portable heater for boondocking?

[biggoolies]

CO is not the concern with a catalytic heater, it is oxygen consumption. That is why you have to have the window open when you use one so you can replenish the oxygen in the room. The window slightly open is enough to replenish the oxygen. If you are concerned even with the window open, you can purchase an oxygen analyzer which generally are used in the medical industry but can be used in this situation. Oxygen normally is 21%. You can set the alarm on these to say 19%. Best thing to do though is to have a warm sleeping bag warm socks and a beanie. Use the heater before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning. A toque warm socks and a warm bag go a long way. That is what I did overnight on the ski hill.

 

[Bronco bobby]

I'd just get myself a good reliable, loyal dog in the 75-85 lb range. Eliminates all those co2 issues. Or if you're more adventurous you could opt for something in the 5'4"/130 lb range. Downside to that though is sometimes that option can be even more hazardous than the co2 you're worried about. I'd go with option A myself and here's why. Dogs know what true love is. If you doubt this you can try this experiment.

Lock your dog and your girlfriend/wife in the trunk of your car for about 4 hours. When you open the trunk, which one is happy to see you?

You make some good points:REOutCampFire03:

 

[arlon]

I'm leaning towards a small cat heater. I have a flame heater (Mr Buddy) that I will use in the morning/evenings but I'm always afraid I'll fall asleep and never wake up when I use it. )-:}

 

[Stitebunny]

Another vote for the propex. Yes, its expensive. I'm poor and cheap but would save for it again. When its freezing out and you've been outside all day and are frozen to the bone and all you do is push the button and you have forced air heat, its worth it! It doesn't really use that much space either.

 

[Herbie]

I said I would report back, so here it is:

I have received positive confirmation that the Propex HS2211 (underbody/external mount) furnace CAN be fitted with a quick-disconnect for the gas feed.

This is now my leading plan, and it has a line item in my budget now (below a couple of other high-priority, high-dollar changes) as my solution for heating my van. I have a spot to mount it and can easily route in the hot air and cold return, and will be able to hard-wire everything except the gas. Perfect solution for me.

 

[dwh]

That new Propex is a 6500 BTU (same as their other smaller unit), so 91,000 BTU per gallon * 5 gallons = 455,000 BTU / 6500 BTU per hour of run-time = 70 hours run-time on a 5 gallon tank. Considering the run-time will be intermittent, at even around a 50% duty cycle 5g should be good for at least a week in the snow.

Very nice and the perfect size for a van. The Suburban 12k BTU in my van is way too big.


But also - at 1.4 amps per hour, 70 hours of run-time would consume 98ah.

 

[boardrider247]

After reading through this thread
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...s-the-BEST-High-Altitude-Solution-for-Heating

My plan is to hang one of the super quiet honda generators off the rear bumper and use an electric space heater.
Install will be much easier then a propex unit. Cost will be about the same all said and done, but the generator has multiple uses and could come off the van easily.

But honestly we almost always are on the move and rarely hang out in a spot for too long. Between that fact and me having a nice -30 sleeping bag I'm not sure how much a heater would get used. Other then surfing the lake in January :REOutIceFishing::REOutIceFishing:

 

[Jb1rd]

Not sure it has been mentioned but this looks promising; http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/olympian-wave-3-catalytic-safety-heater/19332

I have a built in furnace but it relies on the 12v or genset to run and as of late neither seem to be all that reliable (esp the 12v) and at 9 &1 0k feet a reliable heat source is necessary. (my propane system works amazingly well, so I am going to add the extension kit and give one of these a try, nice part about this is I can set it up outside under the awning on crisp fall nights)

 

[Cole]

3,000 BTU doesn't seem like it would do much.

Not sure it has been mentioned but this looks promising; http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/olympian-wave-3-catalytic-safety-heater/19332

I have a built in furnace but it relies on the 12v or genset to run and as of late neither seem to be all that reliable (esp the 12v) and at 9 &1 0k feet a reliable heat source is necessary. (my propane system works amazingly well, so I am going to add the extension kit and give one of these a try, nice part about this is I can set it up outside under the awning on crisp fall nights)

 

[Jb1rd]

I think they have the same thing in 3 different sizes with this being the smallest, this model said it worked up to 132sq ft. I do know that radiant heat is way more efficient than forced air, can always go bigger and just turn it down:sombrero:

3,000 BTU doesn't seem like it would do much.

 

[occasionaldirt]

Vented propane heater in 3,000 or 5,200 BTU sizes... low amp fan, wall mount, outside vent catalytic. 3,000 BTU would not go unnoticed in a full-size van with insulation & curtains... however, oddly it does not pull fresh air from outside thru a 2nd vent line? So, still need to have a crack somewhere and let cold air inside..

http://www.ventedcatheater.com/2.html

 

[jkam]

I have been using an Olympian Wave 3 in my RV for years now and it is great.
No forced air fan so it uses no electricity and is silent so no noise.
It heats up the area well enough but does not heat up the entire rig which is OK with me.
They are pricey but efficient so uses little propane.
I have mine on a 10 foot hose so it can be moved around inside.

 

[Stumpalump]

Zodi Hot Vent is what you're looking for. Set it up outside, just need to plumb in the in/out ducting. http://zodi.com/tent-heaters

That's the exact setup I've been using. I put a PVC plumbing clean out that matches the hose size on the side of the van but you could go up thru the floor or even a wheel well. They have a screw in cap to seal them off when not in use. It blows warm dry air unlike the moisture producing catalytic heaters. Not a big deal but on a damp trip it's nice to have you and your gear drying out vs getting wetter. On the cold mornings where it's not set up I just run the Partner Steel stove for a few minutes to make a cup of coffee. That knocks the chill off but you do have the same moisture problem that Coleman cat heater has. The Colman also gets hot enough to turn nylon to liquid and if you bump it with your skin it will melt it as fast but besides that and the water they produce they do a good job. The Colman will run all night on a 1 lb bottle if on low but I leave a window cracked. They other thing I do is park so the sun enters the windshield in the morning.

 

[r_w]

After reading through this thread
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...s-the-BEST-High-Altitude-Solution-for-Heating

My plan is to hang one of the super quiet honda generators off the rear bumper and use an electric space heater.
Install will be much easier then a propex unit. Cost will be about the same all said and done, but the generator has multiple uses and could come off the van easily.

But honestly we almost always are on the move and rarely hang out in a spot for too long. Between that fact and me having a nice -30 sleeping bag I'm not sure how much a heater would get used. Other then surfing the lake in January :REOutIceFishing::REOutIceFishing:

Running the Honda with an electric blanket and/or space heater is a good option if you want power anyway. I have an EU2000 with an external fuel tank and it is time to change oil before the fuel runs out.

 

[vwadventureman]

I installed a Propex HS2000 in my Westy. My only complaint was it seemed to drain my battery faster than anything else.

The external exhaust was the only thing that seemed safe for heating the inside of a vehicle. It's obviously much less efficient when it comes to generating heat, but I think it's worth the cost. The only thing I worried about was potential propane leaks since I had to route a propane line inside the cabin. So put a valve in the line outside cabin to turn off the propane (easily accessible from the sliding door), and I added a 12v explosive gas detector on a switch that I'd turn on anytime I ran the heater.

The other thing to keep in mind is insulation is just as important as heating. A heater will bring the temp up in a small space quickly, but it'll drop just as quick when you turn it off unless you have REALLY good insulation.

The HS2000 Propex draws 1.4-1.9 amps. Curious what you meant by 'faster than anything else'?
Efficiency-wise, the Propex line is as good as they get - 93% efficiency compared to 75% of the better-known RV-style furnaces.
If you are worried about propane leaks, I'd hope you've already tested it very well with an electronic detector?