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Old 10-27-2016, 09:39 AM   #1
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Mr Heater for 23IKSS

Going to do some cold weather dry camping next month and wanted to get a portable propane heater so I do not drain the batteries using the furnace. Looks like the Mr Heater line gets some good reviews. Any idea which size I would need for my 23IKSS? Looks like the Big Buddy has a fan, is this necessary? Any other recommendations? I'm thinking of placing the unit in the middle of the camper and running the bunk fans to circulate the heat.

Thanks
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Old 10-27-2016, 09:47 AM   #2
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I would NOT do that.
I have two Mr Heaters for when I work in my garage during the winter but that is for a short period of time and every time we open the big dor in my garage the air is renovated.
These heaters burn oxigen and the amount of it inside a trailer is small.

I recommend getting a 100W solar panel with a cheap charger and big batteries and run the campers heater on it.
The camper's heater use electricity only to run the fan so way less electrical energy needed than a electric heater.
They also use external air and exhaust it outside for the burner so no use of internal air for that.
It's safe and efficient, except the noise....
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Old 10-27-2016, 09:58 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfrat48 View Post
Going to do some cold weather dry camping next month and wanted to get a portable propane heater so I do not drain the batteries using the furnace. Looks like the Mr Heater line gets some good reviews. Any idea which size I would need for my 23IKSS? Looks like the Big Buddy has a fan, is this necessary? Any other recommendations? I'm thinking of placing the unit in the middle of the camper and running the bunk fans to circulate the heat.

Thanks
Would running the bunk fans to circulate the heat consume as much energy as the furnace? Might be a wash?
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Old 10-27-2016, 10:14 AM   #4
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We limit our cold weather camping to places with electric, so no direct experience, but a lot of serious boondockers swear by catalytic heaters. Not sure if I would be comfortable running one, but worth a look. You would want some windows / vents open anyway to prevent condensation.


Catalytic Heaters
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Old 10-27-2016, 10:34 AM   #5
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I would NOT do that.
I have two Mr Heaters for when I work in my garage during the winter but that is for a short period of time and every time we open the big dor in my garage the air is renovated.
These heaters burn oxigen and the amount of it inside a trailer is small.

I recommend getting a 100W solar panel with a cheap charger and big batteries and run the campers heater on it.
The camper's heater use electricity only to run the fan so way less electrical energy needed than a electric heater.
They also use external air and exhaust it outside for the burner so no use of internal air for that.
It's safe and efficient, except the noise....
I've only ever used my Mr. Buddy in my garage, BUT it does have an O2 sensor that shuts it off if the O2 levels drop too low.

(Hopefully it really works!)
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Old 10-27-2016, 12:28 PM   #6
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We have the smallest Mr Buddy that screws onto the standard small propane canister. We've used it several times in our Leprechaun 220QB and it works great. Each canister lasts 5-6hrs. Just be sure to crack a window for O2 -- CO exchange.
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Old 10-27-2016, 12:56 PM   #7
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Mr. Heater

When I owned my Jayco 1006 pop-up camper, I used the Mr. Heater Buddy heater and it did a great job of heating it up. I would start it on the high setting and then have to turn it down to the low setting because it was too hot in the camper. It is safe to use indoors per Mr. Heater. We never had a problem with any odors and like a previous poster said, it does have a oxygen sensor. And it makes no noise and that is a big plus for a good nights sleep! If I took my 21SS Roo out in the cold months and did not have electricity, I would use it with no concerns. I think the Buddy heater would heat up your 231KSS with no problem. But I'm very sure the Big Buddy heater would have no problems.
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:11 PM   #8
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Big Buddy

We used our Big Buddy heater a lot during the early part of May this year. Using proper safety precautions I don't see any issues. Needs some fresh air and do use a standalone CO detector. The Mr Heaters do come with built in safety measures but I like to have the CO alarm. Having a low watt computer fan or similar pushing some air around is beneficial as well.

The only issue I had with this heater is that there is no temperature control. Even on the low setting, had to turn it off once in a while. Lots of people use these heaters in their RVs. Just be smart/safe about it.
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:50 PM   #9
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I used a Big Buddy in my PopUp (PuP for short) all of the time, when it was cold. We placed it on the stove and pointed it toward the center of the PuP. Don't put anything too close to it (the owners manual will tell you how far), although the distance doesn't need to be as far behind it. You also need to leave a window slightly open (about an inch) near it and you'll be ok. The buddys have a low oxygen sensor, which will shut it down if the oxygen level gets too low. They also have tip over sensors, etc. They really are safe. By the way, you won't need the fans.

If you leave it on full blast, the propane tank will be gone way before morning, so you may want to turn it down to just keep the air from becoming really cold for when you get up. Rely more on the blankets at night (while you sleep), than the heater.

Other things to keep warm:
We found it helps a lot to put a sheet of 1" foam insulation under the mattress. It will help you stay warmer in bed. You can get the foam insulation sheets from Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. Reflective blankets along the inside of the bunk ends also helps. Lastly, look into popup gizmos. They go on the top of the bunk ends. They do a wonderful job of keeping the trailer warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. They really are worth every cent you'll pay.

I still have the Big Buddy with me in my 5er. I use it now as an emergency backup. We camp year round and don't want to be caught without some form of heat.

You will hear all kinds of reactionist stuff, but many people do use them and I haven't heard of anyone dying from using it safely.
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Old 10-27-2016, 02:00 PM   #10
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Mr. Heater in a Camper

The maximum recommended propane heater size that leaves the combustion products in a house is 25000 btu. Even on the low setting the Mr. Heater is probably oversized for a camper. This is sizing is not based on heating but on oxygen consumption and potential combustion products of unburned propane and CO. I would not sleep well with one of these running in my camper over night. I have one for emergencies to heat the camper prior to going to bed, put prefer the camper heater or electric heat overnight. Yes, I know they have an O2 sensor but you are putting your life on the line using a $70 burner that needs to work exactly as designed. How many bounces down the highway is it designed to take stored in your trailer for the last 5 years?
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Old 10-27-2016, 03:10 PM   #11
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The maximum recommended propane heater size that leaves the combustion products in a house is 25000 btu. Even on the low setting the Mr. Heater is probably oversized for a camper. This is sizing is not based on heating but on oxygen consumption and potential combustion products of unburned propane and CO. I would not sleep well with one of these running in my camper over night. I have one for emergencies to heat the camper prior to going to bed, put prefer the camper heater or electric heat overnight. Yes, I know they have an O2 sensor but you are putting your life on the line using a $70 burner that needs to work exactly as designed. How many bounces down the highway is it designed to take stored in your trailer for the last 5 years?
I'm not saying pro or con about your statement, but:

Mr Heater Little Buddy - 3,800 btu's or 15% of your 25,000 btu's:

MH4B Little Buddy Heater | Mr. Heater

No clue where your numbers are coming from, but assuming average house size of 1800 sq ft, 15% would be 270 sq ft, or equivalent to a 33 ft trailer 8 ft wide.

Of course, your 1800 sq ft house is MUCH better insulated AND much tighter than our 33 ft trailer.

So I'm not sure what your numbers may mean to anything in the real world.
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Old 10-27-2016, 05:47 PM   #12
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Sweet Mother of God,... every year thousands of people become victims of the "silent killer" - CARBON MONOXIDE. Why anyone wants to introduce an oxygen depleting device into a dwelling boggles the mind. Nothing like turning your RV into a confined space. I guess it is a more subtle way of playing Russian Roulette.
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Old 10-27-2016, 06:50 PM   #13
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Teaman here.

I like the Lil Buddy Heater OK. Used it for a winter and a half full timing in a 31ft TT. Bought an adapter gas hose from Mr Buddy for the heater and adapters for a small propane tank which I sat outside. The unit worked fine at first. Lotta heat. Mostly kept it as low as it would go. Yes - I installed a wall mounted CO detector. Never had an alarm on it. The 2nd Winter I began to notice the flame becoming less strong and I started having trouble with the pilot light. Pilot light goes out then the big flame goes out. Finally just would not stay lit.

Bottom line, I found out that the bulk propane has an oil contamination problem. The oil residue eventually gums up the little tubes and orifices that control the unit. So that unit wound up being ruined by using unfiltered propane from a bulk tank. I learned that you can buy an adapter screw-in filter and install that at the Buddy heater before connecting your gas hose from the outside tank.

I think you should be fine using the small Buddy heater in the camper. Just use the small # bottles, that fuel has already been filtered.

PS. I got a new Lil Buddy Heater just recently to use in my new to me SunSeeker 2300 Class C MH. I mostly use electric heat but during a few weeks of teens and twenties each Winter, the extra gas heater is real nice to have. Crack a window.
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Old 10-27-2016, 06:50 PM   #14
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Sweet Mother of God,... every year thousands of people become victims of the "silent killer" - CARBON MONOXIDE. Why anyone wants to introduce an oxygen depleting device into a dwelling boggles the mind. Nothing like turning your RV into a confined space. I guess it is a more subtle way of playing Russian Roulette.
And 35,000 - 40,000 people die on our highways every year, but us RV'ers are out every day in our sometimes "questionably safe" (call in the weight police) RV "rigs."

Before you lambaste me, I'm not advocating the use of the Mr. Buddy heater in an RV, but pointing out that we all take certain risks in life everyday. The important thing is to be smart about it.

There are people on here who wouldn't spend a night in their RV without a smoke alarm. I camped for most of my life without one.
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Old 10-28-2016, 07:26 AM   #15
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The way I understand, the O2 sensor is not there to tell you the O2 is low but to turn off the gas so your space (camper?) will not become a bomb.
Low levels of O2 and High levels of CO2 also cause problems, the most common one being headaches.
CO kills.
It may work on pop ups because they have way more ways for the heated air to scape, being replaced with fresh air from outside...
A HTT is way more "tight" assembly than a pop up and I would not sleep knowing that thing is depleting oxigen....
That is the reason I pointed to the 100W solar panel with bigger batteries.
Granted, it is more expensive than the gas heater but that is a battery charger too so if you are dry camping you will need to charge your batteries anyway and this will work to extend your dry camping too.
There are "kits" on internet for just above $100...
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Old 10-28-2016, 08:57 AM   #16
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Geez people, listening to y'all the sky will fall tomorrow. Lighten up! Just because someone doesn't agree with your OPINION, doesn't mean they are idiots. There are ways to state your OPINION without making it seem like anyone who disagrees is a total dumba%%.

This is what turns people off from many forums (of fora - so we don't get an argument about that!). Don't be the guy or gal!
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Old 10-28-2016, 09:13 AM   #17
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I am a retired route salesman. I drove step vans for nearly 30 years. The ones I drove for the first 20 years had practically non existent heaters. I used a Mr Heater in the back of my truck for a number of years with no problems.
That being said, I would never consider using one in my camper. In my truck, the doors were open enough to vent the exhaust. In a camper, especially overnight, that would not be the case.
My opinion, get the solar as suggested and keep your batteries charged. Use your furnace.
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Old 10-28-2016, 09:30 AM   #18
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Guys please keep it civil. The ODS (oxygen depletion sensor) on the Buddy line of heaters is the same type that is used on the residential unvented heaters and fireplaces, It will shut down the unit WAY before CO gets to a dangerous level or even noticeable by most people (headaches etc). That being said as long as you follow the manufacturers recommendations you will be ok. Most tent style rigs leak so much air its a mute point, If you use it in a hard side crack a window if it makes you feel better.
BTW the ODS works by floating out the pilot which shuts off the gas, shutting down the heater. No gas No Flame
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Old 10-28-2016, 09:52 AM   #19
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From the owners manual:

WARNING:
If the recreational or commercial enclosure does not have a window or roof vent, DO NOT USE THIS HEATER INSIDE.


BUT, that being said, they say:

This heater requires a vent area of 4 square inches (example 2‰ x 2‰ opening) minimum for adequate ventilation during operation. Do not use other fuel burning appliances inside.

So not a lot of vent area is really needed.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
• This heater is safe for indoor use in small recreational enclosures, having means for providing combustion air and ventilation, such as enclosed porches, cabins, fishing
huts, trailers, tent trailers, tents, truck caps and vans. It may be used for emergency indoor heating when connected to a disposable 1 lb. propane cylinder and for indoor use in commercial enclosures, having means for providing combustion air and ventilation, such as construction trailers or temporary work enclosures.


http://www.mrheater.com/downloads/dl...l_usa_2016.pdf

I'd think in this litigious society, if anyone were going to say to never use it in an RV, it would be the manufacturer (CYA).
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Old 10-28-2016, 09:55 AM   #20
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Gasman,
I think you are mixing two different things.
ODS measures O2, which is a different gas than CO.
The ODS is there in case O2 disapears, then the flame is gone and the heater could continue to release the unburned gas, filling the unit with it which would explode as soon as any spark, like the ones created when a light switch is activated, is present.
Humans feels lack of oxygen and we tend not to die from it without warning.
An example are the folks that suffer from apnea during the night...
They have a problem on their troat that blocks the air when they relax during the sleep, the level of oxinen in the blood is reduced and the brain wakes them up because of that. People get really tired from not having a good sleep and that how they find out they have this problem.
Also, people that do snorkeling ( I have done a lot) know exactly when the O2 is low in their blood for your body gives you signs way before you pass out.

CO is a different beast.
CO matches our blood cells and take away their ability to absorb/carry O2...
Once CO is matched to a blood cell, that cell becomes worthless.
If that continues to happens to 1000s of cells, you fall sleep and die.
It doesn't trigger any alarm, you just pass out and die.
So Mr. Budy can have a safety feature for avoiding your camper to explode but there is nothing warning you that your blood is being poisoned with CO.
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