Can This $12 Walmart Heater Heat My Car in Winter? 

Smart. Heat pads are typically timed too. Stuffed in a sleeping bag you get to enjoy the heat, not loose it.

@@dontask8979 lose This is a corky channel with corky viewers

👍

Is it 12v or 110v? What size Jackery do you have. I have the 240 and love, love, love it. I don't do cold weather camping, but I'm interested in what you are using. Thanks

@@jquest43 quirky?

True. Feet & head covered. Next days clothes I put under pillow/head. Believe it or not. Being female changing clothes in sleeping bag is possible.

i am a full time 5th wheeler off grid. Small 5th wheel, no slides, 30 ft total. 4990 gross wet weight. I put a small catalytic on the floor and let the heat rise the 4 ft to my sleeping area. works so good. i also pop the bubble over the bed just a bit. But i agree that a super thick mattress is a good insulator, but also quite comfy. Maybe not quite the same thing, but i am off grid for over a year now. It helps that i own the land i am on. 60$ property tax a year. A mobile internet hotspot, a generator, some solar panels. so far its working out. EDIT: just for clarity, I work a full time job as an automotive tech, which is very helpful with the 12v RV systems. I currently truck my water to my land. I am working on a rain catch system and filters. This is a permanent deal for me. I am in my late 40's. I can get grid electricity, for 5000$ and the monthly bill. But right now I am doing this experiment.

@@Favorite-catNip Being a male, while camping, I don't worry about a change of clothes for at least a week. That includes underwear. Of course I also camp alone so that helps and my dog doesn't seem to mind. Like most dogs, any BO I might have is pretty much considered an "enhancement." Makes me more interesting to an odor driven animal such as dogs.

@@DNTMEE Wow. The most honest and revealing info about hygiene living this lifestyle; I've ever seen.

@@heartstrings7814 When I say "camping" I mean wilderness camping. As Deep into a wilderness, as my vehicle can go and then some. And my vehicle can go very deep. Where the chances of meeting another human for weeks on end are slim to none. That's where I am 90% to 95% of the time. When I'm out and about in civilization, I'll swing by a truck stop and rent a shower (about $10 to $15) and change clothes. Sometimes you can get a coupon for a free shower from the truckers there. They usually have several they don't use. They get them free for filling up there. Then I pick up what I need and wash clothes. After that it's usually right back to nature or hitting the road for wherever. If I have to suddenly go to where other people are, I spray some Axe Gold Fresh on the appropriate areas and I'm good to go (for a while). Dog doesn't like it though. Tends to make him sneeze.

I'm guessing you mean a metal tool box. Some people actually need to be told. :p

are u for real, i need to try this cause i live the van life and it gets cold at night

Wow ! That’s awesome! I’ll definitely give that a try. Thank you

@Chris Ferrell I read thru most of the comments and yours is the best idea of them all. ♨️

Great idea

Smart! Thanks for the tip!

Great tip!

Great tip.

Ha, yep, I have used one to warm up my socks before bed, couple seconds in each and they are toasty cozy. One can also quickly blow out your van to keep it clean. Use with blower on hi and on the cool setting to keep interior clean. Ive watched some use a leaf blower but hair drier works just fine.

@@longhairmullet Smart tip--I'm gonna try it! 👍

🤣🤣🤣 loved that comment too!

exactly, I just commented the same then saw your comment.

Right! & for just $12, I'll buy 4, & use 2 @ a time & rotate them out

Yeah

@@_jswiss You only need 1 and a small fan at the roof level pointing down to circulate the air. You'll find the temperature rises even more.

I wonder if some type of baffle - maybe a curved piece of the insulation he uses on his windows, would help. Place it so it curves down a foot, say, in front of the heater and down toward his sleeping bag if it would direct the heat toward him?

@@cohen860 That's a really good idea. I think any way to get the heat towards the floor would help.

The one thing that I think he missed: Would the temperature dropped inside if he had not used the heater at all? It could be that the small heater, in the inefficient configuration, was able to maintain the temperature, rather than see it fall with no heater.

@@markdamish6601 Good point. There's a lot of variables when it comes to a heaters efficiency.

For a $12 dollar price, I'll use 2 heaters & place them both on the floor

Yep, you're way better off with an electric blanket. Thanks for watching!

I have a Sunbeam heated throw....just looked on tag it is 112 volts. Stays on for three hours, has three settings...got at Costco but have see then at Wal Mart too. I have real cold feet...Acorn fleece socks are my salvation. Wear them all year long. And use the little electric throw too. Here in the south we like to frost the walls in our humid hot summers!

This is exactly how I thought it would turn out. Resistance heaters on a battery is almost always not going to give much -- just as this didn't. I wishe it were different but it just isn't. PS 250 wattis is 1/6th the power of most portable heaters (I have one 750 and 1500, switchable) and the 250 watts pulls about 15% of his batter power in 20 minutes -- that means a tiny heater is pulling a big chunk of storage. The math just says no, as he found.

@@SUVRVing For best climate control, they make hybrid Rav4's

I have a new Jackery 1000. My 45 watt electric "blanket", really a throw size, is arriving soon, along with the 500 watt Amazon ceramic heater. I draw curtains across at night to separate the back from the cold cab. I've been told the 45 watt blanket is not adequate heat and of course the ceramic heater will drain jackery fast. But just plan to use to take edge off. Have four sleeping bags, one rated 25 below. I get cold easily so seeking solutions for long dark cold winter evenings as well as sleeping conditions. Have you ever tried running a heavy space tarp across your ceiling? Alaskan wilderness teacher told me that would reflect heat down on me in tent. Should do same in minivan. I thought one on each wall might be good too. In summer clamp them on to deflect heat when boondocking. Multipurpose and not bulky. Let me know what you think about the tarp overhead idea. Never seen it discussed anywhere.

Shore power, sure! It totally would work w shore power.

Did you also tape the tip over button on the bottom? Mine shuts off if tipped, or picked up from the floor.

@@QChord4Fun you didn't read his comment did you

@@Suburbanhomesteaderflorida444 Oh yes, I read the entire thing. He may have something a little different than mine, but looks the same, cost the same, from the same store. However mine could not be suspended. If it is not sitting on a flat surface power goes off. If tipped it over it goes off as a safety feature. Have never needed heat sleeping in our van, but there are two layers of carpet, and we each have two 4 inch foam pads. . They stack as a couch in the daytime.

You should try another model. I don't think that one is working. I have a little no name 350 watt wall plug heater in my bathroom, that I use to heat the bathroom just before I take a shower. That thing pumps out a crazy about of heat. It even has a timer and temperature control. It raises the temperature in my bathroom by about 10 degrees in 10 - 15 minutes. I am sure it would heat your car just as fast, if not faster. Similar models to mine on Amazon are listed for $24.50, but I got mine on eBay for $15 with free shipping from China.

That was my question. I was wondering if the temp would have gone down faster with out the heater. Thanks

electric heat on a 12 volt battery system... NO THX, just not efficient. better off with a little buddy propane heater and have the windows down a bit, end of story, stupid!

There no way it was stable at that temp outside if there’s nothing heating the vehicle it would not be stable for long and also that big light you’re using ours off some heat itself. Stable sounds ridiculous so it was gonna stay 51 in there all night at 24 I doubt it it would eventually get down to 24 in there lol

This is why you put the heater at floor level, thw lower thw better like a floorboard and most of all a small rechargeable USB fan on low to circulate the heat from above. Feet are always frozen in an RV during winter. Keep liquids off floor from freezing at least waist high in a standup RV situation.

Great idea.

@@CommuterBiker yes and mine has a thermostat.

Yep, those are way better than this.

@David Brown My kitty and I sleep on top of the electric blanket with 2 comforters over us. Heat rises.

@@oopsieeee Plus that if cold gets to you, it's more likely to get to you from underneath you, so having the heated blanked below you makes it more efficient. And if you have a twin-sized blanked and are alone, you can always fold half of it on top of yourself.

sounds like a paid comment

Still waiting on the check....lol@@drobichaud1000

That is very interesting

@@designdoctor247 I bought a 100 watt one & it does throw off some heat when put in one of those metal lamp shade things with a clamp.

Petunia Romania Good idea.I used to have a feral cat that lived on my back porch and I put a 250 W infrared bulb inside a chrome metal clamp shade which reflected more heat inside her cat house. Since it was a resin house I lined the area around it with silicone mat to prevent any burning, and I also wired it to an additional clamp to make sure it was secure.I had it on the back of her house opposite the door so she could get out if it caught fire.

My brother in law burned his house down with one. The chicken coup on the side of the house is where a chicken kicked the bulb down into the straw and caught it on fire.

@@seabliss22 So it was the Chicken, not the bulb ;)

@Clay Ringler what is the name, further info on the app that remote starts your vehicle.? Sounds to me like a great idea. I feel ok about running the vehicle for 15 minutes, front window cracked for ventilation. Made sure my exhaust system is not leaking. Air intake for heater is in the front of the vehicle.

@@mikedip99 I recently bought a new Toyota 4Runner in October, it comes with an app for doing many things like starting, locking and checking all the systems on the vehicle. It is incredibly useful but I don't know if there is an aftermarket product for other cars.

@@clayringler6958 your car also has remote control,accessible by certain authorities

Only if the heater in your car works! 😫

@@clayringler6958 there are aftermarket remotes - I got one installed.

he haves to place it next to the bed

@@humobanda5500 No he just has to swallow it so he's heated from the inside

@@Shrimp_Insurance HAHAHAH Haha Haha HAHAHAH hahahahah,chuckle,chuckle, GUFFAW,GUFFAW,Snortle,snukk,hahahahahaha, too damm funny..are you a standup professional comedian?

I sat my heater close to the side door well in my van, where it warmed that cool draft. I also had a 5" mini fan elsewhere I aimed at the ceiling to recirculate the air. Shore power.

That's exactly what I thought because most ppl sleep on some type of raised cot.

@@martasplace6414 Even people in houses who buy some kind of electric heater to help keep the room warm, and complain they don't work. All that heat is rising to the ceiling, collecting up there. Most houses have 8' ceilings, so even if you are 6' that 2' of air in the ceiling has to heat up before your head even feels it. Look how much lower you are on your bed, all that space has to heat up to reach your level. I used to run one of those electric oil radiators in my bedroom at night, I would turn it on an hour or so before I was going to bed, let it heat up the ceiling pocket of air. I had a ceiling fan in the room, and most ceiling fans have a switch on them to reverse the way they blow, so you select it to blow UPWARDS, not down. Blowing down puts a draft on you, blowing it upwards, on the slowest setting, makes that hot air in the ceiling blow outwards and travel down the walls, then pulling it back up to reheat in the center again. When I went to bed I'd turn the fan on and circulate that pocket of hot air sitting up there, doing it that way my bedroom would be toasty in no time.

And even with the thermometer low, the heater still managed to keep the temperature the same while the temperature outside was much colder (and still falling). I'd say that for $12 that's not bad of a result.

I was thinking the same thing. Those heaters are meant to be on the floor. I have one (350 watt) for my car camping and that thing gets warm. But I just use it to knock the chill off.

Get a regular electric blanket. My Bluetti EB70 kept me VERY warm during a dangerous winter storm in a camper with below zero wind chill in Louisiana. We had nearly 50 mph winds at ZERO degrees! I set the blanket to medium high and it only used about 200 wh during the night. Find a blanket that stays ON though if you choose that instead of turning off by itself after a few hours.

@@baneverything5580 Thanks for the tips! I'll try out the electric blanket! Happy Trails!🤙🏻:D

The air temp had already been maintained for a couple of hours. The heater had no noticeable effect as far as I could tell. Thanks James!

Good point. Not sure what Tristan was thinking.

Oh it was 30° different that means it worked great people are stupid if they said it didn't work

That's very good

Remember this is 30degf above outside ambient, which is almost no heat whatsoever.

Yes I find that protein and sugar warm you up before bed. I wonder if that's why we like a little something sweet after dinner.

If there's one thing I want in the morning, it's liquid water.

@@tristanclem6070 rubberized

Not sure I agree! "Jack Sprat could eat no fat and his wife could eat no lean." So a wonderful woman laying beside if your warm and on top of you if your cold! And if your toes are cold, for a nice favor...for her...she'll warm them up for you. Never underestimate the value of the fat lady and her singing at bedtime.

Those of us with horses always give extra hay to eat at night bc they will throw off more heat from the increase in calories being processed. One youtuber suggested a big bowl of pasta before bedtime.

Yep...exactly! Pit Bulls put off a tremendous amount of heat. Mine would roast me out of my bed. I now have a 125 lb dog and she doesn't put out any heat. Yeah....sleep with your dogs. ..your dogs will be more bonded with you and you'll be warm!

Two poodles keep me too warm sometimes

Best heaters ever. Lol

That’s where the saying 2 dog night comes from

@@hkchris1 - That's also where the Australian rock group 4 Dog Night got their name. Though truth to tell, 2 chows are really all anyone needs.

Agreed!

mine stays on for 4 hours.. It has 4 heat settings... I just wish it was a little bigger but other than that its been the best thing ever. I turn it on maybe half hour before i go to bed and its so amazing slipping into a warm bed on a cold night

Oh ya, heated blankets are the best in a cold room! All the cats can find a warm spot too, lol.

@@TraceyMush My cat sadly adopted my neighbor when i moved into my van, but she has no idea how much she would LOVE this electric blanket.....................

You just saved me the trouble of getting this heater or one like it! I had it in my cart even. Thank you.

Just look at your owners manual ffs

if you don't understand the science you shouldn't be using one!

I will help you . Take the wattats that the electrical device requires to run at its maximum capacity. ( in this case 250 watts ) then you take the power source voltage ( in this case 12 volts )and divide the voltage into the watts ( in this case it is going to be 20.83 amperes. ) by using this formula it is also how you determine what size wire would be used for a installation of any electrical device. Now it is easy to determine how long a 1000 ampere hour device ( Jackery or Bluetey ) ( spelling ) would be able to provide power to the device. This is done by taking the time the device is running and multiplying the wattage to get the sum watt hour. Time x wattage = watt hours. In this case he will run out of power in 4 hours at full run for the full 4 hours. 1000 watts decided by 250 watt device . With 5hese formulas one can determine any device’s power consumption over time. Hope this helps you or anyone else. I know post is 2 years old however science does not change. 👍🇺🇸✌🏻🙏🏽😎

Thanks for watching!

Yeah, just not worth it. Sad! Thanks Teresa.

Another dummy

Do consider AC units which work both ways. They are apparently a lot more energy efficient. Also, heated blankets are apparently a lot more efficient because they only heat you, and not the air around you. And the heated blankets are apparently working best when you sleep on them.

@@jquest43 who, your mama?

@@mariebernier3076 you would bever survive in your vehicle,in the cold areas mountains,because you are stupid.#1 survival tool is warm clothing#2 is fire because you cant drink ice#3 #3 water#4 food#5 clo2

That's good to know; however, I've read elsewhere that a lithium battery can be used down to zero degrees, just not charged below freezing. ???

@@frostyfrances4700 that is my understanding also, that charging a lithium battery below 32 degrees will cause permanent damage. My van has a renogy dc to dc mppt controller so I would either need to keep the van heated above freezing or disconnect the solar array, house, and start batteries if it is below 32 degrees because each of those items can backfeed anywhere else depending on the ignition switch position.

@@sharpridgehomestead Help me out a little more if you don't mind. By 'the ignition switch position', can I assume you mean on-off? or what? I've got a big semi-portable solar generator that arrived damaged; waiting on a replacement, so I've never hooked up the solar array at all. Hence the super-ignorant questions. Don'tcha just love newbies? :p BTW, I'm not a camper, just a former civil defense employee who tries to keep up. Or at least not get too far behind newer tech.

@@frostyfrances4700 I don't mind helping others at all. I don't claim to be an expert but I also have an engineering degree so although not an expert, I try to be complete and think all possible things and scenarios through lol. The way the renogy dc to dc mppt controller works is similar to others who use a standard solar controller and a separate circuit that can use the vehicles alternator to charge the house battery or solar battery, lithium in this csee. So the vehicles alternator can charge both the house and start battery (the battery that starts the vehicle). The renogy dc to dc mppt controller simply has that circuit built in to do both and reduces the number of things that can go wrong or fail and also reduces some of the wiring too. Likewise, the solar array can also charge the house battery and the start battery using the renogy dc to dc mppt controller which is great for most people who will be boondocking or staying in 1 place for very long without an external power source. So what happens in this type of system though, is that even if I disconnect the solar array, the solar battery can still be charged by the alternator if the vehicle is running and theoretically by the start battery if the house battery voltage drops below that of the start battery and the ignition switch is turned on (because the vehicle ignition switch being on is what controls that side of the dc to dc mppt controller). Since its not recommended to ever hook up a charge controller without the solar battery connected to it, there really isn't any way to isolate the house battery from the system without disconnecting all of it (via switch or mechanical means ... you literally would have to disconnect the start battery from the charge controller, disconnect the solar array from the controller, and also disconnect the house battery from the controller). Thats not really an option in a vehicle that is going to be driven, so my only option is to keep the temperature above freezing with small heater or using something like a reptile heating mat wrapped around the lithium battery with a way to regulate the temperature, i.e. a thermostat. So for me, my quest has been to find a heater that provides just the right amount of heat to keep the expensive lithium batteries above freezing temperatures for the duration I wont be traveling without depleting the solar batteries.

@@sharpridgehomestead - Well, you ARE an expert in that field compared to most of us. I always tell people if they want a horse or dog trained - or maybe a mil - see me. Otherwise someone else. But lacking though I may be in most other fields, I do retain a lively interest in many, especially the ones with practical and immediate necessity. If it's crayon simple, I can even absorb and sometimes retain a little too. And every bit helps. The Renogy sounds like a winner. Thank you. In gratitude I'll spare you my life story. :p

Thanks for watching, Cindy!

more like impractical

@@brianbailey462 true that 😆

Maybe both ..the face would get cold

We have a 5 x8 WeeRoll camper and this heater warmed it nicely.

yeah, with shore power is the king camper. hot you turn on ac, cold you turn on heater. You need a bigger batter bank to use these heater. Only better option is diesel heater.

Do you know any brand names for the marine heaters? I've been looking on line and can't find what your talking about but they sound great!

@@rebeccagreen7241 One is the Davis Air-Dryer 500 or 1000. The larger 1000 is circular, at almost 12 inches diameter and about 5 inches high. Smaller 500 is oblong, the same height and about 5 by 12 inches. Both have a metallic base covered by a plastic domed shell that is heated but safe to touch during operation. The base is kept almost an inch above whatever (hard) surface the unit is placed on and the heated air is diffused into the space being warmed through an array of large holes in the top of the dome. Product lit claims the air is rendered "warm" and "dry", but there is no sign of any dehumidification. I believe the basic function of these units is to bring interior surfaces up to just above the dew point, to eliminate condensation. Any excess humidity still needs to be reduced by adequate ventilation.

@@robertphillips93 Great! Thank you for sharing that with me! 👍👍👍

Heated blanket won't keep face warm

exactament !!

Would the heat bed cycle on and off, giving more than 4 hours?

Get a small catalytic heater that runs off a 1 lb bottle or a Mr.Buddy. Much better than a watt guzzling ceramic heater.

Except he did so incorrectly, mixing up the concept of power (measured in Watts) with energy, i.e. the battery capacity, measured in Joules or Watt-Hours.

Yeah it's too dinky 🥶

Yep!

Put it on a timer that runs it for 5 minutes every half hour. If that is not enough then reset for 10 minutes per half hour. Or leave a 50 watt reptile heater black bulb (no light) on all night

Good idea!

@@morethantheeyesees Also good idea!

So many fires have been started by poultry heat lamps. They have zero safety features.

@@nancyst.john-smith3891 . Yes & because most people don't use their God given common sense, when using them. Ha.Ha.Ha

Sienna van is ok for one person. Little e-heater with shore power is nice. Other wise it would be cold just like you are in the tent after 3-4hours. UN-insulated vehicle can not hold the heat very well. We need some sort of heat when sleeping in the vehicle camper. Chinese diesel heater may be one option. I dont see other option better than diesel heater.

You don't need heat when you are sleeping, it is just nice to warm the place up in the morning before you climb out to get dressed... thus the little buddy

Yep, electric blankets are a much better solution. Thanks for watching!

Yes I have electric blanket. They are excellent!

Yeah, was going to mention an electric blanket.

Yep! That’s all it takes for my little transit connect🤗

WOOL is your freind freinds. A 30° camp bag with a wool blanket has served me into single diget temperatures.

I spent $12 so you don't have to 😁

I keep one of these on my desk as well. I use it to mainly warm up my hands.

seems like the main purpose is a desktop hand warmer for uber cold office cube. or to blow warm air on to cold feet/legs in a too cold office setting. perhaps a home office with 60' thermostat setting for a bit of spot warmth. I have heard of 'heated mice' for working with a pc in a cool environment. This was an ultra power bill conservation post. Want to say a fan is needed to mix that hot & cold air inside a vehicle. direct heat will probably be the most efficient power/comfort balance for a car camping scenario.

@@ronsmith1364 Yep.

It would make more sense if you're running it all the time in a space like a bathroom. Thanks for watching!

@@SUVRVing Doesnt need to run all the time in a bathroom. I use a 1500w to heat up the room about 5mins. before showering, then turn it off. And I love your van tour videos .. getting several ideas for a Ford or Chevy van I'm keeping a lookout for. Ty for all you do. :)

I use a 350 watt wall plug heater in my bathroom. I only use it when I need it, but it heats the bathroom really fast.

@@museluvr Yes. I turn mine on about five minutes before also.

It warms my tiny 4' x 7' bathroom.

That is exactly what I thought

The power bank would not have run the heater all night, @ 268 W it draws too much charge.

Never heard of it