Need Help With Decisions On New Camper

G

guidewater

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Oct 31, 2009
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I am new to the forum and have been reading old posts for what seems like days now. I thought I had my mind made up on a hawk,(was also considering a panther) with the basic components, heater and fridge. Now, it seems like I am reading all kinds of complaints about both the heater and the fridge. Is the heater that loud? I will be winter camping (from Idaho), and have read about the olympian heater. I also like the idea of no battery use with this option. Will FWC or ATC install these? Will they plumb the lines so you could hang it yourself? The other question I have, and this shows what I don't know, is the fridge. If you were to get an Engel,this would obviously have to run the whole time off of the battery. Can the battery in the camper charge from your truck when it is running? Will the solar panel keep up with the Engel if you were to go that route? I appreciate all of the help. Thanks.
 
I am new to the forum and have been reading old posts for what seems like days now. I thought I had my mind made up on a hawk,(was also considering a panther) with the basic components, heater and fridge. Now, it seems like I am reading all kinds of complaints about both the heater and the fridge. Is the heater that loud? I will be winter camping (from Idaho), and have read about the olympian heater. I also like the idea of no battery use with this option. Will FWC or ATC install these? Will they plumb the lines so you could hang it yourself? The other question I have, and this shows what I don't know, is the fridge. If you were to get an Engel,this would obviously have to run the whole time off of the battery. Can the battery in the camper charge from your truck when it is running? Will the solar panel keep up with the Engel if you were to go that route? I appreciate all of the help. Thanks.


1. Heater - Anything with a fan is louder than no fan. I used the $75 Portable Buddy Heater last week in 20 degrees and it worked great. We had a couple of cotton bags on us and 4 inches of foam to lay on. ATC will build it any way you want. Furnace or plumbed for any heater you choose. If you throw enough money at a project you can generally get what you want.

2. Fridge - The amp draw on an Engel is very small so a solar panel will handle it and everyone that has one loves it. My Norcold has been flawless to date and it worked great last week but I'm always on edge waiting for it to die. Again if you have the money I'd go Engel. But in cold weather a couple of Coleman extreme coolers and block ice would be just fine. Hell they work great in hot weather too.

3. Charging the Batt - I use a simple $25 solenoid to charge my camper batt while the truck is running. It works just fine.

The mods you suggest are pretty expensive but they will work great. Others here have done some or all of them and I'm sure they'll weigh in too.
 
hello guidewater

About 6 - 7 months ago we switched over to a new forced air furnace that is quieter and uses less battery power that the original Atwood or Suburban furnaces we used in the past. It is only 12,000 btu and has a very low amp draw. It is the nicest forced air furnace I have seen available here in the USA. But it does make some noise, not alot, but some for sure.

For safety and liability reasons we will not install a catalytic furnace in the camper for you, but we can install a propane line in the back of one of the cabinets and cap it off, or put a shut off valve on it for you. This will make the installation of a catalytic furnace pretty easy if you did it yourself.

We can also install the Engel or prep the camper for installation of an Engel refrigerator/cooler if you like. We are an authorized dealer now, so we can sell it to you, or you can buy one elsewhere and install it yourself.

Most people running a single deep cycle battery or two inside the camper, and a solar panel, you should easily be able to run the Engel 24/7 on battery power.

The camper battery(s) will get recharged while you are driving down the road, when you are plugged in to shore power, or when sun is hitting the solar panel.

We have been making many, many changes & improvements to our camper over the last few months.

We put together a list of most of the changes here in case you want to see the new & improved features ...


http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/products.htm


Please let us know if there is anything we can help with.

Happy Camping !


==========================================================================================


I am new to the forum and have been reading old posts for what seems like days now. I thought I had my mind made up on a hawk,(was also considering a panther) with the basic components, heater and fridge. Now, it seems like I am reading all kinds of complaints about both the heater and the fridge. Is the heater that loud? I will be winter camping (from Idaho), and have read about the olympian heater. I also like the idea of no battery use with this option. Will FWC or ATC install these? Will they plumb the lines so you could hang it yourself? The other question I have, and this shows what I don't know, is the fridge. If you were to get an Engel,this would obviously have to run the whole time off of the battery. Can the battery in the camper charge from your truck when it is running? Will the solar panel keep up with the Engel if you were to go that route? I appreciate all of the help. Thanks.






.
 
Wow Stan, those sound like some pretty cool improvements. I like my 07 Hawk but those new features make me wish I was shopping for one now. When do you think we may get a look at hte Hard Side?
 
I don't feel the heater, when working properly, is too loud. Mine, however, squeaks like a rabid weasel and it will even wake me up at night.

I wish there was a furnace without a fan (such a small space anyway) that was vented outside.
 
I don't feel the heater, when working properly, is too loud. Mine, however, squeaks like a rabid weasel and it will even wake me up at night.

I wish there was a furnace without a fan (such a small space anyway) that was vented outside.


I have a rabid weasel as well, and I suspect it draws plenty but keeps me warm enough. It was 23 last week in Utah and it doesn't take a lot to warm it up in the AM. Early FWC's basically have no insulation. What is the new quieter low amp heater? If my weasel self destructs I might be in the market for the better version.
 
If you're a real light sleeper if can be annoying. For me I rarely notice the heater when it kicks on. Heater noise vs. being cold, I'll take the heater over being cold any day.
 
So it sounds like the heater is the way to go. I was just wondering why I read that some guys are running the catalytic heater if they have the camper heaters. What about the fridge? Is it worth it to get an engel? Not trying to spend every last dime but I want things to work. Thought the catalytic heater might save some money too. Thanks again for the advice.
 
One thing you aren't mentioning is an auxiliary battery in the camper. You might run the fridge off it if you have an Engle and will run the furnace off it if you get the furnace. Either way, it is insurance that you vehicle will not have its battery drained if you use more electricity than you expect. Being able to start the truck in the morning is a good thing.
 
An additional battery is the plan, but I hear what you are saying and I also thought that would be a good reason to use a catalytic heater.
 
I confess to being a bit leery of a catalytic heater in a space as small as a camper. Others use them and like them but proper venting is likely a must. I'll stay with my furnace, fan and all. I have used 3 way refrigerators for a long time and have been very satisfied with them.
 
So it sounds like the heater is the way to go. I was just wondering why I read that some guys are running the catalytic heater if they have the camper heaters. What about the fridge? Is it worth it to get an engel? Not trying to spend every last dime but I want things to work. Thought the catalytic heater might save some money too. Thanks again for the advice.


I think the guys using the catalytic heaters are those that didn't get the furnace from the factory and were looking for an easy alternative to getting one installed. From what I've heard, just about everyone loves the engel.
 
I'm siding with Craig333. The noise from the furnace doesn't bother me and it's Ohhhh so nice to be warm. (on the flipside, the Fantastic Fan can be noisy but the breeze is irreplacable on a hot night)

The solar panel is a must-have option IMO. I'd be OCD with that battery monitor button if I didn't have it. For me, it's my favorite option.

My fridge has worked (until I mentioned it, I'm sure) flawlessly at all elevations and I've been very happy with it.

The item I could have left off is the hot water heater. I've never used it/never fired it up. That extra cabinet space would be nice too...

good luck narrowing it down

mtn
 
Remember if you buy used to live with what you've got for a little while before doing high dollar mods. Like the Dawg said mine didn't come with a a furnace and we rarely do cold weather camping. Last week was an exception and the portable heater worked great. All my lights are LED's and even after a week of camping I've never run out of battery. If that happens I figure I have a 350hp genset in the engine compartment. But in the end it's what ever rings your bell.
 
Welcome to the forum!

Well, the questions you ask are so common and everyone does it different. I got a shell used, so had to live with what I got. Not too bad right now with the buddy heater in cold weather. On cold nights, though, I do feel a big jealous of my brother who has a furnace. Nice and warm and soooo convenient. Makes it down right nice to travel in the cold.

I would only use one between now and say april, but Am not sure what I really want to do, if anything permanent. Here is info on the "plat cat" vented catalytic heaters. Yet another take on the design and one that tries to address the ventilation issues. They are made here in the PNW and are a bit expensive. Nice, though they are. I have yet to make the plunge, but each cold night in the camper makes it sound so much better.

http://www.ventedcatheater.com/

As for the fridge, cannot go wrong with the Engel. I have the ARB equivalent. It sits in the camper most of the time, but sometimes if I need the room, I will put in in the back seat of the truck and reach in via the sliding window to get stuff. Floor space is a premium.

Good luck with what you decide. Just get out and enjoy.

Dave, Seattle
 
Thanks for the help. I believe I will go with the heater option and smaller fridge. Thanks again for the good advice. Almost forgot the screen door and fan. Thanks again.
 
Grain-of-salt qualifier/disclosure: I am so new to this kinda camping that my opinions are pretty undeveloped (two camping trips with the new/used rig), but here are my thoughts: the 3-way fridge is a pain. Ours (at this point, anyway) is a cabinet for unrefrigerated food. A spendy compressor type would be nice, but the Coleman Extreme cooler with frozen half-gallon, rectangular bottles as ice works well, and there's no icemelt swamp in the bottom of the cooler to foul food items that will migrate down there. We put a piece of Reflectix in the top and a damp towel over the outside for evaporative cooling. Using a separate cooler for adult beverages will save the food cooler ice. We've been using this system on week-long river trips with great success.

The heater, while noisy, is incredible. I can reach the thermostat from the bed and warm the camper before I crawl down to brew some Joe. That is pretty darned civilized living! We haven't used it at night, only in the a.m. Our sleeping bag/comforter is pretty toasty and we have additional fleece blankets handy if it gets too cold. We're fairly light sleepers, so having the blower cycling at night wouldn't work for us.

Hot water would be deluxe, but I'm leaning toward this Zodi shower unit for longer trips when the funk buildup would be greater than the usual weekend mini-expedition. Otherwise, cold water and WetOnes is totally adequate for us. http://www.amazon.com/Zodi-Showers-Water-Heaters-Extreme/dp/B000RYWQP6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1257090514&sr=8-1

For my wife, an inside toilet is a must. We're faking it right now with a primitive bucket/bag system, but this unit is on the horizon. We need it for river trips anyhow. http://www.riversports.com/product_detail/439/coyote-toilet.html
 
I have read people say they buy the Zodi battery powered pump (about $30) and use a 5 gallon bucket. They heat the water on the stove, dump it into the 5 gallon bucket with cold water to moderate the temperature, then shower, maybe in an Outback shelter. Compact system, light in weight.Not as expensive as the full monte.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_4_4?url=search-alias%3Dsporting&field-keywords=zodi+shower&sprefix=Zodi

As for the potty, you might look at the Pett toilet system: very compact and light.
 
The vented Cat heater still uses a fan. I wonder how much noise it makes?

I don't use my water heater much, but I still think its going to be oh so nice when I finally get the chance to spend more than a weekend on a trip.

For what I do I probably could forgo the heater and just bring my backpacking bag, but its so nice to have the large comfy bag and not be stuck in a mummy bag.

One option I might forgo is the rear floodlights. I find I rarely use mine. The porch light is adequate for camping and I have good backup lights when I'm rolling.
 
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