the heat to escape, which is counter intuitive to efficient heating of the vehicle.

Remember that combustion uses oxygen and may produce carbon monoxide, a deadly odorless gas, and that is why proper ventilation is mandatory for Wave and Buddy heaters

My biggest complaints in using the wave heaters were moisture and not being able to adequately control the temperature throughout the night.  Vented heaters and thermostats are very good at that.

 

[Rainier70]

For all those that are still wondering on what they will use, here is a video that covers some options. I like this video because he takes the time to go through what different systems he tried.



I too have a NuWay Propane stove in my cargo trailer. I went one step further and enclosed the bottom of the stove, then ran a pipe through the floor for the air intake. Now mine is completely vented with outside air for the combustion.

I camp high in the Wyoming and Idaho mountains where it gets very cold some nights. With the intake air coming from outside and all exhaust gases going out I feel very comfortable running it occasionally at night.

 

[66788]

Jim and anybody else,  an FYI.  even the possession of pallets in the California Desert will get you a ticket.  also some pallets are treated you don't want to burn those anywhere not even outdoors.  also in California in some areas glass containers are prohibited from beer in bottles to pickle jars.    just a couple of the many laws in California.  highdesertranger

I moved away from the People's Republic of California a year and a half ago.  The stress level in my life went down considerably.

I have more spendable income in Oregon and things are noticeably cheaper.   Propane in CA was $3.39 per gallon plus 8% sales tax.   In Oregon I pay $1.57 per gallon and NO sales tax.

I have NO desire to even visit CA again.

 

[66788]

Have you looked at the Suburban furnaces?

You can use them with a thermostat.

https://suburbanrvparts.com/furnaces/suburban-rv-ntq-series/

The SEQ models are $354 (16K btu) and $389 (19K btu) on Amazon.

I know someone that has used the 19K (NT-20SEQ) model for a couple of years now and hasn't had any problems.

I have used Suburban heaters in RVs as well as Atwood heaters.  They do work well and are relatively inexpensive.

The issues I have with them are efficiency.

1.  What is the overall efficiency rating for the heater?
2.  What is the electrical draw when running in Amp Hours?
3.  How much propane does it use per hour?

When you compare these statistics to other makes of similar heaters, you will see that there are far better choices available.
 
Of course if you are a typical RV user and do occassional weekend trips, or a few weeks in the summer, this won't matter much.   If you live in your rig and use the heater during a cold winter, then shop around.

 

[Giuseppe Hardblast]

I don't get what a lot of y'all are saying

Im a van dweller. My van is like 18ft long hitop. Right now it's 24 degrees. Fahrenheit cuz merica. Any way, i have the little buddy on right now and I have it set below low power, to the point it's almost off, and I'm in here with my shirt off comfy.

 

[crofter]

have the little buddy on right now and I have it set below low power, to the point it's almost off, and I'm in here with my shirt off comfy.

Mr Buddy is my buddy. Full blast till warm in here then off.    -crofter

 

[Giuseppe Hardblast]

You save A lot of propane that way?

 

[crofter]

You save A lot of propane that way?

IDK. I don't keep track of my propane use, have not bought any propane since mid summer. Think it might be time to fill those bottles??   -crofter