heating my cedar-framed foamie TT

[Bob Hammond]

Hi, here's a quick note about heating my cedar-framed foamie TT called the Nutmeg.

It was about 38F yesterday morning, and so I put in a Pelonis Disc Furnace (the very small cube ceramic heater with low temp heating elements). At the lowest setting, it brought the cabin temp up to 74F in less than an hour. At about 3/4 Max, it was about 20 minutes.

I think it can extend the camping season significantly.

[John61CT]

Assuming shore power is available, and you don't mind the fan noise.

[GPW]

Even with a cheapo Wal Mart $17 milk house heater on low ( 1200W) , we were able to raise our Foamie ( FoamStream) temp by 1 degree a minute …

[John61CT]

I don't think any portables are over 1500w, and the type in the OP aren't more than that secondhand. No modern units compare.

[Bob Hammond]

All electric heaters have limited to 1500W for decades, but some modern ones are much lower. I see the low wattage ones under office desks from time to time. What's nice about the Pelonis disc heater is that the elements never go above 450F or so, which is well below the ignition point of paper or furnishings.

[John61CT]

And boy do they pump out the btu's

I would not be saying that if I hadn't already built up my collection from eBay, enough to last my childrens' lifetimes.

Going rate currently $30, will probably spike a bit now 8-)

PS look for the ones at least 25 years old

[razorback]

In 07 I installed an Econo Heat flat panel heater at my wife's feet on the wall separating the cabin from the galley. This heater is plugged into a thermostat that plugs into an outlet on my side of the cabin. It is a very soft heat that does not create hot spots or hot zones in the TD. Set the temp at whatever you want and it stays at the desired temp.
Back then they had a 250 watt panel heater that was 250 watts. It measures 18" X 24". For us it is the perfect answer to soft radiant heat. I only see the 24" X 24" 400 watt panels now.
Our first heater was the cheapo walmart ceramic heater. We froze on the mattress but sat up to a very dry, and very hot upper zone. I was constantly turning the unit on and off during the night.
We have camped in temps as low as 23 and our thermostat and flat panel heater keeps the cabin at 70.
https://www.amazon.com/Econo-Heat/b/ref ... Econo-Heat
https://www.amazon.com/Lux-Heating-Cool ... Src=detail
More expensive but the perfect answer for us.

[booyah]

Last spring I grabbed a "handy heater" for about $25 or so.

350-400 watts, fan, digital thermostat.

It was able to heat my insulated benroy really well. We kept the vent popped, and a window cracked and had more ventilation than we probably needed when it got down into the mid 20s, but it was 72f inside!

it also has a small LED light inside to make it look like its glowing, made a great night light for my daughter. Highly recommeded

[Bob Hammond]

I think that the Pelonis is probably overkill, and without a good thermostat it gets oppressively warm. It actually can heat my 30' Airstream down to about 35-40F ambient. One idea that I toyed with, was installing it outside underneath and putting in a duct or two. This would quiet it down, and maybe it could take in and heat fresh air for ventilation and humidity control.

I also like the idea of the lower wattage heater with a thermostat.

[John61CT]

I didn't realize so many people stick to powered campsites.

I completely design around long-term boondocking, so if I did ever get a shore power connection, the only device I have that could even use it would be the batt charger.

[booyah]

I didn't realize so many people stick to powered campsites.

I completely design around long-term boondocking, so if I did ever get a shore power connection, the only device I have that could even use it would be the batt charger.

That is very much how mine was designed as well, but for heat electricity is dang handy.

if I am boondocking and it gets cold enough (Michigan here) I have pulled out a little generator to run the heater.

The propane powered little buddy is WAY too much heat, and even with the insulation in the camper the kids wont go if its below freezing without heat. Original design had the shore power only there for keeping the battery charged while it was stored. Now though i do have a power strip just for the handy heater

[John61CT]

Genny for electric heat is just nuts to me, if you're burning gasoline a proper thermostat controlled, like Webasto-style parking heaters or for propane a Propex unit like HS2211.

Yes expensive up-front, so just depends on how many days per year you use it to make it worthwhile, I design around full-timing.

Low budget there are much smaller propane units, I just don't like anything burning in the living space.

[booyah]

See, thats where we have to agree to disagree...
$1000 for a specialized heater vs $100 for a cheap generator and a heater.

i can burn a lot of gas for that extra $900 saved, and get a good charge for my electronics in the process