Pro tip for oil heaters, you got to put it on full blast until the top of the heater is a little warm then turn it down to lowest setting to maintain the temperature.
Yeah I was thinking that could be a good idea. But for the test I wanted to keep it simple. But I’m glad the fan heater seemed to do better because it’s so much smaller!
Yeah I’ll be trying one soon too but I like the idea of the whole van being warm and not just the bed. But definitely want to try one for when it’s even colder
Living in TN, house didn't have central heat so winter got cold. Electric blankets was indeed a game changer....just made one not want to get out of bed though. Best sleep ever.
Dude, I so appreciate you. It's getting cold and I don't have the room for a gas heater in my SUV. It's just too small. I only need to keep my vehicle above freezing and I have a 1500 watt Jackery. I'm thinking the 250 watt heater should work for me. For what it's worth, I think you're making the right move on concentrating on your channel. You're cute, funny, and personable. Your channel took off with almost no effort. I can imagine you hitting 100,000 subscribers in the next 6 months easily. Good luck and thanks again!
Thank you! Yeah I mean insulation will play a big part in it so could be worth getting insulated window covers if you don’t already. But yeah if you are able to re charge the jackery easily enough I’d definitely recommend trying the 250w heater!
@@Adz I have window covers from WeatherTech and two 100 watt solar panels for the Jackery plus it'll charge as I drive. On paper, I should be fine. Wish me luck. ❤️
Thats great news on going full time mate, I hope it all works out well for you! Plus it's great for us as we get to see more of your videos more often too! Great test on the heaters too, you'd think the radiator option would be the best looking at them so i'm sure you've helped a lot of people out there so they don't waste their money.
Thank you! Looking forward to making more videos now! And yeah I had high hopes for that radiator! I think radiators are more suited to being on a long time because of the time it takes to heat up. So for use on a battery that’s not ideal
This is the first video I’ve seen of yours. Keep up the good work man enjoyed watching your heater reviews and I hope the channel pays enough for you to do it full time 👍
Catylitic gas heaters are superb and don't kill you which is a bonus! Can get them in cabinet (black cat) or as a small separate unit (Alke)...very little condensation as well, I use one in van and at home.....take care & keep the excellent content coming
I have been looking at catalytic for a while,waiting for someone to talk about them.Flo gas have a good buy incl cylinder and hose all in,any thoughts from anyone else?
Good luck with the channel man. I'm the same about heaters - Diesel not stealthy, and almost overpowered in a microcamper. I'm running a 600W ducted heater from my lithium setup. Was stupidly expensive, more of an experiment but works super well. Nice testing btw. Owners of bigger vans flat out deny that battery-heating is viable in some cases. I made myself a 12v timer circuit powering some relays, set to 10-min. Means I don't kane the battery from falling asleep. via 240v there's good cheap timer plugs as you mentioned.
Thank you! And yeah I think in bigger vans that’s when electric becomes less viable but I’m determined to get through the winter without a diesel heater 😂 although if it’s too much of a struggle I may end up giving in. But for now the fan heater is working well!
@@Adz You can do it! Wondering how you charge your power unit - I have direct-to-alternator charging so i get monster rates of about 70A, but a 50A DC-DC charger should get your battery charged in ~2hrs of driving, which is easily done if not sitting on a campsite which you don't seem to do.
Yes fella, was hoping for some mayhem from you and Queen Bectoria but enjoyed the informative content with this one! Great news to hear we may see more regular uploads. fingers crossed for ya! 🤞🏻👍🏻
I bet that was lovely staying and waking up there right near the sea . I can't wait for you to bring out some merch , maybe a shirt with 'Now that's the one !' on it or something lol take care and good luck with doing more videos 👍
Yeah it was! Luckily it was clear blue skies too :) and I have some sample merch being made now but I want it to be good quality so I’m doing a bit of testing/research before I create the shop. Hoping to have something before Christmas though!
Good luck with the channel. Good review on the heaters. I'd personally just fling the stove on for 15 minutes to take the chill out the air and get Bectoria under the covers for added warmth.
That does seem like a good option but I like the idea of having a heater running whilst the doors are shut and I have the projector out. But the stove can always be a backup
Just subscribed. The content and work that went into your experiment was great, but your delivery top notch! Enjoyed it and your beautifully timed comic lines. Best of luck going forward with your new plans.
Glad your back buddy, keep uploading please, I've literally copied the design of your camper, and mine is about 90% done now, inspiring as well as entertaining lol!! Ps. Get Becky back, its getting cold now 🤣
Signs are going up everywhere these days, England hate campers and most places are trying to drive them out. Shame really, as they’ve gold in their purses to spend, but bleeding councils. The sign in the video, looks home made, so probably a local. I’d have cut it down as can’t be enforced.
I live in my car, and its hard to find places to stay. the few have ruined it for the many. its the people that leave the place they stay in a worse state by leaving rubbish and even dumping the toilet waste. and some bring the noise. music, shouting and that. if you watch adam on wondering where on this platform he did something cool on one of his vids. he said he takes a little bag out and cleans up as much mess as he can to give van/car lifers a better rep. if we all chip in doing that. hopefully people will see we aint so bad. but ye, it is getting harder to find nice places to stay more an more.
Planar diesel heater. Set on low they are surprisingly quiet. Unless your ‘stealth’ camping in someone’s back garden I don’t really know who is gonna have an issue with it.
Just found your channel, but if you're still using that fridge (I'm pretty sure I have the same one, and incidentally mounted in exactly the same way as yours), go into the app >settings>advanced settings, and change the start delay from 0mins to 5 or so, it'll stop the compressor from kicking on immediately when the temp sensor detects a change, and if your batteries ever get low, it'll stop it from constantly trying to start, which can really reduce the life of the pump. The fridge internally holds temp well enough that it won't affect the food. Because of how that fridge works, it's expecting 15v (on a 12v system), so even 13v is considered 50% battery level by the fridge itself, and because it draws a lot of start-up current it can often cause enough voltage drop to stop itself from starting up, and without the delay set, it can get into a loop of trying to start every few seconds.
Great way to be warm in bed on low power is an electric blanket. hardly uses any power and keeps you toasty. Only down side is you have to be in bed to benefit
If the thing has a thermostat, set it high then turn it down until it goes off once you're at a comfortable temp. It'll switch back on when the temp drops.
It’d never reach the temperature though in a van in winter. Even on the lowest heat setting it’d be constantly on trying to reach that temperature. They’re such low wattage that the thermostat isn’t really worthwhile
Adz….I love your videos pal. Inspired me to build my van and go out. I look forward to every video and your sense of humour is awesome. If you ever come to Hampshire way I know some epic spots for you. Rich
I have a Webasto diesel heater in my van which is enough for my needs during occasional winter camping trips in the UK but next winter I'm parking the van up for 2 weeks at 2300m in the Alps at an Aire close to a ski resort. It could get very cold (average lows are -10°C) so I'm looking into a good backup heating system should I have any problems with the diesel heater. Sadly I won't have access to an electric hook-up so my options are limited to what I can get via my battery (and solar), and any potential propane solutions. If I had hook-up available for the trip I'd be golden! Enjoying your content. You got a sub. P.S. The problem with the stove-top heater you mentioned is caused by the shitty paint on the top section. If you burn this paint off completely before use you won't get the problem with the smell.
Thanks Just heard you say you're going to try to make more videos and to make a go of making it full time RUclipsing . So I'd like to wish you all the best for the future.
That dimplex was pretty impressive getting 22c on a frosty night. Been tempted for a while. You'd probably find a diesel heater way too hot in such a small space.
It wasn’t frosty the night I was doing the actual tests. But yeah I definitely don’t want a diesel heater in this van. Probably in the next one though!
Good info. When we change car next time we are considering to get something like a caddy or ford transit connect or similar. I have wondered a bit what to do about heating. No winter camping would be considered.
Do I own a camper? No I need to heat one in the winter?No Did I enjoy your video far to much for someone who just scrolled across you? Ohh yes 😂 I have no clue why but, you earned a sub from me my guy, you're very easy to watch! I'm yet to look through your videos but I hope you do a variety! If not... you should consider it, maybe just your day to day activities, hobbies, idk man, but you'll do well I'm sure!
Thanks! I’m glad to hear this.. especially with this particular video because I thought it’d be pretty boring to anyone that doesn’t need to know about heating a small van 😂
Great video again Ad 👌🏻 Interesting to see the comparison of those heaters... The face one really made us laugh 🤣🔥 "I'm starting to trust it" haha! Your duvet does look like "the one" too 😅 ... Always so amazed at how well you have got everything in your van 👏🏻 ... Thank you for the share too 🙏🏻🎥 .. Until the next one, take care 😁
Thanks guys! Yeah I thought the conclusion would be that none of them are any good but that small 250w one is actually decent! And yep that duvet is definitely the one haha
hi ive converted a berlingo simular too you i think just warm clothes are better a hat warm socks to retain body heat i have 2 batterys leisure and a small lappy to watch films pre downloaded via flashdrive ,also with a solar panel charging when i stop .i have another Smal panel that trickle charges on back window also i have a 12 volt kettle and frying pan as a back up .the rear backrests form to double bed i use the van for biking and fishing .
I did the warm clothes thing last year and I just don’t find it comfortable to sleep in a hoodie or hat. So this is hopefully going to be a good option for me. But yeah I have a decent solar panel too so it should be all good! I’ve not heard of anyone having any success with a 12v kettle though so I’d be interested to see how you get on with it
I think diesel heaters are always the most effective for a van if that’s something people would want. But I explained in this video why I don’t want one. I’ll be getting one in my next van though I expect! And thanks!
They are exactly identical in heat output, only difference is how it delivers the heat, best thing about the radiator is that it's quiet, if you could have someone explain thermostats for you, then you might be able to keep it on, just adjust it to 18 degrees, I would imagine that how long it can be on would depend more on battery size than type, if they are equal size, yes, the lithium is better, but if it's for a 1000$ then it would be lead acid
I know exactly how thermostats work. But unfortunately the radiator isn’t a good option in that van. It possibly could be with a small fan behind it. And yeah the type of battery makes a huge difference to the time it can be on, due to the battery chemistry in a lithium allowing a lower SOC than lead acid. Battery capacity is very different than useable capacity. Pretty sure I explained that in the video but can’t remember now
Bloody hell that was proper science and stuff. Enjoyed the video, you make good content (with or without the special guests). Perhaps you should start a business making micro campers to sell.
Thanks mate! And I wouldn’t fee qualified to make them for other people. Plus they take so much time! But I will be building a new one for myself at some point
A Watt is a Watt, since none of them are doing anything else, every watt is turned into heat. The oil radiator has termal mass, so it keeps radiating heat once it is turned off, but every single watt is turned into heat.
Yeah but some methods are far more effective at heating a van as I found out. I mean you could have a 10,000 watt heater but if it was trapped in a bad design it wouldn’t be able to transfer to the space in the van very effectively
It could go directly upwards.. Sideways towards the thinner single skin of the van doors.. Towards the front of the cab.. It could stayed contained within the conductive areas of the heater and take so long to radiate out that it makes no noticeable difference to the vans air temperature (like in a radiator). Just because the watts of energy are there it doesn’t mean they are being used efficiently in certain situations. Which is precisely why I did this test. The 250w fan heater raised the air temperature in the van by a far larger amount than the 400w radiator did. Therefore tests like this are valuable to make sure I’m doing things the most efficient way. Another example.. a 100w heated under blanket would be more efficient to warm a person during sleep than a 100w over blanket. Because the heat is being placed in a more efficient area. In theory the watts produce the same heat. But in practice it’s not just about the watts, it’s about what’s being done with the heat energy after it’s been created
Hi, I'm a new subscriber and really enjoying your adventures, that artic adventure was the best I have ever seen, in this video you have a projector and screen, could you tell me which one it is please as it would be perfect for my wee camper. Thankyou
Well you’ve just got another subscriber, I stumbled across your Halloween camp at the woods and grave yard, noticed your little heater and was about to ask where you got and hey presto another vid from you popped up testing heaters!!! Nice little test, off now to look at the desk heater myself. Great content you have on your videos, I will be watching more and hope your venture works out, I’d Love to be able to do it. Keep the vids coming!!
Driving to charge a battery up a little for charging phones, tablets and running led lights is fine as amp usage is rather small. Driving for extended times to run electrical powered heaters is very costly, wear on the engine and tyres amongst other things, more servicing needed as you clock up those miles and not forgetting the price of diesel. Probably £16 to £18 for diesel just to drive/charge that battery and for very little heat. I too have been figuring out how to heat a small van as I might go smaller than my van I have at present (low roof and less to heat in winter) I don't want to start changing my present vans layout anyway. I think something like the dickinson P9000 is expensive but a Good option. Something half the size and half as powerful but there are none about. The flue is small and double walled, allowing the fresh air for combustion down the outer and exhaust gasses up the inner section of flue so no added ventilation needed inside the van. You don't need to use the fan inside the stove although it only uses 3.5amps over 24 hours anyway. There is a MOD to replace the fan for less than £5.00 to a completely silent fan. The Dickinson puts out slightly under 1kW to 1.3KW...low/high, Fuel Consumption: 1 lb - 7 hrs. 20lb - 140 hrs gal LOW. 1 lb - 5 hrs. This is still way too much for a small van. 1/4 the size would probably do...250watts/360watts. This would give 560 hours of heat at 250watts with 20lbs/9kg bottle of gas. A 4.5kw bottle of gas at around £20.00 would last for 280 hours at 250watts...280 hours is 11.6 days of 24/7 heat without wasting fuel driving to charge a battery for a 250watt electric heater. Larger gas bottles work out much cheaper of-course. Now! a small van needs to be able to have a place allocated for such a heater and actually building one yourself may be the only option. There aren't any that small around that I can find so I'm considering building one myself but instead build a wicked diesel heater (diesel with a small mix of ethanol) a paraffin substitute. This would get combustion air from outside and vent through a small flue...no smoke and like the dickinson design stealth chimney/low and small profile. Cheap as chips to run, far cheaper than gas. The design is already planned out and should work just fine. We definitely need better heating options for smaller vans. PS. Or this...The smallest REFLEKS stove. Good video, I enjoyed the watch very much Adz 👍 Happy Adventures 🍻🚐👊
Thanks for the detailed comment! I never drive purely to charge the battery though. It just gets charged on journeys I already take. Also my solar panel provides most of the power that I need anyway. The alternator gives out roughly 150amps, around 100 of those is taken by the vehicle and main battery. So there’s 50 spare (roughly) and I only put 20 of those through my charger to my leisure battery. So it’s effectively free energy as I’m driving anyway, and the solar is also free regardless of driving. I definitely don’t want gas/diesel/wood heaters so for my this is the perfect solution, along with my new electric blanket too. In my next van I’ll be looking at other options but it will probably be a diesel heater for really cold times and this current system when it’s not too bad
@@Adz I didn't realise until watching many more of your videos what suited Your situation better, I get it now! You do! do a lot of driving, reminds me of my younger days when I drove around doing 80 to 100 miles most nights just for the drive itself, well, visiting other towns was good too. Yeah, diesel night heaters are great, I like mine but probably as you know, overkill for a small van. That's a good size alternator in your van, mines only 50-55amps. My calculations are always based on full time living in a van along with efficiency, sorry about that 😆Anyway, Great show👍
I’ve actually never even seen a diesel heater in real life 😂 I know everyone loves them though. For me it’s more the fact they’re not very stealthy. Like if the exhaust is running in some of the places I park, I’d probably get the knock a lot. But I want to take my next van to some colder places next winter so it’s got to be done I think! And to be honest those figures I have for my alternator are just based on what someone has told me. It might not be too accurate. But I know for sure I’m getting 20amps coming back to my leisure battery when I drive which is enough to keep me going at the moment. Last year I was using a little gas heater but only put it on for 2 mins at a time! I have a lot of power stations fortunately so I’m trying to move away from anything that involves a flame haha. And thanks again!
@@Adz The small 2kw diesel's are powerful enough for even larger vans, quite small too. I have parked in many strange and wonderful places and just run the heater all night if I have too, I don't give it a second though, I have a Talbot express campervan that's my only vehicle so gets parked anywhere and everywhere anyway ha! A heater or noise coming from a stealthy van is probably more suspicious I guess than coming from an actual campervan. If I was like you going stealth, I too would not want to be running a diesel heater (like outside the Police station 🤣Now that would have caused me some paranoia 😬) I don't find my heater loud after it settles down after getting the van up to temperature. I don't drive the regular long distances you drive, so power is at a premium and my heater uses a tad too much, I substitute with gas heating but my van very well ventilated; over ventilated to be honest for winter use. If you don't feel comfortable with flames that's understandable but I've had two life threatening situations with electrical burnouts (one while ready to go to bed) and one while driving (years ago) so I guess it's all risky Adz. Anyway, you'll find something that will work better for you as time goes by I'm sure. Now! back to finishing off watching the rest of your videos, loving them Of-Course! 👍👊🚐
Thanks for the Video. I have the 500 Watt Version. In my usecase it uses less power than the 250 Watt Version. Because of the thermostat and the Higher Output it tends to run shorter to reach the desired Temperature thus using less Energy :)
Yeah I still have the 500w version incase it works out better for me when the nights get colder. Hopefully it will make good use of the thermostat like yours!
@@Adz yes , summer sees an increase in visitors but mainly locals take full advantage of what the promenade has to offer, worth a visit in better weather
Another very informative video buddy, well done as always..but don’t leave it so long mate. Bet it was cold in that bed without the Bexster 🙄😉 take care mate.
Interested video at just the right time for us. We have a transit custom camper and are looking for alternatives to fitting the diesel heater we've bought. You first little heater you tested would be ideal but we'd need to invest in an inverter to to power it. I posted on facbook about this method and inverters etc and got nothing but hate and negative comments unfortunately!
I’d definitely try the heater 1st without investing in the inverter. Like just at home or something in a space similar to the size of the van to see what you think. The problem with this way of doing things is you need a way to charge your batteries after every night. And I think that’s why most people think it’s a bad idea. But also it may not end up being warm enough once it gets down to freezing temperatures so I still need to do a bit of further testing. For me in my small van, with all the power stations I have, I think it could work out ok. But when I upgrade to a bigger van I may end up giving in and getting a diesel heater! I’m also going to be trying an electric blanket soon too! I’m determined to get through winter comfortably without a diesel heater 😂
@@Adz cheers for the reply, luckily we have a 100w solar panel and split charge so recharging the battery won't be an issue, as long as an inverter and 75ah battery will get on together for long enough for the heater to do its job.👍🏼
Hopefully it’ll work out! Although you’ll only have about 37.5ah to work with because you can’t really let the battery drop to below 50% without damaging it. An inverter will take around 15% extra power too. So with that size battery you’d probably only have about 1 and a half hours of the heater before needing to re-charge
Great video bud. I’ve just subscribed to your channel so looking forward to more. By the way, the heater appraisals were good but I’m more interested in where you got the pan for the Calzone!! 😎👍
Yeah someone else suggested that which I thought was a brilliant idea. But I think for the size of that radiator compared to the small fan heater, I think I’ll go with the little one for now and see how I get on with it
I've just ordered one of these Dimplex 250w fan heaters. It would be interesting to see the screen of your power station as you use it so we can see the power draw. Its 250w but I saw another video that showed it drawing almost 677w initially on start up so I'm guessing I would need a large inverter 600w + to run this?
From what I remember it didn’t have an initial power surge at all. I plugged it in and it went straight to about 244w. I’ll take another look next time but I think I would’ve mentioned it on the video if I’d seen it spike at the beginning
Not sure how you mean. I show the watts of each appliance on the video? But also the one I chose to be the best is also the smallest, so saving space worked out good in this case
Pro tip for oil heaters, you got to put it on full blast until the top of the heater is a little warm then turn it down to lowest setting to maintain the temperature.
Yeah I was thinking that could be a good idea. But for the test I wanted to keep it simple. But I’m glad the fan heater seemed to do better because it’s so much smaller!
And adding a ventilator also helps distribution the Heat, but the vent also uses energy
Hi do you recommend any particular oil heater? tar
12v heated car seat cover ,works great put it underneath the bed cover best wishes dave chubb
Try an electric blanket, they use about 12 Watts on low and are a real game changer. :)
Yeah I’ll be trying one soon too but I like the idea of the whole van being warm and not just the bed. But definitely want to try one for when it’s even colder
+1 on electric blanket, but the game changer for me was when I found that 12V heated mattress pads were available. Amazing!
@@ScotDouglas where would I find these 😊
Living in TN, house didn't have central heat so winter got cold. Electric blankets was indeed a game changer....just made one not want to get out of bed though. Best sleep ever.
@@ScotDouglas do you have a link to these? iwould appreciate it.
Dude, I so appreciate you. It's getting cold and I don't have the room for a gas heater in my SUV. It's just too small. I only need to keep my vehicle above freezing and I have a 1500 watt Jackery. I'm thinking the 250 watt heater should work for me.
For what it's worth, I think you're making the right move on concentrating on your channel. You're cute, funny, and personable. Your channel took off with almost no effort. I can imagine you hitting 100,000 subscribers in the next 6 months easily. Good luck and thanks again!
Thank you! Yeah I mean insulation will play a big part in it so could be worth getting insulated window covers if you don’t already. But yeah if you are able to re charge the jackery easily enough I’d definitely recommend trying the 250w heater!
@@Adz I have window covers from WeatherTech and two 100 watt solar panels for the Jackery plus it'll charge as I drive. On paper, I should be fine. Wish me luck. ❤️
Check out a far infrared heater, i was super sceptical, got a cheap 180w one to heat my boat and wow, it works amazingly!
Thats great news on going full time mate, I hope it all works out well for you! Plus it's great for us as we get to see more of your videos more often too! Great test on the heaters too, you'd think the radiator option would be the best looking at them so i'm sure you've helped a lot of people out there so they don't waste their money.
Thank you! Looking forward to making more videos now! And yeah I had high hopes for that radiator! I think radiators are more suited to being on a long time because of the time it takes to heat up. So for use on a battery that’s not ideal
This is the first video I’ve seen of yours. Keep up the good work man enjoyed watching your heater reviews and I hope the channel pays enough for you to do it full time 👍
Thank you, and glad you found the channel!
Catylitic gas heaters are superb and don't kill you which is a bonus! Can get them in cabinet (black cat) or as a small separate unit (Alke)...very little condensation as well, I use one in van and at home.....take care & keep the excellent content coming
Not heard of them but I’ll take a look!
I have been looking at catalytic for a while,waiting for someone to talk about them.Flo gas have a good buy incl cylinder and hose all in,any thoughts from anyone else?
Good luck with the channel man. I'm the same about heaters - Diesel not stealthy, and almost overpowered in a microcamper. I'm running a 600W ducted heater from my lithium setup. Was stupidly expensive, more of an experiment but works super well.
Nice testing btw. Owners of bigger vans flat out deny that battery-heating is viable in some cases.
I made myself a 12v timer circuit powering some relays, set to 10-min. Means I don't kane the battery from falling asleep. via 240v there's good cheap timer plugs as you mentioned.
Thank you! And yeah I think in bigger vans that’s when electric becomes less viable but I’m determined to get through the winter without a diesel heater 😂 although if it’s too much of a struggle I may end up giving in. But for now the fan heater is working well!
@@Adz You can do it! Wondering how you charge your power unit - I have direct-to-alternator charging so i get monster rates of about 70A, but a 50A DC-DC charger should get your battery charged in ~2hrs of driving, which is easily done if not sitting on a campsite which you don't seem to do.
I've been going through your comments. You have a lot of supportive followers
Yeah I’m so grateful to have built the audience I have on this channel!
Great news bud, look forward to seeing the winter vids. As mentioned a electric blanket would be great too!
Thank you! And yeah I’ll be adding one to the mix soon!
Yes fella, was hoping for some mayhem from you and Queen Bectoria but enjoyed the informative content with this one! Great news to hear we may see more regular uploads. fingers crossed for ya! 🤞🏻👍🏻
She’ll be back real soon so I’m sure something mad will happen haha
She’ll be back real soon so I’m sure something mad will happen haha
She’ll be back real soon so I’m sure something mad will happen haha
First time watching one of your videos. Great honest content.
I bet that was lovely staying and waking up there right near the sea . I can't wait for you to bring out some merch , maybe a shirt with 'Now that's the one !' on it or something lol take care and good luck with doing more videos 👍
Yeah it was! Luckily it was clear blue skies too :) and I have some sample merch being made now but I want it to be good quality so I’m doing a bit of testing/research before I create the shop. Hoping to have something before Christmas though!
Good luck with the channel.
Good review on the heaters. I'd personally just fling the stove on for 15 minutes to take the chill out the air and get Bectoria under the covers for added warmth.
That does seem like a good option but I like the idea of having a heater running whilst the doors are shut and I have the projector out. But the stove can always be a backup
Just subscribed. The content and work that went into your experiment was great, but your delivery top notch! Enjoyed it and your beautifully timed comic lines. Best of luck going forward with your new plans.
Thanks Ben, it’s appreciated!
Glad your back buddy, keep uploading please, I've literally copied the design of your camper, and mine is about 90% done now, inspiring as well as entertaining lol!! Ps. Get Becky back, its getting cold now 🤣
Thanks mate! Hope you enjoy yours.. And yeah she’ll be back soon!
Love it bruv...been waiting for what seems far too long, keep on stealthin 😉 👍👍
Yeah it was definitely too long! Thanks mate!
Why are there so many signs saying people can't sleep in their vehicles?! It's our choice!
Thats the way I see it..... we pay tax insurance and mot to be on the roads so why they don't want us using what we pay for I don't know
Signs are going up everywhere these days, England hate campers and most places are trying to drive them out. Shame really, as they’ve gold in their purses to spend, but bleeding councils. The sign in the video, looks home made, so probably a local. I’d have cut it down as can’t be enforced.
loving ua vidal dude big respect
Are these signs legal? It looks like they are made by locals who hate campers.
I live in my car, and its hard to find places to stay. the few have ruined it for the many. its the people that leave the place they stay in a worse state by leaving rubbish and even dumping the toilet waste. and some bring the noise. music, shouting and that.
if you watch adam on wondering where on this platform he did something cool on one of his vids. he said he takes a little bag out and cleans up as much mess as he can to give van/car lifers a better rep. if we all chip in doing that. hopefully people will see we aint so bad.
but ye, it is getting harder to find nice places to stay more an more.
Planar diesel heater. Set on low they are surprisingly quiet. Unless your ‘stealth’ camping in someone’s back garden I don’t really know who is gonna have an issue with it.
That’s the one I’m planning on getting in my next van. But knowing me stealth camping in someone’s back garden can’t be ruled out 😂
Well done ADZ 👍😁
Thanks!
Fekin hell a new testament! 🤣
Good job with the heaters, Good advice.
Haha it was that good! 😂 and thanks!
Just found your channel, but if you're still using that fridge (I'm pretty sure I have the same one, and incidentally mounted in exactly the same way as yours), go into the app >settings>advanced settings, and change the start delay from 0mins to 5 or so, it'll stop the compressor from kicking on immediately when the temp sensor detects a change, and if your batteries ever get low, it'll stop it from constantly trying to start, which can really reduce the life of the pump. The fridge internally holds temp well enough that it won't affect the food. Because of how that fridge works, it's expecting 15v (on a 12v system), so even 13v is considered 50% battery level by the fridge itself, and because it draws a lot of start-up current it can often cause enough voltage drop to stop itself from starting up, and without the delay set, it can get into a loop of trying to start every few seconds.
Great way to be warm in bed on low power is an electric blanket. hardly uses any power and keeps you toasty. Only down side is you have to be in bed to benefit
I’ve done a fair few vids on this. Love mine! But yeah I agree, it’s great to have the air temperature warm too
Really entertaining channel, best of luck with going full time.
Thank you!
If the thing has a thermostat, set it high then turn it down until it goes off once you're at a comfortable temp. It'll switch back on when the temp drops.
It’d never reach the temperature though in a van in winter. Even on the lowest heat setting it’d be constantly on trying to reach that temperature. They’re such low wattage that the thermostat isn’t really worthwhile
Adz….I love your videos pal. Inspired me to build my van and go out. I look forward to every video and your sense of humour is awesome. If you ever come to Hampshire way I know some epic spots for you.
Rich
Thanks Rich! Good luck with yours! And I’m sure I’ll be there at some point! I never know where I’m going most of the time 😂
I have a Webasto diesel heater in my van which is enough for my needs during occasional winter camping trips in the UK but next winter I'm parking the van up for 2 weeks at 2300m in the Alps at an Aire close to a ski resort. It could get very cold (average lows are -10°C) so I'm looking into a good backup heating system should I have any problems with the diesel heater. Sadly I won't have access to an electric hook-up so my options are limited to what I can get via my battery (and solar), and any potential propane solutions. If I had hook-up available for the trip I'd be golden!
Enjoying your content. You got a sub.
P.S. The problem with the stove-top heater you mentioned is caused by the shitty paint on the top section. If you burn this paint off completely before use you won't get the problem with the smell.
Thanks
Just heard you say you're going to try to make more videos and to make a go of making it full time RUclipsing .
So I'd like to wish you all the best for the future.
Thank you so much mate! I’m hoping I can make things work! Always wanted to do this so fingers crossed!
@@Adz 🤞
That dimplex was pretty impressive getting 22c on a frosty night. Been tempted for a while. You'd probably find a diesel heater way too hot in such a small space.
It wasn’t frosty the night I was doing the actual tests. But yeah I definitely don’t want a diesel heater in this van. Probably in the next one though!
Kinda like your humorous narrative. Here's a comment to help the channel. Good luck!
Thank you Steve, it’s appreciated!
Nice work kipping in a micro camper!
Good info.
When we change car next time we are considering to get something like a caddy or ford transit connect or similar.
I have wondered a bit what to do about heating.
No winter camping would be considered.
I just get a normal pizza fold it in half and cut it into 2 quarters pop it into a dry frying pan quick and easy 👍
Might have to try that!
I’ve just got the dimplex one after watching your video can’t wait to test it out camping in vw t5 and the caddy maxi
I wish you all the best mucka x
Thank you Scott!
@@Adz your most welcome mate you take Good care and be lucky mucka God Bless You Amen xxxxxxx and God Bless Your Earthly Family Amen xxxxxxx
Do I own a camper? No
I need to heat one in the winter?No
Did I enjoy your video far to much for someone who just scrolled across you? Ohh yes 😂 I have no clue why but, you earned a sub from me my guy, you're very easy to watch! I'm yet to look through your videos but I hope you do a variety! If not... you should consider it, maybe just your day to day activities, hobbies, idk man, but you'll do well I'm sure!
Thanks! I’m glad to hear this.. especially with this particular video because I thought it’d be pretty boring to anyone that doesn’t need to know about heating a small van 😂
@@Adz nah bro! You're a natural speaker! 😌
Hot water bottles! Boiling the kettles will warm the van initially then pop the bottles in yer bed.
Yeah I have a meter long one which is pretty good
Mate, thanks for this video, it helped me soooo much, cheers
All good!
Good video made me chuckle
Thanks Keith!
Good idea to make more vids. I will chip in a few brain cells.
Thanks so much! I’m hoping I can make this work full time!
@@Adz If you keep Becktoria with you in the videos. I think you will be just fine. You two make it. Such a happy duo.
Nice to see you dropping a vid hope you all good cheers
Thanks!!
Great video again Ad 👌🏻 Interesting to see the comparison of those heaters... The face one really made us laugh 🤣🔥 "I'm starting to trust it" haha!
Your duvet does look like "the one" too 😅 ... Always so amazed at how well you have got everything in your van 👏🏻 ... Thank you for the share too 🙏🏻🎥 .. Until the next one, take care 😁
Thanks guys! Yeah I thought the conclusion would be that none of them are any good but that small 250w one is actually decent! And yep that duvet is definitely the one haha
Good content feller,looking forward to the adventure of it all over the winter,enjoy your journey,life's for living we onley get to do it once 👍
Yeah that’s very true! I’ve been realising that a lot recently. Thank you!
hi ive converted a berlingo simular too you i think just warm clothes are better a hat warm socks to retain body heat i have 2 batterys leisure and a small lappy to watch films pre downloaded via flashdrive ,also with a solar panel charging when i stop .i have another Smal panel that trickle charges on back window also i have a 12 volt kettle and frying pan as a back up .the rear backrests form to double bed i use the van for biking and fishing .
I did the warm clothes thing last year and I just don’t find it comfortable to sleep in a hoodie or hat. So this is hopefully going to be a good option for me. But yeah I have a decent solar panel too so it should be all good! I’ve not heard of anyone having any success with a 12v kettle though so I’d be interested to see how you get on with it
Always good content so you will smash it adz
Thanks Dan!
So it's proving direct electric heating is more effective. The kWh you used on the oil heater was way more. Thx.
Gl on the Van live move.
I think diesel heaters are always the most effective for a van if that’s something people would want. But I explained in this video why I don’t want one. I’ll be getting one in my next van though I expect! And thanks!
They are exactly identical in heat output, only difference is how it delivers the heat, best thing about the radiator is that it's quiet, if you could have someone explain thermostats for you, then you might be able to keep it on, just adjust it to 18 degrees,
I would imagine that how long it can be on would depend more on battery size than type, if they are equal size, yes, the lithium is better, but if it's for a 1000$ then it would be lead acid
I know exactly how thermostats work. But unfortunately the radiator isn’t a good option in that van. It possibly could be with a small fan behind it. And yeah the type of battery makes a huge difference to the time it can be on, due to the battery chemistry in a lithium allowing a lower SOC than lead acid. Battery capacity is very different than useable capacity. Pretty sure I explained that in the video but can’t remember now
Ads u r brilliant mate love the Chanel keep up the good work look forward to the next one stay safe mate from Richard in Cardiff
Thank you Richard! Glad you’re enjoying the vids!
Bloody hell that was proper science and stuff. Enjoyed the video, you make good content (with or without the special guests). Perhaps you should start a business making micro campers to sell.
Thanks mate! And I wouldn’t fee qualified to make them for other people. Plus they take so much time! But I will be building a new one for myself at some point
A Watt is a Watt, since none of them are doing anything else, every watt is turned into heat.
The oil radiator has termal mass, so it keeps radiating heat once it is turned off, but every single watt is turned into heat.
Yeah but some methods are far more effective at heating a van as I found out. I mean you could have a 10,000 watt heater but if it was trapped in a bad design it wouldn’t be able to transfer to the space in the van very effectively
@@Adz And where would that heat go?
It could go directly upwards.. Sideways towards the thinner single skin of the van doors.. Towards the front of the cab.. It could stayed contained within the conductive areas of the heater and take so long to radiate out that it makes no noticeable difference to the vans air temperature (like in a radiator). Just because the watts of energy are there it doesn’t mean they are being used efficiently in certain situations. Which is precisely why I did this test. The 250w fan heater raised the air temperature in the van by a far larger amount than the 400w radiator did. Therefore tests like this are valuable to make sure I’m doing things the most efficient way. Another example.. a 100w heated under blanket would be more efficient to warm a person during sleep than a 100w over blanket. Because the heat is being placed in a more efficient area. In theory the watts produce the same heat. But in practice it’s not just about the watts, it’s about what’s being done with the heat energy after it’s been created
About time Adz!!
That food looks good. Ill gunna have to give it ago
I definitely recommend it! Thanks!
good luck sir! greetings from Germany
Thanks Jimmy!
Another fantastic video I’m sure you will make it a success on here as you make great videos
Thanks for making
Take care and stay safe
Thank you Steven, I hope so!
Hi, I'm a new subscriber and really enjoying your adventures, that artic adventure was the best I have ever seen, in this video you have a projector and screen, could you tell me which one it is please as it would be perfect for my wee camper. Thankyou
Get your self a diesel heater there the bomb pal iv got one fitted to my t5 👌🏽 easy to fit aswell
I may do in my next van mate. But I said in this video about why I don’t want one at the moment. They are good though!
Well you’ve just got another subscriber, I stumbled across your Halloween camp at the woods and grave yard, noticed your little heater and was about to ask where you got and hey presto another vid from you popped up testing heaters!!! Nice little test, off now to look at the desk heater myself. Great content you have on your videos, I will be watching more and hope your venture works out, I’d Love to be able to do it. Keep the vids coming!!
Thank you Dave! Yeah so far that heater has been great! It’s quite easy to hear my small van though. I’ll also be trying a heated blanket soon
Good luck matey. Big step. 👍🏻
Thanks mate. Hoping I can make it work!
There is also heated clothing run on batteries.
Yeah I’ve seen some of them actually. Maybe I’ll test some!
Awesome video 😆💯
Thanks!
As per a previous poster, an electric blanket or even a small heat pad for the likes of back pain etc are low wattage and toasty.
Yeah I’ll be trying an electric blanket at some point I think. But I prefer the whole van being warm rather than just the bed
Have you thought about a heat pump? AFAIK, the Hyundia Ionic 5 has a heat pump. V. Efficient apparently
What a great view to watch up to adz 👍👍
Yeah it was nice that there wasn’t anyone on that beach either!
Excellent heater revues, thanks.
Thanks Darren!
Driving to charge a battery up a little for charging phones, tablets and running led lights is fine as amp usage is rather small.
Driving for extended times to run electrical powered heaters is very costly, wear on the engine and tyres amongst other things, more servicing needed as you clock up those miles and not forgetting the price of diesel.
Probably £16 to £18 for diesel just to drive/charge that battery and for very little heat.
I too have been figuring out how to heat a small van as I might go smaller than my van I have at present (low roof and less to heat in winter) I don't want to start changing my present vans layout anyway.
I think something like the dickinson P9000 is expensive but a Good option.
Something half the size and half as powerful but there are none about.
The flue is small and double walled, allowing the fresh air for combustion down the outer and exhaust gasses up the inner section of flue so no added ventilation needed inside the van.
You don't need to use the fan inside the stove although it only uses 3.5amps over 24 hours anyway.
There is a MOD to replace the fan for less than £5.00 to a completely silent fan.
The Dickinson puts out slightly under 1kW to 1.3KW...low/high, Fuel Consumption: 1 lb - 7 hrs. 20lb - 140 hrs gal LOW. 1 lb - 5 hrs.
This is still way too much for a small van.
1/4 the size would probably do...250watts/360watts.
This would give 560 hours of heat at 250watts with 20lbs/9kg bottle of gas.
A 4.5kw bottle of gas at around £20.00 would last for 280 hours at 250watts...280 hours is 11.6 days of 24/7 heat without wasting fuel driving to charge a battery for a 250watt electric heater.
Larger gas bottles work out much cheaper of-course.
Now! a small van needs to be able to have a place allocated for such a heater and actually building one yourself may be the only option. There aren't any that small around that I can find so I'm considering building one myself but instead build a wicked diesel heater (diesel with a small mix of ethanol) a paraffin substitute.
This would get combustion air from outside and vent through a small flue...no smoke and like the dickinson design stealth chimney/low and small profile.
Cheap as chips to run, far cheaper than gas.
The design is already planned out and should work just fine.
We definitely need better heating options for smaller vans.
PS. Or this...The smallest REFLEKS stove.
Good video, I enjoyed the watch very much Adz 👍 Happy Adventures 🍻🚐👊
Thanks for the detailed comment!
I never drive purely to charge the battery though. It just gets charged on journeys I already take. Also my solar panel provides most of the power that I need anyway. The alternator gives out roughly 150amps, around 100 of those is taken by the vehicle and main battery. So there’s 50 spare (roughly) and I only put 20 of those through my charger to my leisure battery. So it’s effectively free energy as I’m driving anyway, and the solar is also free regardless of driving.
I definitely don’t want gas/diesel/wood heaters so for my this is the perfect solution, along with my new electric blanket too. In my next van I’ll be looking at other options but it will probably be a diesel heater for really cold times and this current system when it’s not too bad
@@Adz I didn't realise until watching many more of your videos what suited Your situation better, I get it now! You do! do a lot of driving, reminds me of my younger days when I drove around doing 80 to 100 miles most nights just for the drive itself, well, visiting other towns was good too.
Yeah, diesel night heaters are great, I like mine but probably as you know, overkill for a small van.
That's a good size alternator in your van, mines only 50-55amps.
My calculations are always based on full time living in a van along with efficiency, sorry about that 😆Anyway, Great show👍
I’ve actually never even seen a diesel heater in real life 😂 I know everyone loves them though. For me it’s more the fact they’re not very stealthy. Like if the exhaust is running in some of the places I park, I’d probably get the knock a lot. But I want to take my next van to some colder places next winter so it’s got to be done I think!
And to be honest those figures I have for my alternator are just based on what someone has told me. It might not be too accurate. But I know for sure I’m getting 20amps coming back to my leisure battery when I drive which is enough to keep me going at the moment. Last year I was using a little gas heater but only put it on for 2 mins at a time! I have a lot of power stations fortunately so I’m trying to move away from anything that involves a flame haha. And thanks again!
@@Adz The small 2kw diesel's are powerful enough for even larger vans, quite small too.
I have parked in many strange and wonderful places and just run the heater all night if I have too, I don't give it a second though, I have a Talbot express campervan that's my only vehicle so gets parked anywhere and everywhere anyway ha!
A heater or noise coming from a stealthy van is probably more suspicious I guess than coming from an actual campervan.
If I was like you going stealth, I too would not want to be running a diesel heater (like outside the Police station 🤣Now that would have caused me some paranoia 😬)
I don't find my heater loud after it settles down after getting the van up to temperature.
I don't drive the regular long distances you drive, so power is at a premium and my heater uses a tad too much, I substitute with gas heating but my van very well ventilated; over ventilated to be honest for winter use.
If you don't feel comfortable with flames that's understandable but I've had two life threatening situations with electrical burnouts (one while ready to go to bed) and one while driving (years ago) so I guess it's all risky Adz.
Anyway, you'll find something that will work better for you as time goes by I'm sure. Now! back to finishing off watching the rest of your videos, loving them Of-Course! 👍👊🚐
Nice one Adz...boss little video 👍
Thanks Arthur!
ty for the tips!
Angel slippers 😂🤙
I should copyright that name 😂
Thanks for the Video. I have the 500 Watt Version. In my usecase it uses less power than the 250 Watt Version. Because of the thermostat and the Higher Output it tends to run shorter to reach the desired Temperature thus using less Energy :)
Yeah I still have the 500w version incase it works out better for me when the nights get colder. Hopefully it will make good use of the thermostat like yours!
Looks like my neck of the woods Adz. Sea Angling Club, West promenade. Stayed there a fair bit unintentionally 😉
Yeah it was actually really nice there! I’m guessing it’s a lot busier in the summer!
@@Adz yes , summer sees an increase in visitors but mainly locals take full advantage of what the promenade has to offer, worth a visit in better weather
Great video and very useful info, thanks.
Glad you thought so. Thank you!
Another very informative video buddy, well done as always..but don’t leave it so long mate. Bet it was cold in that bed without the Bexster 🙄😉 take care mate.
Well it’s been difficult with work but I’m concentrating more on the channel now so hopefully a video each week. And thanks!
Love the van, just what I’m hoping to get.
Yeah they’re great little vans!
Good old diesel night heater. What truckers use.
Interested video at just the right time for us. We have a transit custom camper and are looking for alternatives to fitting the diesel heater we've bought. You first little heater you tested would be ideal but we'd need to invest in an inverter to to power it. I posted on facbook about this method and inverters etc and got nothing but hate and negative comments unfortunately!
I’d definitely try the heater 1st without investing in the inverter. Like just at home or something in a space similar to the size of the van to see what you think. The problem with this way of doing things is you need a way to charge your batteries after every night. And I think that’s why most people think it’s a bad idea. But also it may not end up being warm enough once it gets down to freezing temperatures so I still need to do a bit of further testing. For me in my small van, with all the power stations I have, I think it could work out ok. But when I upgrade to a bigger van I may end up giving in and getting a diesel heater! I’m also going to be trying an electric blanket soon too! I’m determined to get through winter comfortably without a diesel heater 😂
@@Adz cheers for the reply, luckily we have a 100w solar panel and split charge so recharging the battery won't be an issue, as long as an inverter and 75ah battery will get on together for long enough for the heater to do its job.👍🏼
Hopefully it’ll work out! Although you’ll only have about 37.5ah to work with because you can’t really let the battery drop to below 50% without damaging it. An inverter will take around 15% extra power too. So with that size battery you’d probably only have about 1 and a half hours of the heater before needing to re-charge
What name should I search for to find that strange yet very interesting cooking "device" 2:25? :)
I have only used the oil filled full-size radiators indoors: all have been worthless.
Great video bud. I’ve just subscribed to your channel so looking forward to more. By the way, the heater appraisals were good but I’m more interested in where you got the pan for the Calzone!! 😎👍
Thanks Tony! The pan I use is called a ridgemonkey. There’s links to all the stuff I use in the description (the kit link)
how about a cheap usb fan behind the heater, when hot 🔥 it would push, circulate a bit of heat around the van.. it uses next to power...
Yeah someone else suggested that which I thought was a brilliant idea. But I think for the size of that radiator compared to the small fan heater, I think I’ll go with the little one for now and see how I get on with it
That was a kickass cooktop, how it lifted up from the counter like that. What is that?
I’m pretty sure it’s the smev 9722 (might have those numbers slightly wrong)
What a van
Thanks!
Whare did you get the mini projector ?
Well cool .
There’s links to all products in my descriptions mate
1 watt is 1 watt and will always be 1 watt...
It all depends on the way you distribute and store this energy.
Precisely. That’s why I made this video
That sign has the same amount of power as me posting on RUclips saying DO NOT COMMENT.
Haha yeah I never pay too much attention to them
Adam. What's the dough you used for the calzone?
It was just a packet of pizza express dough. I think Asda do a pre rolled one though which may be easier to work with
Cheers pal. I'll be having a look.
What about the diesel hobs that double up as a heater 🤔
Not heard of them! I’ll take a look!
I've just ordered one of these Dimplex 250w fan heaters. It would be interesting to see the screen of your power station as you use it so we can see the power draw. Its 250w but I saw another video that showed it drawing almost 677w initially on start up so I'm guessing I would need a large inverter 600w + to run this?
From what I remember it didn’t have an initial power surge at all. I plugged it in and it went straight to about 244w. I’ll take another look next time but I think I would’ve mentioned it on the video if I’d seen it spike at the beginning
good look going full time adz,enjoyed the vlog,can you tell me where you got those handy wall storage shelves in the back of your van,cheers
Thank you! And there’s a kit link in the description. They’ll be in the van build section
Great video. Where did you get the storage shelves behind you in the video? They are awesome.
Thanks! Everything is in the link in the description
Enjoyed the video
Thanks Karl!
Where did you get the projector screen from? Looking at getting one for mine
Links in all the descriptions
ever tried a akku heating gun?
The heater is great ive just got one great channel just joined :)
Thanks James! And yeah I’m still living mine!
Hi mate. How do you keep the moisture/condensation out of your van? Thanks! Good luck for your channel 🍀!
Thank you! And I have the 2 front windows down an inch for ventilation. And also a small extractor fan on the roof in the back
Best of luck chief 👍
Thank you!
Some of the electric blankets are 100-150watts worth a look? Won't heat the van but will at least heat you.
Never mind just saw your other video 😂
Yeah I love the one I got!
another great interesting vid. Where are all your Girlfriends as they are fun as well? Lookin fwd to heaps more vids. You're an interesting person.
Thank you! I think I’m seeing Becky next week so I expect we’ll be making a video!
have you thought of doing the tests with a watt hour meter? then compare the results. and if saving space which one is the best?
Not sure how you mean. I show the watts of each appliance on the video? But also the one I chose to be the best is also the smallest, so saving space worked out good in this case
So the C.C. did not work. What language setting should I use?
I’ll be honest I have no idea how the captions work on RUclips mate
So now it's winter what you suggesting?
Done some recent vids on what I’m currently using mate
Would the ecoflow river 2 be man enough to power the dimplex fan heater? How long would the power station last? Thanks 🙏
It would yeah. It’d be roughly a quarter of the times stated on this video for the delta 2, so not very long really
@@Adz ok thank you 👍
Pensioner feet? I've never come across that before. And I'm 60. Almost there, I guess.
Well I’ll hold my hands up and admit I have never experienced any age of feet so I may not be a reliable source 😂