Tube Heater - winter lay ups (1 Viewer)

[Minxy]

Ventilation is the key as far as I'm concerned.

If you ensure that the van is regularly ventilated, with cupboards doors etc left open/ajar when it is stood up, then condensation shouldn't occur. I don't see the point in actually opening vents etc to increase the ventilation when it is 'closed up' though as there are plenty of places that the air can get in anyway - roof vents usually have air gaps in them, and there are plenty of other places air can get in as vans are not air tight by any means. Be aware, that if you do leave roof vents etc ajar, you are probably invalidating your insurance!

As for heating, we don't normally bother but did try it a bit last winter as it was very bad here but can't say we really noticed any difference. What we do, however, is if we are wanting to use it after it has been stood up for a while (but has been ventilated regularly), is put an electric blanket on the bed and use that to gradually bring the temperature up to air the bedding etc, and put in a low powered oil filled radiator to warm up the rest.

In our previous van we went away in it in February 2010 to the NEC show. Not having used the van for overnighting since the previous October, but we had taken it out for regular runs etc, we didn't anticipate any problems. However, on the first morning we found that walls were streaming with condensation, I assume because we'd had the heating on the previous evening when it turned cold but then not had it on overnight and the severe drop in temperature had caused it. This is the only time we ever experienced this in all our years of motorhoming.

 

[pappajohn]

they certainly are worth it Jim, especially if they are therostatic controlled.

in the course of work we just changed one in a boot/clothing drying cabin used by the forestry commission.....

the original was a 360watt jobby around 4ft long........it had various supermarket carrier bags melted onto it, and I don't mean a little melted....completely melted and unremovable

a 50w/60w one would more than suffice in a motorhome

 

[upmarkethippy]

just a tiddler!!

I use a small 1 foot long tube heater, located above the pump and next to my water tank, which happens to be under the bed.
This in the past has kept the tank and pump from freezing and kept the chill out of the bed.
Very effective and uses very little electric...

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[golly]

I have a 120w tube heater in the van usualy keeps temp in the van about 1.5 to 2 degrees above the outside temp.

John

 

[Chris]

Is there any solution to these problems if your van is in storage with no hook up? We do use the van throughout the winter and it was fine last year but any precautions I can take would be welcome.