"Just be aware that these heaters emit combustion products"... except the
Platinum Cat. It has a small exhaust fan and a flexible hose to move the
gases outside.

On Thu, Apr 24, 2008 at 1:18 AM, Bill Glenn <idahobill@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:58:11 +0000, Jamie Fitterer
> <fittdog8848@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> >ANyone have any ideas besides running a space heater off of the secondary
> batery for heating a van for winter camping.  I seem to remember that
> someone years ago had a small RV furnace put in a WESTY and running it off
> the propane tank.  Anyone that has done this or has ideas please help.
> >
> Jamie,
> It all depends on what you wish to accomplish.  If you're just trying to
> take the chill off in the morning while camping in Spring or in the Autumn,
> or warm the cabin for an hour or two in the evening, a small catalytic
> heater may do.  Just be aware that these heaters emit combustion products
> into your van, including carbon monoxide under certain conditions.  I
> personally would not consider one of these unless it also incorporates a
> low-oxygen cut-off (many do not).
>
> For more heat, and a heater that draws its combustion air and exhausts the
> products of combustion from/to the outside, there is the Propex, available
> in either 6500 BTU/hr or 9500 BTU/hr.
>
> If it's serious winter camping you have in mind, a higher heat output would
> be advisable; look at the Atwood Everest Star which also draws/exhausts
> from/to the outside, which is available in 12,000, 16,000, and 18,000
> BTU/hr.    http://www.atwoodmobile.com/Products/furnace/7900.cfm
>
> These units are usually installed aft of the refrigerator in the lower
> cabinet, and vent through the wall of the van.  Some accommodation must be
> made for the length of these furnaces, since they are about 1-1/2 too long
> to fit entirely within the cabinet (if you proceed with an Atwood, ask me
> about this).
>
> There other heaters too, such as Webasto and Eberspacher, which utilize the
> onboard fuel source, either gasoline or diesel, but these are much more
> expensive and not so common in a Vanagon.
>
> Keep in mind that you will likely never be able to heat the van as though
> it were your living room, at least not for any extended period.  There is
> just not the battery capacity, even with an auxiliary battery, to run the
> fan on these units for extended periods, and only so much propane can be
> accommodated due to space constraints.
>
> If you spend time at significant altitude, remember that the BTU ratings
> above are input ratings, and must be de-rated 3-4% per thousand feet of
> altitude for the output rating.  And one more thing, if you plan on being
> out in very cold temperatures, the vaporization rate of the liquid propane
> will slow, and if the rate of withdrawal of propane from the tank is high
> relative to the capacity of the tank, it will slow even further, such that
> the supply can become insufficient to operate your heater.  The tell-tale
> sign of this is a frosty tank.
>
> Finally, I never operate my heater (an Atwood 12,000BTU) without a
> functioning carbon monoxide detector in place, even though it draws in
> combustion air and exhausts combustion gasses to the outside.  I have too
> much experience with how insidious carbon monoxide poisoning can be to do
> otherwise.
>
> Bill
>