Trailer heating recommendations

[AZRedhawk44]

Yeah, I think something a bit more polished than the Mr. Heater is in order, but I'll limp by with it and a 10# tank and hose until I'm ready to decide on a specific product.  I really do like the idea of a ducted solution of some sort.

[charby]

Too bad you can't find an free older camper and gut some of the stuff out of it to put into your new trailer.

[K Frame]

I'm shocked that none of you asshats, not a single one, recommended burning floppy disks...

 

[AZRedhawk44]

What are you, a gorram dinosaur or something?  Who besides you has enough floppy disks to warm a room for any length of time?

[Brad Johnson]

What are you, a gorram dinosaur or something?  Who besides you has enough floppy disks to warm a room for any length of time?

Yeah.

It's CD's now.

Brad

[Firethorn]

Given that it is a custom trailer, a thought that came to me was a thermal mass solution.  It sounds like you already have the space under your trailer being used, but I had the idea of the thermal mass heater:




https://richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp

[AZRedhawk44]

Um... that looks a tad too heavy for my poor jeep to tow.  Neat idea for a hunting shack or something like that though.

ETA:  Something I have considered is using the water pump, the hot water heater, and the 19 gallon water tank as a thermal mass.  Recirculate the tank through the pump and into the hot water heater and back into the tank, bringing the whole tank up to 100+ degrees F.  That would warm the floor since the tank is between the wheels, and warm the interior, and protect the tank from freezing.  But I think the way I built the floor has too much insulation between the tank and the interior for that to be effective, more of the heat would bleed to the outdoors than into the trailer.

[Firethorn]

Well, I was thinking more along the lines of maximizing heater efficiency by routing the heat so it warms up your bed before exiting to either the cabin air or outside.

The mass allows you to not have to run a heater all the time. 

If you can get an efficient vented solution going, you can afford to seal up and insulate the rest of the space a lot more without moisture becoming an issue.

As for your idea with the water tank, that's kind of what I was suggesting with the rocket stove.  Except what I'd do is run loops of pex between the floor and floor insulation.  Enough loops and you can just ignore the water tank, just hook up a heater.

[K Frame]

Yeah.

It's CD's now.

Brad

Hum... trying to figure out what those CDs are possessing...

[RoadKingLarry]

Build a man a fire and he's warm for a night.

Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.

 

[Fly320s]

Something like so:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-5KW-5000W-Air-diesel-Heater-For-Car-Truck-Motor-homes-Boats-Bus-Van/352233358455?hash=item5202be8477:g:VJoAAOSwvApaMlpF

Seems like it'd require fabrication as well as a 12VDC source, but fuel is easy to come by.

Or you could try running diesel in a kerosene heater like this dude does: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2dAx2fn9s8

A new version of the old Janitrol heater.  https://janitrol.aero/aircraft-heaters/

[tokugawa]

Years ago I used t do boat work, including installing a lot of ESPAR forced air diesel burners. This type of unit has a lot of parts  to go wrong. Given that you already need a propane source, and that you contemplate a propane reefer, it would n]make sense to keep it simple and use a propane fired burner of some sort. It will be a much cleaner burning unit as well. The projected insulation improvements may mean a heater with much less output would suffice.....in a small room, the right partner can keep it warm.......