Most people don't know that they can use a larger 110V heated blanket and then use a dimmer switch to control the warmth and/or electrical use. You can make the electrical draw be whatever you want.
We had done the 12Vdc heated blanket years ago, you have to watch out for the wire connection at the blanket ours had overheated there and caught on fire.
Currently laying on my Amazon $20 heated blanket watching you tell me about the Amazon $20 heated blanket. 😂 Our plug broke so I used a Wago connector to wire it into our 12v. Switch it off at the wall.
A 12v heated mattress pad was available years ago. Probably still available. Your blanket probably works fine, but the mattress pad was a little stiffer, better for the purpose. I spent most weekends camping in my truck for years. I had a deep cycle battery in the back, wired to charge when the truck was running, but disconnected when the truck was off so that it wouldn't drain the starting battery. However, despite camping in below freezing temperatures, I never completely drained the backup battery. And anything over the middle setting was oppressively hot.
I have a 2x1 foot 12v heating pad. I bought it for several reasons. Heating Pad, Lithium battery heater and Propane tank heat. It has a very long electric cord and will reach outside to the propane tanks. I have yet to use it for any of those things, but it's there if needed. Also my small pad uses 3 amps, as much as a full blanket.
I don’t have a heated blanket, but I have the best alternative, it’s called Millie. Keeps me warm all night and is a great security alarm. She is 4 months old and she is just gorgeous. She is a Yorkshire Terrier/Maltese. Get a dog!!!!!
I figured you might be talking about an electric blanket. Very practical for off-grid. I've got a pile of sleeping bags and old comforters, so I can bed down comfortably no matter how cold it is, but if it's really cold, it's nice to warm up the bed before you get in, and an electric blanket beats hot water bottles.
Cool idea! (Or maybe I should say, "hot" idea! 😂) A duvet cover might work to keep the blanket clean since you can remove that and wash it whenever it gets dirty or between trips. Hmmm...might have to steal your idea! 😉
Hey Regena thank you!! I'll meet ya in the middle it's a warm idea 😀. If you happen to try this, would love to hear what you think. I Googled "Duvet cover", and yes this is perfect! Not only for the heat blanket, but possibly my memory foam pad too. "Duvet" is a new addition to my vocabulary as well 😄. Thanks for this tip it's a great trade of ideas!💡
@@Savagecamper 😂 Happy to add to your vocabulary! We have a down comforter in our Four Wheel Camper and the duvet cover makes keeping it clean easy! I love sharing ideas and I'm always up for learning new things! Hope you're doing well!😁
@@regenakowitz I have a down comforter packed away, so maybe I'll give that a try as well! All is well here just working away so I can earn some more outdoors play time 😊. Looking forward to following where & what the Kowitz family is up to next!
I had a 12 volt blanket that totally drained my car truck battery in less than 2 hours. As mentioned in other comments mine also said to lie on top of the blanket.
For the 12V heated blanket I use, I made it it had a low amperage draw (less than 3 amps) which will last all night. My truck has dual batteries, but I only use my camper power station battery for the blanket to avoid the dead truck battery situation you experienced. A separate 12V power station can be charged from a running vehicle, solar panel or A/C shore power if it dies.
Before you buy a $20 12v blanket ,especially if you are going to sleep on it, just throw a match on your camper. If you look at comments, recurrent them is fire, fire, overheat, wire broken, burned me. Electrowarmth 12v mattress pad costs $100+, but last and last. Thermostat saves amps, but keeps you warm. No problem running all night.
2 years through winters with it, not burned down yet, and not dead from hypothermia either :) Put the blanket over you. It's a very low power blanket. You idea is a great one. I'd have to look at amp draw to se of its viable for my setup
@@Savagecamper I, and others watching, may have misunderstood you. "Sandwiched between"; we thought you were laying on that blanket, which is definitely advised against. That said, as you read reviews of these inexpensive blankets (many without settings or thermostat), burns and fires are noted.
That's a really good idea! Even if you only leave it on long enough to get your bed warm, then you can sleep through the night as your body keeps your sleeping bags warm. By the way, if it is well below zero, I find that my torso is where I need to add more heat.
I sure wouldn't worry about it getting to dirty. One can put a waterproof mattress cover on it but why? I keep heated matress covers under another matress cover. The blanket could be placed under the foam and still warm fine. I can't sleep on the fine wires in them.
Most electric blankets are not designed to have your body weight on top of them.. the coils can heat unevenly and cause burn or a fire.. you can have them on top of you with a layer of space blanket or even reflectix in a pair of flat sheets sewn together like a thin duvet cover.. then add a light synth down over that.. not too heavy.. if you can find a 12V mattress pad.. those work slower but are safer and last longer… would guess you want a quilted layer on top of the memory foam with the mattress pad between the 2.
Great advice thank you. Yes a quilted top over the memory foam would be nice. I've been using the 12V blanket as you've suggested lately it still does a great job of keeping me warm and eliminating condensation build-up
I have 20 lb of covers on my bed I have a half gallon Pyrex jar that I put a pound of rice in microwave it for about 10 minutes place a clean sock over the Pyrex jar with the rice still in it no water and look carefully it is very hot tie not in the end of the sock keeps my feet in my body warm for a solid 12 hours at night electricity is too expensive around my apartment
Ok but lets talk run time. What is the watt hours consumed on that. How quickly is your battery going to be dead. What are the outside temps you are trying to overcome? As well as who wants to sleep on a 80 degree bed?
An 80 degree bed is awesome when it's low 30'F out. sleeping 2 full winters through in this camper it kept me quite cozy instead of freezing my butt off. Obviously summer is different. 3.5 amp blanket draws 42 watts, but it has an auto temp switch in it, so it shuts off at times when getting too hot, meaning somewhat less power draw. Many power stations can handle this no problem. Mine is only a 77 amp hour agm battery and it handles it all night.
turn that maxxair fan on dude, condensation should not be an issue. i lived in a van for 7 years. trust, you should NEVER have condensation if you're doing it right. If you do have condensation, that means you're ventilation system is not dialed in yet and you need to experiment until you get it right. Love the blanket idea though, that's a great solution for those cold nights
Question about your camper when it’s raining, how do you ventilate, do roof fans, roll up vinyl, or slide let rain in? I’m concerned about heavy rain and hot weather.
Great question. I crack open one or both Maxxair roof vents on low setting they draw very low power. I leave the windows on the marine siding closed no rain inside. In hot weather I open both roof vents marine siding windows and my slider windows below
I don't think it operates like a toaster oven to glowing red. Its maximum achievable heat seems to be safe I've been using it now in 2nd winter season.
Hi Landry...this 12V blanket seems to shut on/off based on temperature, so it stays on all night but shuts off for a bit when reaching max temp to prevent overheating.
Not on this size blanket, but there are larger sizes. I found the heat trapped from this size under the blankets to be sufficient so far. Thanks for the comment
It draws 3.25 amps when on, but it shuts off intermittently for temperature control, so it probably draws 3 amps or less per hour. 20 amps used throughout the night probably.
I would not put it between blankets it says right on there not to do it I have the same heating blanket I bought them every year they go on sale at Walmart at the end of the winter Legos on sale for like less than $5 but again I would never put it in Sandwich it between a blanket that's not safe
✔️12V heated bed insert on Amazon: amzn.to/3zfuTH4
I used a heated blanket for years when I was trucking. It not on kept we warm but also saved on fuel costs, not having to keep my truck idling.
That's a great use of a heated blanket must have saved a fortune on fuel costs! Thanks for the comment Thomas!
Most people don't know that they can use a larger 110V heated blanket and then use a dimmer switch to control the warmth and/or electrical use. You can make the electrical draw be whatever you want.
Thanks Tom that's great advice! With a 12V source of power, all you need is an AC/DC inverter to plug it in. :)
We had done the 12Vdc heated blanket years ago, you have to watch out for the wire connection at the blanket ours had overheated there and caught on fire.
Yikes! This one has a 5 amp fuse in it, so hopefully it would prevent the fire issue.
Forgot to mention it also has a digital thermostat it shuts off and on to regulate heat
Currently laying on my Amazon $20 heated blanket watching you tell me about the Amazon $20 heated blanket. 😂 Our plug broke so I used a Wago connector to wire it into our 12v. Switch it off at the wall.
A 12v heated mattress pad was available years ago. Probably still available. Your blanket probably works fine, but the mattress pad was a little stiffer, better for the purpose. I spent most weekends camping in my truck for years. I had a deep cycle battery in the back, wired to charge when the truck was running, but disconnected when the truck was off so that it wouldn't drain the starting battery. However, despite camping in below freezing temperatures, I never completely drained the backup battery. And anything over the middle setting was oppressively hot.
Thanks for the suggestion Ann I'm going to research this :)
Used the same in my 18 wheeler for many years,now use it in my cargo trailer conversion. Still love it.
Nice Square body! Good tip too.
Thank you appreciate it! Truck is alot of fun to drive that's for sure!
I have a 2x1 foot 12v heating pad. I bought it for several reasons. Heating Pad, Lithium battery heater and Propane tank heat. It has a very long electric cord and will reach outside to the propane tanks. I have yet to use it for any of those things, but it's there if needed. Also my small pad uses 3 amps, as much as a full blanket.
I don’t have a heated blanket, but I have the best alternative, it’s called Millie. Keeps me warm all night and is a great security alarm. She is 4 months old and she is just gorgeous. She is a Yorkshire Terrier/Maltese. Get a dog!!!!!
Maybe I'll upgrade as you suggested one day :)
I figured you might be talking about an electric blanket. Very practical for off-grid.
I've got a pile of sleeping bags and old comforters, so I can bed down comfortably no matter how cold it is, but if it's really cold, it's nice to warm up the bed before you get in, and an electric blanket beats hot water bottles.
Make due with what you've got...I bet hot water bottles work well too. :)
Cool idea! (Or maybe I should say, "hot" idea! 😂) A duvet cover might work to keep the blanket clean since you can remove that and wash it whenever it gets dirty or between trips. Hmmm...might have to steal your idea! 😉
Hey Regena thank you!! I'll meet ya in the middle it's a warm idea 😀. If you happen to try this, would love to hear what you think. I Googled "Duvet cover", and yes this is perfect! Not only for the heat blanket, but possibly my memory foam pad too. "Duvet" is a new addition to my vocabulary as well 😄. Thanks for this tip it's a great trade of ideas!💡
@@Savagecamper 😂 Happy to add to your vocabulary! We have a down comforter in our Four Wheel Camper and the duvet cover makes keeping it clean easy! I love sharing ideas and I'm always up for learning new things! Hope you're doing well!😁
@@regenakowitz I have a down comforter packed away, so maybe I'll give that a try as well! All is well here just working away so I can earn some more outdoors play time 😊. Looking forward to following where & what the Kowitz family is up to next!
Great video about how to stay warm with little energy consumption. I bet you could run that all night on a Jackery
Thank you! Yes, you are correct...simple way to stay warm at night without needing a lot of power
Yes you can! Works well for me!
There are machine washable, 12-volt electric blankets with multiple heat settings, timers and safety auto off.
Thanks for mentioning.
I had a 12 volt blanket that totally drained my car truck battery in less than 2 hours. As mentioned in other comments mine also said to lie on top of the blanket.
For the 12V heated blanket I use, I made it it had a low amperage draw (less than 3 amps) which will last all night. My truck has dual batteries, but I only use my camper power station battery for the blanket to avoid the dead truck battery situation you experienced. A separate 12V power station can be charged from a running vehicle, solar panel or A/C shore power if it dies.
thank you for this helpful video
Before you buy a $20 12v blanket ,especially if you are going to sleep on it, just throw a match on your camper. If you look at comments, recurrent them is fire, fire, overheat, wire broken, burned me. Electrowarmth 12v mattress pad costs $100+, but last and last. Thermostat saves amps, but keeps you warm. No problem running all night.
2 years through winters with it, not burned down yet, and not dead from hypothermia either :) Put the blanket over you. It's a very low power blanket. You idea is a great one. I'd have to look at amp draw to se of its viable for my setup
Yes spend the money works better safer and longer!
@@Savagecamper I, and others watching, may have misunderstood you. "Sandwiched between"; we thought you were laying on that blanket, which is definitely advised against. That said, as you read reviews of these inexpensive blankets (many without settings or thermostat), burns and fires are noted.
I have the same heated blanket , i try not keeping it on all night to conserve power but it only stays warm for a few minutes
I use an oversized
heating pad under
my legs.
It wouldn't do to develop
a sweat in that cold.
That's ok...any warmth helps!
@@Savagecamper
I love my heating pad.
So does the dog.
Your dog is probably an additional heat source :)
That's a really good idea! Even if you only leave it on long enough to get your bed warm, then you can sleep through the night as your body keeps your sleeping bags warm.
By the way, if it is well below zero, I find that my torso is where I need to add more heat.
I sure wouldn't worry about it getting to dirty. One can put a waterproof mattress cover on it but why? I keep heated matress covers under another matress cover. The blanket could be placed under the foam and still warm fine. I can't sleep on the fine wires in them.
Most electric blankets are not designed to have your body weight on top of them.. the coils can heat unevenly and cause burn or a fire.. you can have them on top of you with a layer of space blanket or even reflectix in a pair of flat sheets sewn together like a thin duvet cover.. then add a light synth down over that.. not too heavy.. if you can find a 12V mattress pad.. those work slower but are safer and last longer… would guess you want a quilted layer on top of the memory foam with the mattress pad between the 2.
Great advice thank you. Yes a quilted top over the memory foam would be nice. I've been using the 12V blanket as you've suggested lately it still does a great job of keeping me warm and eliminating condensation build-up
Duvet cover
I have 20 lb of covers on my bed I have a half gallon Pyrex jar that I put a pound of rice in microwave it for about 10 minutes place a clean sock over the Pyrex jar with the rice still in it no water and look carefully it is very hot tie not in the end of the sock keeps my feet in my body warm for a solid 12 hours at night electricity is too expensive around my apartment
That's a great, cheap DIY idea for keeping warm Homer make due with what you've got I like it 🙂
Ok but lets talk run time. What is the watt hours consumed on that. How quickly is your battery going to be dead. What are the outside temps you are trying to overcome? As well as who wants to sleep on a 80 degree bed?
An 80 degree bed is awesome when it's low 30'F out. sleeping 2 full winters through in this camper it kept me quite cozy instead of freezing my butt off. Obviously summer is different. 3.5 amp blanket draws 42 watts, but it has an auto temp switch in it, so it shuts off at times when getting too hot, meaning somewhat less power draw. Many power stations can handle this no problem. Mine is only a 77 amp hour agm battery and it handles it all night.
turn that maxxair fan on dude, condensation should not be an issue. i lived in a van for 7 years. trust, you should NEVER have condensation if you're doing it right. If you do have condensation, that means you're ventilation system is not dialed in yet and you need to experiment until you get it right. Love the blanket idea though, that's a great solution for those cold nights
You are correct sir I also open the vent and turn fan on minimum
Question about your camper when it’s raining, how do you ventilate, do roof fans, roll up vinyl, or slide let rain in? I’m concerned about heavy rain and hot weather.
Great question. I crack open one or both Maxxair roof vents on low setting they draw very low power. I leave the windows on the marine siding closed no rain inside. In hot weather I open both roof vents marine siding windows and my slider windows below
so it monitors the heat with a sensor.....as opposed to glowing red and causing a fire and or Burns? egads
I don't think it operates like a toaster oven to glowing red. Its maximum achievable heat seems to be safe I've been using it now in 2nd winter season.
They make 12 volt blankets that are washable ✌🏼❤️🎸
Thats great!
Most Amazon 12v blankets seem to have an auto shut off after 30, 45 or 60 mins. Does this brand have that? Or can it stay on all night?
Hi Landry...this 12V blanket seems to shut on/off based on temperature, so it stays on all night but shuts off for a bit when reaching max temp to prevent overheating.
Mattress pad stay on all nite and are safe and washable. Gina spend a few bucks but last years and are safe
USB heated throws!
Does the heating elements go all the way to your feet?
Not on this size blanket, but there are larger sizes. I found the heat trapped from this size under the blankets to be sufficient so far. Thanks for the comment
@@Savagecamper thanks you savage man,for that info..... all the love and all the power filbz
Warm toasted rice all night long
Does it eat much power of the battery?
It draws 3.25 amps when on, but it shuts off intermittently for temperature control, so it probably draws 3 amps or less per hour. 20 amps used throughout the night probably.
How would you hook up 2
you can use a 12V socket splitter. Here's a link to one on Amazon costs less than $10: amzn.to/44q8CEm
Use a comforter duvet, it’s washable.
Thx Scott I'll check it out :)
Have you had any issues with the heated blanket? I had purchased two, and it left burn marks on the sheets.
No I haven't. Mine seems to have a cut-off switch when reaching a certain temp. What brand did you purchase?
Did you lay on them while they were on?
I did yes
I would not put it between blankets it says right on there not to do it I have the same heating blanket I bought them every year they go on sale at Walmart at the end of the winter Legos on sale for like less than $5 but again I would never put it in Sandwich it between a blanket that's not safe
Even put a 12v car seat cover inside your bed it could save your life or a hot water bottle and Bob's your Aunty 😊
Great idea. Could definitely save your life and prevent hypothermia
Not sure how you got 20.00
Price went up since I posted. It's now $23.95 not a big discrepancy....
@@Savagecamper 29 $ now wonderful economy
what a bunch of wasted space.
Care to elaborate?
Joe said to put put the heated blanket between 2 Welding blankets