Mr. Heater Buddy Do's & Don'ts

[Where's Bruce?]

For you guys using these instead of stoves in your tents and other enclosed spaces...what're the do's & don'ts new users might not know or fully appreciate.

 

[Eldoradotim]

I have a Kodiak deluxe model with the vents at top, those can stay open regardless of the weather, so they always do. And I like to crack the corner of a window or two for good measure.

I put the heater on top of an old cookie sheet, even though the bottom does not get hot.

I’ll be adding a small CO detector from now on to be extra safe.

But I think thats it, venting and a redundant safety (CO alarm).

 

[Winnie]

My dad put one in his deer stand a couple of weeks before opener. Mice built a nest in it.

By the way, Scheels makes a nice cover for them for $20.

 

[Yellowknife]

Don't .... forget where you put it and throw your coat on it. It WILL start a fire before you know it.

Haven't done that one myself, but recently threw somebody else's flaming coat and heater out of a (rather expensive) airplane cargo hold.

Those things are legit fire hazards. Treat accordingly.

 

[ericacymcdonald]

I Used a mr heater for over a year in a converted sprinter van that use it for work, 8 days on 7 days off so I had a lot of time with it down to temps well below zero. Any non vented heater WILL cause lots of condensation. Vent it as well as you can it is a must. These heaters have a low oxygen shut off but I never trusted it. Buy a carbon monoxide and smoke detector. Even with both the detectors Id never sleep with it on. They have a conversation piece so you can run it on bigger sized refillable propane tanks which is nice.
That said I switched to a diesel "parking" heater about a year ago and it is a million times better. They haven't gotten popular yet with tents but I'm starting to see them more and more with the "expedition vehicle" builders and rvs. the van builders have been using them for years and they have been in big rigs for decades. I bought a all in one version for my wall tent I'll be using this year. They exhaust outside, have a thermostat, make more heat and best of all a dry heat. They come in around the same price as a mr heater. Only downfall is they need a battery nothing big, around 12 amps to start and half an amp once running, totally worth the trouble when truck camping. There's tons of different ones on Amazon look for something like this if you're interested https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PQRMTH2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_RM2RKWTFZM7VY252W66S

 

[Rob5589]

We use ours to heat up the tent before bed and maybe 30 or so mins after then I kill it. I'll turn it back on in the morning to warm it up before slipping out of the sleeping bag. The dual element gets darn hot, too hot to leave on all night, even on low.

 

[*zap*]

^This, no need to sleep with it on.

 

[03mossy]

My dad put one in his deer stand a couple of weeks before opener. Mice built a nest in it.

By the way, Scheels makes a nice cover for them for $20.

Yes! Always check for mouse nests. Used mine in our deer stand on a Saturday this season. The next morning I was explaining to my 9 year old boy to always check for mouse nests cause I had a buddy heater go up in flames a few years ago because of a nest. Anyway as I lifted the heater up 4 mice bolted out from under it and they already had a good size nest built in it just overnight.

 

[Wrench]

If you run them off the bulk tank or refill 2lb bottles....use a filter. The orifice is uber small and they don't like dirt and rust.

I had the espar version of the Amazon heater above when I was in prudhoe Bay and they work uber well. I've stayed warm in a cab at -40f.

 

[CAM_D]

We use ours in a pop up camper and a canvas tent. The camper has it's own furnace, but the fan makes a lot of noise and pulls the batteries down. 20lb tank, filter, and a portable CO detector. I've never had it go off, and it works great to keep us from getting too cold, even down to ~10*F.

 

[GunsAreFun]

IF your going to run it at night, get a low level CO monitor. The standard ones don’t alarm until the air is actually at dangerous levels.

Also, get their 20lb tank cleaned version kit. It will save you a lot of money compared to those bottles.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

When they work they are awesome. They don’t work well at elevation above 6-7K ft. I also have trouble with longevity running off of a 20lb tank no matter what hose or regulator I use. Someone needs to really produce a heater that fixes all these issues I mentioned.

 

[Rob5589]

When they work they are awesome. They don’t work well at elevation above 6-7K ft. I also have trouble with longevity running off of a 20lb tank no matter what hose or regulator I use. Someone needs to really produce a heater that fixes all these issues I mentioned.

No problems with mine at 7k+.

 

[jmez]

I've been using one for years ice fishing with a 20# tank a never had an issue. What kinds of problems have you had?

Are you using a regulator or filter?

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[Hunt4lyf]

I use mine quite a bit up to about 9,800 ft, above that and it won’t stay on.

 

[Moserkr]

My buddy tested a small one in the back of his pickup with the windows all shut. Hes a firefighter so he did it at work with all the sensors and testers they have. He also tested with the windows cracked and wide open. His advice was only use it inside with good airflow. Said it was setting off all the bells n whistles with minimal or no air flow, and still reading higher than safe levels even with full ventilation. Granted a truck bed is small.

I run a big one in my garage while I work during the winter now. I just leave the door cracked along the bottom, figure that the bad stuff is heavier than air so it sinks and goes out. No problems yet.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Hmmm...can ya provide Amazon links to the options being recommended? I run a NuWay 3500 in my KC tent (sometimes all night) but got a Heater Buddy for my birthday. Just trying to figure out where it fits in my ever-growing gear locker. Doesn't sound ideal for a truck tent.

 

[tdhanses]

When they work they are awesome. They don’t work well at elevation above 6-7K ft. I also have trouble with longevity running off of a 20lb tank no matter what hose or regulator I use. Someone needs to really produce a heater that fixes all these issues I mentioned.

Ran 3 of them over 9k this past fall, zero issue.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

I've been using one for years ice fishing with a 20# tank a never had an issue. What kinds of problems have you had?

Are you using a regulator or filter?

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filter, the ones they recommend running with the 20lb tank. I’ve gone through 3 different hoses. I run the heater in my Jumping Jack canvas trailer. It will work for the first few nights at best then quit on me with the hissing/whining noise and keep shutting off. Airflow could be the issue? Lots of fluid in the hose too...this past November in CO at 8000 ft it finally shit completely and is going in the trash- won’t ignite even at home now so I’m buying a new one soon.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've never used the Buddy heaters, but I do use my 2-burner tank top heater in my wall tent for archery season. Love it. I would never run it while sleeping, but it works great for warming up the tent every morning. I light the stove, the lantern, and my heater in that order and then jump back into bed until I see steam coming out of my coffee pot. The tent is shorts and t-shirt temps by the time the water for my coffee is boiling.