Late fall/Early winter

[catmanriff]

[quote source="/post/16753/thread" timestamp="1448376740" author="@firefighteremt"]Thanks for all the great responses.  Just as an update, we just returned from Cloudland Canyon State Park where the night temps got down to low 30's - high 20's. I went to Wal Mart and purchased a little $15 ceramic space heater and plugged it into the AC outlet. On high setting when we went to bed within 10 mins it ran us out it got so hot! Turned it down to low and we were very comfortable all night.  Very surprised the canvas didn't lose much heat through it.   We did put a small fan in the corner to help circulate the air.  Great trip over all!! [/quote]off of the battery or shore power?

[charliem]

[font size="3"]Shore power or generator.
[/font]

[firefighteremt]

 Shore power

[scout]

just ran the heater in our 13 RDB - which is under the bed. I usually run the genny in cold weather with the furnace in the mid 70's.

Outside temp dipped to -22 C for a few nights - averaged a 1/4 tank for a 20 pound propane cylinder each night -12-14 hour run time each night.

I am thinking of trying the mini electric heater and electric blanket to compare, but so far like the air circulation the furnace puts out.

I also have a large construction indirect heater for the wall tent if the snow gets too deep for the trailer...http://www.heater-store.com/HeatStar-HS1000ID-forced-air-heater.htm - Though i could try venting the duct into the outside/inside storage compartment of the trailer as a diesel alternative to propane...

P.S. i did found out the furnace in the 13 RDB has a red LED that flashes when the unit isn't getting propane (due to regulator spring freeze up, or empty tank). Also had to adjust the regulator for low temp operation in the -20C weather. (the diaphragm froze up in the change between rain/humidity and the deep freeze that followed.

[catmanriff]

I bought a Mr Heater Portable Buddy on Cyber Monday (yea, I was at work!). Haven't tried it yet, but planning for a dispersed campout with my brother to the desert in January in the QS 10.0. It can get down to mid 30s at night. 40s typical.

[david]

Scout:

-22 C!!! Wow that is cold camping!!

FWIW your built in furnace will put out much more heat than an electric one. A 1,500 watt heater produces about 5,000 btu/hr of heat. The built in furnace is five times that amount. But if you do have electricity at your camp site, why not use an electric blanket but keep the camper down to maybe 10 C to conserve propane, but turn it up when you wake up in the morning.

David

[peislander]

[quote source="/post/16773/thread" timestamp="1448417338" author="@scout"]I also have a large construction indirect heater for the wall tent if the snow gets too deep for the trailer...http://www.heater-store.com/HeatStar-HS1000ID-forced-air-heater.htm - Though i could try venting the duct into the outside/inside storage compartment of the trailer as a diesel alternative to propane...

[/quote]That just gave me an idea...
Imagine if you had fabric skirting around the trailer you could have that enclosed area under the trailer heated with the indirect heater --- and the warm floor would be the heating for your living space. You wouldn't need to worry about the under-trailer plumbing freezing either.

[david]

Heating underneath the camper with a construction heater with a skirt around the outside will keep the plumbing from freezing, but isn't going to do much for inside temps or even floor temps without burning a bunch of kerosene.

If the outside air temp is near or below freezing, then the ground underneath the trailer will be near freezing. That will absorb a bunch of heat. Maybe after days and days the ground will warm up somewhat but it will take a lot of heat over a long time to make a significant change.

But just to keep the plumbing from freezing won't take too much heat with a skirt wrapped around it. A small space heater set on low- about 750 watts will probably keep the underside of your trailer above freezing.

Another space heater inside will keep the interior tolerable.

David

[scout]

Interesting thoughts...timely too... as I am about to head out for the January elk hunt in the foothills. I could possible skirt it then open the storage access door which would act as a forced air heater...this thing pumps out 100,000 BTU so it would be a quick thaw on the ground. I've had it in the wall tent before and the ground was thawed in a day, not the purpose for this idea but worth a try...if it cuts down on the propane consumption...I went through 2 x 20lb tanks for 64 hrs heat in -20C November. 

[aznighthiker]

Met a small group the other day who are heading out from Payson, Arizona on mtn. bikes. They are bike camping for a couple of days out in the forest. Rain and some snow is forecast and they wanted to camp in the type of weather expected.

[gawin]

In my 6.0 I went fall camping in below freezing temps down to 23F. I ditched the regular mattress and went with a 3 inch memory foam mattress for both comfort and insulation. This mixed with a down comforter and a second blanket was all that was needed to keep warm. I used a Mr heater portable buddy heater to take the chill off before going to bed and then again in the morning. Worked great and did not need shore power.