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Propane heater for car?; heater for car interior
Topic Started: Dec 22 2017, 09:46 AM (721 Views)
BillHoo
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I was searching for a small portable heater for my hunting blind on craigslist and I found one similar to the one in the link below. the listing said "perfect for hunting blind or inside of your car with proper ventillation".

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/mr-heater-utv-golf-cart-portable-propane-heater-4000-btu?a=1836548

I'm wondering if it's safe?

I see a product video where they say it has a safety shutoff for tipovers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W48vhbmlJo

Has anyone used one of these?

Edited by BillHoo, Dec 22 2017, 09:47 AM.
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Wobblybob


"Proper ventilation" are the key words here. Make sure you have some fresh air entering the car. It defeats the purpose of the heater somewhat but it is a MUST. Maybe buy a cheap carbon monoxide detector when you buy the heater.

This is primarily an infrared heater which, if aimed at you, makes you feel warm (or at least those parts of you that it's aimed at). Behaves almost like a spotlight. Whatever it is shined at gets "heated up" just like anything a spotlight is aimed at gets "lit up".

Obviously, it will also heat the air, some directly and some after the infrared heat bounces off of the objects in front of it. But 4000 BTU is about the same as an 1100 or 1200W electric space heater. and I would have some doubts about it's ability to keep the interior of the car warm, especially going down the road with a window cracked open. I had a minivan (that I had insulated somewhat) and tried to heat it sitting in the driveway with a 1250W electric space heater (no cracked windows or outside air entering) and it wasn't enough on 25 degree days. Ended up using two heaters.

But don't asphyxiate yourself. Get some air into the car whenever you're running the heater.
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arudlang
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Andrew

Probably not very safe in a general sense. Risk of giving yourself carbon monoxide poisoning as mentioned, and if you are involved in a crash or even some abrupt emergency maneuvers I'd have to have a little propane bomb bouncing around the cabin, tip safety or not. Good way to start a car fire. Be sure to bring your fire extinguisher.

Plumbing in a second heater core would probably be better. I've had good results using an electric heater on a remote control to pump some heat into the cabin for an hour or so before taking off in the mornings but obviously that only helps for the first drive of the day.
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PTA2PTB
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I'm totally awesome! I swear.

I've actually toyed with the idea of putting one of those little milkhouse electric heater, in mine. I'm pretty sure that the heat it puts out, would make the car toasty warm in very little time.

My plan would be to secure the base of the heater to some kind of metal sheet, like an old cookie sheet, to guarantee that it can never tip over or catch fire. I'd put it over on the passenger side, with a dropcord coming through the passenger window. I could have the window rolled up snug against the cord, so I didn't lose all my heat. I could let it warm up for a few minutes before even getting in it, then, for a few minutes after getting in, to warm it back up from the cold air I just let in. Then, all I gotta do is reach over and unplug the heater cord from the dropcord, roll down the passenger window a smidgen, and let the drop cord end fall to the driveway, and drive off in a warm car.

And if I really wanted to be slick, I could rig it up to come on automatically, with a timer, or I could just plug the other end of the drop cord into an outlet inside the house, a few minutes before I'm ready to head out the door.

Living in NC, it doesn't normally get so bitter cold as to have to resort to this, but, if I lived in some place like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Idaho, or Montanna, you can bet your ass I'd be employing something like this to, keep my ass thawed.

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Edited by PTA2PTB, Dec 22 2017, 12:37 PM.
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monzanut
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Drip under Pressure

In my early dumbass years of being 20 with no money, I did that through a winter one time with my old Nova when it lost the heater core. Me and my buddy had an old camp stove sitting on the back seat, dressed warm, stuck hands back to warm them once in awhile, and still ended up scrapping ice off the inside of the windshield with my drivers licence. Didn't put out really any heat, lol.
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Stubby79
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Catalytic heater? Safe, as long as it doesn't use up all the oxygen in the air. They sell them to people who want heat in their tents in the winter. If you have your HVAC set to bring in fresh air, and the fan on, or the window open, it should be ok. How safe it is really depends on how diligent you are.

Looks like it's not a catalytic heater. Catalytic heaters don't make a lot of heat, but they do it without any flame.
Edited by Stubby79, Dec 23 2017, 11:58 AM.
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MR1 Kingsbury
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Exp. builder/rebuilder

It seems most are missing the point... The heater is for a deer blind or duck blind. I'm sure it would be quite safe, since most of the time you would be breathing through the screen window whilst watching for quarry. a hunting blind is neither air tight or well ventilated.... Use good judgement and clean fuel.

Just a note... the best heat for automobiles is engine waste heat, via coolant and heater core.
Edited by MR1 Kingsbury, Dec 23 2017, 11:38 AM.
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PTA2PTB
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I'm totally awesome! I swear.

MR1 Kingsbury
Dec 23 2017, 11:34 AM
It seems most are missing the point... The heater is for a deer blind or duck blind.
Did you read the thread title?
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Moringa
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Living BOT

When I lived in WA, I had 2 catalytic heaters in the travel trailer. No flame, but they would glow orange when working. You might want to compare this, with the flame type, calculate pros and cons, and then decide. I do remember that these heaters put a whole lot of moisture in the air. We had these things called "drize airs" that hung from the ceiling, and pulled out excess moisture very well. I had to empty the catch containers frequently.
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BillHoo
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MR1 Kingsbury
Dec 23 2017, 11:34 AM
It seems most are missing the point... The heater is for a deer blind or duck blind. I'm sure it would be quite safe, since most of the time you would be breathing through the screen window whilst watching for quarry. a hunting blind is neither air tight or well ventilated.... Use good judgement and clean fuel.

Just a note... the best heat for automobiles is engine waste heat, via coolant and heater core.
Thanks for bringing it back to the original topic! Still looking for a heater for my hunting blind.

But, I was curious about a seller who said it would be good for a car.....Everyone was on a roll, so I didn't have the heart to stop the discussion!! All good stuff!

Edited by BillHoo, Dec 26 2017, 02:01 PM.
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MR1 Kingsbury
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BillHoo
Dec 26 2017, 01:58 PM
MR1 Kingsbury
Dec 23 2017, 11:34 AM
It seems most are missing the point... The heater is for a deer blind or duck blind. I'm sure it would be quite safe, since most of the time you would be breathing through the screen window whilst watching for quarry. a hunting blind is neither air tight or well ventilated.... Use good judgement and clean fuel.

Just a note... the best heat for automobiles is engine waste heat, via coolant and heater core.
Thanks for bringing it back to the original topic! Still looking for a heater for my hunting blind.

But, I was curious about a seller who said it would be good for a car.....Everyone was on a roll, so I didn't have the heart to stop the discussion!! All good stuff!

When we were duck hunting in western KY 40 years ago, we used wild turkeys to heat up whilst freezing in zero degree temp with 20 mph wind.
Brrrrr... 101 much better than 80. Wild turkey kept us warm for hours.
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sphenicie


Burning LP gives off HUGE amounts of water as a by product, ie, cooler window glass will condense it and become a rain forest.
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suzukitom
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Tom

how about a VW Beetle gasoline heater?

uses glow plug.. those clever Germans.. :thumb

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Edited by suzukitom, Dec 26 2017, 04:17 PM.
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PTA2PTB
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I'm totally awesome! I swear.

PTA2PTB
Dec 23 2017, 11:46 AM
MR1 Kingsbury
Dec 23 2017, 11:34 AM
It seems most are missing the point... The heater is for a deer blind or duck blind.
Did you read the thread title?


BillHoo
Dec 26 2017, 01:58 PM
MR1 Kingsbury
Dec 23 2017, 11:34 AM
It seems most are missing the point... The heater is for a deer blind or duck blind. I'm sure it would be quite safe, since most of the time you would be breathing through the screen window whilst watching for quarry. a hunting blind is neither air tight or well ventilated.... Use good judgement and clean fuel.

Just a note... the best heat for automobiles is engine waste heat, via coolant and heater core.
Thanks for bringing it back to the original topic! Still looking for a heater for my hunting blind.

But, I was curious about a seller who said it would be good for a car.....Everyone was on a roll, so I didn't have the heart to stop the discussion!! All good stuff!



My appologies, Kingsbury. It appears that you were correct; Bill was conflating the issue interested in a heater for his duck blind, and not for his car.
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PTA2PTB
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I'm totally awesome! I swear.

MR1 Kingsbury
Dec 26 2017, 03:56 PM
BillHoo
Dec 26 2017, 01:58 PM
MR1 Kingsbury
Dec 23 2017, 11:34 AM
It seems most are missing the point... The heater is for a deer blind or duck blind. I'm sure it would be quite safe, since most of the time you would be breathing through the screen window whilst watching for quarry. a hunting blind is neither air tight or well ventilated.... Use good judgement and clean fuel.

Just a note... the best heat for automobiles is engine waste heat, via coolant and heater core.
Thanks for bringing it back to the original topic! Still looking for a heater for my hunting blind.

But, I was curious about a seller who said it would be good for a car.....Everyone was on a roll, so I didn't have the heart to stop the discussion!! All good stuff!

When we were duck hunting in western KY 40 years ago, we drank wild turkey to heat up whilst freezing in zero degree temp with 20 mph wind.
Brrrrr... 101 much better than 80. Wild turkey kept us warm for hours.
fify

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