so who uses which heater?

[nickmac73]

hi all,
in my quest to find us a van i just wondered which was the most popular heating system?
i know the most modern ones use a central heating system which would be fantastic...but....ours is going to be an early 90's van i reckon (price etc) so what do you think?
nick

 

[NigelHutson]

The most popular in terms of what's fitted to caravans is without doubt the Truma blown air system. Going back to the 90's you'll probably find it's the very neat Carver system (Carver being taken over by Truma I believe).
Having had Carver, Truna and Alde systems, my favourite is the Alde, but it's the most expensive and complicated. Each has it's own merits.

 

[emmerson]

our 1979 Royale is fitted with blown air heating, but we only use it when on non-electric sites. On mains we use two small 750w oil filled radiators, one at each end of the van. If it gets REALLY cold, then we supplement thse with a fan heater, but that is very rare.

 

[slowsod]

Hi we have a Abbey twin axle GT 418t she's getting on now but it has a Alde hot water heating system and it still work's great.
from Neil54

 

[abi2]

have truma with blown air, it works fine on gas or EHU .,

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

have truma with blown air, it works fine on gas or EHU .,

same here although we tend not to use the van when it really cold more often than not the blown air is used to cool the van down rather than heat it, if it gets chilly during the spring or autumn nights I usually flick the wall heater on for a couple of hours.

 

[nickmac73]

many thanks for all replies i'm getting a list of basic requirements for when we find our first van...

 

[Mel]

You may find price, age and layout dictate which heating system you end up with.
mel

 

[nickmac73]

hi,
the price i am going to have to pay to get what i want is increasing all the time it seems...

 

[DianneT]

We are quite happy with our Truma hot air system. Think you will find more caravans fitted with this than anything else.

 

[waffler]

It depends on your use. If you always have a hook up and weight is not an issue the Alde wet system might be best. It is just like domestic heating. If you are rallying or using sites without electric you might find the Alde heating takes too much battery. The Truma system is basically gas driven but has an electrical addition which is not always fitted. This can be used without the fan running and so doesn't use much battery. In winter the electric side is not always enough so expect to give it a gas boost occasionally. Whatever you use be careful not to overload the electical system.

 

[Sproket]

We have the Truma Hot air system fitted, looked out at 8am this morning to a lovely ground frost, inside the van it was a mere 20c ( all of our air ducts are in the van ) some vans have them running underneath & they loose all of the heat unless they are lagged.
Depending on what type of van you buy & how well it is insulated has a great factor on keeping you warm.....

 

[emmerson]

our 1979 Royale is fitted with blown air heating, but we only use it when on non-electric sites. On mains we use two small 750w oil filled radiators, one at each end of the van. If it gets REALLY cold, then we supplement thse with a fan heater, but that is very rare.

I have been mildly taken to task by a friend for this post.I should add that this combination can only be used for very short periods, and only when site electrics are of a high enough amperage,ie, at least 10amps. I've also checked the oil rads, and one of them is actually 650w, so I just scrape under 10amps.
Is that better, Geoff?

 

[gyp]

Hi,
What no body seems to be taking into account is the length of time that any of these items are being used.The use of electric heating, fixed or portable ,is for a longer time than most of the other appliances . I know of people who use theirs all night and day. Whilst this is not a year round thing , it is not what was intended in the first place. With the increasing demand for more electric pitches , and the capital cost involved , the increased cost of power, the extra types of appliances and increased caravanning season enjoyed, the extra costs will be added to the overall site prices in the future.
The use of gas heating , is directly charged to the user , and therefore not shared to all in the pitch cost.
I understand that site owners are trying to limit electric useage limited and may well resort to individual meters to monitor pitch useage.I suppose we will have increased pitch prices to cover the installation.

 

[emmerson]

Hi Geoff. Basically, I agree with you, but this also applies to things other than heat. Modern vans have much more electric equipment than ours ever did, and whilst I also agree that their usage is for shorter time, nevertheless, the total power used is probably about the same. As you know, I'm no electrical expert, but I would think that an evening's colour tele viewing is probably the same as running my small radiator? I don't have a microwave, or electric kettle or DVD pl;ayer. I do have a fridge and battery charger, and yes, one of the radiators is on all night in the winter. The use of meters would be much fairer, but as you say, the cost of installation would have to be met somehow.
As for using gas heating overnight, we have done this on occasion, but it's a b*gger when the gas runs out in the middle of the night!
I suppose I could by heavier sleeping bags...................

 

[sheila_374397204]

I would never, ever use gas heating overnight - too worried about carbon monoxide poisoning in my sleep. We have used our caravan over winter for the past two years on a site with metered electric. Last year from 1st November to 29th February we used the van all but 3 weekends and for a week between Christmas and New Year and the cost of the electric used was £38, we did leave it on all night for most of the time on 500 and during the day if we were out to keep it warm, I think the charge was very fair. The year before at the same site it cost £45.50 but that was the winter when the water was frozen more than running and so we were running the heater on both gas and electric for most of the time (cutting the gas overnight).

 

[emmerson]

Sheila, if your van is vented properly and the heater flue is clear, then there is no problem with gas heating on all night.

 

[Willi-Wonti]

I would never, ever use gas heating overnight - too worried about carbon monoxide poisoning in my sleep. We have used our caravan over winter for the past two years on a site with metered electric. Last year from 1st November to 29th February we used the van all but 3 weekends and for a week between Christmas and New Year and the cost of the electric used was £38, we did leave it on all night for most of the time on 500 and during the day if we were out to keep it warm, I think the charge was very fair. The year before at the same site it cost £45.50 but that was the winter when the water was frozen more than running and so we were running the heater on both gas and electric for most of the time (cutting the gas overnight).

I have fitted a carbon monoxide alarm in our van for when we use gas
Seen the results of carbon monoxide poisoning & had to wear B.A. (breating apperatus) to remove the casualties

 

[ProfJohnL]

Sheila has expressed a view that she doesn't trust her gas heater to be used over night because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

This argument has been used many times before, but it does not stand up to scrutiny.

If you are so worried about CO from the heater at night, then there is an equal risk in day and you should not use the heater until it has been checked or repaired by a professional.

CO (Carbon Monoxide) is only produced by a flame when there is incomplete combustion or not all the gas is burnt properly. If the heater is working correctly then it produce a tiny amount of CO.

You may not know but all touring caravan gas powered heating appliances have to be 'room sealed' This means that all the gas and air for combustion has to be drawn from out side the caravan. The burner is in a tube whose exhaust must release the fumes outside of the caravan. This means that no part of the combustion process has access to the air inside the caravan.

I fully support emmerson's reply. I go further to add that Provided the appliance is not damaged or faulty then the risk of CO being allowed into the caravan is very very small. In fact you will get more CO inside the caravan from smoking, or using a candle. In point of fact you are far more likely to CO produced by your cooker, as the flame is quenched by the pans or kettels used on the hob. As guide if you get soot on your pans you will definitely be geting CO produced. Cookers and ovens are not room sealed

A CO alarm as WilliWonti suggests is an excellent idea, as CO gas has no taste or smell, and it incideously affects its victims who can become seriously ill without realising it.