Really small heater?

[Reducto]

I'm in a reasonably well insulated minivan so it doesn't take much to heat up the interior. I bought the little Coleman 1500 BTU catalytic propane heater because it was the smallest I could find but it's still too much! Something adjustable down to around half this output would be ideal. Turning this one on is a bit of a pain and I don't like the unburnt propane it lets out while it gets up to temp so I don't like cycling it on and off.

Anyone know of anything that might work for me? Propane is fine but I'm ok switching to something else.

I really only need a heater for when I'm awake, so a heated blanket or other in-bed option won't really work for me.

 

[Zil]

Use heater to heat a volume of water as a heat sink. That warms the area around and holds some heat. You may do better with a larger easier to light heater and cycle it. Like a buddy heater.

 

[Stargazer]

I have a buddy heater and have used it often; if it cycles, I am not aware of it. How do you make it cycle? The handbook doesn't mention that and I would sure like that feature.

I wonder if it is okay to run it with just the pilot light? I've considered that but haven't tried it. Someone on here mentioned they do it; maybe you could try that with your current heater? Just run it on pilot only?

 

[caseyc]

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/little-buddy-propane-heater/47757

The Little Buddy heater is about as small as it gets for a portable propane heater. I have this same heater. Works well.

 

[Zil]

you still have to cycle the buddy by hand. But with the pilot it is much easier to cycle than is the Coleman.

 

[akrvbob]

This is a violation of all safety rules, but for 12 years now I have used my Coleman propane stove for heat. I'll just run it on low for hours at a time and it it gives me the perfect temperature.

I never do it unless I am there and awake and watching it. It has never been a problem in 12 years.

YMMV but this works for me.
Bob

 

[Willy]

You could instal an old vented (through the wall) propane heater from a wrecked camper. Yup, you're getting 6-10k btu's, but it'll be thermostatically controlled. ..Willy.

 

[Lucky mike]

I have used Flower pot heaters with a few tea candles...just about right depending on your outside temps.....I now use a wave catalytic heater and most of the time its on low or pilot it works great ......

 

[akrvbob]

This is just my opinion and I am often wrong, but I hate those RV furnaces! They bake you out and then you are cold and then they bake you out.

To make bad worse, the next morning they have sucked your batteries dry!!!!

Not for me, thank you!
Bob

 

[Lucky mike]

I never have turned on my RV furnace....your right there power hungry and you blow more heat out the exhaust than you get inside.....not efficient!!!.....like I said I run a wave catalytic and Im in NH for the last 2 winters!!....it keeps it 60 to 65 in here!.....and I have a DIYsolar can heater with a solar fan on the roof for daytime use

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

This is a violation of all safety rules, but for 12 years now I have used my Coleman propane stove for heat. I'll just run it on low for hours at a time and it it gives me the perfect temperature.

I never do it unless I am there and awake and watching it. It has never been a problem in 12 years.

YMMV but this works for me.
Bob

Bob, do you have a CO detector?

I've seen reports that a catalytic heater doesn't produce any measurable CO, but a propane cook stove definitely shows CO.

I was wondering what, if any, numbers you were seeing when you used your stove for heat?

Regards
John

 

[crazybill]

Coleman cat series , sportcat, xtremecat etc.
I have one of these: Heater which can be hard to find. 800 btu which is good for a small area. Of course adequate ventilation is needed. I am sure you are aware of that.
-Bill-

 

[akrvbob]

I have had a CO detector in the past, but I do not have one now. When I had one it has never a problem with the stove going. Basically what you said is right, a true catalytic does not produce CO. The Olympians are true catalytic but....

The Mr. Buddy Heater is NOT a true catalytic.

That's why I would never leave on one at night but would leave a Olympian on.
Bob

 

[Willy]

This is just my opinion and I am often wrong, but I hate those RV furnaces! They bake you out and then you are cold and then they bake you out.

To make bad worse, the next morning they have sucked your batteries dry!!!!

Not for me, thank you!
Bob

I'm talkin' about the OLD style ones that don't use any power. What often helps, re. temperature fluctuations, is to have a small 12v computer fan circulating the air. ..Willy.

 

[Donedirtcheap]

I'm talkin' about the OLD style ones that don't use any power. What often helps, re. temperature fluctuations, is to have a small 12v computer fan circulating the air. ..Willy.

Yes, I know what you mean. The old types that were used in truck campers. They had no fans and no elec circuit boards but did use a thermostat and they were vented. I have looked for them but the models I found (suburban nt?) have a small squirrel cage blower and probably a circuit board that draws 2.7 amps. That's still not good if you want to minimize battery drain.

The best thing you can do for more modern RV furnaces is replace the thermostat with a digital model. It tightens the anticipation range but you are still stuck with all the other bad issues of an RV furnace.

All the good stuff takes big money but they are vented, quiet, and have thermostats. So far, thanks to this forum I have found 3.

Willy, have you seen the old style for sale?

This model does it all but its $600.00

http://ventedcatheater.com/2.html

 

[Willy]

Dunno what it's like in your neck of the woods, but I often see them in old campervans at the wreckers here. Generally cost around $60 U-pull. What I did with mine was to cannibalize a newer (Coleman in this case) furnace that a buddy gave me for the electric valve body and to replace the purely mechanical one in my old style unit with the newer one. They draw a negligible amount of power and allows me to use a wall mounted thermostat. I also have a few lo-limit bimetallic switches which allows me to hook up a small 12v computer fan which turns on when the burn chamber gets hot enuf. ..Willy.

 

[GrayWhale]

I'll just run it on low for hours at a time and it it gives me the perfect temperature.
Bob

How cold does it get where you live? I saw a Coleman 2 burner stove on clearance at Target for $29 (down from like $100). Damn, I should have gotten it, too late the next day. How long does a small propane can last while on low? Although it would be scary if you forget to turn it off and fell asleep watching a movie or something.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

An alternative possibility for really small spaces is to use a variation of the tea light suggestion. Make some wicks and use olive/canola oil (burns clean... non-toxic) and use a muffin baking tray to make your 'candles'. You can try 8, 12, 16.... whatever gives you the right amount of heat. There are a couple drawbacks though. Open flame, possible oil spill. However, if you think it thru for maximum safety (maybe put it in a gerbil cage or something) I think it would work well, and be quite inexpensive.

 

[akrvbob]

I've used the Coleman stove as my only heat down into the mid-teens. But I do have a lot of insulation in my trailer. There is almost no chance of my falling asleep with it on, but if I thought there was I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't want an open flame without my being awake to watch it.

I have my stove hooked up to a refillable bulk propane bottle and the amount of propane it burns is pretty insignificant.

I've known a couple people who've tried the candle heaters and they put out very little heat. I wouldn't count on it for much heat.
Bob

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm in a reasonably well insulated minivan so it doesn't take much to heat up the interior. I bought the little Coleman 1500 BTU catalytic propane heater because it was the smallest I could find but it's still too much! Something adjustable down to around half this output would be ideal. Turning this one on is a bit of a pain and I don't like the unburnt propane it lets out while it gets up to temp so I don't like cycling it on and off.

Anyone know of anything that might work for me? Propane is fine but I'm ok switching to something else.

I really only need a heater for when I'm awake, so a heated blanket or other in-bed option won't really work for me.

Greetings!

I know you don't think you want a heated blanket, but heated blankets can work really well for you outside of bed too. I typically get cold pretty easily, but if I put my thermostat controlled 12v electric blanket over my chair and then sit on it, I have been surprised more than once when I start feeling chilly so decide to fire up my heater, and glance at the thermometer and it's 49-50f in my van. Without that electric blanket, I would have been firing up the heat as soon as it dipped below about 70f.

At least in my case, it seems like if I'm sitting in a heated seat, my arms, legs, head, neck, and ears don't get cold for a long time either.

They also have 12v electric heated seat cushions too. I have one in my drivers seat, and it delivers heat MUCH quicker than my typical van heat.

Just wanted to mention a couple other ways to do it in case you hadn't already thought about them.

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man