Oil filled heaters

[Weirdnerd]

I was looking and looking, and I keep thinking that an Oil filled heater is a really good idea for a teardrop Camper/ TTT, but I haven't found a compact model that works on dual power 12/110V, I was thinking about a 12 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 4 inches deep, have anybody seen something like that?, if not, I guess I would have to make one, sometimes I go nuts imagining stuff....


Here is a picture to get an idea... I was thinking 20 watts would be more than enough to keep it toasty in winter due to the small space and of course with a thermostat to save power.....

[rebapuck]

I agree that would be great. May take awhile to heat up the space, but it's steady and safe. I've looked for one that was tiny, with no luck. Also the Slant Fin type are good. also not found in a tiny size.
Slant Fin I have two of these. i wonder if I could cut one in half.

I also have a wall panel heater. It will fit on the closet door. I'm just hesitant to drill holes. I'll have to check out some 3M Command strips.

Wall Panel Heater

We need something sized for a bathroom, not a bedroom

[Weirdnerd]

Those two look good...I may have to check around to see if they have anything like it on 12 volts.....

[Shadow Catcher]

You do NOT want to try and heat using 12V!

The BTU's per watt are with in certain + or- efficiency standards fixed. The oil type heater gives a more even heat because it uses those BTU's to heat up a liquid mass (which you are hauling around). It works out to about 6.5 amps per ton (12000 BTU) If I remember correctly.

[rebapuck]

I've also considered this type. It would require cutting a good sized hole in an unobstructed place. I don't have many spots to choose from. But it looks neat and tidy.

wall heater

[Weirdnerd]

Looks nice, but a little cumbersome, what I was trying to find is some sort of passive heat system, low consumption, and for some reason thought the oil heaters were the most approximate to the concept, hehehe, I was toying with the idea of an external oil lamp with copper tubing and a closed loop with a check valve, that goes inside and circulates oil through a coil....debating if I would need an expansion chamber to prevent over pressure...

[steve smoot]

Judy, I personally like the wall heater you posted. It says it can be wired for 750 watts @ 120v. Sounds good to me, as long as you're camping where there is power.

[mikeschn]

I tested an oil filled heater in my 4x8 Benroy.

Did it work? Sorta...

Because there was no fan moving air around, I found that the teardrop got really hot near the ceiling, and was quite cold at the mattress level.

And it did take up a lot of room.

However, it was very safe!!!

To use something like that you almost have to design your teardrop around the heater, and add a fan to keep the heat from stratifying.

Mike...

FWIW, my next build will have a forced air furnace in it...

[rebapuck]

The wall panel heater, also safe, doesn't have a fan either. Although I found a 16 x 18 years ago, the only ones offered these days are 24x24. It's hard to find a two foot square flat space in our trailers to mount it.

[Lesbest]

How about a towel warmer, or a under cabinet convection heater? They are small, but maybe not practical.
Just a thought.

Les

[rebapuck]

Here is a small one. I've just ordered it myself.

http://www.heartlandamerica.com/browse/ ... =WIF10001&

[deceiver]

12V to heat is a no-no. hey use a lot of power.

Here in Maine many people try a lot of heaters to see what will work the best to lower our high heating bills. When going electric all heaters heat according to the wattage. If you have a 1600 watt heater it will use 1600 watts, no more, no less. If you turn on a 1600 watt hair dryer it will use 1600 watts and throw 1600 watts of heat just like the heater.

My sister tried oil filled. They take longer to heat up and give up heat longer after it shuts off but in the end.... watts for watts they all throw the same amount of heat. So in the end we end up purchasing those $20 old fashioned looking grey heaters that are nothing more than a metal box with heating element and fan and a dial control for wattage. When going electric it doesn't matter which one.

[rebapuck]

The small heater I bought (two posts above) came today. I really like how small it is. Plugged it in for 20-30 minutes and it puts off good heat. I'm sure it will heat up my VW or TTT very well.

[myoung]

Pound for pound and cubic foot by cubic foot I believe that the most efficient and safe and effective heater for a small trailer is a 110 volt ceramic heater with a fan and thermostat. (Wow. I think I just set a record for the greatest number of conjunctions ever used in an English sentence.)

We have a very small ceramic heater of this sort that is less than a cubic foot in volume that keeps our relatively large 25-foot Airstream comfortable when outside temps go below freezing. It would be more than enough for a TTT hence the need for thermostatic control to avoid overheating.