Looking for opinions on heaters

[Axel]

I have the Dickenson propane fireplace and love this thing. It puts out a nice steady heat, sips propane and the fan for it can't even be measured for its electrical draw. These things are so well made that I think any version you get you will be happy with and will work for a very long time. I also like that it uses a double chimney to bring fresh air from outside and then send the exhaust air back out as well so it is a totally closed system.

I've been in LA the last few years so rarely see very cold weather but have use it more on trips in colder climates. I don't know how it would do in sub freezing temperatures but I don't plan to spend any winters in that sort of climate. But even in cold weather dipping below freezing it has kept the van nice and comfortable.

Very cool! Thanks

 

[Firebuild]

Thanks

Im really curious about how long those diesel heaters run on a tank of diesel. And if anyone knows of electric heaters that play well with solar.

Also. Propexs.

I tried to calculate this last winter; it's not easy because I fiddle with the level a lot, as it produces a lot of heat for my 75 square foot bus... but the nearest I could figure is that it uses less than 2 gallons a week if I run it 8 hours a day at full blast. Not a lot. This is unscientific of course, but shoudl give you an idea.

 

[66788]

I have a small class b.i been using a buddy heater hooked to a 30lb propane tank. Well the heater died on me so I figure now is a good time to upgrade. I didnt really like it much anyway because of the condensation and uneven heat.

The first thing I thought was to buy one of those chinese diesel heaters. But I'm not sure how long the fuel last. I dont want to make a diesel trip every other day. I liked that part about the buddy heater. A tank of propane lasted 2 weeks.

I also have a pretty large solar system. 1175 watts and 100ah @24v. Was also eyeing up these 700w radiant electric heaters on Amazon. Anyone have experience with them?

The real issues with catalytic non-vented heaters for me are excess moisture in the vehicle and uneven hard to control temperatures.   I used both the Wave 3 and Wave 6 for more than 3 winters and experienced a lot of moisture on the ceiling and metal door frames in the morning.  All night long the temperature was too cold or too hot.   Adjusting the windows and vents to preventing  a low oxygen situation while maintaining a constant temperature was nearly impossible, not to mention all the heat that escapes through the vents.

I now use a 93%  efficient vented propane heater that draws 1.9 amps at 12vdc while running.  I use less than a pound of propane at 26 degrees F per night and the rig stays 68 degrees all night long.

The Chinese diesel heaters can draw 9 amps while the glow plugs are on, and that can be in excess of 5 minutes per cycle.   Add the fan draw and you had better have adequate battery amperage or additional problems come into play, some of which are safety issues.

As for CO being a problem, I can say that on a few nights I did forget to ventilate my Dodge van and slept all night long with the Wave 3 on and all windows up and the roof vent closed.  I certainly don't advocate doing that, but I'm here still none the less.

 

[bullfrog]

Who is the maker of your vented propane heater and how many btu is it?

 

[Camper]

Please give us more info on the 93% vented propane heater. I will not own a vent-free heater. Thanks

 

[bagabum]

Thanks

 And if anyone knows of electric heaters that play well with solar.

  

 

[LoupGarou]

I started out with a Mr Buddy heater, but it put out too much heat too fast overwhelming the living space. I’ve since replaced it with a Wave 6.

I considered a wood burning type of heater but I’m constantly on the move so one wouldn’t work for me.

Most of the condensation is related to the dew point temperature. The best way to control condensation is to lower the interior temperature and put on a pair of long johns. As the interior surfaces warm, the surfaces start to sweat like a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. Only now it’s cold on the outside and warm on the inside.

 

[highdesertranger]

66788 has a Propex heater. that thing is awesome. highdesertranger

 

[notmad]

Is it realistically possible to install a diesel heater so that you absolutely cannot hear the fuel pump?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I am planning to plumb in one of the 'suitcase' diesel heaters for my camper.  Complete unit will be outside and only the hot air will be ducted into the camper.  Should eliminate the fuel pump clicking - we will see.

P.S.  I have lost some of my hearing so what is quiet to me might be annoying to you.

 

[66788]

Its looking like ive settle on a suburban. Thermostat control and they are on Amazon for 300$ for the 16000btu model. Should be almost over kill for my little van. Will warm up fast and run less.

My 9,600 BTU vented thermostatically controlled heater is a good match for my step van.  If the heater is too large for the rig, you will go from cool to hot, then back to cool.  Try to balance the size of your rig to the size of your heater.

I had a 21 foot 5th wheel with poor insulation and lots of windows and the 16,000 BTU heater worked well in that rig.  It consumed a lot of propane and the fan draw nearly killed the battery each night, but I stayed warm.

Personally I think 16,000 BTUs is too much for a van.

 

[GntlStone]

I am planning to plumb in one of the 'suitcase' diesel heaters for my camper.  Complete unit will be outside and only the hot air will be ducted into the camper.  Should eliminate the fuel pump clicking - we will see.

P.S.  I have lost some of my hearing so what is quiet to me might be annoying to you.

Something like what Slim Potatohead is doing? He just released a 2 part video of his experience and experiments in using a suitcase diesel with his fiberglass trailer. Very interesting.
 Part 1 : Diesel Suitcase Experiment
 Part 2 : Diesel Suitcase Experiment

Seemingly uses very little diesel and about 27% of his small Jackery's power using the heater about 15 hours a day to keep interior temp around 55-60°.

 

[bullfrog]

A large Suburban heater with a fan is going to use a lot of power, probably more solar than you have room for, so you are looking at running a generator for 2 or three hours in the morning to recharge the batteries and a few hours in the evening to make sure they are topped off before going to bed. We have to do that in cold weather even with two 100 amp hour batteries and a 100 watts of solar. A twenty pound bottle of propane usually lasted 4 or 5 days heating a 8’ x 25’ camping trailer. If you are plugged into the grid as we are sometimes we just use 120 volt cheap ceramic heaters.

 

[highdesertranger]

Truman is a standard RV heater? if it is that is way overkill for a Van. those units also take up a lot of real estate besides being energy hogs. highdesertranger

 

[Sofisintown]

If you guys are going to use the standard cooking stove for heating, whether it is gas or alcohol or whatever, you can get a heater element from amazon that you put on the stove and it disperses heat more efficiently.

https://www.amazon.com/Vsanstar-Rai...rds=camping+mini+Heater&qid=1609627083&sr=8-2

It is around $20
Bob had a video a while ago of someone using it in a truck camper, who was very happy with it.

 

[nature lover]

I have an antique stove top toaster I use it not only for toast bread but also to spread the the. Heat to warm the van. It actually looks similar to this only rectangular. It goes without saying before ut it needs to be said never use an open flame or any kind unvented heat source
without ventilation, propane butane, what ever. You can use it to warm your area but never fall asleep with one burning!!!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Something like what Slim Potatohead is doing? 
 . . .

Thanks, GntlStone for the videos; I hadn't seen his experiment.  I got the idea from guys on Expedition Portal using diesel heaters to heat rooftop tents.

And yes, I am going to do about the same for my camper.  There should be ways to isolate the fuel pump so one does not hear the clicking.

 

[bagabum]

If you guys are going to use the standard cooking stove for heating, whether it is gas or alcohol or whatever, you can get a heater element from amazon that you put on the stove and it disperses heat more efficiently.

From what I have read about the generating of excess CO2 with heaters is that you do not want to "quench the flame", keep metal away from the flame otherwise you are going to create tremendous amounts of CO2 by cooling the flame. There is lots lots of study work on this if you look up CO2 from heaters. Leave the flame open and adjust it for blue, no yellow.

 

[highdesertranger]

bagabum I think you mean CO(Carbon Monoxide) not CO2(Carbon Dioxide). highdesertranger

 

[66788]

Something like what Slim Potatohead is doing? He just released a 2 part video of his experience and experiments in using a suitcase diesel with his fiberglass trailer. Very interesting.
 Part 1 : Diesel Suitcase Experiment
 Part 2 : Diesel Suitcase Experiment

Seemingly uses very little diesel and about 27% of his small Jackery's power using the heater about 15 hours a day to keep interior temp around 55-60°.

I had respect for Slim in the past, but most of the van life youtubers are simply whores who pander to whatever topic will get them clicks.

This set of 2 videos is absurd, in that he takes a POS Chinese diesel heater with a plethora of inherent problems and comes up with an idea to mount it outside his vehicle.  Furthermore he wants to power it with a POS small "solar generator" (they don't generate anything the solar panels do that)
and finally determines that the nasty clicking noise that the fuel pump makes is too loud for his taste.

Of course anyone with half a brain could figure that out before they even bought the damn thing.  And yes, if it's outside it has to be protected from the elements and from theft, which actually is the best thing that could happen to it.   As for the weak power source, why would a full time RVer not have a functioning solar setup mounted on his trailer?

My personal opinion is that all youtubers should be demonetized so that only the serious ones who truly want to help others will post useful videos that are not sensational click bait.   Although Slims set may not be sensational clickbate, it ends up being an effort in futility.