RV Furnace vs Mr Heater Buddy

[tx2sturgis]

And lastly...there are many comments about how to store the propane in a van. I need an easy...safe method I can do myself.

{snip}

I would have it off...obviously...while I was working and trying to figure out ways...I know about insulating...so my van won't be freezing when I return.

The propane bottle or cylinders need to be protected from falling or tumbling around when the van is being driven. And of course, they need to be out of YOUR way, but accessible.

A Wave 3 will heat up my van on cold winter nights in just a few minutes. You wont need to leave the heat on all day, OR all night in moderately cold weather. If its really cold, or really cold and windy, then maybe. 

You DO need to have it installed and hooked up by someone with some experience. Its not difficult, but you will be needing a few items like a regulator, a hose, a couple of fittings, and a couple of tools, and then will need to do a 'leak test'...

Nothing about this is difficult or dangerous, but if you are not familiar, you should get some help with it.

 

[Willy]

I use an 'old style' convection type RV furnace. It's basically quiet and uses NO electricity. Any rig I've ever bought which came with a newer style RV furnace would see the new replaced by the old. The old style ones can also be retrofitted with a thermocouple and 12v computer fan to increase efficiency. ..Willy.

 

[Stargazer]

Last night, low temp predicted 34, currently 32.  This RV has two factory installed heating methods:  a heat pump that shuts off at 40 according to the manual (yep, it does) and the standard propane furnace.  When the heat pump shut down early evening, I turned on the furnace and set it to maintain 60 degrees and went to bed.  Woke me up once or twice but somehow it didn't seem as loud and since I like sleeping in cold temps, maybe it was being too warm that woke me?  When I arose, it was 62 inside so I cranked up the Mr Heater for a quick warm up, then shut it off. And yes, the roof vent is slightly open, it always is anyway for fresh air.  And also yes, the CO/propane monitor works, along with the smoke detector.  This I know because when my dog lays in front of the CO/propane detector mounted near the floor (propane is heavier than air) she sets it off!

Anyway, am experimenting with all of this.  Keeps me outta the bars...

And it's interesting to hear what other folks do and why.  I'm not going to buy another system, already have three!  Although I have lusted after the Wave now and then but like seeing a good looking guy out there, I get over that pretty quick, too.  You know, "Oh Look!  Never mind."  I shall admire from afar 

Best wishes!

 

[Ballenxj]

RV furnace, or Mr Buddy? Do I have to choose? I like and use both. The RV furnace is great for set it and forget it. The Mr Buddy is great for when you want heat right now in a small area. Both are reliable as long as they don't run out of propane.
Don't forget to read up on propane use and safety. That's your job to see you don't earn a Darwin award.
Here's a pdf I found about transporting propane. http://www.apollopropane.com/pdf/TransportingPropaneCylinders.pdf

 

[John61CT]

Maybe if you have a big space, for many every cubic inch is precious.

A forced-air parking heater or HS2211 mounted outside the living space IMO completely eliminates the need for anything else, not only compact but safe, efficient, pretty quiet.

But yes, costs more than many want / can afford to spend.

 

[jimindenver]

That is why there is no right answer and the only wrong one is if your needs are not met. We all have different needs, amounts of space, budgets, etc, etc. It is also why it is best to see as many options as possible.

 

[Hippiechk]

And then there are awesome garage sale finds! $20 for this gem with an integral fan!!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Several years ago, when these Black Cat heaters were getting hard to find, and Amazon was asking $1500 a piece for them, I scored one on ebay, very slightly used, for $20.

It works great at lower altitudes, but not as well at very high altitudes. Still, I like it as a backup heat source for the van or trailer. It has high and low settings, and very safe when used with some ventilation.

 

[akrvbob]

I'm going to answer inline and in red/bold

I am new to this van life and need explicit instructions...so if I use a two burner propane stove and have the window open directly behind it while cooking...along with a CO detector down by the floor is this safe enough? Also, do I turn off and remove the hose to the propane tank...I'm getting a 5 pound one...each time for safety? I've been using my Coleman Stove for heat for the last 7 years and it works very well for me. I knew several people in Alaska who used them as their primary heat source. It works fine in an insulated van, but won't be enough in a larger or not well insulated rig. I don't turn off the bottle or close the hose.

And lastly...there are many comments about how to store the propane in a van. I need an easy...safe method I can do myself. I'd put it in a large plastic tote and store it under your bed where it can't come out on its own.I did that for years. I put the lid on it, but cut a hole so the hose could come through. I'm assuming you mean a 5 gallon/20 pound bottle which is the standard barbque size.

I've pretty much decided on the Catalytic propane heater for safety reasons...I will be in Mammoth California this coming winter season...so I'm hoping that is a good choice. It's a great choice!!

Also I remember Bob saying he left his on all night in Alaska. Is that feasible for me? I would have it off...obviously...while I was working and trying to figure out ways...I know about insulating...so my van won't be freezing when I return. Thanks for all the help...missb I turned mine on in Otober when winter hit, and only turned it off to switch from an empty bottle to a full bottle. It ran 24/7 for 5-7 months every year, ususally until April or even May. Mammoth probably won't be that cold though. Normal winter temperatures in Anchorage I was fine with the Wave 3 on low during the day and high over night. During extreme cold spells I'd run both the Wave 3 and the Wave 8 on high and barely stayed warm. -40 really cuts through the van!!

 

[Stargazer]

Minus 40?! As in -40• F?! Sheesh! Just shoot me.

As Ballenxj said above, I think for now I'll be using a combination of heating methods. Am leaving here today, 1100 miles to my destination, may spend a couple of nights without hookups. Hopefully and probably warm enough to not need a heater.

That's the beauty of this: too cold? Move downhill. Too hot? Turn around. If one can do so, anyway. Gotta love it!

 

[Ballenxj]

Minus 40?!  As in -40• F?!  Sheesh!  Just shoot me.  

As Ballenxj said above, I think for now I'll be using a combination of heating methods. 

Redundancy id good, if one fails, you at least have something to keep you from freezing.

 

[hugemoth]

My homemade truck camper is small so I have to open all the windows when using the Buddy heater to prevent overheating. Waste of propane. Used one of the mini round Buddy heaters for a while but the regulator failed and it caught fire. For the last couple years I've been using one of these which works great but lacks a tip-over cut off and a low oxygen pilot light, or any pilot light. It comes with a connector for a propane hose to run it off a 20 lb bottle. The ceramic heating element is about 1/2 the size of the Buddy heater.

 

[Willy]

Several years ago, when these Black Cat heaters were getting hard to find, and Amazon was asking $1500 a piece for them, I scored one on ebay, very slightly used, for $20.

 I picked up one of those a couple of months ago at a garage sale for cheep. Figure I'll have a use for it one of these days. ..Willy.

 

[user 15722]

I like those Propex heaters ! Nice little unit. Compact.
Will take a closer look at them in person...
The catalytic heaters would consume all my O2 so I'd better pass on them.
wheels

 

[John61CT]

Any ventless heater in the living space needs ventilation while in use, never use while sleeping even sleepy, always have a tested CO alarm.

Or you can easily kill yourself.

Propex for the win!

 

[SoulRaven]

Any ventless heater in the living space needs ventilation while in use, never use while sleeping even sleepy, always have a tested CO alarm.

Or you can easily kill yourself.

Propex for the win!

I'm going to have to start saving my duckies,  I want one of those! 

Pat

 

[duckwonder]

Yep, I'm going through this too now.  On the class B, furnace works, but I was trying to preserve the built-in propane tank's propane to power the fridge (for up to 2 weeks at a time) and the furnace burns thru the propane pretty quick, too quickly to run it for heat and the fridge for 2 weeks for sure.

So I got the Mr. Heater Buddy.  Was planning to use it with a 11.5# propane tank and use that as my primary heat source (in short spurts and turn it off to sleep) and the furnace only very occasionally to keep it operational and not to freeze on the very coldest nights of winter (but I will be in the south where it's not too big an issue).  However, propane supply for that tank IS going to be an issue so I returned it.  Now I'm in trouble for heat for the winter, And, I love to cook outside and want it for cooking like the OP.  

For a person with a bad back (sciatica) that can only lift and carry a max of about 25 lbs (and not very far either), a full propane tank weighing in at nearly 40# is not an option for me, and those are the tanks that are readily available to be filled, for exchange, etc.  I wish wish wish I could use it for heat and for cooking, but not possible.  Since finding propane for the smaller tanks is very difficult if not impossible in many areas, is there another suggestion for heat that does not use the propane? (naturally electric won't work, lol).

 

[Almost There]

There is absolutely no problem finding propane for any of the tanks in any area that I've ever travelled in, in over 40 years on the road.

Yes, you can't exchange the tank at the local grocery store like you would a 20 lb tank BUT who wants to do that anyways. The tanks aren't always filled to 80% and the price is excessive. If there's still some gas in your old tank when you exchange it, you don't get credit for it. 

Flying J's almost always have propane fill stations, as do a lot of UHaul depots. There are numerous websites that one can use to locate the closest fill station if you need to look one up.

I have a 20 lb tank but it was almost given to me (I paid for the gas fill up). When it is due for recertification, if not sooner, I will be getting a much small tank. Even using it for my Mr. Buddy and any outdoor cooking I do, I don't fill it any more than once every six months or so. I use the Mr. Buddy in the shoulder seasons here in Canada and only occasionally have to use it during the winter in AZ.

If you're staying north then the 20 lb tank makes sense but for occasional use, IMO it's overkill.

My tank seldom gets moved, the tank stays in the passenger footwell almost all the time. My 10' hose means that I can hook it up to the Mr. Buddy in the living area of the van and when I want to use it for the propane stove, I most often just run the hose out the window. At a fill station the attendant will gladly move the tank in and out for me.

 

[John61CT]

> finding propane for the smaller tanks is very difficult if not impossible in many areas

I don't understand. Why would this be the case?

I only buy from places that sell by the pound or gallon, only charge for the exact amount they put in your tank. I've never heard anyone complain about the size of a bottle, large or small.

Tractor Supply, propane dealers all over the place, just avoid the ripoff "swap" places, same in most cases those charging a flat rate per fillup.

The 20-lb BBQ size is super cheap, and it's easy to fill from one of those to smaller ones, which can I admit be expensive, especially for the much lighter aluminum bottles.

I just bought 8x 6# ones for $400, so $50 each, one at a time can go for a hundred or so. If fitted for another gas, may need to get the valve swapped out for a standard QCC1 Acme with OPD, or maybe can get away with an adapter.

The ideal is to mount an under-chassis Autogas version (ASME regulated not DOT), might pay a bit more with car tax, but no lifting involved, and usually bigger capacity, can also fill small ones from that with the right adapters.

Of course messing around like this is dangerous, educate yourself well, or pay a certified tech or dealer to help you.

 

[duckwonder]

You all have a lot of experience with this, I have next to none, and have only the maiden voyage from Oregon to Louisiana (via Wyoming and NM, of course!) to go by.  It was MAY/JUNE and I was using the furnace until I hit, mmm, Santa Fe NM or so.  During that 7 weeks I filled the onboard propane 3 times!  And it was hard to find places to do it.  I looked at apps.  I asked at local places.  Granted, I was moving through some small towns and large areas of nothing-there-but-beautiful-landscapes but I was on interstates and highways too.   Highway 2 across the northern US?  No propane.  Flying Js are not everywhere.  It really is a challenge, was for me anyway.  And at several stations that did have it, I was told that they were working by themselves and could not leave the counter to fill my propane and to come back another day.  That happened 3 times!  Maybe it was because I'm female, I don't know.  Still going to have the issue because of the onboard tank, those same places going to fill the 11.5# tank?  I don't know.  It was rough finding air too, now I have the Viair and will find room for it even if I have to keep it on the bed.  Yeah, I'm getting closer to leaving and think I"m having a little freak-out.