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Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:31 am

bluebus86 wrote: Syncronoid wrote: Been considering this for a while to deal with single digit temperatures at Mt Bachelor during Winter, about to pull the trigger on a 1Hp Honda Portable Generator and space heater. I have the Propex, but it's best for taking the chill off and not running all night.

Problem with the generator is if your near other campers, the noise is horrible from the generators, really bad for the tent campers, and even noisey for the car campers near by. Id be inclined to dissable anyones generator in a campsite running past quiet hours. some folks like a good night sleep, have a big hike the next early morning, generators are not appreciated. running a generator late at night with other campers around is extremely disrespectful, rude. now if your all alone, with no one else in hearing, then that is a viable option for all night heat.

a generator is not good idea if you have others campers around., Even during the noisey hours (before 9 pm often) they are still rude if one is running for more than a few minutes.

so consider location and timing before use, many camp grounds do have limits on when they can be ran, and right fully so, and even within allowed hours they can be very irritating to others.

a gasoline or propane furnace does not have this limitation, nor restriction. and will be less likely to have you awakened by fellow campers pounding on your van to get you to be quiet.

good luck, stay warm

Overnight camping at Mt. Bachelor is with other motor homes that have their own generators. No tent campers here.

I would never use a generator around tent campers or anywhere other than a developed site and only in extreme cold weather. I have lots of solar and wouldn't really need a generator in warmer weather.

Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:46 am

Syncronoid wrote: westyventures wrote: Syncronoid wrote: I have the Propex, but it's best for taking the chill off and not running all night.

Why not? That is what it's designed for, heating 24/7.

I'm concerned the fan will drain the battery too much. Those Honda generators will run up to 8hrs on a single gallon of gas.

At 1.9 amps per hour, overnight is no problem. Does your van have an auxiliary battery? Almost every winter trip I've done, the heater has been turned on when I leave the driveway, off when I return home. Many nights spent in ski resort lots and way down snow covered roads.

Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:59 am

120Ah

Tue Mar 21, 2017 11:01 am

Syncronoid wrote: 120Ah

I'd be cranking that Propex all night for a week no issues.

Tue Mar 21, 2017 11:49 am

With solar, an aux battery you'll be fine, as I recall bachelor's lot gets plenty of day light, ie not to man trees glooming over it.

Those little honda generators are QUIET but way over $200.

I would think a propex would ve way more efficient of a hear source vs converting gasoline into electric heat which is always inefficient.

Tue Mar 21, 2017 11:51 am

http://www.sears.com/diehard-platinum-portable-pow...src=aw.ds#

Insulate the interior with reflectix and plug in your 12v electric blanket to the jumpstart. You can keep the reflectix over the inside with computer magnets from eBay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/36-neodymium-hard-drive-magnets-2-lbs-12-oz-/172576249040

Keep the MrBuddy heater and the tire chains under the jumpseat.

Aloha
tp

Tue Mar 21, 2017 1:15 pm

cmayna wrote: Being in Hawaii/Calif, you worry about staying warm at night?
Contrary to popular belief, some parts of California *do* get cold in the winter, especially up in the mountains. But you knew that, right?

First engine pull on my camper was done in 3' of snow on a 17*F day, about 50 miles west of Redding...

Tue Mar 21, 2017 1:42 pm

Forgot to mention. Put the hot Nalgene bottle in a sock as it will be very hot to touch.
-d

Tue Mar 21, 2017 5:36 pm

I do two things to stay warm in the van.

1) Mr Buddy heater. I use it two ways:
* At night before bed and in the morning after waking up I hang it from the top latch
* While sleeping/falling asleep I put it on top of the 12v fridge that lives behind the passenger seat
The Buddy has a low Oxygen cutoff that is VERY sensitive. There are enough drafts in the floor of the van that I doubt CO could realistically build up, but even so having the heater lower down in the van means I'm higher than the heater and so any high CO would shutoff the heater before me.

2) A good 3-season sleeping bag will keep you warm quite nicely while sleeping without any need for a heater running while asleep.

Between the two I find I can be quite warm without problems.

Tue Mar 21, 2017 6:02 pm

newfisher wrote: nagalene bottles for the boiling water trick.

Bingo!
Hug your Bottle!

Tue Mar 21, 2017 9:01 pm

bluebus86 wrote: the noise is horrible from the generators

I'm not advocating running a genny to power a 120v heater, but, my sewing machine makes more noise than the new honda generators.

Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:34 am

aha thanks for the entertaining and sincere replies. I too have made by best with using the "little buddy heater" (a popular brand of propane heaters) before sleep / after i wake up to bear "getting ready" in the cold. but will continue to search for something like the propex heater that doesn't have to be hard mounted into the van and can be placed out every night with venting hoses ran out the top (or other) window for ease and safety.

Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:13 am

jackbombay wrote: bluebus86 wrote: the noise is horrible from the generators

I'm not advocating running a genny to power a 120v heater, but, my sewing machine makes more noise than the new honda generators.

Propex is probably even louder than these. However, I'm not advocating running a generator at all, I hate them and their owner.

I try to avoid running the Propex overnight when I'm camping close to tents or tent-camper. But using a 1hp (746W) genset instead of the 2000W Propex
seems like an odd idea.

Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:15 am

The electric blanket idea seems pretty good for short cold seasons/temps well above freezing, assuming you have the battery power to keep one going. The chief gripe I see about them is that they are, like so many things, made to be sold rather than used: they are cheap and in many cases dangerously so. I don't feel like introducing more electrical fire risks into my rig.

Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:19 am

jackbombay wrote: bluebus86 wrote: the noise is horrible from the generators

I'm not advocating running a genny to power a 120v heater, but, my sewing machine makes more noise than the new honda generators.

Id no sooner want to sleep near an operating sewing machine. Even the quiet generators are very noisey to try to sleep thru the night. run them all you want in an RV park if the RVers are into that stuff, but in a camp ground, with tents or other no noise makers is rude, annoying even when using the sewing machine quite generators. many places have restrictions on any noise making, even sewing machines after hours. thus depending on a generator will limit when and or where it can be used.

good luck, sleep soundly

Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:27 am

the OP is aware they make a propex that you can mount externally to rhe van underneath? though it's the lower btu unit, so you will likely still want to isolate the windows and keep the top down in those temps.

also FWIW the regular propex & Truckfridge combo uses NO ADDITIONAL interior space.

http://westyventures.com/propex.html
Quote: Propex HS2211 heater: this new model is the answer to a few installation variations: It can be mounted under the floor or inside the camper vertically, taking up less valuable space than the other models. This model uses the same reliable electronics as the others and has internal insulation to make it run even more quiet than the HS2000. A more modern, streamlined thermostat rounds out the package. 6500 btu output

Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:32 am

OldSpice wrote: . but will continue to search for something like the propex heater that doesn't have to be hard mounted into the van and can be placed out every night with venting hoses ran out the top (or other) window for ease and safety.
The Suburban heaters are in many campers, so if one shows up at a junkyard, you can score one for cheap. I saw a thread in another forum) that someone mounted in a box (insulted?)to mount outside their camper to not take up much room and ran a duct. Gives up some efficiency, of course.

I might do the same to to try out the free unit I have some day. I don't want to give up the space permanently, and cut a hole in the side of my van.
I figure if I do this and find I use it enough, then I'll spring for a Propex or other small permanent heater. I'll likely use it as a small green house heater first-LOL!

Wed Mar 22, 2017 5:18 pm

danfromsyr wrote: the OP is aware they make a propex that you can mount externally to rhe van underneath? though it's the lower btu unit, so you will likely still want to isolate the windows and keep the top down in those temps.

OP is also concerned about spending too much $$ for the value he'll get.

Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:42 pm

Oldspice, some of us hang small window A/C off the cab and into the drive or passenger side windows. You may be able to rig up something similar with a heater to minimize ductwork. However having the heater unit right at the window will create more rigor to insure the nasty gases stay on the outside.

Thu Mar 23, 2017 6:06 am

A bit over your budget, but something to consider:

http://zodi.com/tent-heaters/x-40-hot-vent-tent-heater