Hi George,

Thanks for the idea about the wind screen, I suppose that would help a
lot. I should have enough cardboard around to get the job done.

I have a hot-air popcorn popper I use instead of a 500W light bulb.
Mine claims to be rated for about 900 watts of heat, and it has a
tip-resistant bass that blasts the hot air straight upwards. It works
great for pre-heating the innards of a frosty bus in the driveway
before an outing, too... unfortunately it's just a little a bit too
noisy to use as a camping heater.

They can often be picked up at garage sales and junk stores for $5 or
under.

So how long should I keep the heat on for?

Happy trails,

Greg Potts
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1973/74/79 Westfakia Conversion **Bob the Tomato**  LY3H
1977 Sunroof Automatic L63H/L90D
http://www.pottsfamily.ca/westfakia
http://www.busesofthecorn.com

On 24-Jan-05, at 6:10 PM, George Goff wrote:

> In a message dated 1/24/05 4:53:29 PM, Greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA writes:
>
> << Advice would be
> appreciated. >>
>
> Form a wind screen around the engine extending from the ground to as
> high up
> as you can get it.  Cardboard should work, imagine a box with no top
> nor
> bottom.  A tarp might also fill the bill.  Within reason, put as many
> electrical
> watts into this enclosure as you can.  Big assed light bulbs are great
> for this,
> but if you do not have any 1000 watt, mogul-based lamps lying around,
> use
> some heat lamps or a small space heater.  Of course, just don't allow
> your heat
> source to contact any inflammables.
>
> A few winters past, we had a cold snap which could bring a tear to a
> glass
> eye.  Each bitter morning I grew more concerned about trying to pump
> molasses
> through the engine oil galley.  I took a small box which had about the
> same
> footprint as the oil sump, attached a porcelain base to it's bottom,
> screwed in a
> 500 watt lamp and stuffed it under the van's engine.  Instant engine
> oil
> heater - worked great.
>
> George
>
>