Little Buddy-type portable heater for Van?

[IdahoDoug]

Jon, Wow those Propex/Espar units sound like the end all solution. Would love to have that level of heating.

I should have clarified that I would like this unit to be portable as I'll be putting storage compartments everywhere in the tintop to maximize organization with no Westy cabinetry available. So in the 90% of the time we don't need heat, I would not want to lose the space. Plus those units are much more expensive than I'd planned. Finally, the portable heater would be great to also toss on the boat or bring along on those season-pushing trips.

So it's got to be portable or incredibly small which is why I expressed some interest in that unit above - looks tiny.

DougM
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[WestyBob]

If one does mucho camping all year 'round ranging up to fulltiming then it may be cost-effective and more comfortable/convenient to have installed a vented propane furnace of some type.

I personally do a lot of year 'round camping but have been satisfied with the Mr. Heater Buddy when there's no shore power --- like others said it's important to leave a window or two cracked, and in my case I turn it off before sleeping and turn it on in the morning when awake. I generally sleep better in cooler temps anyway in my (on-sale inexpensive) ultra super expedition sleeping bag on memory foam good zillions of degrees below zero. I need a better pillow though - the one I have felt like a chipped brick this weekend camping in the Cascades.

I also carry a basic inexpensive electric heater fan when there's shore power -- I leave a window cracked, leave the heater running all night but on lower setting for sleeping.

So far I haven't had any interior condensation problems using either heater with two people sleeping in all weather conditions and altitudes so guess I've been lucky. The only time it's happened was when I wasn't using any heater and failed to leave a window cracked open.

My personal reason for not getting a furnace (yet) is as Doug mentioned -- I don't really want to stake out a permanent location for the furnance as I like the freedom to move things around based on circumstance.

[westyventures]

Re: Propex noise: the new versions are much quieter and pleasing to the ear. They also start slowly and gain speed; on shut down the speed drops gradually as it turns off.

[pb24ss]

I have an Espar D2 in my bus. It's quiet and doesn't wake anyone up. I run it on kerosene, and a 1 gallon tank will last all weekend in fairly cold temps.

I've used the Mr Buddy heater at elevations over 9K and 10K feet. it lights fine. I have no idea about the functionality of the oxygen sensor at those elevations. I wouldn't sleep with a Mr Buddy or any unvented propane heater even though.

[WAgrower]

I picked my cat heater up for $100 off craigslist. It's in used but good shape. The guy who makes them never actually got back to me with a price for a new one...
Someone else on here found there's on eBay so they pop up used every once and a while.

Build to come soon; I have to finish the kitchen in the house first
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[elsyr]

We just camped in our Carat last weekend in GA with overnight lows of 36 one night and 40-something the next - not terrible, but still chilly for we thin-blooded Floridians. We slept with the Coleman cat heater going, on low (with the front driver and passenger windows cracked and the sliders also cracked), and it kept running all night (~10 hours) and kept the temp above 60 inside. Very nice.

Doug
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'89 Carat "Brunhilde"

[pb24ss]

Here's my winter setup. Dual outlets. Nice and toasty.

[IdahoDoug]

Whoa, that's some serious heat output, PB!

I just pulled the trigger on a Mr. Heater Big Buddy as it seems to meet my requirements, plus it has the ability to run in its standard form for 10 hours - the only portable that can be run essentially all night. I'm not too concerned about any oxygen depletion issues as even a tintop is not very airtight even with the windows all up. There's constant flowthrough movement in the Vanagon's design, so not a sealed environment. I will make it standard procedure to have a window cracked however.

I'm planning to mount it high against the ceiling behind the driver's seat as I will have a curtain available across behind the driver's/passenger's seats so we can sleep in privacy in the back easily in situations where you don't want light escaping or outside visibility. That way it will essentially be in the sleeping area. I may lop off the large handle that makes it tall, in favor of a short piece of webbing so I can really tuck it up high. The floorspace area below will be prime real estate for storage or other uses.

This way, I can get away with carrying 6 easily stowed small propane tanks for a seriously cold 3 day weekend. And these are the same propane tanks our stove uses.

As a bonus, this thing can put out a whopping 18,000 btu's and that makes it usable for warming our home in the event of a power outage emergency. For that, I'd want to have a much larger propane tank, but the capability is there.

For anyone looking for one, Cabela's is selling the reconditioned Big Buddy for $79 right now. That's less than the Little Buddy. Will fill you in on a bracket strategy when I figure it out.

DougM
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Volksaholic]

[theadventureneverends]

Doug it sounds like you are planning on mounting your new heater high up in the vanagon. I have my regular sized one on the floor and I sometimes, no everytime worry about the area directly above it. I think yours puts out about twice the BTUs I think I would be a little concerned about the headliner.

[ronsmithis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo5AOMRSc_M&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Here's a link to JeffTheCanuck2 video where he's installing a heater in his westy. Might want to checkout some of his other vids as well..
Cheers,Ron

[IdahoDoug]

Yes, I will be dealing with that somehow. The unit will be pointing at the sliding door, and it is a radiant heat source so somewhat directional so that may be enough. If it is not, I'm prepared to build a shroud, or install a patch of resistant material on the adjacent ceiling to prevent it getting hot. Thanks for the thought.

My thinking in mounting it high is that we'll have kids in there and I want to minimize the chance of a pillow or corner of a blanket falling on a heat source at the floor level. Better to say "eliminate" the chance of that happening. I know heat rises and ideal location is low, but the relatively small volume of the Vanagon may make that nearly irrelevant. Up high with the grill over the hot element, even something actively tossed at it would fall off.

I spent some time last night sitting in the Syncro with a tape measure and continuing to try and imagine the ideal location for things like the gear box, cooler, portapottie, heater, etc. It's interesting to think on. Still working on how to mount two upper bunks above the queen bed.

DougM
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[IdahoDoug]

Thanks, nice link. I may be installing a permanent large propane tank at some point - under the floor. Like his thinking. He did the same thing with a curtain across behind the seats like I plan but mine will be all the way to the floor, and a heavy black material for a black out effect with interior lights on at night. That way I can sit in the front seat and read with a light on while the family sleeps.

DougM
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[davevickery]

I had a 1 gallon steel propane tank and a short hose with built in regulator. It worked great and wasn't too bulky. Safer way to go and the 1 pounders get expensive. Plus changing a cylinder in the middle of the night sucks. You can fill them off a barbque tank and the real tank valve will not leak. I've had the 1 pounder release all their propane going over passes and that smell stayed in the cabinet for a long time. If I was getting one now, I'd get the see through kind. Pretty cool product. Besides convenience, they save you money in the long run. This one is a little bigger and would easily last all weekend.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003WOKRPY/ref=asc_df_B00...nkCode=asn

For mounting, maybe you can come up with something like a 2x3 with slots on the ends that you secure between the two front seats on the headrest posts. Then you can hang it off that. I agree having the heater a little lower is better. Up near the roof won't work too well.

[IdahoDoug]

Between the seats is tough as then access front to back is gone. We'll have our luggage stowed on the front seats, so when parked people will be going back and forth to get pajamas, paperbacks, and things. Tucked up high is looking like the best for a camping tintop. The heat output of this thing is going to easily overwhelm any marginal advantage to having a heater close to the ground. Hopefully it won't cook our heads and leave our feet cold...

If that's a problem there will be a circulating fan mounted inside as well so I'd just turn it on.

DougM
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[MayorMcCheese]

I bought a Little buddy and quickly returned it for the Big Buddy. The little one might work eventually but it was taking way too long to heat up the van initially.
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[djkeev]

My little Buddy will cook me out of the Van! I of course do not do deep dark Winter camping.........

Little Buddy hard at work.........

Dave
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[61Scout]

I have a little buddy heater and I like it for the most part. I use it to take off the chill before sleeping and then again after waking up. One can get an adapter to refill the small bottles with your 5gallon bottle, so the cost isn't too bad. But when I have shore power I like to use this little guy:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BEUZS2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the most affordable, small heater that has both the tip-over shut off switch and the overheat shut off. It will still work on it's side, incidentally... so only if it falls on the face or the back will it shut off. Anyway, I stick it on top of the cooler between my front seats pointed back towards the bed. The sides stay plenty cool. Works great for me, and since it's electric there's no exhaust to worry about.

Kevin
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[IdahoDoug]

Big Buddy is also a good call as it is the only one that will run all night. I think its 11 hours to go through both bottles on low. So in really cold temps, you'd have to wake up after 6 hours and change bottles with the little Buddy.

Of course if you adapt it to a 5 gal then that changes things a mite! But also the big buddy has its own battery operated fan to circulate air which no other propane heater I found has. Turns out to be a seriously useful feature in the real world.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[MayorMcCheese]

Little buddy is this one below. Maybe they changed the names around, the yellow one posted above looks like the "portable buddy" which I would have gotten but it wasn't in stock locally.

Yea the fan on the big one makes a difference

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