Little Buddy-type portable heater for Van?

[DanHoug]

Okie dokie!!! My bad!
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[danfromsyr]

Dan,
my post was in reference to the 'quoted' comment above that uses butane canisters.. they are 8oz
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[DanHoug]

the green canisters of propane are 16oz, not 8.

i use the refillable Flame King 16.4 oz canisters... work great! DOT approved and refill easy.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[danfromsyr]

[vegpedlr]

Looks promising, more compact and easily stowed than the Little Buddy, the one I’m going to try:

https://nomadicaoutfitters.com/collections/heaters/products/kovea-cupid-portable-heater
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1985 Tintop 4 sp GW 2.3 “Connie”
2006 Mk V GTI 2.0 FSI “Penelope”

[Nuthin2It]

I have a Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Radiant Heater. As to how much to open a window for ventilation, I actually read the owner's manual! In the part that nobody reads, the "General Safety Instructions," it says:

"This heater requires a vent area of 9 square inches (example 3” x 3” opening) minimum for adequate ventilation during operation."

That means that one of the 29" wide front door windows needs to be rolled down about 0.3". And I suspect that the 9 square inches is a very conservative number.

As for me, I roll down both windows about 1/2" just to be sure.
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1985 Westfalia 15 degree EA288 Boxeer

[DanHoug]

on the stove, i have perfect blue flame with white tips. puts out CO like crazy as does ANY indoor propane cooking stove.

the Buddy uses a cermaic catalyst to turn the flame into a glowing substrate. very clean.

the O2 sensing on the Buddy and other propane heaters is is not some high tech device that measures the oxygen, but is just the relationship between how the pilot flame burns and the position of the thermocouple that keeps the gas valve open. As the oxygen level decreases the flame pulls away from the thermocouple and the gas valve shuts off. it works but is also why Buddy heaters don't like real high altitudes.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[Sodo]

I have read that yellow flame is an indicator of CO production. Set/clean/maintain/etc your burners for blue flame.

A buddy heater on high, and maybe dirty/old etc (????) can havre orange flame.
I don't know if orange counts as yellow.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[DanHoug]

[bobbyblack]

Nice revival

I moved on from the Buddy. My CO alarm went off a couple of times I forgot to open the windows. My bus was also heavily endowed by moisture from the LP combustion, and I could tell that was just not a good long term solution.

Not knocking those who do use them, but the are costly in different ways. Death would be the ultimate cost. Smaller creatures, like 3 dogs, perhaps, might expire more quickly than you, and then IF you woke up, you would get to have that on your shoulders, too.

Read the CDH thread.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9241284
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[CoastieLFS]

Just came across this thread. Thought I would add to the discussion by sharing my own post on how I typically use the Little Buddy while supporting local cafes...

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=685759&highlight=
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'95 Eurovan Camper (2.5L)
'01 Weekender
Portland, OR

[IdahoDoug]

Oh, and I forgot. As purchased, it is the only portable heater I found that will run overnight on low if I want/need it to. I think it's internal dual bottles will let it run about 11 hours. However, I purchased a full size RV propane bottle and a 15 foot hose that allows it to run for a reeeeaaaallly long time if I were to need it. I have not perfected a tank mount but am thinking roof mounted, or simply on the ground with the hose running in the window. So there is the ability to make one of these semi permanent or seasonal. I mount mine on the back of the passenger front seat, but have built a bracket I have not yet mounted as I'm still thinking.

As another bonus, I can also use it in the Mitsubishi Van and have used it in the LandCruiser as well where I mount it on the overhead grab handle farthest back in the cargo/sleeping area. We've also used it in the boat cabin. So if you have other vehicles the portability works for you there also.
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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]

I think you just justified what is best for you, Waldo !!

[IdahoDoug]

I'm actually a big fan of my Big Buddy as well.

Portability means I can use the thing sitting outside the van on a cool night when open fires are not allowed.
I can also use it inside my house as an emergency heat source.
It has a built in fan that uses replaceable batteries to circulate air around the interior.'
I have a couple ways to hang/mount it that reduces the space issue.
We use it to heat the van prior to bed, then turn it down to the pilot light and it keeps our insulated van comfortable all night. Then the first one up turns the knob to low and it heats the interior before we officially crawl out of the bed.
In summer, we don't carry it.
We leave it on when out of the van for a few hours on winter trips. Awesome - like coming home to a warm house, it's so cheery.
Now I find out it can even keep my coffee warm! (Thanks, Sodo).

Downsides:
I can forget to pack it.
I do worry about combustibles getting in front of it.
Though they're everywhere, it requires me to carry propane bottle spares just in case, though it's the same thing our two burner camp stove uses for uniformity of fuel.

Doug
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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

[?Waldo?]

That's the same type of heater as is discussed in the thread I linked above and my inquiry was specifically regarding what advantages the heater buddy would have over that type of heater.

[WestyBob]

I hope I'm not repeating anything in this long thread but in Portland (OR) over the past months there has been what seems to be a small but growing 'run' on a Wabasto diesel heater kit -- I think this is it:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/12V-5KW-Diesel-Air-Heat...gIAk_D_BwE

It's actually available from other sources like Amazon too but a nearby friend got his for $160 and by the time installation was complete (he and a friend) it came to $200. I know of three others who have purchased/installed with one intending right now so you could say it's become 'all the rage'.

I did see up close my friend's in operation -- whisper quiet with a 10 liter tank and a remote. He said it's been operating perfectly so far but ask him in five years and we'll see

[Tobias Duncan]

I am a desert camper 95% of the time so the extra moisture does not even register. In the winter in Taos you get some condensation on the windows in the morning but its gone soon after you get going.
As far as danger , math is your friend. Just calculate the BTUs and make sure you have right number of square inches open to the outside and you CANNOT die.
I recognize that this board errs waaay on the side of caution and thats fine but many many people run these units in all sorts of campers and tents and live to tell the tale. The only danger is you forgetting to crack the windows the correct amount.
Safety is about understanding the actual risks and deciding what is right for you.
Many people would never get in a vintage van because of lack of air bags and crumple zones.

[?Waldo?]

[cmayna]

My wife is my Little Buddy and she keeps me very warm at night in the Dub.
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'90 Westy / automatic.
If I'm not working on the camper or my '50 Chebbie truck, I'm either fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.


Craig

[westyventures]