Awning heater - any reccomendations for winter use?

S

starquake

Joined
May 16, 2023
Posts
1,288
Likes collected
3,120
Funster No
95,993
MH
Bailey Alliance 66-2
Any reccomendations (aware I can search but also looks to be some nice ones from Outdoor revolution).?

We have a full driveaway awning, and we wish to have a heater to use it (partially) over winter. We have an external socket, and any camping will be done with EHU this winter as we doing a Griswolds like Christmas and parking on a friends drive over New Years.

However, for the period before/after the stay on a drive, we are requiring our awning to have a little heat to expand the living space this winter and have a boot room as we plan some walks which will almost certianally involve a fair bit of mud.

(We do not plan to leave it on as some do all the time, this is merely to take the edge of the chill off and allow us to have keep the mud out this winter, we still have some mud on the carpets from LAST winter). (I have a job with a carpet cleaner to remove that this weekend).
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
starquake said:
However, for the period before/after the stay on a drive, we are requiring our awning to have a little heat to expand the living space this winter and have a boot room as we plan some walks which will almost certianally involve a fair bit of mud.
Click to expand...
During that period, will you be on EHU or off grid?

If off grid, we've been using one of these for many years, initially connected to a gas cylinder, but now to a gas BBQ point.

1730144819868.png


If on EHU, a fan heater or halogen heater may suit your needs pending output and consumption per hour.

HTH,

Jock. :(
 
Upvote 0
bigtwin said:
Some people are resorting to Dry Robes; worth a try.👍

Ian
Click to expand...
We already have oodies and a dry robe. This is more to make the wet room more comfortable when changing into the inside van cleaner stuff .

Ref; offgrid, looking something using electric not gas -> gas sounds a fun idea, but we don't (yet) have the refillable gas as I'm running down the calor at moment and until it's out, I'm not poping up to autogas2000 for a upgrade. I was hoping to run out in November but thats looking unlikely at moment.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Should add the campsites we'll be using have inclusive EHU for which we are paying quite a lot more than we would for off-grid -> one is even metered, so it's not us welching and we won't have awning heat on all the time, thats like camping in winter! This is just to make the boot room more comfortable/have a coffee in it in morning/early evening period before/after a walk.
 
Upvote 0
I used to use a simple and cheap fan heater when we had a caravan.

It cost £15 and heated instantly, the added bonus is that when run on fan only, it costs virtually nothing to run but helps dry boots and stuff. Very useful on a metered supply or off grid.

We got caught out one Autumn with low temps and the kids in the awning. It dropped to minus 2 so I left it on and paid extra to the owners of the CL for the electric. It worked a treat though was very wasteful.

Short bursts of heat and it did the trick. 👍
 
Upvote 0
EuroTrotters said:
Just be careful with carbon monoxide when using gas heaters
Click to expand...
It goes without saying Trev, as with all gas appliances, ventilation is a must. In an awning that's likely to be a dead cert. ;)

Cheers,

Jock. :)
 
Upvote 0
Do you make a habit of walking up the 'down' escalator? Terribly inefficient. Should be adequate airflow in an awning to dry outdoor kit without resorting to a heater.
 
Upvote 0
The smallish ceramic heater’s work great and is instantly hot plus the fan will give you air circulation for drying…
 
Upvote 0
I am surprised someone in fun hasn't already worked out how to extend the motorhome heating system ducts (for those if us unlucky enough not to have Alde) into the awning ....

It can't be that difficult....?
 
Upvote 0
starquake said:
Ref; offgrid, looking something using electric not gas -> gas sounds a fun idea, but we don't (yet) have the refillable gas as I'm running down the calor at moment and until it's out, I'm not poping up to autogas2000 for a upgrade. I was hoping to run out in November but thats looking unlikely at moment.
Click to expand...
There is absolutely no chance of running an electric heater that will make a useful increase in temperature in an awning sufficient to allow boots and clothes to dry out in the depth of Winter.

Well, there is, a large enough generator to run electric heaters.

Also not all campsites will not allow electric heating in awnings, as they operate a fair use policy

My mate stayed at the refurbished CAMC site in Totnes, £35 a night with metered electricity, and switched their Alde heating system to gas after day ones £9 for electricity!
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
MisterB said:
I am surprised someone in fun hasn't already worked out how to extend the motorhome heating system ducts (for those if us unlucky enough not to have Alde) into the awning ....

It can't be that difficult....?
Click to expand...
It wouldn’t be

It would be ugly, it would be hard to waterproof and most of us sit inside when it’s cold

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
eddie said:
It wouldn’t be

It would be ugly, it would be hard to waterproof and most of us sit inside when it’s cold
Click to expand...
I'm sure Vanbitz, now it's under the management of forward looking people ( 🤔) could work something out ..... Lol
 
Upvote 0
MisterB said:
I'm sure Vanbitz, now it's under the management of forward looking people ( 🤔) could work something out ..... Lol
Click to expand...
How big would the potential market be? How many of us lug an awning around in the Winter?, how many people want holes drilled in the side of their nice new motorhomes, we thought about it years ago

The decided “Nah, let’s just buy a bigger van”

As for drying wet stuff, in one of our RV’s in the Jacuzzi room it had a drying cupboard for Ski equipment, and the Bidet was excellent for washing mud from dirty boots (y)
 
Upvote 0
Northernraider said:
For me Newhaven dieppe then right down the middle on the free a75 motorway past millau. Lots of free aires on that route for stopovers .
Click to expand...

MisterB said:
I am surprised someone in fun hasn't already worked out how to extend the motorhome heating system ducts (for those if us unlucky enough not to have Alde) into the awning ....

It can't be that difficult....?
Click to expand...

eddie said:
It wouldn’t be

It would be ugly, it would be hard to waterproof and most of us sit inside when it’s cold
Click to expand...

MisterB said:
I'm sure Vanbitz, now it's under the management of forward looking people ( 🤔) could work something out ..... Lol
Click to expand...

eddie said:
How big would the potential market be? How many of us lug an awning around in the Winter?, how many people want holes drilled in the side of their nice new motorhomes, we thought about it years ago

The decided “Nah, let’s just buy a bigger van”

As for drying wet stuff, in one of our RV’s in the Jacuzzi room it had a drying cupboard for Ski equipment, and the Bidet was excellent for washing mud from dirty boots (y)
Click to expand...
You can buy one !

www.jacksonsleisure.com

Truma Caravan & Motorhome Awning Warmer Kit

The Truma Caravan & Motorhome Awning Warmer Kit is in stock & sent on a Next Working Day delivery.
www.jacksonsleisure.com www.jacksonsleisure.com
 
Upvote 0
For £80 you can buy a Chinese diesel heater, similar to what many fit inside their vans, but an all in one unit with tank and everything in one unit/case. One heating duct into the awning and a 12v supply is all that would be needed for cheap heat, as they use very little diesel. I know it’s not electric but it is cheap and easy.
 
Upvote 0
The only two practical ways to heat a tent are:

An electrical infrared heater.
or
A wood burning tent stove,

There are about a dozen tent stoves on the market, priced between about £150-350, they mostly pack down to the size of a small suitcase, and you can easily get the fitting that permits the chimney to pass out of the side or roof of the tent.
The chimney normally comes in small sections and fits inside the stove for transportation.


Once they get going, they certainly belt out the heat!
And some have drying racks on the side.

1730194095318.png

1730194198297.png


Electrical Infrared heaters heat up people and not all the surrounding air, hence they are used in sports halls, bathrooms and similar.
They are surprisingly efficient, (compared to other electrical heating devices such as a fan heater or an oil heater)
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Brains said:
The only two practical ways to heat a tent are:

An electrical infrared heater.
or
A wood burning tent stove,

There are about a dozen tent stoves on the market, priced between about £150-350, they mostly pack down to the size of a small suitcase, and you can easily get the fitting that permits the chimney to pass out of the side or roof of the tent.
The chimney normally comes in small sections and fits inside the stove for transportation.


Once they get going, they certainly belt out the heat!
And some have drying racks on the side.

View attachment 971655
View attachment 971656
Click to expand...
They take some work to get to operate well. Very different to a proper log burner.

Infrared heater I think is a good option. But don’t they only heat things they light up or something? So no use as a drier?

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Upvote 0
Landy Andy said:
They take some work to get to operate well. Very different to a proper log burner.

Infrared heater I think is a good option. But don’t they only heat things they light up or something? So no use as a drier?
Click to expand...
Agreed, infrared is no use as a dryer, and tent wood burning stoves do need a bit of attention, but are very nice to sit around once you have got them going.

The only way to dry stuff in a motorhome is to put it in the shower with the door closed and a small dehumidifier on the inside.

(Unless you have a modern Hymer, most of which have a drain and heating vent by the footwell of the hab door, specifically for drying snow covered boots.)
 
Upvote 0
Brains said:
Agreed, infrared is no use as a dryer, and tent wood burning stoves do need a bit of attention, but are very nice to sit around once you have got them going.

The only way to dry stuff in a motorhome is to put it in the shower with the door closed and a small dehumidifier on the inside.

(Unless you have a modern Hymer, most of which have a drain and heating vent by the footwell of the hab door, specifically for drying snow covered boots.)
Click to expand...
I think the issue with tent warming stoves is although they will work off grid, there are usually "rules" on many campsites prohibiting wood fires (we know enough about this from similar restrictions on charcoal). Less of an issue in Europe certainally from what we hear, but no good for 2 of the 3 we have booked this winter.

Given we have a booked site with EHU (several) over the winter period, I think we'll end up doing both annoyingly, having a gas one for rare EHU free trips, and an electric for when we have EHU.

And yeah, I wasn't thinking of infrared, those seem "rubbish" -> a proper ceramic heater is what I think we need.

And ref; bigger van eddie with a drying room, I think we'll consider that one too. Thats an expensive change though!

Thanks all though, I hadn't considered gas heaters, which is why this forum is great -> I think I'll end up with a gas and a electric, or maybe a diesel heater .... but we'll start with an electric ceramic for this winter, as the EHU is already there and allowed for use for this purpose.
 
Upvote 0
Brains said:
The only way to dry stuff in a motorhome is to put it in the shower with the door closed and a small dehumidifier on the inside.
Click to expand...
That is exactly what we do. The dehumidifier works really well in the van during the winter drying all the damp stuff, and also keeping the windows condensation free, even in the worst wet weather long evenings.
 
Upvote 0
Landy Andy said:
That is exactly what we do. The dehumidifier works really well in the van during the winter drying all the damp stuff, and also keeping the windows condensation free, even in the worst wet weather long evenings.
Click to expand...
Which dehumidifier do you use, our home one is WAY too big for use in the motorhome!
 
Upvote 0

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top