Date:         Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:15:17 -0500
Reply-To:     Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Subject:      Re: Heaters for winter camping
In-Reply-To:  <49394633.6080602@colorado.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

I was camping this weekend and decided to give this a try.  I brought
some powerful magnets I harvested out of old hard drives, and a
fleece blanket.  This really works.  I was at a CG with power so was
using a little electric heater.  Outside temps got down to the mid
30s, had the heater on the low setting, which I think is 750W and
woke up to 68 inside the van on the cabinet that holds the water
tank.  Previous trips with the top up and mid 20s outside had the
heater on 1500W setting and temps inside the van down into the mid
50s in the morning.  My GF usually sleeps on the sliding door side of
the van and said that she gets a cool draft falling out from under
the sliding door curtain, so we used a couple more magnets to hold
the bottom of that curtain snug up to the door.  She said that seemed
to help.  I think I'll seek out a fleece and put some pockets in the
corners for the magnets.  I would make the pockets open on one side
so that they can be removed.

If you work in IT or know someone who does, get some old hard
drives.  Most places have to certify that they are destroyed for
confidential data reasons.  Open them up and get out the 2 powerful
magnets.  Many uses.

At 10:18 AM 12/5/2008, Richard A Jones wrote:
> > I tried my Propex with top up and top down one weekend at about 38 or
> > 40degree temps..Major difference with top down...prety much shut it down
> > after half hr when the top was down..ran it on low all night with top
> > up..ymmv
>
>Bob Stevens and I invented a wonderful way to leave the
>top up--for storage, etc--but keep the heat down:
>Syncro Brothers Fleece Thermal Barrier
>http://jones.colorado.edu/jones/VW/fleecebarrier.jpg
>A 4'x6' piece of fleece with some snaps.  Other part
>of the snaps screwed around the hole in the bus.  The
>rear flap just tucks in between the upper pads.  It
>doesn't have to be perfect, just "pretty good."
>
>It keeps the heat downstairs and when you get up in the
>middle of the night it is soft on your head!
>
>Richard
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>+    To unsubscribe from the Vanagon List send an e-mail to
>+    listserv@gerry.vanagon.com with SIGNOFF VANAGON
>+    in the body of the message.
>------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------
+    To unsubscribe from the Vanagon List send an e-mail to
+    listserv@gerry.vanagon.com with SIGNOFF VANAGON
+    in the body of the message.
------------------------------------------------------------