RTT Heater

[Cattywumpuss]

I have a 2k Hcalory I bought used on marketplace. It’s been great. My setup is different than yours, as I have a topper camper, not a RTT.
Most notable advantage over an electric blanket happened last fall. Temps were pretty chilly and my wife was reluctant to take the camp toilet into the woods. I told her to set it up in the truck bed since I had the heater running. She came out a few minutes later with a big grin and exclaimed “That’s a game changer!” lol
For insulating the heater tube, I wrap it with inexpensive fleece blankets held in place with the little ball bungee cords.

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll have to figure out in what kind of temps I want to try winter camping and see how much heat I need. Those Hcalory heaters look neat though.

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[Pickle_Bill]

https://www.rei.com/product/224823/ignik-topside-heated-blanket

Only uses 50 watts at max heat. I have both top and bottom versions. Only been camping to just below freezing, but only needed to run these at 50%.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

One thing to consider when talking heated blankets vs diesel heaters is condensation. A blanket will warm you, but it doesn't warm your tent so you'll still get condensation buildup, and sometimes worse buildup depending on conditions. A diesel heater will keep all condensation out of the tent. It will also keep all your things warm, phones, chargers, clothing, etc., and you can use it to dry gear if needed.

We have used 2kw and 5kw Vevor heaters. I don't like it to be too warm and I found the 5kw to be overkill even on the lowest settings until you start getting those single digits and sub-zero temps. For me, 2kw is ideal. We had friends come to MN for some ice fishing and they stayed plenty warm in -10 deg temps/-30deg windchills with just a 2kw heating an RTT.

Our Vevors draw about 19amps on startup, and then settle around 1.5-3 amps when running depending on fan speed. I see about 15ah loss overnight between charging phones, lights, and the heater running. I'm running a full battery setup, so a 19 amp startup draw and 15ah loss overnight is nothing. If running a charging station you have to make sure your power port can handle it. Most charging stations don't have a port over 10 amps.

Depending on heat level we use 2.5-4.5L of fuel a night, and we always run kerosene. It burns cleaner and doesn't stink like diesel does.

 

[Cattywumpuss]

One thing to consider when talking heated blankets vs diesel heaters is condensation. A blanket will warm you, but it doesn't warm your tent so you'll still get condensation buildup, and sometimes worse buildup depending on conditions. A diesel heater will keep all condensation out of the tent. It will also keep all your things warm, phones, chargers, clothing, etc., and you can use it to dry gear if needed.

We have used 2kw and 5kw Vevor heaters. I don't like it to be too warm and I found the 5kw to be overkill even on the lowest settings until you start getting those single digits and sub-zero temps. For me, 2kw is ideal. We had friends come to MN for some ice fishing and they stayed plenty warm in -10 deg temps/-30deg windchills with just a 2kw heating an RTT.

Our Vevors draw about 19amps on startup, and then settle around 1.5-3 amps when running depending on fan speed. I see about 15ah loss overnight between charging phones, lights, and the heater running. I'm running a full battery setup, so a 19 amp startup draw and 15ah loss overnight is nothing. If running a charging station you have to make sure your power port can handle it. Most charging stations don't have a port over 10 amps.

Depending on heat level we use 2.5-4.5L of fuel a night, and we always run kerosene. It burns cleaner and doesn't stink like diesel does.

Excellent considerations, thank you. Condensation is a concern for sure and we probably wouldn’t need it super toasty either.

Thanks for info on starting Amps draw too, will need to consider that as well.

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