With Spring in full swing, I thought that perhaps it was time to reflect on this past winter, my first as a full-time camper, and give a review of my first couple of space heaters in case anyone is interested in obtaining one to winter camp.
My first winter was pretty easy, going. I was surprised. We had very few snows, none that were very heavy or stuck around for very long, and only a few nights where the temperature dipped below zero. Not at all what I remember Iowa being like from my childhood. One space heater kept the place warm, and on nights where I didn’t feel like having it running (especially with the first one I had), I just used a couple of blankets. I did try using a heated blanket, but the dog kept chewing them! She cost me about $80 in heated throws before I finally said: “forget it.”
I won’t lie; I was scared to use a space heater. You hear so many horror stories about them burning down homes. Much like my fear of leaving the dog in my camper with the air conditioning going, that fear was unfounded. Applying a little caution and preparing helped me find the right space heater for the job.
My first space heater, I can’t even tell you the brand. The previous owner left it, and when I turned it on, it smelled like burnt hair. I figured that was just because it had been sitting for a while, but I was paranoid all night having it on. Not to mention, it had three settings and no knob. I had to use pliers to turn it on and off. I did not feel comfortable leaving it on while I was gone. So I went out and got another.
I read a lot of reviews and a lot of boxes at Walmart and decided to go with a ceramic heater. I weighed both the price (around $40) and the features and found this to heat my Shasta pretty well.
My favorite feature is that I can set a temperature, and it will keep it that temperature. Once it reaches, let’s say 80 degrees, it shuts off. When it dips below, it turns back on until it is 80 degrees in the camper. I think the reason I like that feature so much is that my window A/C unit does not do that. It blows at whatever “high” and the number setting of 1-9 until you shut it off or turn it down. It gets frigid, though, and that was when I was living in Texas.
I also tested one of the features before I ever left the camper unattended, and that was the feature that if it gets knocked over, it shuts off. I turned it on, put it on the floor, and kicked it over. It took it a second, but it shut off. That made me feel secure about my purchase.
The other thing that made me feel awesome about my purchase is that when it dipped below zero, it kept my little camper nice and cozy. Mind you, my camper can fit in a parking space from hitch to bumper, so I do not know how well it would heat a 5th wheel or a more extended travel trailer. I keep it on the floor on super cold nights, anything under 30 degrees since heat rises, and that helps keep it comfortable but not too warm while I am sleeping.
Here are some “common sense” precautions you should take when using a space heater.
- Always plug your space heater into an outlet, never into a power strip.
- Keep the area around your heater clear of paper, hair, clothing, or anything that could get sucked in and cause damage to the fan. Or worse, catch on fire!
- Test the heater for an extended period where you can observe how it runs before ever leaving it on while you are gone.
- If you have to leave it for any amount of time while you are not around, put it on the lowest possible heat setting until you come back.
