Winter Van Life Cheap Heat for Van Living 

I just bought my first Coleman butane single burner stove for least than $20. I live in my SUV full-time due to a abusive marriage. I experienced being cold and was watching this video and decided to go to Walmart to purchase mine. My SUV was heated immediately of course I cracked all 4 windows for ventilation. I kept the stove on for least than 30 minutes and turned it off and went to sleep like a Baby. I am personally learning a lot from watching your videos. Thank you

For anyone who is in really cold conditions and it's a life and death situation, a snow mobile suit is unbelievably warm. You climb in the suit and zip it all the way up, hood on your head, gloves, and boots and you will be warm in 0 degree temperatures. I used to ride my motorcycle in 15 degree conditions and not get cold at all (except my face would get a little cold under my full face helmet but I'm going 60mph in and the wind chill is probably 30 below). But when hiking in the snow or just sitting outside in extreme cold I stay nice a warm in the snow mobile suit. This should be an emergency cold item for anyone. You can always put on the snow mobile suit at night and sleep in it if you get an unusually cold night and you must get warm. Those snow mobile suits (even the cheaper ones) are amazing at keeping you warm.

All you’ve said about Mr. Buddy is true. However, what I’ve found using my medium size Buddy for 6 years and months of cold mountain winter temperatures is it never breaks provided you do one important thing: I use a 5 gal propane tank with a hose. Never turn it off by the switch. Put it on high setting and turn off the propane bottle. No special hose or filter required. When starting it, turn on tank gas valve, hold open the starter valve on the Mr. Buddy for about 5 or 6 seconds., release and then push down the igniter. Mine always fires up, immediately. Let the starter pilot flame burn for 30 seconds before turning setting to high. After a couple minutes can turn to low setting. The most important thing is to never turn it off at the heater. Turning off the propane bottle with the heater on high will burn off any of the chemicals that build up and clog the heater and/or hose. NO green hose or filter required. 6 years later and my Mr. Buddy has never failed using the aforementioned procedures.

I lived on a sailboat that had a propane stove. I would turn the stove on low and put a small clay pot upside down over the burner. It worked great and was a radiator that radiated the heat horizontally as well as vertically. The clay pot would also remain hot/warm after the burner was turned off so one could turn off the stove and be comfortable for quite a while.

Bob I want you to know how grateful I am for your videos. I had toxic mold in my apartment and no money to move right away , i had no choice but to move into my van at 48 waiting on a disability hearing for 3 years with my dog and scared to death. This video saved my butt , waking up one morning at the beach where i lived and freezing to death. I hadnt even thought of how cold it could get in my van with no insulation. Steam was coming out of my mouth. I did the single burner small propane tanks. Rolled the windows down a couple inches and had a down comforter. I stayed toasty all winter. About 2.00 bucks a night. You helped me so many rimes thank you so much. Your a good man and i hope life treats you well . God Bless

Bob, I wonder if you realize how much you serve those of us who will probably never live the nomad life. The bogeyman of possible homelessness is destroyed in the light you shed on the simple practicalities of living free of a house. Bless you!

Bob, I've also been using my propane stove as a heater in my 1958 Alaskan camper for over 2 years. It works incredibly well. A few TIPS - I bought a scrap piece of aluminum block to set on top of the burner...it acts as a heat sink and once heated it REALLY throws out the heat. I keep the burner on little more than a flicker during the night and it keeps the whole camper warm. Block dimensions are roughly 6" x 5" x 4". I also have a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, and a LPG gas detector installed...along with keeping my window cracked open. I've never set off any of the alarms and I've never had a single issue.

Good simple solution! Before watching this I built myself an indoor fireplace of sorts with items foraged from a thrift store: stainless cup set inside a cement planter, planter filled in with sand. Add a few ounces of 91% rubbing alcohol to the cup and light it. It produces a clean flame sufficient to raise the temperature of my minivan in the morning before I get out of bed. The sand holds the heat and it produces No soot except where the flame touches the inside of the cup. Yes it’s an open flame and that’s a hazard but I’m also magical.

In addition, I find if you place a cast iron skillet on the stove and heat it, when you turn off the flame, the iron will radiate the heat for some time.

I was literally going to go buy a buddy heater today cuz I've been using a two burner coleman stove for heat in my camper shell for the last five years and I thought I was doing something terribly wrong. Just happened to see this video and wow it's going to save me over a hundred dollars. I've always used safety precautions and it's worked fine. Thanks for this great tip.

Bob, the hot water bottle is a blessing. My problem has been over the years breathing in cold air. Thank you for the hot water bottle. About 9/10 p.m. I boil water, fill the bottle wrap it in a dish towel. The dish towel is not to thick. I put the bottle around my shoulder area tuck the sheet and blanket under it. Form a 2-3 inch high blanket wall around the water bottle extending to allow the heat to help my face warm which is not under the covers. Thank you for the water bottle.

I don't live in USA I don't see myself living in the van even in my retirement but your videos give me a vibe of freedom and happiness I just watch your videos to absorb a little freedom from you guys and of course I appreciate your research and work that you have done that I believe will revolutionize the way intelligent humans will live in the future

I sleep with a hot water bottle every night in the winter, cozy comfy and cheap. :-) love to all from Scotland.

One tip I'd give for using that stove, is to get a stone, big enough to fit across it, be it pizza stone, or even a couple of bricks and heat them up with the stove. Then when you go to bed and turn off the stove, the stones will continue to radiate heat for a good long while.

Get a iron skillet pan with a lid, fill with volcanic rock , heat & turn off!

small candle in a coffee can is a really good solution to keep the temp up overnight. As long as the coffee can is on/in something that it won't spill (ie sink or on the middle of a table) you wont have to worry about it tipping over. Also you'd be very surprised at how much heat you get out of a small single candle. I've done this when I spent the night in my car a bunch of times. It works wonders for keeping it at least marginally warm. Also, yes it's still an open flame, but it's also surrounded by a metal can.

Bob. You are the man. A simple 5000 BTU propane burner is an awesome idea. Especially since you can turn it down to low. I was a development engineer for Chrysler for 10 years and worked in the scientific labs and I worked in Aerodynamics and Thermal Management for quite some time. We'd put smoke bombs (big uns) inside a vehicle in the shop and then look for where all of the smoke leaked out. Sealing up air holes also gives you less 'road' noise. Let me tell you, all cars leak like a sieve. So cracking your 2 front windows 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch is still a good idea. Now. Bob. I have an assignment for you. When you are in the desert you are going to look for the "PERFECT" rock. Its going to be TOTALLY FLAT on the 'bottom' and lets make it nice and round on the top. Make it about 40 lbs, just easy enough to move around and you are going to place that nice beautiful rock on the pot supports on your burner. Since its nice and FLAT on the bottom it wont interfear with the flame pattern. Interfering with the flame pattern and getting a yellow flame is the 1st sign of the creation of carbon monoxide. As long as your flame is pure blue, you're ok. High temperature combustion is something I'm very familiar with. An hour before bed you are going to crank up your stove and heat up the rock. It will heat YOU and the ROCK at the same time. Now, there is nothing magical about this, you are just storing the heat in the rock. So when you go to bed the rock is hot and it will slowly release the heat nice and even over the next many hours. If you can't find that perfect rock, you can go t big lots and maybe dollar general and get a 12 quart 'stock pot'. It'll be stainless steel. 12 quarts is 3 gallons. Put 2.8 gallons of water in it. Fill it up. Almost. Now 7.3 lbs of water per gallon so 2.8 x 7.3 = 20.5 lbs of water. It takes 1 BTU to heat 1lb of water 1 degree F. So, if you take your 50F water and heat it up to 210F on the propane stove, then turn it off. 210 - 50 = 160F of "Delta T" (difference in temperature). So the # of BTU's stored will be 20.5lbs x 160F = 3280 BTU's of stored heat. This will slowly release itself into the van environment as it cools down. Hope this helps some of you van dwellers.

Thank you Bob 🙏 My Winter solution in Germany is: When I wasn’t hiking: I drove around and heated the car for ten minutes each hour until I slept (because here it’s forbidden to leave the motor on while parking) and wore several layers of winter clothes all the time plus at night used a -40 degrees Celsius sleeping bag and put 6 blankets on top.

I started living in my SUV about a month ago on and off, trying it. It is really working!!!!! I am so so so thankful for you and for all the people you bring here to show us how they are doing it. I learnt A LOT from you. I am building on what you have reached. It is not hard for me, I bet it was for you when you get started. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me with you knowledge and great spirit; because of you, now I am free on the road!!!!!

Thank you so much for all of your videos. I’m about to move into a ‘73 Shasta full time and it makes me feel so much better and so supported watching these videos and reading these comments. Much love 💗

Thank you for the honesty! Im a proud home cook and cooking generates ample heat. This makes sense, I balk at the idea of buying more things to carry.

Just Gotta say it......I just love this man. I learn something new or just get inspiration from him with every video I watch. I will soon be trying the van life and am scared and thrilled all at the same time. Thank you Mr. Bob

Living full time for 2 -3 years now, in my rv. I use my propane stove and oven for heat. Works well, and as long as I have a few inches of my two driver cabin windows open, i have more then enough air flow for ventilation purposes

I lived on the hook for a couple years anchored in a roadstead in Vancouver and I had the same problem. Also sometimes I would be weightless, come right off my bed. Everything flying around. You guys have it easy. Got a -20 or 30 degree sleeping bag and I still needed a blanket. Standing in a bucket pouring hot water over my head for a shower sucked but the florescent Star shows and cormorants riding on my dingy, baby seal climbing up my boarding ladder to escape a killer whale made it all worth it.

when last I lived in an RV when waking on frosty mornings I would light the stove top propane burner and put on coffee pot...2 problems solved...by the time the coffee was done the small camper was toasty warm...I rarely had to start the heater...so I think you are right on with this one

I have been attending the "School of Bob Wells " and am very close to my degree in ~MAGICAL POWER'S~ LOL ... great channel Bob !!

I Bought a Toilet from Amazon, it folds-up, it Cost me $35 Dollars, love it, it's so portable, great Product......I Live in New York and found out-lets in a Park that uses Solar Panels for their Company Vehicles, so I get to power-up my 400watt Power-Station, My Wife Passed-away, so I Took Your Advice to this Van Life, Thank you.....

Always learning something useful ... love going over older videos and comparing how you have changed your mind on things and are always willing to share what you have learned. I remember a time you recommended the mr. buddy...and now you have evoved with experience and take us along with you. I wish that you would put some kind of notice on older videos saying you have updated your knowledge and put a link to the new info....otherwise people will sometimes purchase things based on outdated info. Just a thought. But thankyou for your constant stream of knowledge that evolves every day along with your experience.

I feel people certainly overlook hot water bags from boiled water. Also hot rocks wrapped in a sealed towel. I have never burned myself. I layered and sewed towels together and made a warm insulation bag for hot rocks. Lasts hours but keeps the bed warm for much longer.

I just wanted to thank you for the videos, i will become homeless again but have decided that this time will not be like before when i was homeless 2.5 years. I have learned a lot from your videos. I am a 68 yr old woman with 3 dogs to keep me company, i have always wanted to either get a van or a small rv. Again thank you for all the great tips on living in a van or small rv. Also would like to say thank you to all the other people that have given great ideas. Could you please tell them thank you from me. love your videos keep them coming.

I can't help but be hopeful after watching all the great videos and guests, Bob. I'm finally making the jump going to a skoolie but until I buy it and get it ready, I'll be living out of my midsized Nissan car. At first I was very apprehensive but with all the success I've seen with your guests, I feel like I'll be ok.

Bob, I have a portable ceramic plug-in heater I bought at Wal-Mart a year ago or so ago. NO FLAME, NO COMBUSTABLE FUEL, and NO CARBON MONOXIDE! I bought the heater which works very well for Winter, and an ARTIC AIR A\C for Summer . BOTH ARE PLUG - IN and can be bought at Wal-Mart and similar stores for around $20.00 each. The Arctic Air has a water tank to fill and simple instructions on how-to set it up. So simple even I can do it level set up! In a camper, I would make sure the HEATER is a safe distance away from flammable materials - Check these for tip-over shut off safety.

Finishing up with the loading of my SUV this morning. Can't wait to start this life.

For heating a car consider a japanese cast iron tea warmer fueled with a candle or small can sterno. The cast iron acts as a heat sink which slows down the dissipation of heat and retains it in the immediate vicinity. The concept is similar to the terracotta clay pot heaters which uses tea candles. Tea candles are dangerous because of their inherent clumsiness. The japanese tea warmers are intended to be used with cast iron tea kettles within which to warm up water so you double the cast iron heat source and can have water on hand if you like. I'd like to see a video on this apparatus. They aren't cheap, but less than $75.00 yet the combo serves a dual function and is aesthetically pleasing.

Gosh I had no idea the number of people living in so many different ways!! Bless your hearts. Big hugs too all.

Not sure why but this is one of my favorite Cheap RV living vid's. I must've watched it 4 times over the years! LOL

There are people like yours noble, generous, wise, providers of...GOOD MEMORIES. I want to believe that God protects you.

When I use open flame for heat, I put two bricks on the grate over a low flame. The bricks collect and disperse the heat nicely and will continue to give off heat after the flame is turned off. The heat off of bricks is very nice for cooking. I can cooked grilled cheese sandwiches evenly without burning them. It's good for pancakes too.

I built a wooden box big enough for my little buddy heater ....the front of the box is open.....the 3 sides and the top of the box are lined with concrete board......the front of the box is open and covered with metal mesh to stop anything from touching the flame coming from the heater .......I have a 10 foot hose attached to a typical BBQ gas tank.....I also leave the roof vent open about 1 inch.....I run the little buddy heater ALL night long .......I've been doing this about 10 years .....never had a problem other than moisture .......I also get about 80 hours of heat from a BBQ tank.......if set up right the little buddy is the best. .

I have a 12 fit truck camper and I use either a oil burning lantern which I light after dinner and the camper is warmed up from cooking dinner I set the lantern on the stove under the hood vent. It keeps the chill out of the camper. Another option for a small confined space if your in your car or Van is a candle lantern or candle heater. You get your car warmed up shut it off and light up your candle. Works great. And I always have a carbon monoxide alarm-detector.

Try a clay plant pot over the flame. When you place it on upside down the little hole allows plenty of oxygen for the flame and the clay pot helps heat.

Best channel on RU-vid with a talented, honest, knowledgeable host with amazing expertise and experience. I look forward to it every single day. Hooked on CRVL!

made my 1st camper out of a van in 1977, used a portable propane heater until they were banned, I'm still here and I'm very glad Bob is here.

Diesel Heater 138$ eBay works and designed for cars and RVs, works fabulously. Uses about a tenth of the fuel, compared to propane.

Great vid! Another thought.... During the flame on cycles heat a large cast iron skillet. Then you'll have radiant heat during flame off cycles...

Used the same method as your self for over 20 years but in proved it in several ways. Firstly I bought a medium sized Dutch oven nothing more then a thick cast iron pan and lid inside this is a smaller cast iron Dutch oven with locking lid. So I put me jacket potatoes covered in foil inside the fist locking Dutch oven locking the lid closed this then goes inside the next larger Duchy oven the lid is then put on. On top of the pan lid I place a heat powered stove fan. This is truly the best heating and cooking fan assisted device ever. The flame on the hob is far more controlable then any propane fire I've owned ever and it's on very low but the 2 Dutch ovens trap and slowly release the hot air into the room. I'm working on improving it more by adding another fan and making a copper heat trap I'm certain this is the way forward I'm very aware the dangers of open flames but that's my next job I've obtained an old fire guide that has very fine mesh and manufacturing a safety guide that I belive makes the risk of danger now 99% safe. This device and heat exchanger uses so little fuel have mine on approx 12th hours per day in the winter months. Just make certain you have air intakes and out takes where ever it's used. Never sleep when in use.

Hearing the discomfort of those who try living, cooking, bathing, & sleeping in cars or vehicles with inadequate winter-grade insulation reminded me of a snow climb we did. We tented, and cooked dinner in a small pan with a little backpacker's stove. Our tent was very cozy and warm on the snow so we washed dishes, got ready for bed, and slept well. In the morning that little stove did a great job of coaxing us out to start the second day of the 3 to the summit. I share it because many people are trying to sleep in tight, below-freezing conditions. Those stoves fold up, use a Sterno can for fuel, and weigh about 8 ounces. Look up backpacker stoves. Might be cheaper than running the motor with the heater on high for a cozy but cramped sponge bath in icy weather. Either way, I assume it's easier to remember to shut it off with an alarm or 2 at bedtime. I highly value all the great advice we read here. Thanks!

This resonated true for me! We have a buddywe picked up for $15 for emergencies so no money wasted however it is way too hot and you have to turn it off after 5 minutes max and then freeze a couple hours later so you're getting up constantly turning it on for a moment and then turning it off.. it is a pain. This just makes a lot of sense! I can't let it get too cold we have a pet turtle.. ❤️

During my time in the Canadian Army, we used to use "coleman-type" (with mantels) lanterns to heat the tents while on exercise in the camp. I think that could also be a good source for heat also. it id still an open flame (low thought it is) so care and air source must be adhered to. Thanks for the great video, Bob! I have been camping off and on for more than 30+ years now, soon to take on van-life with my wife. Love your source of videos for my foray into the nomadic lifestyle!

Hot water bottles are amazing and require no clearance! :) Great option for people sleeping in cars overnight. Boil water, pour into hot water bottle, wrap in a blanket or use a hot water bottle cover, and place at your feet.

Thanks for the great video. I'm moving from Hawaii to the mainland and plan to move directly into an RV. An apartment sounds lonely and boring, not to mention expensive. I'm retired and want to fit one more chapter into my life. Hope to meet you out there some day. Aloha!🙋

A wonderful material for absorbing and then radiating heat is soapstone. I'm not fond of flames running while I'm asleep and sucking up the oxygen, so I would use a combination of items to keep me warm at night. Hot water bottles and stones warmed up on the stove before I went to sleep, then an electric blanket that runs off the cigarette lighter from the main car battery, and finally a 250-watt electric heater with a fan placed on an 8-setting timer to run for 20 minutes each hour off an inverter and 75ah deep cycle battery. I would set up the heater to blow across the stones and aimed at my sleeping area, with the first timer setting to start an hour after I went so sleep. That may all sound like overkill and a lot of effort, but keep in mind I was living through northern Minnesota winters, where temperatures could drop to 30 below zero. On warmer nights, you could skip some of the steps, but much of your day was often devoted to chores centered around keeping warm, including driving around to recharge your batteries and to use the car heater. More important than heating sources, actually, is learning how to properly insulate the vehicle, shut out drafts while maintaining decent ventilation, deal with moisture/condensation, and how to use both space blankets and layers of materials to keep things warmer. Your heat source doesn't matter much if you're losing heat quickly and/or it's too damp - trapping, absorbing and reflecting heat while keeping things dry is essential to surviving cold climates.

I do kind of the same thing. Except I put a rail road tie plate over the burner as a heat sink. They are 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick steel and It absorbs and radiates a lot of heat! You can usually find a loose one along the tracks, especially around junctions and yards. The pot holders on the stove hold it securely so there's little chance of it sliding off. You might be surprised how well it works. If you clean off the flat side, it makes a good griddle too, lol.

Bob never ceases to amaze me, he always makes me laugh, he truly does have magical powers!

Here's a trick I use in my sleeping bag. I put a small therapeutic heating pad under me. It uses about 48 watts & I only need to run it about 15 min once or twice each night (in 35° temps). Not effective in heating the whole camper but sure works well in my sleeping bag. I'm running it off the batteries.

Any and every method of heating described, suggested, or explained anywhere on the internet today has to be of interest to anyone in the uk Bob, for obvious reasons...but as I intend to remove the original LPG heating system fitted in my Lesharo as soon as I decide on a good alternative, I check out anything at all which would be quieter (original has a noisy fan) less expensive to use, give as much heat (original is fine in that respect) save weight (original is a heavy item) and occupy less (valueable) space. Whilst I don't feel the idea of the cooking burner as a heater that you talk of in this video is for me, it's undoubtably a very simple solution for people who either can't afford much else, or maybe don't need a heater very often. As you mentioned, all THIS idea needs is ventilation and to never be left unattended or lit whilst you sleep. I just hope the negative comments don't make you think "why do I bother", because if and when I need advice about van life, motorhomes, or RV's as you Americans call 'em,...who better to listen to than someone like you who's done it for many years, and met & spoken with so many other folks doing the same. Thanks for all the videos you've done so far, (some must take a bit of organising?) and long may they continue. Although they don't all 'translate' into the van world in the uk, they're still helpfull in many respects.

Ive had big buddy for seven years, use tinfoil on the floor in front and the heat isnt an issue. Proper ventilation is my thermostat and No moisture ever with airflow. Clearance never an issue and when too hot the ventilation gets open more and if people use common sense to not have anything flammable near, its fine. Filters are only for when a large tank is used and i dont. I get eight hours with two tanks on low, better than freezing and dont get used often. The heater depends on your location, space and needs. Not everyone has access to warm areas. Buddy uses less flame and mostly ceramic heat. Cover it and keep it clean of dust and pet fur and it wont fail.

great concept, Bob, whether with magical powers or without a perfect solution. Also the bed bottle is totally great and what I can add: combined with a big sheep fur as or on the matress simply unbeatable, that fur keeps you all night warm. Just wanted to add that I have seen recently on YT (forgot on which channel) some van dwellers using two of these chimney bricks (don't remember whether it was pumice or fire clay or whatelse material, I mean these stones used inside chimneys and big bakery or pizzeria ovens) which they had simply bundled together with a metal band, and they had made a handle on top. Looked little bit like a square iron or so ;-) These guys kept these stones for half an hour or so on the flame, then shut the fire down and used then simply the heat stored in these stones. I think these stones are also a great solution if you stay in the desert, just keep them the whole day in the sun and bring them in the evening inside ...

I've been living in a 30 ft bus for the last 4 years. My kitchen is all Coleman or it's equivalent, for that indoor/outdoor option. I added the Cman camp oven for real baking and discovered that it increased the amount of heat put out. And if I put a tightly covered bowl/pot of water inside when I go to bed, I have hot water for my French press coffee pot when I wake. Plus the oven is already preheated for breakfast baking. I do have a Little Buddy heater for additional heat, if needed, but prefer my Colman setup.

I put a clean Cast Iron frying pan on top of the cooker with Ceramic Briquettes inside of the frying pan...then you put the cooker on low...then you don't have to worry about something falling on it as much! That way the heat spreads out more!

"I just set my butt on fire!" lol Love you Bob! Hope you are doing well.

Thanks Bob, I really liked your demonstration of how to avoid, setting your backside on fire. Classic! Also, thank you for being real and giving us an idea of what one needs to do, to stay warm in a van. Rachel :)

Thanks Bob , been thinking about what I’m going to do.

I have watched this so many times over the years and I love your magical powers Bob.

Thank you, I enjoyed the video! I have an A frame pop up style camper made in 2011. Watching your videos makes me realize how much more I could use it.

Top 5 ideas for keeping warm in a Canadian winter...RU-vid......look on eBay to find usb heated throws...with usb their best idea ...a portable cellphone battery charger will run these all night..They charge it with solar during the day.pretty neat!

Bob. I really love your videos. Great instructional video. Clear and easy to understand. Happy trails

Bob! I had a huge light bulb moment!! 💡 💡!!!! I live in a mobile home park ( single woman 57 divorced) and I always thought I couldn’t go out on the road only. Where I live is fairly rough. But no one has bothered me. Well Duh! It would be no different than traveling on the road alone. And I would be a lot happier! Now I can’t wait to figure out what kind of rig I want. Thank you Bob!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE my Buddy Heater! Used it in my minivan camper with no issues at all! It heated up my minivan to a comfortable temp quickly then I’d turn it off. Though I will say, I ended up using the vans heater more because it seemed to stay warm longer- Turn the key, run the heat through upper and lower vents, turn it off then get into my 25 degree sleeping bag and all good! Don’t forget a wool cap and socks!

I use a Mr. Buddy, but only rarely, and not when sleeping. I did buy a carbon monoxide detector, and that gives me some peace of mind, but my real breakthrough was a good electric blanket... it hardly draws any power from my house battery, and the van itself can be cold, but I'm toasty warm and even on some of the coldest nights, I hardly ever need to put it past 2 or I'm sweating (out of 10). It's great!

When it's below freezing, the propane WON'T CONDENSATE on your windshield. Because all the humidity is frozen. So that's a nice change, no condensation, for once!

I'm not sure you have ever heard of a flower pot heater. However it's been my go too heat source for years. Instead of candles 🕯 I've purpose an old garlic jar and use two wicks with denatured alcohol to heat up the clay flower pot heater. It last 6 -8 hrs depending on how tall i allow the wicks. You can buy on Amazon or as I had done DIY my Own. Work great!! Bonus; if your a tea drinker as myself you can sit your cup on top of heater keeping it hot. FYI..

I've got the smallest mr. Buddy Heater. It stopped working only the pilot light would run. I called the company and told them what it was doing I talk to technical. they told me to blow out the hole where the flame comes out and to blow out the white ceramic light filter with orange fire is at. I did and that fixed it. I've had my little buddy heater for years luckily that's the only problem I've had. If you don't have a compressor and air tool to blow out your heater just go to a Automotive garage and blow it out real good or have someone to blow it out for you. A four layer hat on your head before bed works great. I bought mine from the Dollar Tree. a dollar each and just pack four on top of your head and go to bed. when I work outside in the freezing cold during the winter I have to wear my 7 layer hat from the Dollar Tree a dollar each. It's just 7 toboggan hats a dollar each from the Dollar Tree. Each hat put on top of my head to make 7 or 4 layers. Sometimes you can get them at Walmart for a dollar each. But they may not have them in the warm areas at the Walmart stores. with two big scarves from the Dollar Tree. A dollar a piece for each scarf so that's $9 total. And a pair of insulated coveralls they're very warm you can usually get them for about 40 through $60. The best time to buy coveralls is in about March or April when it start to get warm after winter. They Mark things down seasonal stuff like this at Walmart and alot of stores. And they mark down all their long sleeve shirts most of them. If you like my comment give it a thumbs up.

Im subscribing because you're magical, i dont have a camper ,rv, van lol

The best cheapest rv heat in minus 25. Planar heaters Surrey BC. I hooked up this diesel heater.dicoñnected the propane. 130 degrees at the vents. Buy an 8 dm in you own a 30+ length rv. You will so happy you did. I burn half what I did when I ran the propane heater

Hello again. In the comments about the flower pots. Take 3/4" nuts and flower pots from as small as you can get to as big as you can get. Run a piece of all thread from the bottom to the top. Use washers on the top and bottom of each. Use the nuts as spacers under all pots. Put the tea candles or small heat source of some kind. This works very well, it is even better if you have a fan of some sort to blow across them. Kind of like what I mentioned in the previous comment about the beer cans. The clay pots hold the heat. I have done this before and it could save your life.

Propane can cause condensation; not much of an issue in the desert southwest, but a consideration in the great eastern forest. Also, a CO (carbon monoxide) detector puts all fume worries to rest. They are relatively cheap, too. AND, a smoke detector will alert you before you die if a fire did start.

Bob Wells, simply the best! Period 👍

I'm in a truck, I use an ace cook stove. I cook and heat the truck with it. It's butane but I also have a coleman propane. Don't sleep with it on. You can get up and stsrt it for 5 minutes in the middle of the night. It's 11° where I'm at and has been a cold fall this year. Stay warm.

I lived in a 1962 Ford Econoline van in the 70's winter temps below zero for heat I used a Coleman two burner white gas cook stove. I discovered that because those stoves come with wind barriers that using tinfoil on top directed more heat towards the sleeping area. Also a red clay turned upside down over the burner would heat up and radiate very well using the smallest of flame and my magical powers of cracking open a roof vent let the bad gasses out.

Thanks Bob. Another way to get heat is with 2 clay pots and tea candles. Works real good

Purchase a Cabela's Alaskan Guide sleeping bag rated for -40 degrees and you won't need a heater ANYWHERE, at ANY TIME!

When I was a kid, we used a Coleman white gas lantern for heat in our camper. The only hassle was pumping up the pressure every so often. Now they come ready to use with the disposable propane bottles. I use it a lot when tent camping and in the winter during our frequent power outages.

I absolutely like your attitude and the way you describe the pros and cons. Wishing you emotional and physical health,

Try using a 7 in clay flower pot over the burner. turn burner down low, & clay pot gives off lots of heat! Cost $2

Hi Bob, I’ve thought about some of these issues myself and wanted to mention a possible hazard with the stove and a foil shield. It might gas off toxic aluminum if it is very hot 🥵 which it probably is. May I instead suggest something you mentioned: about a 2 quart or bigger pot of water to redirect the air flow around the stove-and in addition, give you hot water for the morning, and a heat reservoir all night. I liked your idea with the hot water bottle. BTW, I’m in a Thousand Trails Park right now for $160/month in California where I am from. I also love Nevada and the West. They used to have a park in Pahrump, but it might be sold now. Almost unbelievably, this includes free electricity which could be a $100 value in the summer months in a small trailer, and $10/week 5 Mbit WiFi is extra, but I always buy it. Is there a way for you to get unlimited cell data cheaply? I’m curious. Here, I run a large rice cooker full of water all night on low, which also produces heat and gives me hot water that’s ready when I wake up. It’s a similar setup. Happy to visit with you anytime, and I’ve watched half a dozen of your videos already! You are really a great presenter with a great spirit. One of your videos on $500/year camping in AZ had maybe a few too many disclaimers, but you can easily manage that. Thanks for the help, Bob! If you wanted to do a 1000 Trails video-and similar deals you may know about-I’d be happy to help with a script.

Being from Michigan, I never left home without lots of candles and empty cans. Keep many extra candles in your car as well, and preferably inside the car and not in the trunk where you can’t get to them. You Put the candles in the cans and light them. Its for just in case you run in a ditch and get caught for a couple days before you can get out. You would be surprised how well you can heat you car that way. Another hint, snow is an insulator and in life or death situations use that snow to insulate your car. I tested all this out in the relative safety of my driveway, and never had to use any of this in an emergency, but it works. Keep a window cracked for ventilation.

Very good idea. I just tried it and it works so good. I will not buy expensive heaters. It warms From 15 degree Celsius to 30 Celsius in 5 minutes for 2x2 meter space.

This method is fine provided you have ventilation a keep a eye on it!! however i wouldn’t have it burning through the night while I sleep.

Hey, I'm new to youtubbing, mostly I watch travel/food channels. YOU ARE A SIMPLICITY GENIUS!!! Thank you so very much for everything you do. I very much appreciate you!

You are absolutely right about the Buddy's failing. On the stove you can put on a pot of water for humidity in a cold dry climate. I use the stove by cracking one of my top vents to let any carbon dioxide out.

I love this channel! I've been subscribed for about 6 years, I think. Van life is something I wish I could do to save money, but, it just isn't in the cards. Keep the awesome videos coming!

Great ideas. I’ve been in my microbus for 6 months and I thought about buying a mr buddy. I’m going to try using my Coleman in a fashion like yours.

I love this channel so much. I'm hooked.

In Europe we have these 5 liter beer cans for partys. When the party is over you have an empty beer can. Don't throw it away. Just ripp off all the plastics, and cut out the bottom of the can. There's allready a hole in the top. Put the can on the stove and you have the perfect heater. Keep the fire low, its going to heat up very quickly. First time you heat it up, do it outside, it gets really smoky and stinky. But after that you're ok, and you have the perfect heater. I use this in a small caravan-trailer, and it gets really cosy!

Never used any kind of outdoors stove but you make this sound safe!!!!!🙏🎆

My second time watching this. Love it. I have “magical powers”, too.

I use 2 cast iron pans (one inside the other) over the burner. Then my pan is ready for breakfast.

My girlfriend and I have been living in class c rvs, boondocking for 5 years. We just upgraded to a Cobra rv conversion van and what a move(stealthy)! Its has an rv bathroon and furnace. The rv furnaces are notoriously inefficient. We bought the small Mr.Buddy last winter, it saved our lives, if the buddy ever messes up, it's usually the filter. We continue to completely depend on it, it has been very good to us. Love your videos!

I use an old fashioned green coleman camp stove as heat in my room (much magic). I have over a dozen soap stone foot warmers and have 4-5 on the burner at any one time for thermal mass. Could do the same thing with a big pot of water but adds to the humidity. The soapstones can be wrapped in a towel and put under the blankets but take care, they get very hot on gas burner and stay hot a long time. I have scars.