If heat is escaping out the top you will not get much in the lower bunk even
if you have a blast furnace going.
Top insulation will help and you will be able to get by with a much smaller
heater.

Insulating the sidewalls of the vanagon with bubble foil and doing some type
of window treatment, (cold curtains ect) will help allot.

Doug

----- Original Message -----
From: "Craig Oda" <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 5:51 PM
Subject: Re: Propane heater question - Portable Buddy Heater

> The Big Buddy is rated at 18,000 BTU and comes with a fan.  Think this
> more than required?  It adds about 3" each  to the height, width,
> depth.
>
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?deptID=&subOf=&skunum=2706
2&src=UPSE
>
> I have a Coleman Powercat rated at 3,000 BTU and it definitely is not
> warm enough.
>
> I have not put aluminum bubblewrap insulation around the upper tent of
> the Westy yet.  Someone recommended this.  However, I'm thinking that
> maybe it will be kind of inconvenient to set up  in actual use?  Maybe
> a big heater will be more convenient?
>
> BTW, the standard place to put these things is on the main cabin floor
> in back of the two front chairs, right?
>
> I'm kind of deciding between getting a bigger heater and using the
> Powercat with more insulation.  The advantage of the powercat is that
> I think it may be safer.
>
> Even the Portable Buddy has 3X the heating power of the Powercat.  the
> Big Buddy has 6X.
>
>
> On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 14:12:51 -0700, Sharon Mendonca
> <bobonsharo@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> > While we're on the subject of heaters, has anybody tried one of these?
They say they're safe for indoor use, but you never know.
> >
> > ===========================================
> > Click on the link below to find out more about this product
> >
> > Portable Buddy Heater
> >
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?skunum=19573&affiliateid=2
20&kcode=04991
> >