Small heater

[Shadow Catcher]

Our trip to Hell was to put it nicely COLD which will mean some things come due.
But we just found out how our ceramic heater can not be controlled well, i.e. turned down low enough to not roast us.
Recommendations?

[KennethW]

Open a window?

[Shadow Catcher]

Tried that on one level. I use the fans to force hot air down and opened the vent some, but regulating the heat as exterior temps changed became impossible. On top of this the heater I have regulates the fan speed and can not be set manually. I am debating taking it apart and doing some re wiring.

[Dale M.]

How about putting wall mount thermostat in tear, having it control a AC operated relay (wired to receptacle), that turns on/off heater and forget about trying to regulate heater (by heaters internal controls) ....

Dale

[Shadow Catcher]

The heater is an old one bought off of Ebay, and while there is some temperature settings they do not go low enough and the fan speed is driven by the the heater and is not settable. Where it sits is the shelf below the TV.

With the fan in the heater going slow with the low heat setting air does move quickly enough and the bottom of the TV gets hot and it does not circulate well. Yes I could use a thermostatically controlled power cord but it really does not address the issues well enough. As many of you know small sounds in a very small space can disturb sleep, so I really am looking for a new/used heater and if necessary will make a shroud to get the heat past the TV.

[bobhenry]

With all your money Tom just look for a thermostatically controlled heater. I have one that presets at 65,75 and 85 and then there is HIGH for those really cold nights.

I have a problem in that the heat all collects on the ceiling , so as to break up the stratification I hang a small fan pointed upward much like a ceiling fan and wash that warm air back down the sidewalls.

[Shadow Catcher]

Bob, I find the computer case fans do a nice job of breaking up the stratification problem and I cracked the vent which helped. I was afraid to leave it on all night because of potential damage to the TV. I will be looking for another heater or I will hack the one we have and see if I cant modify it to work as I wish it to.
So I am looking for recommendations for specific heaters folks have used.

[48Rob]

Tom just look for a thermostatically controlled heater

I second Bob's thoughts.

I have an inexpensive cube heater, a yard sale item, with thermostat.
I don't recall the brand, but it isn't important, the thermostat is.
I've tried the type you describe, and they either freeze you or overheat the trailer.
The thermostatically controlled heater is very much like a central heating system for a home, just on a smaller scale.
Set it at whatever temperature you prefer, and it will keep it steady.
For $30 or a lot less, the problem is solved.

Rob

[48Rob]

Heater.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Optimus-H7004-H ... 5af88b412f

[aggie79]

Like Rob we use a small ceramic heater. Ours is made be Lasko. We set in our side tent that is attached to the teardrop. We partially unzip a side panel on the tent, open the teardrop window (tent side), and crack open the roof vent to allow the heated air to enter the teardrop and for ventilation.

[bonnie]

This is the one I have. It works really well. I have used it to augment the heat in my sewing room in the basement.

http://www.westmarine.com/portable-heaters/west-marine--portable-cabin-heater--7867500

I will be using it in the tear.

[woodywrkng]

I've used an electric blanket. Works fine as long as you've got 120vac.

[Esteban]

Someone at the Little Guy forum suggested a amazon.com/Lasko-101-Personal-Heater which uses 200 watts. It does not have a thermostat or an anti-tipover safety feature. It's $29.66 from Amazon.com. Lasko has several similar low power personal heaters.

I have not used one of them myself.

[mustangcats]

The heater should be on the floor, so it can heat the trailer at floor level...and as the heat rises it will warm the entire trailer. I have a small Pelonis heater that cost about $30. It has two heat levels and can be set to a specific temperature. The only problem with it is that the thermostat is too sensitive and it cycles on and off a lot once it reaches the desired temperature. But what more can you expect from a cheap heater?

[absolutsnwbrdr]

+1 for electric blanket. I have both a 110VAC blanket and a 12VDC blanket for different camping trips. Each one is very effective.

If you are plugged in to shore power, keep a small $15 ceramic space heater in the camper for pre-heating before going to sleep, and also for waking up in the morning. If you want to get fancy, get an inline timer that will turn it on/off for you.

All of these items are relatively inexpensive.