safe, portable heater that people use for occasional use?

[gnty]

I just pickup one of these guys for winter tent camping on our stocking order. You could use the same thing, have it outside and maybe have a port in the floor or wall of your van that your hook into? Just a thought, its pretty slick. Then you can use it for other occasions as well. Just a thought.
https://planarheaters.com/product/po...-planar-2d-12/

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by gnty

I just pickup one of these guys for winter tent camping on our stocking order. You could use the same thing, have it outside and maybe have a port in the floor or wall of your van that your hook into? Just a thought, its pretty slick. Then you can use it for other occasions as well. Just a thought.
https://planarheaters.com/product/po...-planar-2d-12/

That is pretty slick. Please let us know how well it works. Looks like you would have to go outside to adjust the temperature control though.


Herb

[VocalVirgo]

I also didn’t want to run propane or water in my build. And I’m on the Buddy Heater train too. The single bottle unit runs about 4 hours on low, and 2 hours on high. If you want it on all night without getting up to change the bottle out, you can hook it up to a 25lb bottle (think bbq grill). Getting the larger Buddy Heater that holds 2 bottle won’t increase its runtime, it will just double the capable output. Even if you are only running one side of the ceramic heater, it isn’t capable of using the bottle on the other side when it runs out, just FYI. But it’s still a great heater.

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by LosAngeles

is there a safe, portable heater that people use for occasional use?

Since there are lots of Mr Heater Buddy devotees here...


...it's worth mentioning that "safe" is a relative term when used with ceramic heaters. Using a Mr Buddy heater in an enclosed space consumes oxygen and emits combustion products into the space.


The Buddy heaters have "tip over" sensors and "low oxygen" sensors that work well.....but keep in mind that this is a $129 product that you are risking your life on if you sleep with one of these operating.


Hopefully folks who do this have installed CO or CO/propane detectors in their rigs....


....a better solution is to only run the buddy when you are awake...


or better yet, install a heater that uses outside air for combustion and vents combustion products outside; these are all more money and are built-in (think Espar, Propex and the like)

[VocalVirgo]

Originally Posted by boywonder

Since there are lots of Mr Heater Buddy devotees here...


...it's worth mentioning that "safe" is a relative term when used with ceramic heaters. Using a Mr Buddy heater in an enclosed space consumes oxygen and emits combustion products into the space.


The Buddy heaters have "tip over" sensors and "low oxygen" sensors that work well.....but keep in mind that this is a $129 product that you are risking your life on if you sleep with one of these operating.


Hopefully folks who do this have installed CO or CO/propane detectors in their rigs....


....a better solution is to only run the buddy when you are awake...


or better yet, install a heater that uses outside air for combustion and vents combustion products outside; these are all more money and are built-in (think Espar, Propex and the like)

I completely agree. If you are going to run a Mr. Buddy heater or any other similar heater that uses combustion and oxygen while inside the van, you must have a carbon monoxide/carbon dioxide/propane alarm. They do make them, all three in one unit and they’re not too expensive. But when I was looking for the right one for my van, my almost father-in-law pointed out that I was putting all my eggs in one basket and recommended I get a regular carbon monoxide/carbon dioxide detector and a separate propane leak detector. And that’s what I did. When I do use it at night, I sleep better knowing that between the heater’s safety systems, and the alarms, myself and any occupants are safe..

[Blowby]

Originally Posted by gnty

I just pickup one of these guys for winter tent camping on our stocking order. You could use the same thing, have it outside and maybe have a port in the floor or wall of your van that your hook into? Just a thought, its pretty slick. Then you can use it for other occasions as well. Just a thought.
https://planarheaters.com/product/po...-planar-2d-12/

That looks like a pretty sweet setup,would also like to hear what you think.

[daveb]

One of my buddies who brings a tent during our travels uses a Buddy heater and always has a separate CO detector in his tent. Common sense IMO. I carry one in the van but still leave the windows cracked running my Espar.

[BenJJ]

I use a Buddy heater in my van but only run it while I am awake. Basically right before going to bed to warm up the van for the wife and baby and when I wake up in the morning I turn it back on for them before they get out of bed. I love sleeping in the cold and probably wouldn't run the heater at all if it was only me in the van.

I also bought an adapter so I can hook up a 20lb propane tank and leave the tank outside the van and run the gas line inside so my fuel source is separate as well. Obviously a whole lot cheaper to run the thing off the refillable 20lb tank as opposed to the small guys.

[VocalVirgo]

Originally Posted by BenJJ

I use a Buddy heater in my van but only run it while I am awake. Basically right before going to bed to warm up the van for the wife and baby and when I wake up in the morning I turn it back on for them before they get out of bed. I love sleeping in the cold and probably wouldn't run the heater at all if it was only me in the van.

I also bought an adapter so I can hook up a 20lb propane tank and leave the tank outside the van and run the gas line inside so my fuel source is separate as well. Obviously a whole lot cheaper to run the thing off the refillable 20lb tank as opposed to the small guys.

It is definitely cheaper to run the Mr. buddy heater off of a 20 pound tank with the adapter. But, you can refill is 1 pound bottles with a simple adapter from Amazon for about eight dollars. And you can refill them off of any 20 pound tank. It’s pretty easy. You hook the adapter up to the 20 pound tank, turn it upside down and then screw in the empty 1 pound bottle to the other end of the adapter. Then you reach under and open up the 20 pound tank valve and it fills the 1 pound tank until full. I don’t have room to carry the 20 pound tank, otherwise I would do that… So when I’m getting close to all empty 1 pound bottles, I mooch off my family and friends, depending where I am staying, LOL.

[wish41]

Question on that portable Planar unit: if I were to have a hole in the floor of the van to put the exhaust piping, would it be safe to have the rest of the unit inside?