Date:         Fri, 29 Sep 1995 09:17:30 MST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Mike White" <MIKE.WHITE@law.utah.edu>
Subject:      Re: 12 volt heaters?

> I saw a tiny heater that plugged in the cigarette lighter (which isn't 
> used for cigarettes by anybody I can think of). Anyone know if these 
> work? Just to make a warm patch for the feet?

I investigated this last winter and decided against it for a couple 
of reasons.

It's already been mentioned, but these heaters put of _minimal_ heat. 
Lava lamp was the appropriate designation.

If you do get one with enough power to heat your bus, watch your 
generator.  It can suck a _lot_ of power to run a 100w one, or 
whatever.

Instead of that, I bought a Mr. Heater.  It's a propane thing that 
goes on the old BBQ LP canister.  This thing works wonders.  I'd 
start it up about 10 minutes before I took off, cracking a window in 
the bus, and when I was ready to go, pull the heater out, drop it in 
the garage, and take off.  This at least made the bus warm to start 
out with.  After 15 minutes driving on the freeway, I'd be back to 
being cold, but at least I had a little heat.

My friend did likewise, but strapped his heater in his bus, and would 
run it while driving on low.  These heaters are POWERFUL.  Anyhow, I 
was never that brave to drive with it.  (It does have an auto shutoff 
valve if the flame goes out.)

If you have a good headliner it can turn off-white from all the heat 
rising.  I don't think I'll run mine in the '57.  (My 67's headliner 
was already burned from a PO)

Hope that might give you some ideas.

- Mike White 

[Mail: mike.white@law.utah.edu   -   mwhite@eng.utah.edu]
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