Teardrop heaters

General Discussion about almost anything Teardrop or camping related

Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby KTM_Guy » Fri Feb 09, 2018 8:32 am

KennethW wrote:I would have to go out and look as it all came in the kit with plugs in the ends(plug and play) All I had to do was connect to power and even those wires had eyelets on. I when out and looked 5 thin wires. The control is a sealed box with the wire and a plug at the end. The control that came with my kit is more of a volume control as it turn the heat up and down. Not, on and off. Some kit may be different.


Thanks, I'll make sure I have at least five wires roughed in.

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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby KennethW » Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:53 am

Just a little update The lights on the control is almost bright enough to read by<sarc> I will need to tape are paint over them just letting a pin hole to see.
I will be burning Kerosene instead of diesel. What I have read is it will burn cleaner on the low settings that I will be using. On a trip if I can't find Kerosene, I can use diesel (dual fuel). Kerosene is a little high price at the pump, but the heater burns so little it is worth it not to have any problems with soot plugging it up.
I am thinking :thinking: about making a hot water heater by wrapping the exhaust pipe with copper tubing. Turn the heater on(open doors and vent in the summer), Lift a jug of water hooked with a hose to the bottom end of copper pipe, And hot water come out the top for soup, chocolate or coffee. :twisted: Lower the water tank and the water drain out for freezing temps. Thoughts?
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby John61CT » Mon Feb 12, 2018 1:24 pm

Buy a purpose build "water" heat exchange fluid-to-fluid unit rather than DIY.

hydronic, calorifier are other keywords
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby shootr » Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:59 pm

Any thoughts on using car seat warmers?

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71trYR3a0mL._SL1200_.jpg

We're heading to Zion in March, expected lows in the teens. Our 4'x8' teardrop is uninsulated, but in the past we've been fine without anything down to mid 30's. (Double sleeping bags zipped together over 5" foam). These should draw approx. 60W-70W on low for the pair, so thinking we'd get a few nights off the deep cycle battery without getting into too much trouble.
Last edited by shootr on Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby KTM_Guy » Sun Feb 18, 2018 10:09 am

The average lows for Zion in March is 30. High is mid 50's.

I think you would be better off with a 12v heated blanket. Sleep on top of that and just turn it on when needed. Or a small 12v heater to run just in the morning when getting dressed to take the chill off.

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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby Socal Tom » Sun Feb 18, 2018 10:24 am

shootr wrote:Any thoughts on using car seat warmers?

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71trYR3a0mL._SL1200_.jpg

Image

We're heading to Zion in March, expected lows in the teens. Our 4'x8' teardrop is uninsulated, but in the past we've been fine without anything down to mid 30's. (Double sleeping bags zipped together over 5" foam). These should draw approx. 60W-70W on low for the pair, so thinking we'd get a few nights off the deep cycle battery without getting into too much trouble.

When I camped in the teens, I experimented a couple of nights. What worked best was .
1) I got some small quilt like ( moving blankets) and hung them from the walls.
2) preheated the interior with a small propane heater until everything was above 75 inside.
3) hot water bottle at foot of sleeping bag.

If you can warm the interior enough to fall asleep, then you will probably be ok as long as you have a decent sleeping bag.
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby shootr » Sun Feb 18, 2018 4:10 pm

KTM_Guy wrote:The average lows for Zion in March is 30. High is mid 50's.

I think you would be better off with a 12v heated blanket. Sleep on top of that and just turn it on when needed. Or a small 12v heater to run just in the morning when getting dressed to take the chill off.

Todd


Right now it's forecasting mid 20's at night / mid 40's daytime. If me and the missus had the same "heating needs" I'd go for a blanket - but having separate controls seems prudent :lol:
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby shootr » Sun Feb 18, 2018 4:14 pm

Socal Tom wrote:
shootr wrote:Any thoughts on using car seat warmers?

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71trYR3a0mL._SL1200_.jpg

Image

We're heading to Zion in March, expected lows in the teens. Our 4'x8' teardrop is uninsulated, but in the past we've been fine without anything down to mid 30's. (Double sleeping bags zipped together over 5" foam). These should draw approx. 60W-70W on low for the pair, so thinking we'd get a few nights off the deep cycle battery without getting into too much trouble.

When I camped in the teens, I experimented a couple of nights. What worked best was .
1) I got some small quilt like ( moving blankets) and hung them from the walls.
2) preheated the interior with a small propane heater until everything was above 75 inside.
3) hot water bottle at foot of sleeping bag.

If you can warm the interior enough to fall asleep, then you will probably be ok as long as you have a decent sleeping bag.


Someone earlier noted hanging our jackets over the doors - so just got done putting coat hooks in over the doors to do just that - cheers to a genius idea :beer:

I'm really looking hard at one of those little portable heaters that go on the stove size bottles - that might be the ticket. Good to hear it does work well as a solution.
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby KennethW » Sun Feb 18, 2018 5:32 pm

shootr wrote:I'm really looking hard at one of those little portable heaters that go on the stove size bottles - that might be the ticket. Good to hear it does work well as a solution.


Be very careful with those little portable propane heaters. Never ever sleep with one on. If you do your teardrop may be come your coffin !!! Every year a number of people in ice fishing shacks DIE with those heaters. If you plan to do a fair amount of cold weather camping The diesel(or kerosene) parking heater I posted a few post up. I think is the real answer. About $200+ and you get a FULLY vented heater that will not kill you. If you do use a un-vented propane. Get a CO alarm!!
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby shootr » Sun Feb 18, 2018 5:39 pm

KennethW wrote:
shootr wrote:I'm really looking hard at one of those little portable heaters that go on the stove size bottles - that might be the ticket. Good to hear it does work well as a solution.


Be very careful with those little portable propane heaters. Never ever sleep with one on. If you do your teardrop may be come your coffin !!! Every year a number of people in ice fishing shacks DIE with those heaters. If you plan to do a fair amount of cold weather camping The diesel(or kerosene) parking heater I posted a few post up. I think is the real answer. About $200+ and you get a FULLY vented heater that will not kill you. If you do use a un-vented propane. Get a CO alarm!!
Noted - the one I'm looking at has the low oxygen sensor - but it would only be used to preheat the trailer before going to bed. Doesn't have a thermostat and I wouldn't trust anything burning inside just from tight confines, and overkill.
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby KennethW » Sun Feb 18, 2018 5:47 pm

I just try to warn people to be careful. Anything can fail, Do not depend on the crude oxygen sensor's on those heaters to save your life !! Vent Vent Vent
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby John61CT » Sun Feb 18, 2018 6:40 pm

Even the smallest Buddy gets too hot quickly.

A little backpackers camp stove under a heavy cast iron pan or big pot of liquid works great, but same precautions.
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby shootr » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:25 am

Did a test with the seat warmers last night. Bummed - on low they pulled 65 watts total and drained the deep cycle in 12 hours.

On the plus side, even on low they get WARM. Way warmer than I would ever care for. So tonight, after recharging the battery, I'll run just one all night and see what we have. I figure that would be close to using two of them intermittently all night.

I can see pre-warming the sleeping bags before turning in, and barely using them after that. Between good bags and small volume, we'll be fine.
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby KennethW » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:52 am

You should never drain a battery!! 50% at most. If you drain a battery you will drastically reduce it's life. Electric heat can only be used with very low wattage's and for a very short time. Tried it, Been there!!
152838 A little over $200 if you look around.
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Re: Teardrop heaters

Postby godskid » Tue Feb 20, 2018 1:00 pm

Thanks for testing them though, and posting the results. I was looking at similar seat heaters. I think now, that I'll skip them, and just buy electricity when the temp gets that low. And carry a space heater.
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