I have a battery bank, not huge though. I have bought a 200 watt electric heater from Walmart. It works to some degree but consumes a lot of battery. I need advice for things like electric blanket, 9 v electric heater, or 120 v electric heater with low wattage. Any suggest will be welcome.
need advice for heating van with battery
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BigT
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I'm glad you posted this. I've been curious to know what's available as well, and just what I could get away with using my meager Ah supply.
BigT said:
If we could have a large battery bank, things would be different. However, for most of us not able to have a large battery bank, the things I listed seems to be more practical. I am sure there are a lot of experienced people on this website and am eager to hear from them.
WheelEstate USA
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Most that I know heat with propane. Several good ones with Buddy being a favorite among many.
Unfortunately electric radiant and convection room-style heaters aren't really feasible on battery. Here's a good thread on some electric options: https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-a-Heating-pad
Now that you've joined, you can use the search function linked at top-right of page...you'll be able to spend days reading about nothing but cold people staying warm
Now that you've joined, you can use the search function linked at top-right of page...you'll be able to spend days reading about nothing but cold people staying warm
LeeRevell
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Electric heating on battery is perfectly doable..... assuming you have enough battery. That is expensive and heavy. You also need enough solar to keep them charged, again expensive and takes a lot of acreage atop your van.
Propane is cheaper, lighter and more efficient.
Propane is cheaper, lighter and more efficient.
An amazon search revealed several 12v blankets & a 12v heated twin sized mattress pad. The latter, if I remember right, was 6.2 aH. I wonder, because I haven't seen it mention around here, does anyone use a good sleeping bag? We have a 0 or 20 deg (forget which) couples sleeping bag & it is almost too hot!
SternWake
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My 12v electrowarmth mattress heating pad consumed 6.2 amps, and over 8 hours would consume 25 to 50AH of battery power. It lasted 2 winters, I've not replaced it
I have a Lasko 200 watt heater. When running this on my inverter, it is about a 19 amp load. my 198 watts of solar on my roof maxes out at 13.5 amps. no fair! I only run this on battery power, shortly, and only under my blankets. When i plug into the grid, this 200 watt heater keeps my lightly insulated van in the mid 50's overnight when it is mid to high 30's outside.
I use an old school timerless 50 watt heating pad underneath my 5 gallon solar shower. With ~ 7 layers of reflectix under the heating pad and a bunch o4 clothes/towels type insulation over it, it takes about 12 hours to take water from 60F to 114F. I Do not run this overnight on battery power alone for that whole time, as it consumes too much for my solar to be able to replace.
I have a more modern 50 watt heating pad with a timer. It works on my MSW inverter but I need to unplug it and replug it in to get the timer to work for another 45 minutes. Simply turning it on and off on my PSW inverter allows it to work normally.
The 12v mattress heating pad was a nice luxury. Nothing like climbing into a 120f bed. Often I'd just shut off the pad entirely after climbing in, but I'd consume about 14AH in about 2 hours just getting the bed that warm in the first place. I'd definitely get another one if I was not in a mild climate, and I'd want more battery capacity too.
I have a Lasko 200 watt heater. When running this on my inverter, it is about a 19 amp load. my 198 watts of solar on my roof maxes out at 13.5 amps. no fair! I only run this on battery power, shortly, and only under my blankets. When i plug into the grid, this 200 watt heater keeps my lightly insulated van in the mid 50's overnight when it is mid to high 30's outside.
I use an old school timerless 50 watt heating pad underneath my 5 gallon solar shower. With ~ 7 layers of reflectix under the heating pad and a bunch o4 clothes/towels type insulation over it, it takes about 12 hours to take water from 60F to 114F. I Do not run this overnight on battery power alone for that whole time, as it consumes too much for my solar to be able to replace.
I have a more modern 50 watt heating pad with a timer. It works on my MSW inverter but I need to unplug it and replug it in to get the timer to work for another 45 minutes. Simply turning it on and off on my PSW inverter allows it to work normally.
The 12v mattress heating pad was a nice luxury. Nothing like climbing into a 120f bed. Often I'd just shut off the pad entirely after climbing in, but I'd consume about 14AH in about 2 hours just getting the bed that warm in the first place. I'd definitely get another one if I was not in a mild climate, and I'd want more battery capacity too.
jimindenver
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We have a Lasco 200w heater that sits on the shelf right next to the toilet. It has enough power to feel the warmth if it is right there and pointed at you but I don't think it would actually heat the bathroom if left on.
We also have a 135w floor mat that goes under the dinette. It warms it up under there a bit and you can really feel it on your feet but like the Lasko, it wouldn't heat anything up but personal space.
Our solar can run a 4-600w heater on a good clear day if it's not charging up the bank. The bank could handle running it over night but it would take everything the solar puts out to replenish it the next day. It's just easier to use the gas furnace and leave the electric heat for added comfort.
We also have a 135w floor mat that goes under the dinette. It warms it up under there a bit and you can really feel it on your feet but like the Lasko, it wouldn't heat anything up but personal space.
Our solar can run a 4-600w heater on a good clear day if it's not charging up the bank. The bank could handle running it over night but it would take everything the solar puts out to replenish it the next day. It's just easier to use the gas furnace and leave the electric heat for added comfort.
SternWake
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New Comer said:
Assuming you want a mattress heating pad, this is the one I used for 2 winters.
Half of it still works. I am assuming stress on the heating wires from me sleeping on it, and putting sharp cornered things on my bed is what caused the failure.
http://www.amazon.com/Mattress-Electrowarmth-Non-Fitted-T36-Campers/dp/B001122SZQ
It worked better when I cut off the Ciggy plug and about 5 feet of 18 awg cable.
These take a while to heat up. if you try to compare it to a household electric blanket, you will be disappointed.
I bought my 12v heating blanket at Cabelas. It comes with a built in timer that shuts it off at 30 or 45 minutes. I plug it in about 30 minutes before turning in to warm my bedding. If the night is cool I'll turn it on again sometime during the night. Battery draw is minimal. I put it under my sleeping bag to warm the whole thing. So far, so good.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Volt-Travel-Blanket/715479.uts
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Volt-Travel-Blanket/715479.uts
