Date:         Wed, 13 Oct 2004 12:57:28 -0700
Reply-To:     Rocket J Squirrel <j.michael.elliott@ADELPHIA.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rocket J Squirrel <j.michael.elliott@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject:      Re: All catalytics are not create equal
In-Reply-To:  <Pine.GSO.4.44.0410131146070.21426-100000@neota>
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Andrew Fox wrote:

[snip]

>  The forced air has the disadvantage of electrical draw (1.8 amps),

[snip]

I was awakened - shivering -- to the realities of camping with a
forced-air furnace many years ago when the furnace in our Coleman popup
tent camper suddenly stopped working midway through the second night. We
were camping in Colorado in winter. It became suddenly clear that one
furnace's blower can quickly drain a good-sized lead acid battery when
that furnace has to heat the inside of what is essentially a big cloth bag.

I plumbed the inside of the camper for propane, and installed catalytic
heaters as soon as we got back home. Hung gas-powered mantle lanterns,
too, for the same reason. Built 'em from modified Coleman dual-mantle
lanterns of the sort you screw onto those little propane bottles.

Kim Brennan may be able to advise whether mantle lanterns throw off much
CO, but I believe that most European and US cities routinely lit indoors
with gas mantles in the 19th century.

One thing's for sure: You can get a lot more heat and light from a 5
gallon bottle of propane than from a big battery.

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westphalia: "Mellow Yellow (The Electrical Banana)"
KG6RCR