Don't Have A Furnace... ?? For Staying Warm

Hi everyone! Our 2008 560 Ultra that we purchased a few weeks ago has most options except no furnace. A 12v mattress heater pad was included as one of the extra items. So we may indeed want to try the mattress heater and/or possibly a small ceramic type heater for when the weather is colder. I just wanted to get some input from those of you that may use these methods to keep warm. The directions for the mattress warmer say the pad can be hand washed, so I'll want to most likely do that before we use it. Also
the directions indicate that you need to pin the pad directly to the mattress. The 15 safety pins that attach to the tabs on the pad seem like a lot of holes to put into the mattress cover, and I'm a little afraid the pins could rip the mattress cover. How do others use their pad? Any recommendations when using it? Also does anyone have any recommended brands/models for portable heaters (? ceramic with thermostat) they use inside the camper. Where do you set the heater when it runs? Thanks for any suggestions!

 

Hi Terry and Julie we have a small Sunbeam ceramic heater. We used it once when it was snowing and 33 degrees and going down.
We put it on low played a game of cribage and we were warmed and dried and we turned it off. In the morning we turned it on for 30 min or so to get the chill off and dry up some of the condensation. Worked well for us.
We have camped in the low 50's and not needed any heat.
We tried using a mattress pad heater but the one we have for a bed at home seemed too troublesome with cords. So we now carry a heated throw (the cord would be on top) for any needs but have not used it yet.

 

I have the same heater based on Ken's feedback when I bought my 560. The heater sits on the door of the lower cabinet. It does a great job. I do not run it at night. I have a wool mattress pad, a Hudson Bay wool blanket and a light comforter. This keeps me nice and warm.

 

Depending upon how warm I desire the cabin:
electric heater like Ken with the vent open
electric mattress pad: gret, cords are a PITA

Also the cabin lights put off a lot of heat.

Alternative: Large, gigantic dog heater. Known to raise cabin temp, warm, cuddly pillow for you and you for the dog.

 

Jean I am a oldie what is "PITA"?
We have a sheltie who sleeps in the center under the shelf so cords are a hindrance to peaceful sleep.

 

"Pain In The A**"

It took me a minute to figure that one out too. Us Gen-Xers, sometimes don't get it either! I like words so much!

 

Thats the name of our cat. For real. Because she is a PITA

 

I love how everyone is so helpful on this forum - thanks!! I like the reviews of the DeLonghi heater and the price I'm seeing online is reasonable too. I agree with the cords on the mattress heater being a pain, and am not sure if we will use it much. We tend to like to sleep "cooler". Most times our down flannel-lined comforter will supply us with plenty of warmth. I like the option of having the portable heater available if needed. On most of our trips our dog Sophie accompanies us. Between the two of us and her, I'm sure our combined body heat will help raise the temps in our little cabin a few degrees. - Julie

 

Sunbeams electric foot warmer is awesome down in the foot area. Even with the furnace, it stays cold down there. The foot warmer takes the chill off. The cords tuck betweek the bed and wall and the controller reaches right up near the door. In the summer, it rolls up really small and fits easily under the bed in the storage wells.

 

Check out My Heat by Lasko at Target.com Works great for us
Very small in size, will fit on the shelf but provides plenty of heat

 

We use the Lasko MyHeat too.
http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-MyHeat-Personal-Ceramic-Heater/dp/B003XDTWN2
It sits nicely on the open cabinet door, and does a sufficient job of keeping the cabin warm.

When the weather is really cold, we switch over to this ceramic heater from Harbor Freight.
http://www.harborfreight.com/ceramic-heater-67118.html
It also fits nicely on the open cabinet door. It has two heat settings, and a thermostat, so it doesn't run continuously through the night. It does an excellent job of heating the cabin.

I like the looks of this heater for the teardrop, but we don't own one.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/crane-ee-6490-ultra-compact-personal-heater/ID=prod6027410-product

We also use a Sunbeam electric heated mattress pad that we love!
http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-Heated-Electric-Mattress-Queen/dp/B0014I7MBC
It has dual controls, and is thickly quilted. As for the cords, we just run them under the mattress. The controls rest in the corners up by our heads, no problem!

Just add flannel sheets, a quilt, and a nice wool blanket, and we sleep quite comfortably in below freezing temperatures! Sleeping with a hat on also helps!

 

Or you could all move to FL and sell your heaters at a garage sale!
We have room in the driveway for one at a time.
Mike

 

Florida, eh? Then we would all need AC!!!

 

Do any of you do anything to heat areas other than the cabin? On the Camp Inn website there are some photo albums of customers. There is a link to Evan and Lena's maiden voyage with their 560. One of their narratives discussed using a portable propane heater in the galley on a freezing cold day. Evan - if you are reading this, do you still do those? Does it work?

I've been wondering about the feasibility of meal prep in REALLY cold weather.

 

Rick - our approach to meal prep in really cold weather (and we have done this several times): cheese, crackers, fully cooked sausage (like Hilshire Farms), a bottle of wine and some cookies. If we were really organized, we'd have this already packed up in a little cooler with a little ice - ready to move quickly from car to teardrop without even having to raise the hatch and get into the regular cooler.

Kathy

 

Rick, yes we still use ours and it does work. The Mr. Buddy is great. We use ours with the hose that connects to the trailer's propane supply - that way I don't have to deal with the small 1 lb disposable propane bottles.

Put the Mr. Buddy on the kitchen table and it will help warm up the chef. If you have a pop-up tent with most of the side walls up, it will warm the whole room. (Just be sure to have some ventilation).

 

My experience:

Really bad weather, eat out.
A coleman lantern puts off heat to warm the area.
While cooking the stove will produce a lot of heat.

Stand around a camp fire to stay warm.

Jean

 

We have not had to use ours but I think the ceramic heater would work reasonably well in the Northern Breeze with the walls down (leaving one open partially for ventilation).

Kathy - we use your cold day meal plan too adding a thermos of coffee if lunch time and most often some olives.

 

Jean: I think I would be sorely tempted to eat out if that was an option during inclement weather!

Kathy: your wine, cheese, and cookies option sounds cozy and even romantic (that's if you are with someone special!)

Pat, Jean, and Evan: I do appreciate hearing ways to stay relatively warm for those occasions when one is forced to (or chooses to) prepare a meal in the galley when it's really cold.

We've had our first "coolish" days here in Michigan and its been making me think about what life in the Teardrop might be like when it's chilly or even downright cold outside.