heating the awning

[Tina3]

Hi All

I know we are (supposedly)still in summer but would like to know what you all use/recommend to heat the awning,have two girls that sleep in inner tent and its just to keep the chill off !!

Thanks (12v,gas or mains any will do!)

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Tina,

For safety, don't use any form of heater that uses a naked flame, or an incandescent filament. Both these could set fire to the awning if material comes into close proximity.

The Safest solution would be to have an extension duct fitted to your blown hot air caravan heater the surface temperature of the duct is unlikely to pose a fire risk.

if you have 230V ac, then perhaps a thermostatically controlled electric panel heater/oil filled radiator. The risk of fire is minimised.

At a push a thermostatically controlled and protected fan heater provided you take care to ensure it will not be obstructed or accidentally covered.

Hope this helps

 

[Tina3]

Hi John L

What a good idea about the extension duct! is it easty to do ?? hubby is excellent at d.i.y, do you know where to start ??

 

[GrahamW]

Tina

You can buy a kit from most good Caravan shops

 

[Tina3]

Brill thanks guys!!

 

[GrahamW]

Tina

One obvious thing to consider before fitting one of these ducts is make sure everybody is ok with the blown air on all night. Back to my akward mother in law again, she moans if she is cold but cannot sleep with the heating on as the noise gets on her nerves (not as much as she gets on mine)so this would not be an option for us. But hurray that means we dont take her when its cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tina3]

Graham

your jokin !! A 15 and 16 year old, have dismantled the awning around them and they still have'nt woken!!Perhaps your next trip should be to iceland or somewhere like that, or when shes not looking unpack all her woollys !!

 

[GrahamW]

No I mean you and Hubby in van!!!

 

[Tina3]

OH !! Sorry, no doesnt bother me,drowns his snoring out !!!!

 

[Rayc1]

Tina, you are not going to waste all the energy you saved by using a fuel efficient car to then heat an awning are you?

 

[Tina3]

oh no dont start another debate off !!!As said above am open to ALL suggestions !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GrahamW]

oh no dont start another debate off !!!As said above am open to ALL suggestions !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeahh i had heard that!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry luv coundn't resist

 

[Rayc1]

Tina, in similar circumstances I have used a 1kw fan heater with a thermostat control. Take all the normal care, do not cover etc. Once you have it it will not cost anything to run as you will already have paid for the hire of the electrical supply system ( or whatever its called these days).

Long ago I was a youth leader in the C&CC and even in the middle of winter it was surprising how they never felt the cold. They would stay up all night in a field given half a chance, especially if a member of the opposite sex was involved.

 

[Tina3]

oh no dont start another debate off !!!As said above am open to ALL suggestions !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OUCH!

 

[Tina3]

yeah but were talking two pampered pooches here !!went to wales and the weather was great but they still came crawling in the van about 2am moaning it was cold !!!!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Ray,

If any one is interested in fuel efficiency (I'll duck now to avoid the response) then the figures go rather like this.

The main electricity generators are lucky to hit 35 to 40% at the power station, Losses through transmission maybe 2% so at best. So electric heating gives you about 33 to 38% conversion of burnt fuel to usable heat at home (or in the caravan)

All gas fires must achieve at least 70% efficiency before they cam be sold in the UK, many will exceed this. Some caravan appliances (Carver/Truma 1800 underfloored flued heaters) approach 95%, so Gas heating is more fuel efficient than electricity.

 

[Rayc1]

Hello Ray,

If any one is interested in fuel efficiency (I'll duck now to avoid the response) then the figures go rather like this.

The main electricity generators are lucky to hit 35 to 40% at the power station, Losses through transmission maybe 2% so at best. So electric heating gives you about 33 to 38% conversion of burnt fuel to usable heat at home (or in the caravan)

All gas fires must achieve at least 70% efficiency before they cam be sold in the UK, many will exceed this. Some caravan appliances (Carver/Truma 1800 underfloored flued heaters) approach 95%, so Gas heating is more fuel efficient than electricity.

John, yes but not cost wise for Tina because she is already paying for the hire if the electrical system with the electricity for free. It would I suspect be difficult to heat the inner tent or whatever from a gas supply.

Never mind a little bit older and with a little alcohol they will sleep through anything.

 

[MrsHitchlock]

Whilst the extending of the blown-air system might sound like a good idea - it would be interesting to hear from anyone who has already done it.

In our experience, the amount of warmth that passes through the duct reduces over the distance - so in our case the end bathroom gets barely a hint of the warmth. I imagine that if you extend the duct out into the awning, then there is every chance that very little warm air will 'reach' the awning - or that perhaps warmth will be lost from elsewhere in the caravan. You will also find it tricky if you don't want heat in the caravan, but do want it in the awning!

Personally, I would go for a quiet-running electric fan heater -we've got a ceramic one, with a safety tilt-cut off and it was only about

 

[Rayc1]

Where do you live? They sound like southern softies to me.

 

[Tina3]

Ray C

Nope were in the northwest !!!If it were two lads then it probably wouldnt be a prob,but teenage girls will moan about anything wont they!!Crikey you wanna see the amount of clothes and hairstuff and other gizmo's they wanna take.god elp them if we decide to downgrade to a tent !!!!!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Ray,

If any one is interested in fuel efficiency (I'll duck now to avoid the response) then the figures go rather like this.

The main electricity generators are lucky to hit 35 to 40% at the power station, Losses through transmission maybe 2% so at best. So electric heating gives you about 33 to 38% conversion of burnt fuel to usable heat at home (or in the caravan)

All gas fires must achieve at least 70% efficiency before they cam be sold in the UK, many will exceed this. Some caravan appliances (Carver/Truma 1800 underfloored flued heaters) approach 95%, so Gas heating is more fuel efficient than electricity.

Hello Ray,

I was replying to your posting about wasting energy (20 Jul 2005 12:41 PM), Cost is a very different issue, and I would agree with you.

 

[Moth_5041363]

I think the most important type of heating, should be a good sleeping bag and a insurlated bed not a airbed,far safer than heating with kids out of sight. I sleep in a tent for most of the seasons with no problems.

 

[Tina3]

Yuo your probably right,better sleeping bags et.. was also thinking though its somewhere to sit at night when the little uns are in bed where we can chat without whispering and a little warmth makes it more amicable!what about gas ?? is that more eco-friendly??

 

[GrahamW]

Tina

Stick with electricity,problem with any gas applience are the fumes. A table top patio heater would be the ideal solution if it wern't for the fumes but you would gas everybody. I use a small non fan type electric fire (have done for years) no moving parts just uses convection and this works fine.

 

[GrahamW]

Tina

Stick with electricity,problem with any gas applience are the fumes. A table top patio heater would be the ideal solution if it wern't for the fumes but you would gas everybody. I use a small non fan type electric fire (have done for years) no moving parts just uses convection and this works fine.

Phew!!!!!!!!! sensible answer, whats wrong with me.