Hi just getting ready to go on our first camping trip we are going to collect our Vango Diablo 600 today after reading many good reviews on this site, I hope I am not tempting fate by asking this question but could anybody tell me which type of heating they think is best but without spending too much more money (the credit card is already taking a hammering) we have booked a pitch with electric hook up so was wondering about electric heaters as well as gas ones. also could anyone suggest a groundsheet for under my tent cheap and cheerful but one that will do its job
I would buy a cheap fan heater this would be more than adequate (especially in the current climate), If you have kids or pets I would recommend a cheap oil filled radiator (if you only need a modest amount of heat).
As far as gas is concerned, I would avoid that option (my personal opinion) less chance of fire.
It all depends on your circumstances for the amount of heat you need and who will be in your tent.
Ground Sheet,
Again this is down to what you want, most caravan dealers supply accessories and you can get the perforated rubber matting cut to the size you want.
thanx for reply i was thinking of fan heater but was not sure if they would use too much power as i am not sure on the amount of power you can use on camp site hook ups yet
Ooooo you are gonna start something here...just you watch...some people on here don't like fan heaters cos they are said to trip the electric and everyone 'suffers'
We use a cheap fan heater from Argos..(and have never triped the electric..) We used it in January and it was great.
On sites without EHU we use a heater that screws onto a gas bottle..there's a post name for them but I don't know what it is...It's great for taking the chill off the tent in the evenings.
We never put a ground sheet under the tent just wipe it down before you put it away.
I don't use leccy in my tent, but in the van we have used a fan heater, but only on the 1kw setting, I think the 2kw would trip it, also its a good idea to switch the heater off if you use an electric kettle.
I use a DIYshop tarp. under my tent, its much cheaper than a groundsheet, but is crinkly to walk on if you use it in your porch where you dont have the SIG
dunno how big you tent is but we use a halogen heater then its heat and light at the same time but saying that our awning is big so we could accomodate it and it also cuts out if tipped over but I really dont think youll need heat somehow
having looked now at what u got i dunno if its such a good idea MMMMmmmm
thanx for all your help its a real bonus when its your first time camping to be able to get all this info. and i hope you are right about the weather grommie75 not needing the heater
we have a fan heater for our outwell XL....although given the current weather I doubt we'll be using it if it keeps up like this for the next few weeks !....if you do a search you can find out what's the most ampage you can use, I can't remember the formulae but I think it's watts divided by voltage = amps - so 5amps = 1.15KW, 16 amps = 2.3KW - if you always make sure you do your sums correctly there should be no problem whatsoever with tripping the site electric....I would be mortified if I did that and so I am always very careful about how much power we're using - .. we 've never found the need to use more than 1KW of power from the fan-heater and a good rule of thumb is not to use more than one appliance at a time. Fan heater is ideal for late at night and early morning. Hope this helps.
We only need to use a heater earlier in the season. I think the last time we used it was at in May. With a SIG & a fleece on you probably won't feel the need for a heater, I'd try without & see how you get on.
We picked up the electric rotating style bar heater for a tenner in our local camping shop and its excellent. I use it outdoors also on the garden table, just no need really for a big patio heater.
We used a hallogen heater in our Diablo, they throw a lot of light out as well, but since getting our beloved Ruby we havent had to use it, heres hoping the good weather stays, i am hoping i dont need to use it for a long time
At this time of year (& with the weather we've been having) I very much doubt you'll really need a heater - usually only need them outside of the summer months. If you cook inside or use a gas lantern inside, that'll produce some heat. If it does get chilly one evening & you really need some heat, just put the kettle on for a while, you'd be surprised how much that'll take the edge off the cold (& will give you a hot drink too). Make sure the tent is well ventillated though if you do use a gas lantern or cooker, or indeed a gas heater, inside.
Having said all this we have 2 gas heaters, both radiant ones. 1 is a small radiant that fits onto a self-sealing cartridge (no idea on price - we "acquired" it years ago). The second we bought earlier this year for £21.99 - it's a Sunngas twin burner parabolic radiant that screws onto Campingaz refillable cylinders. It was really effective but we've only had to use it one night in May, not needed to since.
If you're worried about naked flames, the Coleman Black Cat heater is pricey (about £40) but gets rave reviews. It is a catalytic heater which doesn't use a naked flame.
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Topic: Tent Heating
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