Now the nights are getting colder and we are not all way up north where its the only warm place, what do you use to keep warm in the back of a Campervan.
Is there a particular type of heating that is safe for such a confined space?
goinsoon said
08:40 PM Jun 3, 2011
We have the same problem when we are free camping in the caravan, you can buy little portable gas heaters, but they recommend you don't use them in confined spaces.
We just wear our thermals
Sheba said
08:47 PM Jun 3, 2011
So far, I've only used fleecy bedclothes, a thick padded bedspread, and a couple of small dogs. But that was only a couple of nights in Mildura, Winter before last.
Went to bed early, and got up when I was warm enough next morning.
Will probably take a feather Doona next time. Don't like the idea of heaters in the 'Van.
Cheers,
Sheba.
Happywanderer said
09:07 PM Jun 3, 2011
No I don't like the idea of heaters in confined spaces either especially gas. I froze at Wyalong on the way home. As well as wearing socks, nitewear and wearing my warm dressing gown all night, I have a velvety rug underneath and on top I had a doona and a knitted rug over my feet. I still froze, I looked in the mirror and was purple. Couldn't wait for a hot breakfast of bacon and eggs at the roadhouse. Thats why I wondered what others do.
gordon_adl said
09:32 PM Jun 3, 2011
How about a rechargable electric blanket that you plug into the cigarette lighter? http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/12v-portable-electric-blanket
gordon_adl said
09:35 PM Jun 3, 2011
Here's another one on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Trillium-Heated-Travel-Blanket-Thermostat/dp/B001THP2H4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307100837&sr=1-1-catcorr
Happywanderer said
09:42 PM Jun 3, 2011
I don't even use an electric blanket at home gordon so not something I really would want to try. Maybe time to buy some NZ possum socks and thermals and a really good feather doona.
DeBe said
10:27 PM Jun 3, 2011
All Im saying is my wife is Hot in bed!!! We use a fan heater & generator when not in bed if its freezing.
Firefly said
07:59 AM Jun 4, 2011
We won't be able to get a heater this trip after just buying the van but we intend to get one of the diesel heaters, although they are a bit expensive. I do think it will pay for itself and give us a longer travelling time frame if one is installed.
They exhaust to the outside so are pretty safe from all accounts.
DeBe said
08:14 AM Jun 4, 2011
Another option I use is a sleeping bag rated at -5degC.
Cupie said
11:45 AM Jun 4, 2011
Hi ..
I know that this is no help .... But this is one of the reasonswhy we have a full van ...
When going into cold country, we always take two king size feather & down doonas, plus an electric blanket to heat the bed before we get in.
We use the reverse cycle AC to heat the van at night & turn it off once in bed. We turn it on again if needed first thing in the morning. We use one of thost $20 heaters to heat the floor first thing too.
Lovely & warm.
cheers
Ron and Shirley said
11:59 AM Jun 4, 2011
We had a 12v electric blanket for Shirley, but found a couple of hot water bottles were a much better option.
When I am off High Country 4WDing in the colder months I use a -5C rated sleeping bag and never been cold yet, though at times when it has been extremely cold I have had to resort to wearing a beanie to bed.
When on 240v the small cheap fan heaters are hard to beat. In the past we have used a Coleman catalytic heater in the Campertrailer but always ensured that there was plenty of ventilation and never ran it overnight.
With our Caravan we retrofitted a diesel heater (overkill for a small Campervan) and they are brilliant. We have the digital control, which is programmed to switch on about 30mins before we usually get out of bed. If we wake early the control is near the bed head so we just reach up and switch on. It sounds a bit like a jet plane taking off when they first fire up, which is a concern if you have neighbours nearby, but once the temperature is reached they are quiet. Now similar gas units are available which by all accounts are much quieter at startup.
-- Edited by Ron and Shirley on Saturday 4th of June 2011 12:00:21 PM
Happywanderer said
04:12 PM Jun 4, 2011
A 240 v fan heater sounds the best for when plugged into power but the problem in a campervan is the amount of floor space is so small, where ever you put it the heat could be burning the wood on the doors either side. You only have the narrow bit of floor space between the cupboards, its not very wide. The rest of the space is taken up by the bed when made up. I like the sound of a minus 5 sleeping bag
Cruising Granny said
04:32 PM Jun 4, 2011
Put the heater on the bench if you have a stove in the van or near the micky wave or on the sink. Any solid surface away from bedding and curtains should be ok. While the floor is the ideal, it's not always practical. I use the r/c aircon and the thermostat decides the temperature to whatever I set it to. At the moment it's 22degC. I also have a blower heater but it's either too hot or not warm enough and it doesn't have a thermostat. It's till in the cupboard.
Loki said
04:58 PM Jun 4, 2011
I can vouch for a good sleeping bag! You should also consider an accessory thingy that gets you a hot cup of strong coffee when you get up! Spent a recent night on Tassies NE Coast & was warm as toast - when I got up, tho, I was flat out getting a hot coffee organised!
With the dollar the way it is, it could be worth checking the web for some warm clothes to use as pajamas from overseas. Some of the outdoor outfitters have an excellent range of insulated underwear, snowmobile suits etc.
I'd be very wary of any combustion in a confined space as carbon dioxide could well result.
Cheers,
Anton
Firefly said
05:14 PM Jun 4, 2011
Aldi just happen to have all that sort of stuff on sale this week Loki, an opportune time for a look see if you need any of this sort of thing.
Happywanderer said
06:08 PM Jun 4, 2011
Really Firefly. Haven't seen a brochure. Must go have a look.
Sheba said
06:25 PM Jun 4, 2011
Marj,
This Website gets you on-line catalogues for most of the Major Retailers you might use.
Forgot to add "on-line" before. Have rectified that.
Thanks for that Firefly.
Cheers,
Sheba.
blaze said
11:11 PM Jun 4, 2011
I spend a bit of time sleeping in a swag, love it. I have a high quality -5 rated sleeping bag (expensive), when rolled up it is about 140mm diameter and 250mm long. I have woken up in the mornings with ice on the inside of the swag and toasty warm unntil I need to make my exit as I dont wear much to bed. So I sugest a good quality sleeping bag cheers blaze
Pejay said
09:26 AM Jun 5, 2011
'Morning Marj'
My hubby is also 'hot' in bed - not saying any more on that subject!!!! However, he did say that an old Army trick is to have a nip of Green Ginger Wine before going to bed should work for you. I was going to say a good drop of port could be an option. But definitely a hot water bottle is a great cheap option - if you are handy with the knitting needles, how about making yourself a nice thick pair of bedsocks, will warm your hands up as you knit too!
PeterD said
12:09 AM Jun 7, 2011
A heater like this one only requires about 4 - 500 mm in front of it to prevert scorching.
That's very similar to the unit we use in our pop top caravan. Ours has a digital thermostat on it, I can't see if this one has, through the night we set ours for 17-18 deg C and even in Tassie up at the Great Lake, where we had snow through the night it only turned on for a couple of minutes every 2-3 hours and we were nice and warm..
Beth54 said
01:34 PM Jun 7, 2011
I'm warm enough when in bed, my problem is in the evening. When I'm with others, we like to sit outside under our awnings to chat or whatever. This is when I'm freezing, especially in my back.
Last year, in desperation, I got out the space blanket that I have for emergencies...this WAS an emergency as far as I was concerned...I wrapped it around my shoulders so it hung down my back. You beauty! I ended up taking to bed with me! But they do make a bit of noise. *crackle* *crackle*
But generally I try not to go away in winter. If I had a caravan it might be a different story.
jimricho said
06:31 PM Jun 9, 2011
Maybe an internal body warmer such as that marketed by Bundaberg and available at your friendly local bootlegger may help!
Beth54 said
06:47 PM Jun 9, 2011
jimricho wrote:
Maybe an internal body warmer such as that marketed by Bundaberg and available at your friendly local bootlegger may help!
Hmmm that sounds like a better idea! Except I'm not so keen on rum. But I know where I can get some home brew bourbon.
jimricho said
07:03 PM Jun 9, 2011
Also Drambuie, the Scots were really onto something for their cold climate when they invented that!
Beth54 said
07:10 PM Jun 9, 2011
jimricho wrote:
Also Drambuie, the Scots were really onto something for their cold climate when they invented that!
goinsoon said
07:51 PM Jun 9, 2011
I am an old pensioner, I can only afford cheap port
Now the nights are getting colder and we are not all way up north where its the only warm place, what do you use to keep warm in the back of a Campervan.
Is there a particular type of heating that is safe for such a confined space?
We have the same problem when we are free camping in the caravan, you can buy little portable gas heaters, but they recommend you don't use them in confined spaces.
We just wear our thermals
So far, I've only used fleecy bedclothes, a thick padded bedspread, and a couple of small dogs. But that was only a couple of nights in Mildura, Winter before last.
Went to bed early, and got up when I was warm enough next morning.
Will probably take a feather Doona next time. Don't like the idea of heaters in the 'Van.
Cheers,
Sheba.
I froze at Wyalong on the way home. As well as wearing socks, nitewear and wearing my warm dressing gown all night, I have a velvety rug underneath and on top I had a doona and a knitted rug over my feet. I still froze, I looked in the mirror and was purple. Couldn't wait for a hot breakfast of bacon and eggs at the roadhouse.
Thats why I wondered what others do.
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/12v-portable-electric-blanket
http://www.amazon.com/Trillium-Heated-Travel-Blanket-Thermostat/dp/B001THP2H4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307100837&sr=1-1-catcorr
Maybe time to buy some NZ possum socks and thermals and a really good feather doona.
All Im saying is my wife is Hot in bed!!! We use a fan heater & generator when not in bed if its freezing.
We won't be able to get a heater this trip after just buying the van but we intend to get one of the diesel heaters, although they are a bit expensive. I do think it will pay for itself and give us a longer travelling time frame if one is installed.
http://www.caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/articles/diesel_heaters.htm
They exhaust to the outside so are pretty safe from all accounts.
Another option I use is a sleeping bag rated at -5degC.
Hi ..
I know that this is no help .... But this is one of the reasonswhy we have a full van ...
When going into cold country, we always take two king size feather & down doonas, plus an electric blanket to heat the bed before we get in.
We use the reverse cycle AC to heat the van at night & turn it off once in bed. We turn it on again if needed first thing in the morning. We use one of thost $20 heaters to heat the floor first thing too.
Lovely & warm.
cheers
We had a 12v electric blanket for Shirley, but found a couple of hot water bottles were a much better option.
When I am off High Country 4WDing in the colder months I use a -5C rated sleeping bag and never been cold yet, though at times when it has been extremely cold I have had to resort to wearing a beanie to bed.
When on 240v the small cheap fan heaters are hard to beat. In the past we have used a Coleman catalytic heater in the Campertrailer but always ensured that there was plenty of ventilation and never ran it overnight.
With our Caravan we retrofitted a diesel heater (overkill for a small Campervan) and they are brilliant. We have the digital control, which is programmed to switch on about 30mins before we usually get out of bed. If we wake early the control is near the bed head so we just reach up and switch on. It sounds a bit like a jet plane taking off when they first fire up, which is a concern if you have neighbours nearby, but once the temperature is reached they are quiet. Now similar gas units are available which by all accounts are much quieter at startup.
-- Edited by Ron and Shirley on Saturday 4th of June 2011 12:00:21 PM
I like the sound of a minus 5 sleeping bag
While the floor is the ideal, it's not always practical.
I use the r/c aircon and the thermostat decides the temperature to whatever I set it to. At the moment it's 22degC.
I also have a blower heater but it's either too hot or not warm enough and it doesn't have a thermostat. It's till in the cupboard.
I can vouch for a good sleeping bag! You should also consider an accessory thingy that gets you a hot cup of strong coffee when you get up! Spent a recent night on Tassies NE Coast & was warm as toast - when I got up, tho, I was flat out getting a hot coffee organised!
With the dollar the way it is, it could be worth checking the web for some warm clothes to use as pajamas from overseas. Some of the outdoor outfitters have an excellent range of insulated underwear, snowmobile suits etc.
I'd be very wary of any combustion in a confined space as carbon dioxide could well result.
Cheers,
Anton
Marj,
This Website gets you on-line catalogues for most of the Major Retailers you might use.
http://www.lasoo.com.au/home.html
Cheers,
Sheba.
-- Edited by Sheba on Saturday 4th of June 2011 08:13:05 PM
Thats a real handy site Sheba thanks mate.
Heres Aldi's
http://www.aldi.com.au/
Forgot to add "on-line" before. Have rectified that.
Thanks for that Firefly.
Cheers,
Sheba.
cheers
blaze
My hubby is also 'hot' in bed - not saying any more on that subject!!!! However, he did say that an old Army trick is to have a nip of Green Ginger Wine before going to bed should work for you. I was going to say a good drop of port could be an option. But definitely a hot water bottle is a great cheap option - if you are handy with the knitting needles, how about making yourself a nice thick pair of bedsocks, will warm your hands up as you knit too!
A heater like this one only requires about 4 - 500 mm in front of it to prevert scorching.
http://www.lasoo.com.au/offer/office-supplies/heller-cermanic-fan-heater-1500watt/4mmb53eji.html?source=search&term=heaters
That's very similar to the unit we use in our pop top caravan. Ours has a digital thermostat on it, I can't see if this one has, through the night we set ours for 17-18 deg C and even in Tassie up at the Great Lake, where we had snow through the night it only turned on for a couple of minutes every 2-3 hours and we were nice and warm..
I'm warm enough when in bed, my problem is in the evening. When I'm with others, we like to sit outside under our awnings to chat or whatever. This is when I'm freezing, especially in my back.
Last year, in desperation, I got out the space blanket that I have for emergencies...this WAS an emergency as far as I was concerned...I wrapped it around my shoulders so it hung down my back. You beauty! I ended up taking to bed with me! But they do make a bit of noise. *crackle* *crackle*
But generally I try not to go away in winter. If I had a caravan it might be a different story.
Hmmm that sounds like a better idea! Except I'm not so keen on rum. But I know where I can get some home brew bourbon.
I am an old pensioner, I can only afford cheap port