How to stay warm at altitude?

[Makalu1]

FarmerFrederico, would you mind asking about the availability of the B4 furnace when you call him. Any suggestions he might have would be appreciated. Nice to know all the options.

[Bbasso]

Keep in mind, power consumption. How much power does each unit draw VS the others.
And rate of fuel burn too.

The two biggest reasons why I picked the Espar, hardly any fuel and electric.

[FarmerFrederico]

B1 is the best - don’t want to be too big of a heater.

12amps on start up and then 3amps max running after that.

$1595 for B1 kit.

Don’t stock. Can order and deliver within a week.

Wife and i agree - we don't need a heater this year so we'll wait until late summer to buy/install for next winter season.

[rionapo]

Our Suburban heater (SMB West) keeps us warm at altitude, mostly 9-10k with top popped. (Although I work at 10k+, I don't usually take the SMB for overnights in winter.) Temps are set at lowest level and we bump them up at daybreak plus start breakfast. The question is, what do you consider comfortable? We sleep with a subzero bag, wear warm clothes (though not coats), and don't spend a lot of time indoors.

Bigger issue than temp, for us, is cabin fever. Curtains down, windshield and back window covered, short days, tight space. It all adds up.

-d-

[Makalu1]

Again, thanks everyone for this great info! A lot to sort through between this and 86scotty's thread re the Propex furnace. I guess the most reasonable approach for me will be to hope for the best when I buy a used SMB and just see how well it works for us. Rionapo, we're almost exclusively tent campers and so have good sleeping bags and all that gear, totally used to bundling up. We were camped by the Sevier Lake in Utah this Thanksgiving where it got into the low 20s with a stiff breeze and decided we'd about had it with that- time for that Sportsmobile!

[rionapo]

Makalu1, we were headed to SMB-land anyway but a particularly cold winter night in a small tent helped accelerate the move. We've slept in single digits at various altitudes with no problem. (We did flee Grand Marais, MN when the lake started freezing a couple of November's ago but that had as much to do with short days and hunters in the woods so no biking or hiking as the cold.)

I presume the big advantage of the Espar units is quiet and less running time. The Suburban heater does run a lot and, since it's in the rear of the van where our heads are, we sometimes get a vibration. Still better than cold pads in a small tent when it's dark at 5:30. Or, adding a diesel tank and its weight.

Don

[GrumpyBadger]

Makalu: I have a Suburban propane heater in my E350 RB. I would not get one again. I think it is way too noisy, and given it's size, I had to place it in the very back of the van where it is least efficient at heating everything (has to do with my layout and restriction of burners too close to the gasoline fuel fill on the drivers side of the van). I wish I could see a demo of a Propex... not sure it is any better, but I would hope it is quieter. The noise of the Suburban bothers me because I am a light sleeper, so that kills it for me.

Performance wise, it has been adequate for me. I tend to use it to "take the edge off" so I can sit in the van without a coat and work or read. I'll turn it up higher when I am working, and down when I am in bed. I have had it up to 12,000 ft in CO and have not had issues, though I didn't have to use it much (summer). Worked just fine in Estes Park and Yellowstone campgrounds in winter conditions with temps down into the teens (lowest I've been in with it so far).

Regardless of which type you get, I recommend something that has a thermostat - keeps the thing from running constantly. I'm lazy, so I like not having to "tend" to it all night, so the catalytic heaters are less appealing to me, though they can be smaller and much quieter.

[Makalu1]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Steve. The Propex is sounding better and better. I've heard others claim the Suburban to be noisy. Of course buying used I will have to "settle" to a certain extant, at least for the particular kind of heater that's onboard, but having a rig already plumbed for propane is pretty high on my list.