First of all a big hello to everyone . joined ages ago but never posted till now lol . going away tomorrow and after seeing the forecast for the next few days have bought a ehu hook up so i can power the laptop to play dvd's for the kids. just so they dont get bored being stuck in a tent lol .have looked at a few heaters in argos but can anyone recommend the best one for the job .
thanks in advance
Alistair
Hi Alistair and welcome to UKCS. Yep weather has definitely turned up here.
Fan heater on low is what we use. Argos do a budget one with an auto cut out if it gets knocked over. It only takes a few minutes to warm up as well. Other members prefer the small oil filled radiators so that's another thing you could look at. We have one at home but never seem to have room for it in the boot. Most people have one or another of these already. Just make sure you don't trip the electric by plugging in too many things at once, and like I said fan heater on low is more than enough. Take some extra bedding and hot water bottles just in case, nothing worse than being cold at night.
Oh and enjoy your trip .
Ours is like this - been going strong for a few years even though the dog tries to hug the front of it when it's switched on.
edit - here's an oild filled radiator - some feel safer with these when there are youngsters around, and of course they are lower wattage.
------------- Christine
2014
April -
BunRoy Fort William 3 sleeps
April / May
Invercaimbe Arisaig 4 sleeps
Bleatarn Brampton tbc July
We use a cheap fan heater with variable thermostat on the 1kw setting which is more than enough to heat our Khyam Ontario 8 tent. At the beginning and end of each season we use it on a low heat setting overnight and then just leave it to click on and off as necessary. Ours also has a cool air setting which is quite useful.
Fan heaters are usually the best idea for tents, they're the most efficient way of heating any small space. The only trouble is some people find them a bit noisy.
Pretty much all heaters will have a thermostat on them these days, so you can set it & leave it to turn itself on & off, as well as different power settings to avoid tripping your electrics. & as far as I'm aware, I think ALL heaters have to have safety cut-outs if they're knocked over or vents become blocked. Some swear by the halogen heaters, but I always think they give a very localised output, ie. you have to be in the right place to benefit, & convector heaters are also sworn by with others, but I always think they're not ideal for tents, as most of their heat will be lost as it rises to the top of the tent.
Fan heaters do seem to be the most popular with campers, & they are cheap. That's what I would go for if I had EHU. I'm fortunate enough not to feel the cold though, that may change if I decide to extend my camping season this year however.
In my opinion fan heaters are better than other types of heater because they give a lot of heat quickly and circulate the warm air better. Also, if you have a cold evening or night you can leave them to operate on the thermostat and as the tent gets warm you simply turn down the thermostat until it gets to a stage where it is comfortable. At night in the summer you can leave it on but switch the thermostat right down, then it will only operate if it gets particularly cold in the early hours. It's trial and error of course to set it for your own personal heat needs...in my case that's warm!
Another vote for a fan heater with a thermostat and variable fan speed.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
What is an awning heater? I have stayed on sites where they are prohibited. Always makes my OH wary about using the fan heater. I guess if you are paying EHU prices you should be able to use your appliances.
Quote: Originally posted by *deb* on 04/7/2010
What is an awning heater?
One that is run on gas, like the Black Cat/Blue Cat etc....?
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
I don't think there is anything specifically known as an awning heater. I would imagine an awning heater is anything that heats an awning. As you say...not a great deal of point paying extra for EHU if they ban you from using certain electrical items...however, a tent isn't an awning is it?
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Topic: ehu heater
