12v heaters

dawa · Guru

12v heaters

Happywanderer · The Master

I would be interested in the answer to this one too Dawa, have same size van as yours and no heating at all.
Type of heater, what brand and what its called would be good. I've never seen one.

DeBe · Guru

Well ladies, when we free camp & its freezing i get up & start the generator & run the fan heater to encourage my wife out of bed in the morning. Oh & make a coffee for her.

-- Edited by DeBe on Saturday 9th of June 2012 08:18:20 PM

dawa · Guru

e-bay under 12v heaters.....I believe 150 watt is the best

Dawa

DeBe · Guru

It will pull at least 14Amps on the battery so the battery will need to be fairly good. If your camper van has heaters for the cabin would it be easier to run the motor at a fast idle, & direct the hot air to the rear of the van. This will do 2 things at once, charge the battery & warm you up & shouldnt use mutch fuel.

Happywanderer · The Master

Thanks Dawa, will check out Ebay.
Debe My van doesn't have air-con but has a simplified heating/fan in the front. What a hassle climbing over seats to get into the front to start up motor but I suppose it could be done. Would have to do it if in an emergency I had to leave an area in a hurry. If I was needing the heating it would obviously be too cold or wet to get out and walk around to drivers door.
Will have a look on Ebay and see what the 12 volt heaters look like.

dawa · Guru

I try to have plenty of fuel in the tank but as I stay more than two weeks in any one place I don't want to use up fuel.

I now have two deepcycle batteries and the 120 watt panels are keeping them both charged. So pleased I went with my gut feeling with this.

The men kept telling me I only needed the 80watt. (The 120 watt is heavier of course.)

I think I will order a heater if it can go to the PO and wait till I get there to pick it up.

Small drama with fuses this afternoon :(

Dawa

Happywanderer · The Master

Thanks Dawa, I have ordered a 12 volt heater off ebay, only 23.00 and 12.00 postage, so 35.00 is good.
I also have 120 watt solar panels on order, then I will be fully self contained, although I do need to upgrade to deepcycle batteries. Can you tell me details of your deep cycle batteries so I know what to look for, thanks.

Sheba · Guru

DeBe wrote:
It will pull at least 14Amps on the battery so the battery will need to be fairly good. If your camper van has heaters for the cabin would it be easier to run the motor at a fast idle, & direct the hot air to the rear of the van. This will do 2 things at once, charge the battery & warm you up & shouldnt use mutch fuel.
Thanks for this info. DeBe. Now I won't bother getting another Heater. I have one for the Cabin.
Cheers,
Sheba.

Happywanderer · The Master

Sheba, if you wake up in the morning and its really cold and you want to stay in bed till you are warmed up and maybe have a cuppa, are you going to hop through to the front of the van and start your vehicle and also is that going to direct it into the right place. In my case I would have to get up and fold down the middle seat, climb through and sit in the drivers seat to do all this. Not something I would feel like doing on just awakening.

Sheba · Guru

I guess I'll just be staying in bed 'till it's warm enough Marj. I have to climb over too.

Cheers,

Sheba.

Happywanderer · The Master

Can I park next to you DeBe? tea please!

golivers travels · Guru

DeBe wrote:
Well ladies, when we free camp & its freezing i get up & start the generator & run the fan heater to encourage my wife out of bed in the morning. Oh & make a coffee for her.

-- Edited by DeBe on Saturday 9th of June 2012 08:18:20 PM

Sounds like something Gary does, except I have a cup of tea, made in a pot! Glenda.

DeBe · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:
Can I park next to you DeBe? tea please!

If in lifes journeys we cross paths you are welcome.

dawa · Guru

I am not sure as everyone says diferently. Seems we get only 6 months warranty on deep cycle tho.

Is a frost here this morning sitting by a fire.

Dawa

jimricho · Guru

Just to put things into perspective a normal small room heater is 10 to 16 times the wattage of these heaters. A 150watt 12v heater will flatten a car battery in minutes rather than hours and an aux house battery in a few hours or less.

If you need to run the engine to run the heater you may as well use the vehicle's own cabin heater as suggested earlier in the thread.

-- Edited by jimricho on Sunday 10th of June 2012 08:29:19 PM

jimricho · Guru

A 12v heater can best be described as "a boy on a man's errand".

Happywanderer · The Master

Jimricho, I don't need a man to heat my little van, not enough room. A boy will do just fine. lol

jimricho · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:
Jimricho, I don't need a man to heat my little van, not enough room. A boy will do just fine. lol

You don't know what you're missing out on! biggrin wink

(then again maybe you do confuse )

Happywanderer · The Master

Would not be running the engine to heat Jimricho, that wasn't the plan. I also have inhouse 12 volt plugs attached to house batteries and a power station with 12 volt connections, and have just bought 120 watt solar power to keep battery charged. Would only use it for a few minutes to warm a very small van.

Happywanderer · The Master

Totally get the difference with a house heater. Have just bought a 2000 watt convection heater for my lounge. Only have it on for half hour and thats enough to warm my large lounge, and oh I do know what I am missing out on. lol

dawa · Guru

well some boys can do a man's work and some men couldn't work in an iron lung.

it takes at least 10 mins for my cabin heater to get warmed up......now that is a lot of wasted fuel.
charge the deep cylce batteries rom the sun and convert sun's warmth or cold mornings.
the other thing is i have a curtain between sleeping and cabin so area is very small to heat.........and only use heater on deep frosty mornings.
like many things out here free camping economics come very high into how we work it all out.
Dawa

beiffe · Guru

In our life we live we have to make all sorts of decisions and if you decide you want to run a heater and you find you can run it for the time you need and the solar recharges your batteries during the day then go for it. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

I have made some decisions with my setup that are different to most other motor home in power usage and generation and I have had much criticism on other forums for not staying in the fold as you might say. It works for me and that's all I worry about.

If yours works for you the to hell with the consequences you do it and enjoy the time you have whilst on the road.

If you find it does not work then leave it with a friend or on the local refuse bin, at least you tried and you now know one way or the other. That's what makes the world go around.

Regards
Brian

dawa · Guru

Well said.....after all if I took notice of others i would not be doing this at all.....LOL

I am going to try one if it works......great

Dawa

pricey43 · Guru

We bought one a couple of weeks ago. Wanted it in the ensuite of the new van when free camping.

Tried it in the bathroom at home. Ran it in the bathroom for half an hour, and the temperature went down.

Not really impressed but at the price thought we would try.

We are now looking into a diesel heater which comes in alot cheaper than the dometic ones.

Cruising Granny · Guru

If you just run your van motor to have the heater running you won't use much fuel.
I run my truck for half an hour a few times during the day to keep the fridge cold when I'm parked away from power. Even in the heat of summer it's enough.
Your vehicle really only uses noticeable fuel when it's under power while driving, and not much while it's just idling. Set the van up in neutral with handbrake on, before you go to bed, so in the morning you can just lean through the seat, start her up, and away it goes. Unless it's hard to start of course.

dawa · Guru

my camper uses fuel if I run the motor . Before solar panels came i used to run motor to charge puter. at the end o 2-3 weeks stay i had used 1/4 tank.

takes ages for the heaters to start working and i don't like the noise. If i get up to start camper may as well light the fire...LOL

last fuel i bought was $1.59.2

solar panels are great

Dawa

beiffe · Guru

There is nothing like sitting alongside a wood fire.

Also while you are warming you can cook breakfast and sit and watch the day begin.

I usually bush camp and I always have a wood fire going if legal.

I have a 4kg gas bottle as my fire sitting on a plow shield so I leave no trace, and in the afternoon if I want a roast etc I have another that is an oven that sits on the top.

Many campers have walked past and requested a reservation for the nightly meal. LOL

I love to bush camp and I love to cook. this is another reason I hate the caravan jails as I cant sit outside all day and do my cooking on my fire, I cant walk in the morning and afternoon and do my photography.

We should be able to do our thing as long as it is legal and is not interfering with anyone else.

Many times you see people saying AHHH you cant do that or this or run that when camping but then if you want to and you can they why not.

I accept no ones advise if either I don't trust their advise or I want to try it anyway and think it may succeed. The worst thing with me is to say I can do something because I will get up and try if I feel there is a chance that it may work. During my life I have achieved much that I was told I could not do and installed the same into my son who had cerebral palsy. he was not suppose to do anything when he was born excessive stiff but he now holds a job as a carpenter and has a daughter and owns his own home. Not bad for a proposed living vegetable.

We learn what we can do and others then should be comfortable with and accept our choice.

Go for it girl and enjoy you days.

If I meet you on the road I would gladly share a red/ white, beer, coffee what ever as we sit by a fire.

Regards
Brian

Happywanderer · The Master

Nothing beats sitting around an open fire, its so heartwarming as well. Have only experienced a nightime fire but can imagine a morning fire would work just as well. It is what campinng is all about.

dawa · Guru

Hi Brian; my son has kleinfelders syndrome. I was told he was going to be a vegetable ...put him in a home and get on with my life.

Well that young man works 3 days a week as a kitchen hand. He lives in a supported living situation but is able in many ways.

Xmas he needs to catch 2 planes in order to meet me in Launceston.

He is not fightened.....he told me if he is not sure where to go.....'Then I will ask someone mum'.

I was told I was foolish setting out on this way of life.

Well most of it is fun.......so far finding ways to live on less is such a challenge and so very interesting

Dawa