Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2008 19:10:24 -0500
Reply-To: Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: Heaters for winter camping
In-Reply-To: <69DCA624-FD7C-48C8-8C17-E5BACCF2DAFA@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi, Im not a winter camping expert since I really dont like to camp in the cold. I have though and that is why I built the Thermal wrap for the pop top canvas.
The feedback Ive gotten from the Camping Sickos that do the whole skiing camping / living in the van for periods of time is that it can keep the Vanagon
30 Deg warmer then with out it.
So even if you use a small electric heater like myself with a T-stat that you plug in it will keep you warmer then with out. I did also purchase a buddy style
heater for the side tent as well. We did some camping a few times and it was some kind of cold and damp. That heater made it great in the tent area. All
about comfort I guess.
C-ya Jonce
Oh BTW link to the Thermal wrap so you know what Im talking about. http://fanchers.com/232/Pop%20Top%20Insulation.htm
>I have the same Wave 3 heater that hangs from 2 small screws mounted
>into the top of the front westy table leg & can rotate to face several
>directions. It is attached to a quick connect propane hose w/ shutoff
>valve to the propane line under the sink, & can be removed & installed
>in seconds. I generally store it under the rear seat when not in
>use. Works great like Jim said, but only in mild weather. Does not
>heat well like a Propex, etc. when the temp. is under 30 degrees in my
>experience. 3000 BTUH is not enough to quickly warm the volume of the
>westy? That said, I have never tried it when the poptop is down or
>that space is insulated from the lower space. I will try that this
>Winter.
>YMMV,
>Mr. BZ
>On Dec 4, 2008, at 11:49 AM, Jim Felder wrote:
>> I don't want to start a heater flame war (pun obviously intended) but
>> I did want to mention that I use the olympic Wave III heater mounted
>> on the bulkhead aft of the passenger seat, facing backwards, and I am
>> very happy with it. It is plumbed through the floor to a tee into the
>> propane supply and has an independent shutoff from the rest of the
>> system to the stove and fridge.
>>
>> It is very efficient and doesn't use as much oxygen that the Mr. Buddy
>> and Plat Cat heaters do, which is why I bought it. It's more
>> expensive, though. It's the size of a pack of 250 sheets of paper
>> almost exactly.
>>
>> It doesn't produce much condensation, and I have installed a 4 inch
>> computer fan over the stove window to make sure that proper air
>> exchange takes place. You can see the fan mounting details at
>> <http://www.knology.net/~felder/Vanagons/> I use one or both of the
>> fans to exhaust cooking fumes, too.
>>
>> Other than the tiny bit of electricity needed by one of the fans, the
>> heater of course draws nothing from the battery. The system is utterly
>> simple and dependable.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>> On Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 11:52 AM, Chris S <szpejankowski@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>> John, google tent propane heaters. They should be cheap to make
>>> with
>>> air coming in through the sliding window via a custom block-off
>>> panel.
>>>
>>> On 12/4/08, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:
>>>> Heating a van in winter when camped out and away from external
>>>> electric
>>>> power is always problematic, it seems to me. Catalytic heaters
>>>> produce
>>>> moisture and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Any kind of open
>>>> flame gas heater has the same problem. The gasoline fired heaters
>>>> under
>>>> the rear seat are very pricey. So trying to get some sort of heat
>>>> is a
>>>> bit of a problem.
>>>>
>>>> So, how about this concept. An external, propane fired burner, with
>>>> circulating hot water(antifreeze coolant) to supply the heat to a
>>>> radiating core (rabbit heater core) inside the van. A small
>>>> blower fan
>>>> would circulate the air across the heater core. A small inline
>>>> circulating pump could be installed in the coolant line if needed -
>>>> something wih very low power drain. If the core was made to mount
>>>> in a
>>>> window like is done with some airconditioners, then the heater
>>>> element
>>>> could sit on the ground outside and thermosiphon action would
>>>> circulate
>>>> the coolant.- no circulating pump necessary - only a small blower
>>>> fan.
>>>> It could be taken down quickly when breaking camp. Another
>>>> possibility
>>>> would be a permanent mount of the heater core with the coolant lines
>>>> being fixed in place, but run to the a point outside the vehicle to
>>>> allow quick disconnect fittings for hookup/removal of the propane
>>>> burner element. when ready to hit the road.
>>>>
>>>> Just some heater thoughts on a miserable rainy morning in the deep
>>>> south. And to think - when my water line to the broke night before
>>>> last,
>>>> temps were such that the water spraying on a large grassy plant
>>>> made a
>>>> beautiful ice image standing in the morning sun. And this morning
>>>> it is
>>>> raining. Southern winter weather. Yuk!
>>>>
>>>> John Rodgers
>>>> Chelsea, AL
>>>>
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>>>
>>> --
>>> Sent from my mobile device
>>>
>>> Chris S.
>>> Disclaimer: "Death and serious injury may occur"
>>>
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>>
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Jonce Fancher
56 Single Cab
66 Sunroof Bug
66 Variant Squareback
66 Porsche 912
71 Sunroof Bus
84 Vanagon "Godfried" 24k Original Miles
85 Vanagon Westi Zetec 2.0L DOHC
2003 10 Passenger Sprinter
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