we need a heater for PUP

[ScouterMom]

I'll put in another vote for getting a MR. Buddy -

When I bought my 35 yr old starcraft last year, it came with a furnace installed - but many other things weren't working, including the old-style propane tanks - so we didn't use it.  Instead, I got the Portable Mr Buddy heater that takes either a 1 lb propane cylinder OR a 20lb propane tank connection.  Since we were working on the camper in the unheated garage  of the time, this little heater kept us warm while working out there, and also kept us toasty on trips.

I have since put in a new floor, and removed, cleaned and re-installed my campers' original furnace in a new cabinet.  It works fine, is not noisy and does not seem to use up any more propane than the Mr Buddy.  However, If I were curently buying a camper, I would not put much weight on it either having or not having a furnace - The Mr Buddy does as well, or better at heating and has an automatic shutoff if it gets tipped or senses low oxygen.  I don't think my old furnace has that.  In addition,the furnace takes up much more room than a Mr Buddy, and must be permanently installed, which involves plumbing gas lines and cutting holes in your camper.I'm pretty handy - but I dislike cutting holes in my camper body - I've repaired way too much stuff caused by water getting in where it shouldn't!  

Another advantage toa a portable heater is that in the hot months, I can leave the Mr buddy at home in the garage and use the space for something else - like an extra cooler!

I can also use the Mr Buddy other places - like in my garage, the backyard screen house, the camper screen room, at a table in front of Jewel selling Scout popcorn, or in a tent.  It is amazsing how many places can use portable, easy heat!

If you don't think the portable Buddy is large enough, they have a 'big Buddy', too.

Laura

[Keri]

Glad you posted this, I was thinking something was wrong with our furnace.  We had two nights our first trip out that were 28 degrees.  We used one tank of propane over those two nights, including running the water heater, the outside grill, inside stove top, and oven.

I found the larger Buddy heater on Craigslist for $50 last week.  I had to drive about an hour to pick it up.  Well worth the money!!!  We stayed warm and toasty this past weekend at the dirt track races.  The PUP did not have that damp feeling and  I felt safe by keeping a few windows with a small flap opened.

Off to the Nascar races in Charlotte in 2 weeks and our new heater is going with us............

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and help.

[bartletts]

I found the larger Buddy heater on Craigslist for $50 last week.  I had to drive about an hour to pick it up.  Well worth the money!!!  We stayed warm and toasty this past weekend at the dirt track races.  The PUP did not have that damp feeling and  I felt safe by keeping a few windows with a small flap opened.

Off to the Nascar races in Charlotte in 2 weeks and our new heater is going with us............

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and help.

Whatever route you take, please install a carbon monoxide detector! Even if you leave a flap open, you never know if you have enough ventilation, and CO WILL KILL YOU! You won't wake up, it is like pumping your trailer full of anesthetic. It doesn't smell like anything, and it puts you to sleep.

The propane leak detector is a good idea too, but at least you can smell propane leaks.

[wavery]

One more vote for Mr Buddy heater. It uses about 1/3 the amount of propane, it uses no electricity and it is safe.

The one draw-back is that it consumes floor space. If you have pets or children you will need to have a plan to keep them from getting too close to the heater.

It doesn't put out enough carbon monoxide to make a difference in a PU. We now have a TrailManor and they are almost as air tight as a travel trailer. We just leave a window cracked open.

If it is bumped (even slightly) it automatically shuts off. There's no worry about it getting knocked over and starting a fire.

[ScouterMom]

When you go to the home improvement stores, look in the aisle for smoke detectors/ CO2 detectors, etc.  I found one for our camper that has all three in one -  CO2, Smoke, and LP gas detectors - in ONE plug-in unit.  The unit plugs in to a regular outlet (if we have the camper at a site with electricity) or runs off it's own 9v battery.  The only thing you would have to watch, is that the 9v battery can die on you if the detector is stored in the camper in the cold months (alkaline batteries do NOT like cold!) so plan on having an extra battery around if you store your camper anywhere it typically drops below freezing for long.

The detector also has a low battery alarm.  The first time we took the camper out in the cold (April 2007) , used the Mr Buddy and my new detector, I left the detector plugged in when we towed the trailer home.  Then the camper sat in my driveway for a week or so in the cold.   The 9 v battery started to die, and the detector started its warning beep, beep, beep, beep in the driveway.  You could just barely hear it, muffled by the  mattresses and canvas inside the folded camper!  (drove the cat & dog nuts trying to figure out what the noise was!)

So now, part of our 'pack up' procedure is to unplug the CO2, Smoke, and LP gas detector, REMOVE THE BATTERY, and place the battery and detector in the camper sink, ready to be plugged back in when we arrive at our next campsite.  This also reminds us to check the 9v regularly, so we don't get caught with a dead battery.

[austinado16]

I found the larger Buddy heater on Craigslist for $50 last week.  I had to drive about an hour to pick it up.  Well worth the money!!!  We stayed warm and toasty this past weekend at the dirt track races.  The PUP did not have that damp feeling and  I felt safe by keeping a few windows with a small flap opened....

I love Craigslist (and our local swapmeet).  I've learned that if I can be patient for a week or 2, "it" will usually come up for sale at either location.

Wavery, (or anyone else) are the Mr. heaters catalytic with that ceramic core or whatever they have that gets hot?

[flyfisherman]

Wavery, (or anyone else) are the Mr. heaters catalytic with that ceramic core or whatever they have that gets hot?

The Mr.Buddy is a radiant heater. The major difference between a catalytic and a radiant heater is that the catalytic heats because of a chemical reaction and the radiant from an open flame. And the Mr.Buddy is the newer generation of radiant heaters that uses the ceramic core - the open flame heats the ceramic cube red hot and the fuel (L/P) burns much more efficiently (something like 99.99%) as compared to the older styled metal refector radiant heaters. The big danger of the Mr.Buddy heater is not carbon monoxide poisoning as is so often imagined, but rather fire is the real hazard. Any time you have an open flame with an L/P appliance, tight fuel connections are of the essence; not to mention keeping combustables and Mr.Buddy a safe distance apart. I've seen the aftermath of a popup camper fire and they do catch fire and burn to the ground kinda fast.

A good comparision of fire between heaters like those portable Coleman catalytic heaters and a Mr.Buddy radiant heater is that you can take a sheet of paper towel and place it on top of the catalytic heater while it's in operation and about all it will do to the paper towel is turn it brown. You touch that paper towel to the top of a Mr.Buddy heater and it will burst into flame in a nano second!

When dry camping I've used a Mr.Buddy heater as the sole source of heat (use an electric ceramic heater when camping with electrical hook-up) since about the time they first came out. I've long ago lost count of how many 16oz disposable fuel canisters we have gone through - and aso have a connecting hose for the 20 lb L/P tank (and have lost count of those tanks used) and have slept like a baby. Common sense things like adequate ventilation and fire safety are always foremost.




Fly

[austinado16]

Oh, didn't know the Mr. heaters were just running fire through a ceramic core.  Interesting.

We really like the Olympian Wave 6 catalytic.

[bud121156]

A good comparison of fire between heaters like those portable Coleman catalytic heaters and a Mr.Buddy radiant heater is that you can take a sheet of paper towel and place it on top of the catalytic heater while it's in operation and about all it will do to the paper towel is turn it brown. You touch that paper towel to the top of a Mr.Buddy heater and it will burst into flame in a nano second!

 
Good  comparison!

[joe leister]

We bought a 1997 Coleman Sante Fe that does not have a furnace.   It was chilly in April when we took it out on our first trip.  We camp alot with no hook ups.  ( we owned a MH for 5 years)  downsizing cuz of gas.......

My hubby was looking at a propane heater for the PUP tonight.  Are they safe ??

Under the sink on the left cabinet there is a plug for something..... we have no clue what is for.....  the RV place told us they could put in a heater for $400.  My hubby owns a HVAC business so he thinks he can do this alone without the added costs.

I was just not liking the fact of a propane heater in the camper.............
PLEASE give advice !!!  I did not want to unzip a window to make sure my family does not die in their sleep.  LOL

If any of you have a coleman...please tell us what that plug is for to the left cabinet by the fridge.....................

:-() I have installed a catalytic in a mh before and it was pretty straight forward but you do have to allow for ventilation, i have been told that you need a high and a low vent with the catylitic and thats what we did. probably the best solution would be forced air unit and have your hubby install it himself. good luck joe.ps check ebay.

[VincentG]

By plug are you referring to a 120 volt plug like you have in your house or a plastic plug with separate wires in it, possibly black and orange? If it is the latter it could be the wiring harness for a furnace thermostat if the furnace is installed. I have a furnace in my 95 Coleman and would not want to be without it. I don't understand why others say that it uses a lot of LP because I don't think mine does. We use our furnace on every trip if it is cold enough out and use the inside and outside stove to do most of our cooking and we usually go through only one 20 lb. tank of LP a season. We usually camp at least 7 or 8 weekends a season or more and most of those are 3 day weekends. Also I have never ran out of battery power either on a 3 to 4 day weekend but then I also have 2 group 27 batteries hooked together but we also use the lights and water pump a good amount.
I have seen furnaces on Ebay quite a bit for popup campers.

Sorry to resurrect a several month old thread - I have an unused plug (like the OP) under the sink in our 2005 F/C Navajo that we bought last month.  I have been trying to figure out what the plug was for and came upon this thread.  I checked with a voltmeter and got 13 something volts while the PU was connected to 110.  I did not see anything in the vicinity that the plug  could be connected to and everything else in the PU seems to function.  I plan to get a ceramic heater before camping next fall.
 
Any possibility that the three wire plug is for something other than a furnace thermostat?   Thanks for any help.
 
Vincent