Buddy vs Canadian Winter - Portable Heater Review
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- Опубліковано 4 вер 2024
- After several recommendations, I thought I'd try a Mr Heater Portable Buddy as an alternative to a furnace for trailer camping in very cold weather. Here's the results. Special thanks to Larry for the pictures!
WARNING: Refilling of disposable propane canisters may be dangerous or illegal in certain jurisdictions. Check with your local authorities prior to attempting any refills, or use DOT approved refillable tanks instead. Be safe!
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Flame King 1lb Tank Refill kit : amzn.to/2Q9WHG9
DOT Compliant Refill Tank: amzn.to/2W6FP8P
Fuel Filter (recommended): amzn.to/2B9NKrN
Ceramic Space Heater: amzn.to/2zVPVOk
Honda EU2000i Inverter Generator: amzn.to/2zbQtMV
"5-O July" by Dan Lebowitz from UA-cam Audio Library
Good points! I should have clarified more on the 1lb tanks though. I did fill the tanks myself, releasing the pressure prior to filling. That said, I didn't get them completely filled. I did mark the weights on the sides however: 15.0, 14.4, 14.0 and one 12.7 oz. That means one was only 79% full, perhaps explaining why one only lasted 2hrs 37 minutes. That said I am wondering if other factors like cold and altitude could have also reduced the 6 hours I should have got each cylinder. That said, with 16 hours darkness, I still would be changing those tanks in the middle of the night regardless. Larger tanks are better! Slim
Is the Mr Buddy different technology from the Wave catalytic heaters?
Hi Slim .
The 1 pound tanks will only "fill" or normalize pressure to the larger tank . A 50% tank will only fill the small tank ~50% !
I DO use the adapter WITH the recommended FILTER ! Your forced air FURNACE has a barrier that essentially keeps the flame OUTSIDE and heat is blown through an exchanger.....no condensation !
Another fine production .
MsKraftee ....yes. Two totally different technologies. Catalytic heaters are way better. They sip fuel. Produce a more comfortable heat. More efficient. Cost of the catalytic heater is more than a buddy type....but in short time the fuel useage savings of the catalytic heater will pay for itself. Long service life to the catalytic heater pad. Biggest trick is to keep the catalytic heater covered when not in use. I am into my 7th winter using the original catalytic heater pad. I would never go back to a buddy style heater. I have used every brand of heater and catalytics are my number one choice.
I use the big tanks in my pop-up. It does a great jod.
Your comment is my reason for clicking the video after seeing the thumbnail. The small green tanks won't get you through the night...they just don't last long enough to get good and comfortable.
I've been running the big buddy just on the small bottles. About 5 years now daily. Runs beautifully.
Every time I seem to watch this man, he never seems to get warm enough. I hope he has achieved his dreams of warmth.
I don't think Hell is warm enough for him , LOL
I love mine. I used it for many winter months! Sometimes the feed tube can get clogged, so there are several UA-cam videos that show how to maintain it if this happens.
I used mine about 10 minutes at night and again 10 minutes in the morning to get my camper toasty!
I did not know that the 1# cans were refillable, thanks for that tip!
I have a roof vent above my bed and crack it open whenever I run the heater. Plus I have a carbon monoxide detector mounted on my wall nearby.
Somebody stole mine but I replaced it.
I live in California and camped in Tehachapi when it was snowing and the temp. was about 31 degrees.
I was nice and toasty in my camper.
It's a custom built old school insulated metal and wood shell I had built for me. I insulated my truck bed as well.
I got several days out of my 1lb. cans. It is so worth it!
Oh, I bought a 14"x14" ceramic tile from Home Depot to set the heater on as a safety precaution.
- OTL
Thank you for that detailed video. I have a MrBuddy and I use it to warm the bedroom at night before sleeping. My electric blanket keeps me comfortable till morning. I then use the MrBuddy again to heat up the living room where I enjoy my coffee and some TV news. In your case, I think it would be worth your while to have a battery bank and inverter in your truck sufficient to power an electric blanket. They don't draw much current on a low setting and low is all you need if you have a blanket on top of the electric one. I feel it's safe that way because you are set to a low heat...Better yet, spend your winters in Arizona. We're happy to share our warmer winters with our Canadian friends :)
Hi Harold, Great ideas, thanks! I do now use an electric blanket, found one that it low amp and works great. BTW I was just in Arizona, in California now. Winters in Canada can be fun, but not all 9 months of it!!! Slim
I have the new "tough buddy" going by my bed here watching this video. I never used the 1 lb bottles, always used the 20 and 30 lb ones from the start, the bottle outside, (although squirrels are through one hose), it makes me feel safer, please tell your people to buy a filter as the bigger tanks are more "dirty" and need it. They're only $10 or so. The "tough buddy" I bought at Lowes, and it is evidently using more metal parts (painted yellow) especially on the frame that holds the ceramic burn plate..and no doubt, it will last longer...though my original one never wore out after 2 years. I also have a Kidde Carbon Monoxide Alarm with fresh batteries ... as well as a normal smoke detector. Please emphasize the need for these. A propane heater emits carbon dioxide due to the normal process of combustion. As the gas burns , carbon monoxide is formed as the by-product, it is odorless and colorless and can quietly KILL YOU. Thanks for your videos, I share your minimalist approach to life and love your videos.
These heaters have 02 sensors built in to them. While having a C02 monitor is an extra added protection, all these heaters need is fresh air so the pilot light remains lit. It really depends on how the propane heater is designed and for what use.
Catytic heaters hardly produce any carbon monoxide at all, that's why they're rated as indoor safe. They do produce Co2 however as does anything that burns a hydrocarbon so some fresh air is required. The heater has an automatic low oxygen shutoff at least.
Hi Slim - I have a suggestion for your door when cold weather camping. Cut a wool blanket down to slightly larger than the door opening. Cut that piece in half lengthwise then overlap the two pieces by a few inches and stitch together at the top. Then hang over the door. You'll probably still lose some heat when you open the door and go out but not as much as without the covering.
Thanks MsKraftee, good idea. Will experiment more when the chill starts again! SP
That sounds like a really good idea!
Great idea
Maybe just a couple space blankets (the ones that look like thin aluminum foil).
I have taped up a sheet of plastic to act as a convection barrier on my regular shape trailer door when I go in and out as well as over the slide out to minimize the area needing to be heated. I don’t see the need to cut up a perfectly good wool blanket since all you need to do is stop the movement of air. Of course you would need to accommodate for your door opening that you used to get a little fresh air coming in.
Great video! Mr Heater recommends that you use their filter when connecting your heater to the larger propane bottles. I would go through a filter pretty quickly and although they aren't too expensive it adds up. I did discover the Mr Heater makes a 10' hose that doesn't require the filter. I'm only talking about their 10' hose as all their other hoses require their filter. Mr Heater says on the back of the packaging for the 10' hose that no filter is required. I was able to buy the 10' hose at my local Lowes. Thanks again for the great video.
Slim Potatohead
You are a class act. Love how you are so laid back, and explain things very well. Oh, and you actually look like you are happy and having fun- what a combination! Will be watching more of your videos, count on it.
Keep on keepin' on and be safe sir!
Back in 2019 I towed my 7x14 cargo trailer conversion camper to Yellowstone and the Tetons after the Sturgis MC rally. This was late August/early September and the temperature would go from being "hot" in the day to "cold" at night occasionally dropping down to the low 30's. I was primitive camping and had a generator, but you could not find a space heater or a large Buddy heater anywhere as they were all sold out at the big hardware stores. I got lucky and found one of the smaller Buddy heaters at a small local retail store. It was there last one and it saved my butt. It is designed to heat an area of 95 sq ft which is right at what my camper sg ft area is. I just cracked my window a little and slept like a baby...
Mr Potatoehead I find myself watching your videos over again to let every bit of info set in. Thank you. I have a 87 13' Fiberglass trailer Diana Detroit
Your refilled cans do not have the same amount in them as do the store bought units. Filling from a larger tank by gravity instead of the factory 7.5 pound pressure fed filling gives you only about 65% of the gas you get from a factory filled tank. Cost is much more though. I’m thinking more of the pain of having to swap tanks 4 times a night instead of only twice. I would invest in a mini pellet stove. They are tiny but throw out a tremendous amount of heat. One good fill will last all night and they cool down quickly for storage. But you’ll need a 2” exhaust pipe someplace. It could easily be done and a snap cap could cover the hole when not in use in season. I love them because they are cheap, a 80 lb bag will last a few weeks running nearly continuously. It’s a great way to heat a small space and you can cook on them too!!
Great content I enjoy your videos.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Good information.... for the most part! One thing I do, as a full time trucker, is I upgraded to the Big Buddy Heater... it has a circulation fan and is far easier to crank higher when your in colder temperatures. But I've gone into far colder temperatures than this with it and have been fine. I do keep quite a few back up one pounders. The big buddy heater has TWO one pound canisters. Which will last a total of about 10 hours on low. Which is sufficient to heat a space the size of a truck cab easily. The down side is the moisture, but using regular heaters every day besides when the vehicle is running (just the vehicle heater) drys out the inside rather quickly. I do have the quick attach hose as well for larger tanks and often use it, but it really isn't necessary. Two one pounders a night is all I've ever used. Even in far more extreme colds, but the inside of my transport truck is probably far more insulated than that trailer, likely. I love the big buddy heater. It does have an external AC plug so you can use the fan and it does draw minimal battery power as well. I wouldn't go with those small honda generators as they only last 6 hours, unless you do the fuel modification that some have listed on you tube, to get them to run far longer. I do have a 3000 Watt imitation honda that works well I purchased from Harbor Freight, and although it isn't very good in extreme colds for starting (you have to warm it up first, but once it's going it's usually fine) and I actually find it quieter than honda's when placed side by side. But in ultimately extremely cold temperatures I usually idle the transport truck anyway, just to be safe and keep the Big Buddy heater as a backup.....I do have webasto heater as well, but every heater needs a backup heater when your dealing with temperatures as low as -20F for sure... and back up candles and back up heated blankets and back up arctic sleeping bags and clothing. I've been dealing with extreme colds for many years and travelling on my own that way right across North America. From Alaska to the deserts, so I know cold.... and the Big Buddy heater is the way to go for sure in my opinion. Mind you I made the mistake of buying the smaller heater first too, and returned it after only one night of use. It just wasn't enough heat for me. Spend the extra money on the Big Buddy heater.. try that one, and then let me know what you think....for the 2 bux a night to refill the propane canisters and the not getting out of bed to replace them is worth the extra 80 bux for the size up and the circulation fan helps to circulate the heat through the vehicle SO much better.
I camp solo in my vintage 22 foot class A. I stay in the midwest and find the buddy useful in the early and late seasons. I don't camp in freezing temps.
I keep the buddy going until I go to bed. I use appropriate bedding to stay warm while I sleep. Upon waking, I turn the buddy on high. About 5-10 minutes later my rig is warm enough to be quite comfortable.
I think I'd need a different solution if I camped in freezing temps. The furnace in the RV takes too much battery power for the fan, so I don't use it when boondocking. (which is most of my camping.)
If you are going to run the buddy for more than an hour or two, get the adapter for the bigger tank. But, if you do, you MUST get the inline filter. Otherwise you'll have problems.
I don’t know how you do it. If my room temperature goes up or down from 72°F I have a fit. I’ve lived in California all my life and can’t imagine those cold snowy winters. I really enjoy your videos! Thanks!
Very interesting observation about condensation from using the stove. I would not have thought of that issue. Very informative video. Thank you.
I have not heard of anyone who uses this complain or even mention the condensation.
Hi, Slim, I used that same Mr. Heater for many years when I camped in an 8 X 10 wall tent in freezing weather, which necessitated constantly running it on High. While it provided great heat within the tent, it never failed that I would wake up in the middle of the night shivering controllably because the canister had run out, and I'd fumble around trying to replace and relight the heater. While I used that heater with confidence because it would shut itself down if the O2 level got too low, the drawback is that it wasn't reliable when camping at Higher elevations, which made up the bulk of my camping. It would sputter and be more likely to quit, the higher in elevation that I was. I was not aware that those canisters are refillable. I have disposed of countless Coleman canisters!!
Another use for your buddy heater is you can use it to heat up coffee or can use it to cook small meals. I use a stainless camping cup that sits on the top of the of the heaters protective grate and leans against that handle. Does a nice job heating up soups or my coffee while I'm out in my deerstand. You could also make a safer grate with a flatter surface to use a bigger cooking container if need be.
Wish I would have watched this before getting into very cold weather in the mountains of Arizona. Mr Buddy started up around 19 degrees but wouldn't start close to zero. The inside of my entire unit was ice.
MilesB cold!
Thanks for stressing the amount of moisture that an unvented gas heater creates. Its rarely mentioned and can really turn your rig into a wet mess. Thanks for the video.
I use a wood pellet stove for home heat, they can put your humidity at around 30 or 40 percent making you house low humidity to keep all the window dry.
I watch a lot of video of campers using this heater and NO ONE has ever mentioned condensation. No one.
In an RV I think the a Buddy heater is fabulous for emergency use only. When all else fails it will keep you from freezing.
Yes .For emergency heating only me as well. I'm not going camping in minus 18 by choice!
I realize this is a year old but this is my experience with my Buddy Heater. I have a 10x16 cabin with moderate insulation in Ontario. I recently installed a direct vent furnace with a 30lb propane tank. This furnace has the benefits of your trailer furnace in that the combustion fumes are vented outside and it has a thermostat so it cycles on and off (pilot stays on)
I use my Buddy Heater to help get the cabin up to temperature when I first arrive in the fall/winter. After that I just use my furnace for the same reasons you indicated.
I have had good results with brand new green tanks so you must not be getting a full tank when you refill them.
The Buddy heaters are great additions to extend your cold weather stays but they certainly have limitations. I was also very surprised by how much humidity they produce and was always a little concerned about the carbon Monoxide levels. They have a low oxygen sensor but they don't measure the carbon monoxide levels. Anyone heating a confined space with gas should have a CO detector on at all times when heating a small space.
I cannot emphasize enough how important that ventilation you showed was to overall safety.
you're right I have a boddy myself and the small tanks do not do the job. Now I'm using my 20lb tank with a 10' hose. This configuration works perfectly and I also have a splitter that allows me to keep my stove connected at all times. I find you very brave to face winter like that. Canadian myself I love winter but once my outdoor activities are over I prefer the warmth of the house with a good fire in the wood stove.
Good video. I am a full time logging site watchman in Oregon. Wet, heavy snow now. Mr. Buddy works well. It does make heat. Water too. On warmer dry days I open things up to dry the RV out.
Rewatching slims videos to take us all to peaceful nature at this time. Thank you SP💙💜🌎🙏
Thanks for the memories. After 32 years in Alaska, I don’t miss it. LOL! I love Texas. ☀️
Still, we went tent camping 2 weeks ago and it got into the 30’s (Fahrenheit) and it’s quite humid down here so it doesn’t take much to feel cold here.
Great review! Very realistic. 👍🏻
The Big Buddy heater has a fan and you install a 9 volt battery. Also it takes two 1 lb bottles or hook up to a 20 lb tank. Great video. I'm in Edmonton Alberta. Cheers.
I once spent the entire winter living in my old Chalet A-Frame in temperatures between low teens to high 40's (F). Even though I often had hookups, I used the Buddy Heater almost exclusively and would do so again in a minute. I couldn't sleep with my furnace as it made too much noise when the fans cut on as the the flames ignite. It always woke me up at night when it ran. Now, I do agree that my experience was different from yours as I wasn't in sub 0 degree weather.
I had mine connected to the 20 lbs tanks on my trailer and would run it for just part of the day until I felt it was getting too warm and would shut it off (even at night). I relied on on the fact that I like to sleep cold under blankets and will get up more than once to answer the call of nature. So I could turn it on and off as needed when I was up. I vented out through my roof vent cracked open even though that was loosing some heat compared to something down lower (as heat rises). But I figured it was also taking out more of the CO (which would be hot from the flame when the O2 reacted with the flame to form CO) than a window lower down which would need to be cracked even more to compensate. Looking back it was also likely taking with it some of the condensation (since it was warm vapor). While anyone in a thin trailer will have some condensation on the metal fittings against the walls in winter, but I never really noticed it unless I was looking for it. I did put removable insulated panels over my windows at night to hold more heat in and did the pool noodle thing in the gaps along the roof/wall. I will note that my trailer had a relatively new LPG leak and CO detectors so I never worried about my safety.
Been going through your videos (out of order) as I'm thinking about getting another A-Frame after selling mine several years ago, so thanks for your effort in making all of them.
You are warmer then the guys in the B-17s in WW2. :-)
WOOHOO!!! Amen brother!!
My grandfather served in WWII in Europe. He and my grandmother lived in England during both wars. He used to tell me stories about those years. Great comment.
Cheers mate
Nice job love the photo of outdoors in the winter. A true camp man
Hey Slim, my wife sewed a space blanket between two light weight felt cloths to make a blanket that will keep you toasty warm all night long.
Scott, i would really enjoy a tutorial video showing just how to do that. . What did she do in the center of the blanket to keep the space blanket inside from shifting around?
A factory filled 1 lb tank will last just about 5 hours. To properly refill a 1lb tank get a full tank u need to flip the 20 lb tank upside down. Every once and a while use hemostats to pop the air pressure valve to relieve pressure. I use a food scale to measure the tanks. A brand new tank weighs about 1lb 15 oz. An empty tank weighs in at 1 lb so its not a true 1 lb of propane. Using the scale I fill my tanks to exactly 2 lbs and they work great. There are 21500 btus in every lb of propane so roughly 5.3 hours at 4000 btu(low)
I attach a battery powered clip fan to the handle to push air over the top of the heater for circ. To deal with condensation, barely crack a roof vent and a lower window. Will help with condensation while also helping keep safe oxygen levels.
We used an Apache popup trailer for deer hunting in the NYS Adirondack mountains where temperatures got to 20 below zero F overnight. We used it 10 years before switching to a tent. The tent had a fly and we encased the tent in clear plastic held by clamps. It helped with condensation. In the camper we used a built in propane furnace sparingly because of condensation from drying hunting clothes. We insulated the floor and sides where we could with carpet closed cell foam padding and indoor/outdoor carpeting which helped. The pull out ends for beds had thin fiberglass panels which sweated and had to be wiped dry daily. If we had it today I might have tried carpet remnants with integral foam backing and lined the panels with pieces held in place with duct tape, Velcro, and clamps. I don't know how it would work but it would be worth a try. Another thing to try would put plastic around the bottom of the camper to keep wind out. We used overlapped canvas panels for a door on a homesote addition to the tent. Inside this addition we used a wood stove. Something similar could be made using a 10X10' lawn canopy with canvas sides and a homesote panel on one side with cutout for a stovepipe. You could seal one side over the door with duct tape and leave the door open for wood heat. I'm sure an innovative guy like you could make it work. You might need an aluminum pipe brace on one side to hold up the homesote panel. You'd need stakes and maybe guy rope to hold the canopy down in wind.
You need one of those thermal woodstove fans that you set on top of the woodstove. Circulation will drastically cut down on the buildup of condensation although not getting rid of all of it it will get rid of at least half of the water.
Thank you for responding Slim!!!
I really enjoy your videos:). I've missed some, hopefully they'll come around again. I envy your life style!
Excellent demonstration!! Very helpful points! I’ve got the big buddy and a 20lb tank with hose. Placing it below a slightly open window helps a great deal for venting the moisture. I know from recent experience that you’ll get at least 20hrs on Max 2 burners. Should be able to double that on medium, which would be like the little buddy on max and of course, then better on minimum.
I love cold weather RVing. I take my travel trailer out on trips in winter, and I use it at the lake on weekends all year round in North Dakota. I use a mix of the RV furnace and the Mr. Heater Big Buddy as I have a 28' TT. I don't bother with reflectix and insulation. I do put the pillows in the roof vents but other than that I prefer the sunlight to come in in the daytime melt the condensation off the windows and it raises the temp in the TT enough that I don't leave the heat on when I am not there. on cold days without sun it seems more efficient to keep heat running so nights aren't so chilly. I hope you have more winter RVing trips to share just found your channel i'll be checking out the rest of your videos soon.
Boy... I've been enjoying your video. No frills just the basic facts. Thanks
I lived in a 1977 sunline 15-footer for a few years. One of the things that I really liked about that was that the furnace did not have a blower. So I didn't use any battery at all when running the furnace. Now all the modern ones seem to have a blower no matter how small the camper. The Box on the camper with 6 and 1/2 feet wide by 12 ft long you really didn't need a fan to circulate the Heat. Given the choice I would choose one of those old campers again. Extremely simple and I could fix almost anything on it.
Thanks so much for this video !!! I have a Mr Buddy that I haven’t used yet, my family is so freaked out about using propane inside my van. I understand the risk and think with the CO2 detector it should be ok. I have the roof fans for ventilation I just never know how much ventilation I need for even just my stove. I feel much better about using now. Your thorough no nonsense video has really helped me. Thank you so much 😊
We use our Little Buddy heater quite a bit, but we keep it on the low setting and put a small, USB fan on top of the heater to spread the heat around our 25 ft trailer. The fan sits nicely on top of the heater (it's a metal fan - definitely don't use a plastic one) and the USB is plugged into a mini charger (we got 2 of the mini chargers for an excellent price at Costco). The small fan will run for about 6 hours on the mini charger. And, because we put the heater on the low setting, it doesn't use nearly as much propane - yes, those little canisters can empty pretty fast if the heater is on high. We also get the canisters at Costco, so big savings there. Refilling them is also a good way to save money. The fan circulates the air in the trailer, and helps to reduce condensation. We also use the mini chargers for charging our cell phones.
If you set up a blanket in overlapping panels at your door it will keep some of the heat in when entering exiting . We use this idea in big freezers. We use thick rubber freezer strips 8 in to 12 inches wide. 🇨🇦
Fantastic little gas heater. I used mine for several years heating my cabin in winter with night time temps around 25-35 F. I connected to a 20# tank and generally used only the low setting. Still have it after 12 winters and runs fine. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if needed.
I agree about the wool blanket overlap door cover. We use the dollar store thermal curtain on our door to allow the dogs to come and go in winter. We have a wood stove and only close the door in extreme cold nights. I think I spent around 10$ each for the 3 ft by 6 ft insulated curtain with plastic backing. They work pretty good. Thanks for the review. And yes they will need venting as air will not pass through them.
Greetings from a fellow Albertan. What a great review and I'm glad I found your channel.
One more big negative I would like to add is the fumes, we have the Big Buddy and noticed after a couple of weeks a haze on our rv windows, like you see in vehicles that are being smoked in and then immediately retired the Big Buddy, no need to mess up our lungs.
Hi John, Thanks for the head's up on another possible issue. Although I haven't written it off yet, I can certainly see challenges with this type of heater in a small enclosed area like a trailer. Lots more ideas to try though!
We have a little oscillating heater for our truck camper. The swivel really helps push the warm air around, so we don't get too much condensation. We leave a top vent open a crack for circulation as well. It's got a hood so no rain or she gets in. We can average about 20C in the camper and around 47% humidity with 2 of us in there full time. We're in BC now but we started in Calgary. Brrrrrrr!
HI I'm from Asia A place not so snowy, but I must tell you that your video is still nice and interesting, excellent explanations, fun to watch.
Thanks!
Great Video, I use Dietz oil lanterns to heat up my Florida room in the winter, they are extremely safe, are a great light source as well as a great source of dry heat. The other benefit is that they extremely cheap to run, 7 cents a hour worth of lamp oil. The lamp oil is basically odorless and the lamps will run all night and you just have to vent them the same as you did with the propane heater. Again, I subscribed thanks for doing the videos.
We use a big buddy in our 40ft DP. I have it connected to the main propane line under the stove. Works good.
Always crack a window open but we never run it overnight while sleeping. Also have 2 CO detectors.
I prefer the Big Buddy which still has the 4000 btu setting but also has a fan to circulate the air
Have Fun And will run on 2 tanks making half as many changes.
It also has oxygen depletion sensor in the BIG BUDDY. Much better device.
Yeah it actually lasts about the same as the smaller unit when ran on those little cylinders on medium to high heat settings, if you run it on low it'll last about 6 hours, but you really need the fan in order to really do much at that point. The big buddy heater's fan will run for what seems like forever on 4 d-batteries.
@@wildbill23c 4 d batteries = $3 @ dollarama, and they work great.
William Sevier does the Big Buddy fan help reduce moisture at all?
Thanks
A neat idea about filling the small bottles from the large one and saving $$... after the adapter is paid for. I have a portable grill for my boat, and the grill uses the small bottles. I cook out every night at least seven or eight nights in a row, and I surely don't use up one small bottle for every cook-out. Thus, over a summer, there should be a nice savings. But then, my 20,000 lb. boat, with its twin gas engines and built-in generator, uses 16-gal/hr of premium gasoline. So, skimping on the propane might be about as efficient as pushing on a rope. On the other hand, space, even in a big boat, is at a premium, just like in a camper. And small bottles will store better than a large one. Love your experiments, even if they fail. Keep on keeping on and thanks for your videos.
Great video. Winter campers should take heed. I have the same assortment you have in my decrepit pop-up truck camper. I have the option to use it in the collapsed position which reduces the heat volume.
With the cold weather and travelling I hope you have extra food / beverages and snacks with you. NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU'LL BE DELAYED A COUPLE OF DAYS. Hopefully an extra blanket or two and extra warm clothing. Heck a couple of books may be helpful. Reading and Camping.
Lol I've camped there so many times. Make sure you get propane in red deer at Low-Cost propane. They fill it 100% and dont overcharge you. Tanks after 2007 have a safety feature that the float only allows around 75% full. Then if the person doesnt weigh it and turn that screw, you are being scammed. I found propane to be too much moisture in the winter and I think there might even be a bylaw against using non OEM propane parts in campers. I guess you can always say that you will freeze without it and maybe get by.
Also I bought the big buddy heater and hose adapter, it worked once with the small bottle and when I used the hose adapter, it stopped working altogether, I couldt get it to lite, so I returned it for the one that mounts on the tank, it was much cheaper and has 3 settings. On high it heats things very fast and I only used high, once because it was too hot.
Lol I love the ending. Also if you're using propane in cold temps, I suggest keeping lock deicer on you. If you're using a small generator, i suggest using a 1200 running watt (1500 starting watt) Champion brand. It will actually run a 1500 watt ceramic heater
Hi Slim,
I have the same unit. Found the perfect little fan for this at the dollar store ($2).
Sits on top but back enough not to get fried. Runs on 5 Volt USB. Works great and might relieve some of your condensation. Keep in mind you're going to get less bang for your buck with a large tank sitting out in the icy cold. Try and find a two cylinder manifold or Coleman's Gemini case will give more total run time hooked up to two 1 pounders rather than separately.
Thanks for this video Slim. I just bought a basic Chalet Alpine, no heater, no side storage doors, just a box. Will need to use a heater like this at times, so it was good to hear your review. Mostly tho, I plan to just heat water for coffee, and by the time the water is hot, the trailer will be warm. Don't plan to do any cold, cold camping. Nice way to demonstrate condensation, by the way.
I like the idea of the little Honda generator to power the ceramic heater. I wonder how long it would last on a full tank of gas. No way I'd want all that moisture from the Buddy on a regular basis! Thanks SP!
I saw a post by someone who travels the country in a van camper and immediately thought of you. He uses an old school method, and I do mean OLD. He stated that he heats rocks in the fire, wraps them in a beach towel, and put them at the feet of his sleeping bag. He also said that rocks were still warm the next morning. It just seemed that if you were going to build a fire anyway, bringing heated rocks into the camper might be a zero gas zero electricity way to add heat indoors. And no threat of carbon monoxide poisoning or moisture issues.
I reconize that place only 10 minutes from where i live. Awsome
We use the Mr. Buddy large tank adaptor for our 20Ilb tank. There is an inline filter accessory for the hose - it's a necessity for the Mr. Buddy to work reliably.
We have a 34 ft. fifth wheel and use a big buddy heater virtually all the time when winter camping. I fully agree that the small canisters are not practical. Although as you pointed out, you can't refill a the 1 lb. tanks to capacity. When I refilled some used tanks, I was never able to get over 12 oz. in any of the refills by weight. I tapped into my main propane line with a T shut off and hooked up a flexible line that has a quick connect connector. That hose is coiled and tied off behind our propane stove. When needed, I bring out the big buddy, snap on the quick connect and turn on the buddy! We have spent many, many hours heating with our big buddy and have not had excessive moisture issues resulting from vapor. To be fair, it's rare that the outside temps are lower then 20 degrees F. But on the other side, we keep the temperature in our camper between 65 to 70F. Our experience is that we will use far less propane with the buddy then we will with our campers furnace on propane. Even when hooked up to shore power, we use the buddy a on low or medium (our's has 3 settings) depending on outside temperature. Then let the campers furnace satisfy the thermostat. In cold weather, our furnace fan runs more then it's off. With the big buddy making most of the heat, the furnace fan might only cycle 3 or 4 times during the night. We wouldn't be without our buddy heater!!!!
Hi Eddie, thanks for the well-written description of how well the Big Buddy works for your needs. I agree these stoves work well with moderately cold temperatures, with minimum condensation issues. In my case I was using it at temperatures a lot colder of course, which gave me mixed results. I am still working on the 3rd alternative, hope to have something to show some time in the future. All the Best! Slim
Yeah, I'm down in Texas, and may not hit cold weather like that, but I think I'll use the LP furnace in the camper... or fire up the generator and use a space heater with a thermostat. I picked up a Westinghouse 2200W generator that will run 13 hours at 50% load, so a 100W space heater should be able to run all night long if I ever need it to. Plus the generator is decently quiet. I'll probably keep it in the bed of my truck to deflect sound. Maybe rig up a little half enclosure with some sound absorbing foam to help.
Still a fun video Slim! Love seeing how you cope with the cold North!
Hi Matthew, I heard there was snow in Austin while it was 59F in Alberta yesterday! Weird weather sometimes.
IMHO people that run generators all night suck even if they think "but it's a quiet one"!
@@jay90374. Some people need to run a cpap or other medical equipment to remain alive.
Thanks for all the great information. You have been preparing me for my retirement on the road full time in the RV. Although I have no desire to see any more snow. For cooler nights I did purchase the Big Buddy just in case.
I admire your cold weather camping, i do it too but out of necessity for deer hunting, we camp at the back of a field and those cold nights take some getting used too, i use the buddy heater also plumbed into my two 20 lb tanks on the front of my camper, i have had my mattress freeze to the wall from condensation on many occasions ! A constant electric source with the ceramic heater is the best option.
awesome review, The Mr Heater goes on sale tomorrow at Canadian Tire for $89.00 I will be picking one up for my RV.
I don't need one but think it will be a nice backup to have.
FYI- I think that yelp is not a coyote. It is actually a call of an elk. Their calls are very high and shrill. Also, it is during the day, most coyotes run at night. The rest after 3:20 on ARE coyotes. Don't shoot me if I am wrong, but I really do think the first was an elk. I am so glad you got a nice cozy spot.
I loved mine! Although I did have to deal with some of the issues you mentioned it did do the trick. Also, that little Honda generator. Boy I wish I would have found one of those. I take my dogs to a place in Duluth called Rice Point under the B;latnik Bridge, where I met a contractor fellow who stayed under there between jobs, as hotels in town are either extremely nice and expensive or cheap and seedy.. He was running one and to be honest I barely heard it. It was extremely quiet for a generator (not like I have a lot of expertice in these). If you are really against listening to a genny running you would be able to deal with this one if you absolutely had to run one.
Again... Thanks for another great video.
Thank you for mentioning the adaptor!
Well, I would never have to worry about the cold as I am NOT a cold winter camper! But great information!
I use the 20lb tank to heat my 28ft class C and it works great. Condensation with any rv in the winter is a problem. If I have power then I use a small dehumidifier.
My vote when boondocking would be to use the gas furnace that the A-frame trailer manufacturers install.
Advantages: Uses an air to air heat exchanger, much like a miniature version of a forced air furnace in a home. Therefore the combustion air gases never are mixed with the trailer air inside. No water vapor, no fumes, no CO. Plumbed to the 20 lb propane tanks on the tongue so you have a very long run time.
Disadvantages: Noisy. The fan on the furnace does make considerable noise when running. Requires 12VDC power. I measured my 16,000 BTU furnace current draw and it draws 2.2Amps while running. A group 24 marine battery has a useable 33Amp hours (50% discharge). So the furnace could run a straight 15 hours continuously. Depending on the outside temperature, it might only run 25% of that time, so then you are looking at 60 hours of heated camping.
Hi Allen, good information. I had been using the onboard furnace, but really hated the noise at startup, on and off all night, plus the battery drain. That's what started me looking for alternatives. Along with experimenting with dry sources of heat, I am also hoping to upgrade my solar and energy storage. Thanks!
Makes sense to get a cheap generator. Maybe run it to power the furnace blower. Then run it to charge the battery. Good idea.
You are a dedicated soul to be camping in Zero Degree weather.
Thank you... For an honest review, the pros and cons.
I'm picking up my new Aliner in 2 days! Woo Hoo I can't wait! I'v e been watching your videos and others to learn the ins and outs of Aliner camping.
I have a little buddy heater for our big motorhome , but when I had my Sportsmobile conversion van , I bought a Black Cat from Coleman . It has a lower low setting so it will run all night and then some .
Stan Watkins a
I just purchased one of these for ice fishing. I like it in my small flip up.
Your honesty and straightforward explanation is PERFECT; AGAIN, THANKS!! 😃👍👣
When I refill my 1 lb tanks, I always put them in the freezer beforehand. If you have someone to help you, you can tilt the 20 tank while filling then the other person can take a pair of curved hemostats and pull on the safety vent tab on the 1 lb tank which will allow more propane to enter the small tank. Also, if you hook a hose to it, you must use a filter or the gas orifice in the heater will plug quickly with gunk from the hose lining. The only problem I had with my heater was this year, I would light it and after 3 minutes it would shut down. I noticed that my pilot light was yellow and should be blue like a torch. I took the metal safety grill off and took a cotton swab with alcohol and cleaned out the gas tube and it worked great after that. Happy trails!!
There are MANY youtube videos on refilling the 1 pound tanks. VERY EASY AND QUICK to do.
@@sassylady2001 I also fill my 20# tanks from my 500 gallon tank.
I’ve been there and done that with 1 lb propane bottles. I went to the Big Buddy which uses 2 1 lb cyl but that still led to changing bottles. Then I went to the hose and 20 lb cyl. You are correct for sure about the moisture problem
I have the larger Big Buddy Heater that runs on 2 of the 1 pound cylinders but I bought the hose to hookup to larger tanks, you only get about 4-6 hours with 1 of the little cylinders so the hose is a definite must...My big buddy heater has a fan which runs on 4 D batteries if I recall, its been a long time since I've gone camping. I don't have a trailer, I just had a tent, and with a 4-6 person tent that dang heater would run you right out of the tent, especially if you were running the fan. The big buddy heater has more heat settings but it has 2 burner plates rather than just the 1 on the smaller heaters, so you use more fuel. The other issue you can run into is when its cold those cylinders get cold and the fuel doesn't flow properly.
Those little Honda Generators are extremely quite and very fuel efficient, but ridiculously expensive.
I would strongly recommend using a carbon monoxide detector. I do not trust propane as I have picked up bodies as an EMT from supposedly safe situations. The only completely safe propane furnaces are those that directly vent outside for their combustion air. I have also run a generator with a 50 foot cord and a 1500 watt electric heater with a blower. This is completely safe and works fairly well if it's not real cold.
Slim. You got to do the wood stove. I have built a ammo can wood stove. Portable. Be happy to show you photos so far if your interested. There's nothing as dry as wood heat. Loved this video by the way. On e of you top ten in my humble opinion. Cheers Bri
Hi Brian, that's the direction I'm heading but will take a while before I have anything ready to put on a video. Safety is certainly a concern, so I would need a lot of careful testing before I tell anyone to put a wood stove in a fold-up trailer. Thanks!
You are running a wood stove inside a camper? Dangerous,don't you think?
@@scottfirman ... i would think no more dangerous than a can of explosive LP.. everything is dangerous if not handled or used properly. A lot of boats us wood heaters. justsayin..
PS in arches national park they rent tents with wood stoves.. yes tents with wood stoves..
Actually not dangerous at all, nothing any different than a wood stove or fireplace in your house. Course in a camper you don't need a very large one, or you'll end up sleeping outside the camper LOL. They do make mini wood stoves for RV's, tents, campers, and tiny houses, and being so small you can carry or gather quite a bit of firewood pretty easily.
@@scottfirman From what I hear and see "Life is dangerous."
I have camped ocean side and it was cold and windy in a 3 person tent. I set the Buddy Heater to pilot and it burned all night about 7 hours and was just enough to keep us warm, so no swapping tanks in the middle of the night.
I'm building my own mini nuclear reactor to heat my camper. No combustion means no moisture problems, and it only needs refueling every 20 years.
Thumbs up for your video!
You should add an exterior tent vestibule outside the aliner door that you keep closed when you open the camper door. That will help keep the camper warm when door is opened.
I use a battery pack (jump pack) on a deep cycle battery with a power inverter. It works pretty good for minor uses. It can charge your items, as well as run a small TV and console if your living out of it.
For using the 1# propane Cylinders suggest putting a stick on body warmer over a sandwich baggie-held on with a rubber band- to offset the evaporative cooling of the propane on cylinder.
This works on my backpacking canister stoves in winter XC ski trips to Alaska State Park cabins.
I've used it in a tent. If you use it to warm the place up to get out of your sleeping bag and put on your clothes it's great. I would suggest max run time of 1 hour per day. Any more and everything will get damp. Since its cold outside the dampness doesn't go any where. Yes it's cumulative. 30 min in the evening and 30 min in the morning is fine.
Interesting video, I might say that little buddies or big buddy propane heaters have oxygen depletion sensors built in. That said; me personally I would not sleep with one on. A propane heater that is not direct vented to the outside can build up CO inside. At the minimum I would have a CO sensor. I would be to nervous to spend to much time with a little buddy heater inside; anyways great videos 👍.
DO what you will but it has been proven over and over by studies and other using this heater there is no danger. It will shut itself off if there is any danger of carbon monoxide.
Greatest purchas in my rv is a dehumidifier.
i got myself a 2000 watt generator inverter with a 1500 heater with fan ..works amazing and i love it !
Cracking a roof vent slightly, will help with the condensation problem and carbon monoxide if it is a worry .
There are also moisture absorption products you can buy, even a small open container of kitty litter will absorb some.
About the 1 pound tanks, they are marked non refillable so if you manage to burn your trailer and car up the insurance company will use that out to avoid paying, also it is not illegal to refill them, but it is illegal to transport a refilled one. So if you refill them use or empty them before moving.
Every time I run into a video about the well-named Heater Buddy I leave the following comment...I've had my buddy for about 14 years, and like last night, saved my life on many occasions. I did some research and found that propane (C3H8) is a short-chain hydrocarbon like butane and hexane. When it burns it combines with oxygen and decarboxylates releasing a carboxyl group (COOH) which forms into CO2 and H2O...sounds like club soda to me. The only disadvantage is that H2O fogs up your windows in no time flat. As a note to my Northern buddies the US Air Force made sure I enjoyed two balmy winters on the tropical shores of Lake Melville in Goose Bay, Labrador where -40 degrees is the same on both scales...:)
I used the Mr. Buddy at Mesa Verde, canister lasts four hours. Had fantastic fan vent open, nights only 40 degrees F.
After you refill use a small allen key to purge some air out of tank then reattach and fill again. You will get them full
Love my furnace in my 13 ft have never run the battery down using it off grid. I just use a trickle solar panel.
If you burp the green cylinder(use a hemostat on the valve) you can get more propane in the bottle). Also, chill the bottle before filling it.
Thank you for making this video. I never knew you could refill those one-pound propane canisters.
You can get the adapter at Walmart for like $7-8
@@therealbigfoot3076 Thank you!
You have a rig. Put a 20lb tank outside and run a hose with a oil filter and that 20lb tank will last at least four nights without interruption. No getting up, no restarting....