Looking for a Mr. Buddy Heater
I have no experience when it comes to portable propane heaters but I know that you need a California version if you live here. Which one (model) is the best and how much time can I get from a cannist...
Forum Discussion
I have a Big Buddy heater, and a Buddy heater. When I was tenting it and had a lot of drafts, the Buddy heater on a metal stand was fine.
In a RV, one needs to be aware of three points:
1: Proximity to flammable stuff. I nearly had to evacuate a festival once when someone had his heater too close to bedding, it caught. Thankfully the occupants got out OK, but the crater is still there from where the 16 ounce propane bottles exploded.
2: Ventilation. Even though the heater doesn't put out much in the way of carbon monoxide, when oxygen runs low, it will have a different fuel/air burn ratio, and that will cause CO to be made. Plus, do you want to trust your life to an O2 sensor made on the cheap in China? It doesn't take much ventilation. Of course, having at least two CO alarms (preferably with one alarm that shows parts per million) goes without saying.
3: Humidity. Propane puts out a wet heat. In a tent, this isn't that bad, but in an enclosed RV where humidity is the worst enemy of the building materials due to rot, ventilation is needed to expel the moisture.
Buddy heaters are good at what they do. A 20# bottle can run one on low for 100+ hours, and they don't run on battery power. I definitely keep one as a spare, but I make sure it has good ventilation, and a lot of space above and in front of the heater.
In a RV, one needs to be aware of three points:
1: Proximity to flammable stuff. I nearly had to evacuate a festival once when someone had his heater too close to bedding, it caught. Thankfully the occupants got out OK, but the crater is still there from where the 16 ounce propane bottles exploded.
2: Ventilation. Even though the heater doesn't put out much in the way of carbon monoxide, when oxygen runs low, it will have a different fuel/air burn ratio, and that will cause CO to be made. Plus, do you want to trust your life to an O2 sensor made on the cheap in China? It doesn't take much ventilation. Of course, having at least two CO alarms (preferably with one alarm that shows parts per million) goes without saying.
3: Humidity. Propane puts out a wet heat. In a tent, this isn't that bad, but in an enclosed RV where humidity is the worst enemy of the building materials due to rot, ventilation is needed to expel the moisture.
Buddy heaters are good at what they do. A 20# bottle can run one on low for 100+ hours, and they don't run on battery power. I definitely keep one as a spare, but I make sure it has good ventilation, and a lot of space above and in front of the heater.
