Help me pick a vehicle heater for winter camping.

[Hilldweller]

Can you plug something in? I use a little $15 electric heater from Walmart in the camper in the winter. It's 110 though, so if you can't plug in, that's not a solution. I use my coleman lantern to warm the tent when it's really cold, but you have to keep it vented. Really, any easy portable solution is going to require some ventilation... And anything 12v is going to pull a LOT of power from your batterie(s), and will probably run them dead in an hour or so if the engine isn't running.
Good luck!

Big truckstops have 12v versions of them.
They're power-hungry though.

 

[Ozarker]

There are some small wood stoves, some are pretty pricey in stainless that are for a boat cabin.

I realize it would be a hassle to set up, but what about a small wood burner outside the vehicle and pipe the heat inside? Seems a fire box with an air chamber around it, or a pipe arrangement would allow heat to rise at an angle to the vehicle.

I had a fireplace that had a tube type log rack, like a U but on its side. Cool room air was drawn in at the bottom the logs burned on top of the bottom tubes, heated the air and hot air was naturally forced out the top tubes into the room. That thing would get so hot it would whistle air came out so fast.

Same principle, a firebox outside, have a tube going to the vehicle with a fitting at a window or door?

How could you get that campfire heat inside?

 

[SoCal Tom]

The hot water bottle in your bed work insanely well. As a Boy scout in Socal, snow camping was a rarity. When we went snow was a couple of feet deep, and it was cold! I boiled water, put in my canteen and went to sleep. When I woke up, I melted about 6inches of snow underme. I slept like a rock. Everyone else in the troop shivered all night, and they didn't melt any snow under them.
Tom


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[DaveNay]

When I woke up, I melted about 6inches of snow underme.Tapatalk

Personally I wouldn't want to be melting any snow under me. That would mean I was losing heat through my bag and most likely sleeping in a puddle!

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/69920-Propex-Heatsource-furnace-question

Here's a good thread about the propex units. I have the AT portable unit (slightly modified) and its worth is weight in gold. Tent, vehicle, room, garage use it anywhere. Used it in my house when the power went out (electric heat). NC isn't used to the weather its been experiencing. Anyhow.... check out this thread. Hope it helps.

 

[Stitebunny]

Just got my propex installed in my van. It is awesome!

 

[RangeBrover]

We run a buddy heater in the Oztent, it's got a few safety features so it doesn't kill you and I've tested them to make sure they work. I run mine off a 10lb propane tank but they also run fine off of the small single use propane tanks. Last time I checked they made a compact version that would probably work better for you.

 

[wADVr]

Any idea of how a candle lantern would do? I read they take the edge off and take care of condensation issues in tents really well. Seems hanging one of these up would work well but have no experience with them. From my searches I seem them brought up quite a bit but never really discussed.

http://www.industrialrev.com/candle-lanterns/

 

[RangeBrover]

Any idea of how a candle lantern would do? I read they take the edge off and take care of condensation issues in tents really well. Seems hanging one of these up would work well but have no experience with them. From my searches I seem them brought up quite a bit but never really discussed.

http://www.industrialrev.com/candle-lanterns/

I don't know how I feel about an open flame in the truck. I know a buddy heater has a pilot light but a candle seems a little higher on the risk spectrum.

 

[stioc]

Google flower-pot heater.

I use the Coleman catalytic heater which does really well heating up our 4 person tent. I don't leave it running all night though. It's similar to the Buddy Heater without the low oxygen sensor (at the time I had heard they shut off at higher elevations).

 

[Malamute]

I don't know how I feel about an open flame in the truck. I know a buddy heater has a pilot light but a candle seems a little higher on the risk spectrum.

A candle lantern would mitigate the open flame issue. Even if dropped they aren't the hazard an open flame is. I've seen piocs of them on the bushcraft site. I think I even have an old candle storm lamp buried in storage. It has a holder that sort of clamps the candle in place from its top as it burns down. I don't think it has a hanging bail like the other lanterns do though.

This thread has me thinking about my furnace in my old Winnebago. It may be a bit big for my Suburban, but would work in a medium size camp trailer rig.

 

[stockhardcorejeeper]

try this

http://www.campingworld.com/shoppin...u=3537353233&gclid=CPjLq_vWq7wCFYNi7Aodz1kAqw

paired with this

http://www.jcwhitney.com/acc-climat...ters/p2002893.jcwx?skuId=165025&filterid=u0j8

and pushed by this

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-marine-utility-pump-9576.html

plus a few hoses and a water tank. you can get a cheap coleman jug. I'm still testing with the hot water part. when I ran it on closed loop mode it shut down at 160F. I think I can bypass that but not sure how smart that might be. Steam can be very explosive. If not that then I also have some dorman seat heater kits that go in my bed 628-040. 6 amp draw on high. I'll build a 30-60 min timer circuit so it won't run down the battery.

Paul

 

[robert]

Any idea of how a candle lantern would do? I read they take the edge off and take care of condensation issues in tents really well. Seems hanging one of these up would work well but have no experience with them. From my searches I seem them brought up quite a bit but never really discussed.

http://www.industrialrev.com/candle-lanterns/

I've got one of the brass "original style" candle lanterns that rides in the back of my truck. When I'm camping I hang it by the chain inside the camper shell where it does a pretty good job of providing light, but I don't think it adds much heat unless your top is insulated and that includes covering those giant heat sinks known as windows. If you put insulation over the windows it will add a small amount of heat.

Personally I wouldn't leave it burning while I sleep but it should be safe enough if it's hanging and can't be knocked over. A new candle will burn for like nine hours according to the manufacturer but I've never timed one. The candles mount inside a spring loaded insert to keep them at a constant flame and they are more or less dripless- any runoff is caught inside the housing. I like the citronella versions during the summer but like any citronella candle, they give off an oily smoke that I wouldn't want inside my vehicle- I hang it from the locking bar on the shells door then instead of putting it inside.

 

[cliniford]

Although expensive. The Espar Airtronic D2 semi bunk heater runs on diesel and 12v but draws such a small amount of voltage and only burns about a gallon of fuel in 24 hrs.
The Webasto Air Top 2000 is great as well.

 

[gm13]

Short of an Airtronic D2, which I found new for 850 and love, I'd go with wood. We use a Fatsco "Pet" in the boat cabin, they're inexpensive, great little stoves and can be had with a cooktop. Prices start at 223 and up to 367 with cooktop, download the pdf for details: http://www.fatscostoves.com/ They're a mom and pop outfit in MI.

Edit: I don't know how folks use those propane "catalytic" heaters in a space like a truck, I tried one for 5 minutes before I got the D2, It was like being in a cold rainforest, condensation covering the windows in no time. The fumes gave me a headache almost instantly. Maybe I'm just too sensitive