Cold weather camping...

[stevenjuliehorney]

A lovely way to keep warm (since things can get drafty and uneven with a small heater) is an electric blanket or mattress pad. I found a low voltage mattress pad by Soft-Heat PerfectFit with dual controls that worked well in a test run last night. Order directly from the company's website and shipping is free. It gets 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon. Order from Electric Blankets and Heated Mattress Pads from Above & Beyond

[Larry,C]

Here is a link to the thermostat John mentioned. One word of caution- READ AND UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTIONS that come with it. I suspect the low review ratings come from folks that didn't.
Amazon.com - Indoor Temperature Controller for portable heaters/air conditioners - Space Heaters

[David B.]

Has anyone used radiant floor heat? https://www.thermosoft.com/warm-carpet-tile-floor
Dave & Paula

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by David B.

Has anyone used radiant floor heat? https://www.thermosoft.com/warm-carpet-tile-floor
Dave & Paula

Are now only camping in RV resorts with electricity? Those thing are 120 or 240 and power hungry. According to their web site is 12 watts per square foot. If run off batter power that 1 amp per square foot. That get pretty hungry in a hurry.

[Larry,C]

Hi Dave,

I gave the heated floor some serious consideration and came to the same conclusion as Byron. Even with my over the top solar I would need more batteries to power enough floor heaters to make a difference. i love the concept though.

[Larry,C]

Never one to give up on a good idea or admit I might be wrong, I went looking again and came up with this - https://www.thermosoft.com/radiant-f...ermofloor-120v

I don't know how much would be needed to warm up a fiberglass trailer but 12 square feet is enough cover most of the floor and according to the literature is less than 100 watts of power at less than 1 amp of current. If it keeps my feet warm it goes a long way to making me feel warm.

I'm not giving up on the idea!

Edit - And I forgot under $100.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Larry,C

Never one to give up on a good idea or admit I might be wrong, I went looking again and came up with this - https://www.thermosoft.com/radiant-f...ermofloor-120v

I don't know how much would be needed to warm up a fiberglass trailer but 12 square feet is enough cover most of the floor and according to the literature is less than 100 watts of power at less than 1 amp of current. If it keeps my feet warm it goes a long way to making me feel warm.

I'm not giving up on the idea!

Edit - And I forgot under $100.

If you run it off 12 Volts the current is 10 times the 120 Volt current plus the losses in the inverter.

I just reread the specifications.. According to the manufacturer's chart the largest area for single thermostat is 36 square feet. The current required for 1/2 of a Scamp (a 13' Scamp without cabinets is 8x10 making 80 square feet) is 2.70 amps at 120 volt that would be 27.0 amps through an inverter.

I'm not saying it couldn't be done but it not very practical.

[stevebaz]

When I installed the Attwood 2 propane heater in my 13 Scamp the mechanical thermostat was horrible with a very big temperature swing and unreliable temperature control. The change to a digital thermostat cut the swing to half of what it was and gave me the actual temperature readout the thermostat is reading. So if I set it at 70 then it will start at 70. the mechanical slide switch of the old mechanical thermostat left allot to be desired. If you want to lessen the temperature swing further then you will have to run a small fan to circulate the air about the trailer while the furnace is not churning out heat. Its hard to control heat when you have to crack a window or vent so you can sustain life and evacuate excess moisture.

[WendyW]

I'm finally convinced that I will have to have electric hookup as long as it's cold out, just to keep the furnace from draining the battery. So I may as well plug in an electric cube-type heater and save some propane. Any recommendations for a cheap but reliable heater for my Casita-17? Thanks!

WendyW
Full timing my way across the Northwest

[Gennaver]

Originally Posted by WendyW

I'm finally convinced that I will have to have electric hookup as long as it's cold out, just to keep the furnace from draining the battery. So I may as well plug in an electric cube-type heater and save some propane. Any recommendations for a cheap but reliable heater for my Casita-17? Thanks!

WendyW
Full timing my way across the Northwest

I have an radiant oil heater by delonghi and haven't yet purchased or used it in the trailer yet but, I like the brand and also that the heater is quiet and thorough.

Jen
p.s. will see how it goes for me, where I'm moving doesn't get below freezing though.

[Cat futrell]

Someone needs to figure out a way to put that electric blanket in their floor.


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[Bob Miller]

We used Delonghi's in our houses as well as in the 13' eggs we had and they work great except that they take a lot of space when not being used. A small cube heater from Wal-Mart uses a bit more power but is much easier to store when not needed.

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by WendyW

Any recommendations for a cheap but reliable heater for my Casita-17? Thanks!

WendyW
Full timing my way across the Northwest

We have used a couple different electric heaters. This winter we are going to try one by Vornado in our Casita. Don't know the model but got it at Home Depot for around $50.

[Carl Pa]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

We used Delonghi's in our houses as well as in the 13' eggs we had and they work great except that they take a lot of space when not being used. A small cube heater from Wal-Mart uses a bit more power but is much easier to store when not needed.

Same here as well. The cube heater we have is not hot to the touch either. Which gives you a lot of choices as to where to put it, on the table, on the floor.When it no longer works, buy another for $29.00. Carl

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Cat futrell

Someone needs to figure out a way to put that electric blanket in their floor.

How about Kinda? SteveL has used heated mats on the floor. Here's an old thread, direct link: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post112302

Foot Warmer Mat for Standing or Under Desk Use

[cpaharley2008]

I installed a small wall mounted heater in several of my campers and my EggCamper had one installed....eliminates wires and forgetting to bring it along.http://www.amazon.com/Broan-174-1500...mounted+heater
get the 750 watt model.

[Scamper Jim]

Donna,

So, you’ve known about that nugget of a good alternative floor heating system since 2007! You should just start a new category under Resources called “Ask Donna”.

I have been holding off replacing the carpeting with an Allure-type flooring because I like the warmer feeling on my feet during the night or early morning and the rug is a nuisance to keep clean. Those pads will get some serious consideration when the carpeting is finally replaced.

So what other good information are you sitting on???

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Scamper Jim

So what other good information are you sitting on???

Struck me funny!