Heat for RV

[joecool911]

I'm not happy with the furnace for the RV for camping. We do a lot of boondocking. Tried the big buddy heater, but not fond of the fumes. Supposed to be safe, but still kinda stinky. So now I've ordered a Nu Way propane heater made for ice shacks. They are vented with 3" pipe. Cheap, $169 to your door. Then you've got the venting stuff. Only expensive thing was the thimble to go through the roof. Got one made for boats $70. Rest of pipe is cheap single wall. Got the 3000 model which is 16,000 btu. 

 

I wrestled with going wood. But problem is that the little stoves require constant stoking. Besides, btu storage is already there for propane and the existing tanks will provide many hours of heating. About 7 hours per gallon at full throttle. Won't need it full most of the time. I find that most times the Buddy heater is sufficient at 8,000 byu's. That's 14 hours per gallon. 

[Me78569]

I'd love to see your setup.

 

 

I am really happy with my ventless heater, no smell on my unit and it puts out great heat.

[Hawkez]

I've always used the Mr Heaters.  I've used them in my RV and Ice tent.  I've never had a problem with them nor have I smelled the fumes.  Usually in my ice tent I run two of them (it's a big tent) and after a couple hours, especially if the tent is wet, the heaters will shut off until I can air the tent out.  I have been very pleased with mine.

[Mopar1973Man]

I've still got my fan forced furnace in the RV. As a matter fact just boondocked again last night. Solar panels to keep the batteries charged up. I've also used big buddy heaters too. They work very well for heating an RV, house, or shop. Never had dime issue with the big buddy.

[joecool911]

It is easy to deplete the batteries in one cool night with the furnace. It's still there, but trying not to use it.

 

I will post some pics when I get it installed. It has a damper to control burning efficientcy and requires an outside fresh air. Fresh air enters the bottom. Will install a PVC pipe through the exterior wall and terminate it under the stove. 

 

I still will have a CO detector in the RV to make sleeping more safe. Running all night is my goal.

[Mopar1973Man]

Curious... How big of an RV? Also curious of how good the heat spread will be. I know with pure length of my RV if I use portable heater in the main living area the bedroom and bathroom are cooler heat doesn't travel well without a blower. Just helpful feedback.

[Me78569]

I have a CO2 detector in the camper right above our heater,  I have 0 issues running it all night long. 

 

A furnace with an electric heater would easily 3x my power needs during the winter.  as it sits my 6,000 btu heater only used ~.7 gallons of propane over a VERY cold( near 0) 2 night camping trip with the heater running all night keeping the camper at ~60*f

 

However this is in my smaller camper so a blower is not needed.

[joecool911]

My trailer is 23' long and one room plus bathroom. The Buddy heater works good for me...just prefer vented heat, which will be less humid as well. Just wish the stove had a glass door so I could see the flame. Might have to make one?

 

I will need to cut down the end of a cabinet/counter the width of one drawer and door. The stove needs a certain amount of pipe inside the trailer to draw properly. I'll use cement backer board and galvanized sheet metal for shielding in close quarters. 

 

Stove $169

roof thimble $70

piping $24

stack for top of pipe $49

misc backer board and sheet metal on hand $0

TOTAL $312. 

Not bad for a vented  16,000 btu stove. Stove will sit right above the water heater.

[joecool911]

We went to a solar presentation last night. I won the door prize of 50 sf of Sol Blanket. It is used as a radiant heat insulation deflector. Guess what? Good to 2,000*. So I'm going to use it around my propane stove in areas where the stove and pipe are too close to combustibles. It looks like a semi ridged space blanket...but the shiny covering is some kind of aluminum rather than Mylar. I think I can install it with staples.

[KATOOM]

I have an Olympian Wave 6 catalytic heater mounted in my trailer.  Works good until the ambient weather outside gets down below freezing.  But thats when the furnace comes on a rare occasion to keep things cozy.  Without the Wave the furnace would come on and stay on for a long time sucking up propane and battery.

[Mopar1973Man]

Some of us don't have RVs that can operate in temperatures below freezing mark because of plumbing issues and design. Like mine if the temp falls below 32*F I'll have frozen pipes by morning being the water line for the bathroom leave the living area travel outside below the slide to reach the bathroom so operating at temps below 32*F are not going to happen for me. I do know of the trip to Newman Lake, WA to see Dynamic up there I sure did suck up the propane at temps close to the freezing mark. That is very rare for me...