Electric blankets and heating
Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 17:25
ThreadID:
48738
Views:
3262
Replies:
13
FollowUps:
10
This Thread has been Archived
True Blue
OK, I guess we're softies. We're no spring chickens but like anyone else we do like to be comfy at night.
We're heading off soon in our van and our question here is, when you are taking advantage of any free overnight stop that may come your way how do you heat the van interior and hopefully run an electric blanket.
We have 2 elec/blankies (56watts each) and were hoping that we may be able to run them off say a 150/300watt inverter. Has anyone done this before and did it work OK?
Heating the van interior, apart from turning on the gas stove jets (which we have done many times) what else is there? Are the small gas cylinder type heaters any good?
We have other heaters when electricity is available in say a van
park but what do you do in an unpowered site for heating?
Any suggestions greatly received.
Wayne and Julie.
Reply By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 17:40
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 17:40
56watts? I thought EBs were more than that? No?
A 300W inverter would be OK for 112W continuous but I wouldn't like to use a 150W for it - I know it should be OK but these
inverters are always rated at their absolute maximum and that with a back wind :)
Keep in mind that 112W + inverter losses will require about 11 amps from your battery so a 100Ah battery will give you about 3 hours of EB use if you don't wish to, regularly, discharge your battery below 70% charge which will shorten it's life considerably.
Mike Harding
PS. Consider a couple of hot
water bottles?
AnswerID:
257384
Reply By: Gramps (NSW) - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 17:46
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 17:46
Get under the blankets and cuddle up real close. That should do it :)))
AnswerID:
257386
Reply By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 18:14
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 18:14
If you are going to really cold climates and like to keep warm, consider a diesel heater such as as Webasto and a couple of slightly cheaper alternatives. We don't have one, but if getting a new caravan built, would include one. Otherwise it is back to woollen socks, trackies and lots of bed clothes (under as
well as over you).
AnswerID:
257391
Reply By: DIO - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 18:20
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 18:20
Why not use a 12 volt blanket?
Link
AnswerID:
257393
Follow Up By: Member - Noldi (WA) - Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 17:15
Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 17:15
Hi DIO,
Have you tried these? just wondering how good they were, how much power they use?
Rgds
Ian
FollowupID:
518804
Reply By: Member - barry F (NSW) - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 18:54
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 18:54
Hi Wayne, I know that loyalty & love is the backbone of marriage & family life, but keeping warm of a night in the van is equally important. Have you considered replacing Julie with a younger version? LOL. Oh
well, Back to my kennel again!!
AnswerID:
257405
Follow Up By: True Blue - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:35
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:35
I like your thinking here Barry. Mmmm! What about Julie and a younger version? I'm sure she won't mind OUCH!!
Wayne
FollowupID:
518671
Reply By: Shaker - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:07
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:07
There are very recent threads that discussed heating at length, try a search.
AnswerID:
257412
Follow Up By: True Blue - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:36
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:36
Thanks Shaker.
Would you believe I discovered those about 3 seconds after submitting my thread.
I've since read them and are quite interesting.
Thanks again, Wayne.
FollowupID:
518672
Reply By: Nick R (VIC) - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:08
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:08
I initiated quite a long thread on this after the national gathering.
the answer is yes. I went the 12v option, I like to keep as much 12v as possible......
NickR
AnswerID:
257413
Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:40
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:40
Hi Nick R - Although better than on an inverter, wouldn't it still use a bit much power? Is it really that cold in Victoria?
Motherhen
FollowupID:
518673
Follow Up By: Nick R (VIC) - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 22:45
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 22:45
How are you Mrs hen....
I plan on running a 12v timer to have it turn on and off during the night so maybe the run time is only 2-3 hours, shouldn't be too bad then, we have 2 batteries to draw on. It's not that cold in Vic, it is in SA though!!! We have had some cool nights in vic, the coldest was one night just out of Noojee....
Nick
FollowupID:
518717
Reply By: Ianw - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:25
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 19:25
The old hot
water bottle is always good!!
Ian
AnswerID:
257416
Reply By: Olcoolone (SA) - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 20:59
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 20:59
In our camper trailer we use a Corona kero heater, the heater is made in Japan and uses about 150 mls of kero an hour and costs around $220.00.
If you light the heater outside and let it warm up to opperating temp it gives of very little fumes.
We also fitted a combined CO2 / smoke detector and if it goes of we open a window up for a while to get the CO2 down.
All heater that run of fosil fuels will give CO2 off and it can kill you hence the detector, the shure bet would be a diesel heater as mentioned above because the are mounted outside the vehicle and it is only clean hot air that is blown in.
A diesel heater is about the $1500 plus range.
Regards Richard
AnswerID:
257440
Follow Up By: Member - Jiarna (NT) - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 22:52
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 22:52
CO (carbon monoxide) will kill you just as dead as CO2, except you'll look nice and pink instead of blue. Does the detector detect CO as
well?
John
FollowupID:
518718
Follow Up By: Olcoolone (SA) - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 23:32
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 23:32
Opps!!!! Should of been one of those things hanging of the end....CO not CO2...we do welding using CO2, yes it is a carbon monoxide detector.
And pink is a loverly colour.
Regards Richard
FollowupID:
518725
Follow Up By: Moggs - Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 00:09
Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 00:09
Richard,
Can you please let us know more re: the CO meter? How much are they and where can you buy them? Have done a search on the internet and can only find commercial size units that cost a fortune.
FollowupID:
518728
Follow Up By: Olcoolone (SA) - Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 20:26
Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 20:26
The combined CO/smoke alarm is made by Quell and the retail for about $130.00, we got ours from a Sratco Hardware here in
Adelaide.
It looks the same as a normal smoke alarm but alittle bigger.
Regards Richard
FollowupID:
518843
Follow Up By: Moggs - Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 22:27
Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 22:27
ok. Thanks. I'll check out a few hardware shops.
FollowupID:
518866
Reply By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 21:06
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 21:06
Hi True blue
Blanket will work as suggested.
Don't do it , go with DIO's suggestion (12v) or turn it off
before you get in bed , there is no way I would allow such fields to be operating near my head for longer than necessary.
The small gas ones do work
well but should not be used in enclosed space unless very careful due to CO posioning risk.
Hot water bottles are better anyway.
Robin Miller
AnswerID:
257442
Reply By: Member - Ross H (QLD) - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 22:30
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007 at 22:30
True Blue
We run an electric blanket in our camper. I have 3 deep cycle batts all up 300 amps and 500w inverter. we run it all night on its lowest setting aprox 8 hours, ran that and 50lt waeco and lights for 3 days at
warraweena and all was fine. Remember that 56w is on its highest setting(dont really now what they draw on low).
As for heater we used the coleman catalytic type with the batt operated fan and it worked really
well.
Regards
Ross
AnswerID:
257454
Reply By: True Blue - Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 10:55
Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 10:55
Just how grouse is this
forum?
Thanks to one and all for your responses and recommendations.
Definitely enough info. for us to now solve our heating problems.
Thanks again, Wayne and Julie..
AnswerID:
257496
Reply By: Gronk - Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 12:40
Thursday, Aug 16, 2007 at 12:40
Have recently got back from the "centre" where overnight temps got down as low as -4, but in bed with a doona(good quality ) we never had a problem ( although a beanie came out a couple of times for the cold earlobes !! )
As for heating the van.....coleman black cat ???? Then turn it off before bed and restart again next morning !!
AnswerID:
257503