Kerosene Heater in a RV

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
N

nash0098

Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2012
Posts
8
Have anyone used a kerosene heater in their RV during the winter as a heat source? I hear they heat up quite quickly and it's cheap and efficient. Need an additional supplement to the propane furnace up here in Canada during the winter. Anyone has any experience with this type of heater pros and cons in their RV?
 
I think they are great in a stick house where you have more room around the heater. In The MH I would not use on for it is too close quarters or at least in my class A it would be. Others may have different ideas.
 
We've used them in a stick house for supplemental heat and there is a slight odor from the burning fuel. I think it might become objectionable in the confines of an RV.  And the heater uses oxygen from the air and produces CO2, so some venting is needed when used in such a small place.  I'm not sure that  kerosene is all that cheap either - what other fuel or heat source are you comparing to?

Personally I would choose a catalytic propane heater rather than kerosene. It's odorless and does not have an open flame.  A small one provides plenty of heat for an RV too.

Here is one example:
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-furnaces/portable-propane-heaters.htm
 
Kerosene heaters and electronics do not get along well with.  Seems the Kerosene heaters leave a deposit (Film) on the circuit boards that is conductive.

Or so I'm told.

And in an RV you have lots of electronics in a small space.. This is kind of like why  you do not put the inverter in the same spot as the batteries,  The battery fumes eat inverter circuits for lunch.

Of course if it is a VENTED heater (Vented to the outside) (Or a Vented battery box for that matter) disregard the above.
 
Kerosene heaters are not clean burning.  They leave a oil film on all surfaces, but that is your least problems with the amount of combustionbal materials in a RV you are literally playing with FIRE..too close quarters
 
As far as I read, kerosene heater is over 99% burning efficiency. As far as leaving an oil film residue I haven't heard anything about that, maybe true with older heater with an improper wick. Obviously, common sense should prevail when operating carbon fuel heater regarding ventilation and leaving unattended. As far as cost, I think kerosene price is comparable to diesel @ $3-4 a gallon which last about 10-12 hr of heating. My RV is about 270 sq feet, and I believe a 10,000 BTU portable radiant kerosene heater should be appropriate  (I saw one on ebay for about $110, cheap, and newer models have lot of built in safety feature) ... the Japanese have been using indoor kerosene heater safely for years and their living space is smaller or the same as my RV. The problem with propane I don't like is the refill headaches unless I get a 100-250lbs tank, refilling a kerosene heater is much simpler. One thing I heard about kerosene heater I like, is that they can put out a lot of heat and warm up pretty quickly which is a must living in Canada. Anyone actually use this type of heater in their RV?
 
I would strongly suggest not using anything with an open flame in an RV.  There are just too many flammable materials in an RV, and the potential for CO poisoning is another factor.
 
LISTEN TO NED!!!!!!

OPEN FLAME IN A RV IS DANGEROUS.  IF THE FIRE DOES NOT KILL YOU THE C O WILL!!

By the way 99% is not clean where does the 1% go.



 
I've used these My buddy heaters in the cabs of trucks for years.  Many other drivers use these as well as they're cheaper and quieter then running the generator all night.  They are safe in closed vehicles.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_heaters-stoves-fireplaces+propane
 
I have read about a film, (NOTE the article did not say "Oily" it said "Conductive") left on surfices by kerosene catalytic heaters.  Have seen evidence of same with my own senses, though I never metered it. (Checked for conductance).


As for Mr. Buddy heaters in the cab of a truck.... I would be seriously worried about waking up in the morning.  No Oxygen burner in the room with me.

RV furnaces do burn Oxygen,, but they do it outside, (They are vented) so unless they are defective there is no danger.

I've read far too many stories aboug folks using gas heaters indoors, or who had defective heat exchangers on a vented furnace.. They just fail to wake up in the morning.
 
The Buddy heaters do have an ODS or Oxygen Depletion Sensor, will turn off if concentration gets low.  I have one, but do not use it for heat in my Westy while sleeping.  Good sleeping bag, hit it in the morning. 

I concur, no kero heater in a MH.  You seem to have your mind made up. 
 
I use the 1500w oil filled radiator heaters(WALMART $38us use 2 when real cold out.. actually gets hot in here and have to turn them down keep 1 by the bed and one in front of the stove most of the time need only one on or 2 on low
my generator runs 2 on high fine though we are pluged in most of the time
no fumes and very safe with grand kids running around
Make sure to stow them away before driving they come from the back to the front FAST.....LOL
Have bungeed on to front of stove while driving to save on propane and keep warm
 
Kerosene is closely related to diesel fuel - in fact it's almost identical to #1 winter fuel.

No matter how "clean" that heater claims to be, in the end you're burning a fairly heavy hydrocarbon fuel.  There's no way to make it burn as cleanly as a lighter fuel like propane.

Even in a drafty shop, I found a modern unvented kerosene heater intolerable.  No way would I let one near the air I was breathing inside a relatively tightly closed RV.
 
NO NO NO do not use any un-vented fossil fuel burning appliance in such a confined space, even if its vented and still taking combustion air from living space don't go there.
 
Kerosene heaters are a bit smelly, for the reasons that Lou cited. And they are not safe for use in a small, enclosed area - they deplete the oxygen in the air and begin to emit CO gas when the oxygen level gets low. That could be fatal!  All in all, kerosene is a poor choice for an RV.  Instead, use a catalytic propane heater equipped with an oxygen depletion sensor. And still a good idea to have a vent open a crack as well.
 
Do not want to sound cold or ruthless, but I would like to get your full name and SSN for a life insurance policy.  In today's economy I see that as a safer return than stock or CD. 

Stop in at your nearest fire house, and ask them the same question you asked the forum.  I'll be willing to bet my pension what they are going to tell you.

Please do not become another statistic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,219 (members: 25, guests: 1,194)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,931
Posts
1,387,720
Members
137,682
Latest member
duckyw7528
Back
Top Bottom