Official Test Results: Five Ways to Heat a Tent

[chet6.7]

Feel free to hijack! As more people contribute to this thread, more knowledge gets shared.

3) I tried the 3-candle UCO lantern, which is rated for 5,000 BTUs. I guess it warmed up the tent a little bit, but it seemed most of that heat pooled at the roof. The propex system, however, cycled wonderful, dry warm air into the tent all night and kept it at 65F. It was very impressive how well it worked. Depending on where we set the thermostat, it was probably on five minutes and then off for 15 minutes, all night long.

I suspect a small fan would help with the UCO,small, just big enough to move some air.Would it be better to try and move warmer air down or colder air up? With limited floor space,mounting a fan near the roof seems to be the first choice.I will experiment in a few weeks when I have time.

 

[MattJ]

I suspect a small fan would help with the UCO,small, just big enough to move some air .I will experiment in a few weeks when I have time.

Thanks - let me know how it goes. I've used a 12v fan to circulate air from the Mr. Buddy heater in my Tepui annex, so I could try the same fan with the UCO lantern. I can't find any photos of the setup in action, but here are the components:

 

[MattJ]

Some more upgrades this weekend. I found some flexible exhaust ducting that is leak-proof. And it only cost $40 instead of the $80 that I spent on the electrical conduit material. I did have to twist a short length of conduit onto the exhaust ducting so that it fit tightly in my coupler. But the end product works great, and is completely air-tight.

I also installed rivnuts and thumb screws to hold the intake and output hoses in place, so I won't have to fight with the circular clamps anymore.

 

[Graton]

@MattJ - I finally assembled my propex kit yesterday - not the easiest, instructions are minimal, some wrong parts, hinge not drilled, different thermostat, etc. But all is working well, at least the initial firing, haven't had it in my Habitat yet. Given all the modifications you have done, I have a few questions.

1- Why are you extending the exhaust pipe so far?
2- Does it get very warm underneath - plan on putting it on the truck roof, which doesn't have a roof rack
3- What did you end up doing with the back of the thermostat - I think you have the same dual dial one that doesn't have a back.

thanks

 

[jacobconroy]

@MattJ - I finally assembled my propex kit yesterday - not the easiest, instructions are minimal, some wrong parts, hinge not drilled, different thermostat, etc. But all is working well, at least the initial firing, haven't had it in my Habitat yet. Given all the modifications you have done, I have a few questions.

1- Why are you extending the exhaust pipe so far?
2- Does it get very warm underneath - plan on putting it on the truck roof, which doesn't have a roof rack
3- What did you end up doing with the back of the thermostat - I think you have the same dual dial one that doesn't have a back.

thanks

This is what I did with the thermostat. Cut and ground a piece of 1/8 inch plastic stock (that car stereo shops usually have). Has worked pretty well.

 

[MattJ]

1- Why are you extending the exhaust pipe so far?
2- Does it get very warm underneath - plan on putting it on the truck roof, which doesn't have a roof rack
3- What did you end up doing with the back of the thermostat - I think you have the same dual dial one that doesn't have a back.

1) Well, I guess the real reason is that the exhaust materials are sold in 20' increments. So I just figured 6' was enough and the other 14' ends up adding to my "spare materials" pile of junk. I'm paranoid about the exhaust topic because I always have my kids with me (not that I'm any more eager to die myself).

2) Doesn't get too warm underneath, but I do use a thick rubber mat to protect my roof. You can see a piece of this rubber material under the photo of the frozen propane tank on the previous page.

3) I went to an electronics hobby shop and bought some plastic that is made for building custom projects. Then I used screws and little rivet nuts to get it flush on the back side.

 

[Graton]

@MattJ Thanks for the quick answers and photo of thermostat. This has been one of the most useful threads for me, appreciate all the experimenting you did and detailed reporting.

 

[MANUCHAO]

Some more upgrades this weekend. I found some flexible exhaust ducting that is leak-proof. And it only cost $40 instead of the $80 that I spent on the electrical conduit material. I did have to twist a short length of conduit onto the exhaust ducting so that it fit tightly in my coupler. But the end product works great, and is completely air-tight.

I also installed rivnuts and thumb screws to hold the intake and output hoses in place, so I won't have to fight with the circular clamps anymore.

That's genius !!
I gots all sorts of nutserts... just gotta get the thumb screws....!!
Thanks for the idea... !!

 

[SoCal_80]

On a side note. If anyone has a propex heater for sale pls let me know. I am in the market!


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[MattJ]

I added some bungie loops to my 12v fan so I can strap it to the handle of my radiant propane heater. I'm planning to test it in a tipi tent next month.

 

[slowtwitch]

Warm bag and a warm woman. No chance of killing yourself, although there is a chance of procreation.

 

[MattJ]

I decided to upgrade to the larger Mr Heater model, so I designed a new mounting system for the 12v fan.

 

[blackhawkip]

Well, now that the temperatures are dropping it is time to bring this project back to the front burner for more work! Two updates:

1) I coated the case with Sharkhide, which should provide durable protection against the elements.

Sharkhide is AWESOME stuff. My JKU Rubicon is a 2013 and I've used the Sharkhide on my suspension, shocks, and under carriage since the Jeep was about a year old. I have zero rust on anything underneath and have lived in Kentucky, Utah, and now NC. I've coated all of my tools, axes, Alu-boxes, etc with it as well. Just a very good product.

 

[MattJ]

Sharkhide is AWESOME stuff.

My AEV Bilstein shocks looked terrible after just one year, so I called AEV. They said "We all use Sharkhide. You'll need to buy another brand new set of Bilsteins, coat them with Sharkhide and THEN install them." I talked to the owner of Sharkhide, who is confused as to why AEV keeps it such a secret that their shocks are raw steel and will corrode rapidly unless protected. I think I know the answer - so they can sell 8 shocks instead of 4 to people like me who hate driving a Jeep that looks like it is rusting to pieces.

Anyway, I had the same problem with my Metalcloak skid plating system. Looked like absolute crap in less than a year. But I'm NOT buying this system again, so I have been slowly polishing all the corrosion off and coating the shiny metal with Sharkhide. It's slow work.

I added this project to the LONG list of things I have learned the hard way. That's why I spend so many hours each week posting my tips, tricks and lessons on this forum for others to use. My wife says I should start a blog or online newsletter or something like that . . .

PS - If you look closely in the last photo below, you can see I installed EVO rear shock skid armor to protect the new, shiny Bilsteins . . .

 

[blackhawkip]

That is crazy how bad the corrosion hit your shocks! I saw a set of Kings that looked almost as bad and a guy recommended Sharkhide. I coated everything with two coats underneath the Jeep when I ordered it in. I also found that using Tire Dressing spray foam keeps all the painted surfaces from rusting as well. Using a can every couple of months keeps it looking good underneath. The only problem is people think I don't use my Jeep since it is so clean. Guess that is a problem I can live with

Sorry for the sidetrack, now back to the thread......