Camper Heat

[100acrehuphalump]

I have a Mr. Buddy heater and that's all I need. I've tented and backpacked most of my life in all four seasons without a heater at all, so a Buddy heater is a big step up. I could not justify spending over $900 for a forced air furnace when most of my camping is three seasons. Plus, with the Buddy heater, I can leave it behind in the warmer months and save the weight and space a furnace would take up. In the long run, it depends on you camping style. I like to go light and agile because more luxuries come with more cost, weight and maintenance. Finally, you should check out allterraincampers.com if you haven't already. They're $2,000 to $3,000 less than a FWC for basically the same thing and they deliver all over the US. I have a ATC Bobcat and I couldn't be happier.

Nice to know, but they don't even list a phone number. I appreciate customer support, so without a contact number besides the better price, I don't see myself ordering from a company that doesn't make themselves accessible to paying customers.

 

[bill harr]

Nice to know, but they don't even list a phone number. I appreciate customer support, so without a contact number besides the better price, I don't see myself ordering from a company that doesn't make themselves accessible to paying customers.

What site are you looking at? I see the phone number on the front page along with their email

 

[camper101]

If condensation is a problem, does the Thermal/Arctic Package decrease condensation, or does it build up between the thermal pack and the vinyl siding because the non woven fabric is water permeable? If that's the case, what happens to the water that builds up at the bottom of the vinyl, can it cause mildew if not attended to?
On the base model, can I opt out of having them install the aux battery system so I can transfer my solar powered system from my M416 trailer? Will there still be a way for me to also charge the system by driving the vehicle, or is that another gadget altogether? It's nice to have this forum to ask questions and bounce ideas off of other fellow enthusiasts. I love the FWC's, but I also realize they want to sell me everything they can and I understand, but it is also nice to hear and see what everyone else is doing. Please feel free to continue to contribute and many thanks.

One more opinion for you...

Personally I'd get the furnace if you want it to be warm in there. If you're good with "backpacking in your truck" then you don't need it. Nothing wrong with backpacking in your truck -- it's simpler, quieter, and less expensive. I end up using mine in the winter and am not willing to do that, but your needs and preferences will dictate what you need. I tried a Wave 3 for a winter and it wasn't warm enough for us, but others seem to be happy with it. In retrospect, I should have gotten the furnace right off the bat -- doing stuff myself ended up costing more and using a LOT more of my time (partly due to how we set up the camper when ordering).

Yes you'll get condensation behind the arctic pack if it's cold enough. It'll drip down, and you need to get it dried out within a few days.

Electrical is not my strong suit, but this might help with the truck connection.

Edited to add: if you get the furnace, you also get a factory propane box installed, which is nice. And I'm not sure how much less expensive it is to use a catalytic (assuming you'll have electrical): Wave 3s are over $200 if I recall. But you can run them forever without electricity.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

What site are you looking at? I see the phone number on the front page along with their email

View attachment 261090

I just found the number, it's not listed on the main page I found. I spoke with Marty and he said they're developing a new updated website which will be ready after the new year. The prices blow FWC out of the water, even with shipping, but the product looks a bit out dated. I will wait and see. An extra $5-10,000 would be nice to save to further any up and coming adventures.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

One more opinion for you...

Personally I'd get the furnace if you want it to be warm in there. If you're good with "backpacking in your truck" then you don't need it. Nothing wrong with backpacking in your truck -- it's simpler, quieter, and less expensive. I end up using mine in the winter and am not willing to do that, but your needs and preferences will dictate what you need. I tried a Wave 3 for a winter and it wasn't warm enough for us, but others seem to be happy with it. In retrospect, I should have gotten the furnace right off the bat -- doing stuff myself ended up costing more and using a LOT more of my time (partly due to how we set up the camper when ordering).

Yes you'll get condensation behind the arctic pack if it's cold enough. It'll drip down, and you need to get it dried out within a few days.

Electrical is not my strong suit, but this might help with the truck connection.

I'm probably going to attempt to transfer my dual battery with 100W solar panel and hot H20 on demand shower from my M416 to the new camper. It'll save me a bundle.

 

[Rot Box]

Over the weekend I did a bit of camping in temps that hovered near freezing. My furnace motor died (over 30 years old) awhile back and I haven't gotten around to replacing it so I used my big buddy heater which I hung from the rear wall---about half way up the wall of my FWC.

Overall I kinda/sorta liked it but I'm not sold yet. I hardly took my eyes off it because it's a small camper so it's close to everything. I also didn't feel comfortable leaving my six year old in there alone with it running for very long. Every time I closed my door it would shut off (probably due to the mounting location) The bottom half of my camper was freezing and the top half was almost too warm so I learned they need to be placed close to the floor. I couldn't find a decent spot to place it on the floor because it would have been a little too close to my couch or right in the way of the door. I have pretty good cold weather sleeping gear so we didn't get cold through the night. That said I love waking up to a warm camper..

With a little more thought and a few modifications I think I could get the Buddy Heater to work pretty good. The slim design of the Wave could prove to be even better in my situation. I personally think this type of heater would be nice in addition to the forced air furnace.

Imo I'd get the furnace without question. The cost is the only downfall I can think of. Buy once/cry once.

 

[GroovyDad]

I agree that All Terrain's interiors looks a little dated when compared to FWC's more modern look, but ATC doesn't skimp one bit on quality and their customer service is legendary. I toured both factories before I made my purchase and I would have gladly spent more money if the quality was better on one than the other. I found that the only real differences in the two products were cosmetic and at the end of the day, I wasn't looking to make as much as a fashion statement as I was a tough, high quality camper. You won't go wrong with either company though.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Both the furnace and buddy heaters run on propane but why doesnt the furnace create humidity problems?

I had heard that it does but to keep the vent or window slightly ajar actually helps with condensation.

 

[bill harr]

Both the furnace and buddy heaters run on propane but why doesnt the furnace create humidity problems?

Furnace is vented outside and the humidity and CO2 goes outside. The Buddy is not vented and humidity and CO2 stays inside. You MUST open vents with the Buddy or your CO2 alarm will go off or you just stop.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Furnace is vented outside and the humidity and CO2 goes outside. The Buddy is not vented and humidity and CO2 stays inside. You MUST open vents with the Buddy or your CO2 alarm will go off or you just stop.

So can you keep the vents and doors closed when running the factory furnace or are you still gonna have condensation buildup?

 

[Just Jeff]

You'll have condensation buildup in any RV...your body produces moisture not only from breathing, but also from insensible perspiration even when you don't feel yourself sweating. Cooking gives off quite a bit of moisture, too, and drying boots/clothes/etc. But the good thing about FWCs is that it's more likely to happen in places where you can see it. In traditional RVs, it often happens inside the walls where it's absorbed by the wooden framing. A furnace or heater with the moisture vented outside the cabin can help by keeping the temp above the dewpoint, but even then the moisture can make it muggy inside. Since FWCs have aluminum framing, and aluminum conducts heat better than wood, that's where you're most likely to see condensation. (And on the cabover floor.)

So you can safely keep the vents closed wrt carbon monoxide when you have a forced air furnace. Whether you'll need to open vents to deal with condensation depends on temperature, humidity, how many people are sleeping inside, whether you're cooking or drying gear, etc. So the answer is...sometimes.

 

[chet6.7]

So can you keep the vents and doors closed when running the factory furnace or are you still gonna have condensation buildup?

Yes....no.
Just to be a little more clear,I always vent a little,but a built in furnace does not require the same venting as a portable propane heater that consumes cabin oxygen,puts out moisture and in some cases carbon monoxide.If I am cooking,or showering I vent more than just setting or sleeping.

 

[craig333]

I always have some venting going on. Usually at least the top vent cracked but I like fresh air.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

I personally am used to sleeping in my RTT in colder temps. I ordered the forced air furnace with my Hawk, so I imagine I will be fine in most circumstances. But please continue to comment for others interests. Thanks

 

[cchoc]

I made the switch from an RTT to a FWC with forced air furnace. I had condensation inside in both on cold nights, more so with two people than with one. We exhale a lot of moisture, exhaled air has a relative humidity of 100%.