Winter Van Life Little Buddy Heater! Powerful, Portable Heat for a Van
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ม.ค. 2022
- This is a great heater (3800 BTUs) that is small, light and portable! You must keep and adequate amount of ventilation! Open both front windows of your vehicle at least an inch.
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Thanks for watching!
I love the part where he said "it''s dangerous its bad" but he's going to continue to do it, LOL! We do what we gotta do, whether it be providing a disclaimer to cover our fanny or use an affordable heat source. Thank you Bob, for all your helpful videos.
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.
A lot of people seem not to realize that these green propane bottles can be refilled and it’s a super easy DIY. I’ve been using the same green bottles for a few years now. It’s easy to do and they are so much easier to pack than the larger propane bottles. You can just stuff them in wherever they’ll fit, rather than finding the larger space necessary to store the larger tanks.
flame king makes a bottle that can safely be refilled.... the top of them is a little different that makes them safer.... I got a kit at Menards
This is just another option he was suggesting. I do refill in the winter at home base for supplemental heat.
What's the refill method?
I refill the green bottles. Freeze them before and they almost fill completely.
Great video, I like that you included the safety hazards that can happen if a person is not vigilant about the process of using a little buddy, great job Bob!
I own the Little Mr Buddy Heater, but did not use it due to it falling over all the time. I found a Stansport Stand on Amazon which has feet that fold out. This stand replaces the bottom stand that comes with it. It is much safer to use now. Eventually I will try this method but I dont have much room in my van for a large crate. I also have the Large Mr Buddy Heater, there is a way to clean around the pilot light and once I started cleaning it at the beginning of the cold season I do not have any issues with it lighting. They do not put out carbon monoxide often however they do use up a lot of oxygen in small spaces so you have to be sure you have adequate ventilation.
Thank you for the info. I like the idea of a bigger propane bottle.
It was great to meet you last week and shake your hand Bob! Be well...🤗
@@felicitycalf3479 Oh thank you! 😊
Thank you Bob for all the information you provide to us nomadic people. I am 2 weeks into this lifestyle, and I'm learning something new every day
Good luck
Congratulations 🥳 Enjoy, you’re going to love it!
I liked how you showed all the details of hooking up the Mr Buddy to your propane tank and something that I didn’t know about how to add the filter to the tank. I always learn something new watching your channel! Thank you for sharing this with all of your subscribers, Bob.👍
I have refilled my little green bottles for years and have never had a problem save me so much money. When I go camping I usually walk through the campsite and look by the trash and people throw their empties away I pick him up and refill them for myself I must have a dozen or more
We heat our gazelle T4 with a mr heater “buddy “ and we are very happy. Ventilation is a must. Never leave your heater unattended. Ten minutes before we go to sleep then we turn it on again in the morning to take the chill off.
I'm running an 8K All-in-one diesel heater in my 31' motor home. At 25ﾟ running on half I'll burn up a little over 3/4 of a gallon of diesel in 12 hours. I'm a snowbird, and I spend the Winter in Arizona, and as you know it gets cold for a while. I'm out in the gold base and looking for that shiny yellow stuff which is almost non existent anymore. Is still better than freezing in Michigan.
I just pruchased one for my apartment. I live in an area where we get a lot of snow and wind. Thought this would be a great precaution just in case. Glad to see the review on it since I have not tried it yet. I just purchased a 2pack of these at Walmart for $9. So they must have gone up again.
Bob, ALL combustion devices produce CO. What the Mr. Heater Buddy heaters have is an ODS (Oxygen Depleation System), aka Low Oxygen Sensor. The real danger using these heaters over night is when the internal regulator, the device that lowers the fuel pressure, fails. I've seen two such failures causing a fire. I was able, in both cases to extinguish the fire before igniting the main fuel supply.
Great video, Bob! As a new van lifer (five months) I'm trying to dial in my set up before leaving San Diego for New Mexico 🇲🇽 . I hung a Mr. Heater Buddy from a clothes bar using zip ties as my floor space is limited. As a matter of fact it's on now at 0335am. I'm able to sit comfortably to watch my favorite You Tube channels. Even in San Diego it's pretty chilly at night.
I have two alternative solutions to using the Little Buddy with the high price propane options:
1) Flame King has DOT approved refillable 1 lb. bottles. Easy refill process.
2) Flame King (and other manufacturers) have propane Tank Distribution Trees that detach their upper extension pole to provide a shorter propane connection. I've used this setup, minus the milk crate, and it works great.
You are absolutely correct about direct hose to heater connections, not using a filter. No hose-no problem!
Yes! I use these. Have 6 of them. Love them. Use them for my (medium) Buddy heater and my Coleman stove.
Great video! I got the larger one canister Mr. Heater before Christmas for $69. I think they are usually around $90. The larger one just seems safer because it’s harder to tip over. I have 2 large dogs, so that’s important. I have been using the adapter to refill the 1 lb tanks for months. Works great!
Hey Bob you can use the big bottle to refill the small green one and you can get everything you need to do it at Walmart
For the green bottles you can get an adapter to refill them off a larger propane canister (like you would use for your barbecue). Great video to thank you for sharing your knowledge with us all.
I have this one for my old GMC Savana conversion van. It's easy to operate and heats the van very well.
Hi. I was wondering if you have your van insulated? I have an Astro that is not insulated. Right now I have no way of heating the van.
@@daisyv5038 it does have some insulation in the walls that was done as part of the original conversion. I don't camp in it if temps get below 40° f. My blankets keep me warm for sleeping , and I used the heater to take the chill off. I'm overly cautious and didn't sleep with the heater on. It's common for.the outside temps to be warmer than inside the van in the morning. It holds both heat and cold.
@@personalpandemicstoriesorg4707
Good info. Thank you. Where I am, overnight lows have been 45-43° F. In these temps, my feet & hands hurt so bad at times. It feels like it takes all day to thaw out! Long live the sun. ☀
I will never buy another Heater Buddy again. They only last for a year, maybe 2 years.
if you do not want the propane in with you use the hose and hang the Lil Buddy, the is a loop top dead center that balances it upright,I use an aluminum camping trip pod cause have room and that gives clearance around it as well.
Well, when you put it like that. I haven't purchased propane for many years. The adapter makes that heater worth having. Good stuff Bob, thanks.
Hi Bob, thanks for all the great videos. I've had multiple issues with carbon monoxide this year while using a brand new big buddy. I've been woken up several times by the alarm
Thank you Bob. This solves my iminent HOW heating issue. Best wishes.
Great advice Bob. Soap bottle for checking for leaks and absolutely the CO2 detector. Life/Death decisions.
Good Vid, Thanks for reminder of spray bottle w/soapy water. It's good for checking leaks on tires,.. car, bike etc or anything holding air. Adding it to my list. Heading out next Nov. Made practice run with my project (about half done) van at end of Nov thru Dec 10 to see grandchildren for Christmas. So fun! Other than overheating with 2015 Promaster which I found out are known for. Electric Radiator fans go out and temp gauges only go 1/2 way up. Limped it 1500 miles back home in cool weather. Parts weren't available. 10 degrees for high today, My last year of this nonsense ☹
Thank you so much Bob!!! I had no idea those bottles were so expensive!
Thanx Bob for telling people about the safty steps neede with the little buddy....mine would always fall over eisily, so I cut an 18 inch base out of 5/8 plywood and screwed it to the plasic base that came with the heater and now it cannot fall over! ....hope this helps others....happy trails!!
My dad always hung the Coleman lantern to heat our 15’ (A frame to bumper!) Hi-Lo trailer. He rigged a metal hanger across the ceiling vent opening and another one to position the lantern so it was upright, and spaced far enough away from the ceiling to prevent scorching. I like your idea but for those not wanting the propane inside here is another idea. Use a hanger attached to the face frame to keep it upright at the right angle, a filter and hose to the tank placed in a safe box (metal, vented outside, door open outside to replace the propane) or in crate outside on the ground near the car/suv/van.
I love my Mr. Heater. It’s perfect for my van.
I am planning to buy an Aliner Scout and saw the video you’re referencing and already bought the little Buddy and the connection piece from Amazon. It is amazing. I’m a full time sole caregiver for now. I’m in my patio In Orlando and the temps are dropping and everything is working great. I listen to you all the time and am looking forward to traveling. Semper Fi, Bob!
Thank you for showing me how to safely and economically heat a small area, great video!
Home Depot, and other places, sell a one pound propane bottle that is refillable. So, If you have a few of those and a 20 pound cylinder and the required adapter, you can refill them at a cost of about $1 per one pound cylinder. Some folks refill the green ones but, sometimes they can leak and, unless you release the air check valve it won't get full. I used a Little Buddy in a golf cart when I did security for 10 years and that thing kept me pretty warm in -13 F weather we had a few times. I have the bigger 9,000 btu Buddy for use in my apt. if the power goes out in the winter. I like them. you just need to use common sense and be safe at all times.
Love mine. Even at -40 it keeps my van cozy. The bigger one would be overkill and creates condensation even with a fan and windows cracked open.
You're The Best ! Amazing subjects. No details missing. Thanks !
Take care out there!
And stay safe
Another option is to get refillable small propane bottles. Using the big 25 pound tank to refill small tank. I use the little buddy in my bathroom with refillable tanks. That way I don’t have to store large tank inside.
Where do you buy refillable green bottles? Or are they all refill?
@@lindamarsteller4582 hi Linda. Just chiming in since I noticed your question. I see those green propane bottles at Walmart, regular grocery stores and also at home improvement stores. They are pretty widely available, although the prices vary, like Bob mentioned, from $4-$10 each. Good luck!
@@lindamarsteller4582 Tractors Supply sells them for around $20.00
Superb tips as always here.
Thank you Bob I like the way you adapted the heater to your bulk tank I have a little buddy heater with the filter but this gives me another option.
I love my Mr Buddy. I just blow it out the beginning of winter and have had no problems. I'm off grid saving for a van and use the 20 lb tanks. I keep one on the heater, one on the stove, and two full ones on hand
Bob wells, thank you for continuing to help us stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I also watch a lot of prepper channels, and they are discovering this particular heater and the other Mr heater appliances. I always chuckle because it's a brand new thing to them, and I've been hearing about them on cheap RV living for 4 or 5 years, since I first found your channel.
Great solution to heating at a reasonable cost! Thank you Bob!
Your a real guy 😶 i saw u in the movie and searched you to just to be sure...wow you're an inspiration 🔥
I use the regular buddy heater. Not the little buddy or the big buddy. I bought their adapter hose to run off my 20lb. Tank. I recommend using their in line filter. They also make a heater that screws right on the top of your small tank.
Use the little buddy also. Works great keeps us warm and safe if used correctly.
My uncle has been a truck driver for 20+ yrs and he uses a hound heater. It is electric (300 watts). It only heats an area up to 75 sq ft. It has a built in thermostat and can be set to your level of comfort. It was made to be used in dog houses in cold weather, but if you are leary about using propane in a small space, this is a low wattage alternative if you have access to a power bank or shore outlet. There are different brands available on the market, so if you want to give this a try, make sure you get one that has the built in thermostat. There are even newer 'smart' models that can be controlled from an app on your phone.
Bob, this seems like a lot of work. At 82, to me, it seems like work. Have to think about this for awhile.
Attach propane tank, then ignite heater. How is that a lot of work?
I have a 30# propane bottle inside my van with me for the last two years. Prior to that, a 20# tank inside. Doesn't matter what size, 4#, 11#, 20#, 30#, etc. All are dangerous if they leak. I know, I know. VERY unsafe and bad practice. I mainly watch for the hose condition and fitting condition. Never a problem for me so far. Speaking of Mr Heater Portable Buddy failures. Pilot never failed, just got clogged with oils. I had two Portable Buddy and they BOTH failed after some time of use. I figured out how to get them to work again. I find as Bob has said that the hose leeches oil (plasticizer) and gets all over the inside of the heater. Pilot becomes an issue where it simply didn't light at all. I took the heater while still connected to propane tank, I pushed the knob to "ignite" but hold in while rotating the heater clockwise to upside down and I see lots of oil leeching out in drops. clockwise due to direction of piping inside. I did that several times. Then using the cotton swab to clear the oils out of the pilot orifice. It started working great again. Unfortunately, it will happen again and again. But so far, my Portable Buddy has been working great for the last month or two since the "flush". I have been using that same heater for 4 years.
Thank you I’m going to buy one of these I tried recently as snow started to come down and they were sold out all over town ... well I hadn’t seen this I had no idea what all I needed I got a 40 gallon propane bottle at Walmart . I’ve learned so much thank you Bob
I refill mine with a tiny kitchen scale. Put the green bottle in the fridge/freezer for 10 min, liquid flows to cold bottle. Get the 20lb adapter from walmart and screw it on the 20 lb bottle. Invert the 20lb bottle. I have found that a new 20 pound bottle will fill the small green bottle in 45 seconds, to be safe, you should get a kitchen scale, and start off with 30 second increments, when it reaches the 1 pound limit, the bottle is full, it reduces the cost of those green bottles to a well under a dollar. Or use the 6ft adapter cable From the 20 pound bottle over to the 1 pound bottle, the cable is an adapter cable, they also make smaller 5 pound propane containers you can use, get off those green bottles as soon as you can
Very informative, thanks for all the cost and safety tips
Not sure if i heard you mention the greatness of the milk crate for a s propane tank.
I like the little buddy heaters myself the problem I have with this one is the fact that the big tank has to be in my rig with me I like the original one you did several years where you build a plywood box to set it on and ran a hose outside to the tank
seems the safest heater is the middle size buddy too much fuss with this one. thank you for the education on the tanks and how to manage
Yay.bob. you are the best. Love you and cody.
I used mine with a 20lb propane tank and just wired the head to where I wanted to use it ,works great a last all month
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with these heaters! Very helpful.
One of the best and safest ways to warm a car for camping has been the water bottle idea. It’s a great way to stay cozy warm in a small space. It has saved me on some overnight trips in freezing weather with no other source of heat
Thank you Bob for this presentation.
I had my big propane wall heater that attaches to the wall in my RV and had the 20lb tank between the seats in the cab with that heater sitting on a wood TV Tray for 4 years no issues worked just fine. I also have one of those heaters too.
The ceramic gets to 935 degrees Fahrenheit and the metal around it is about 500 F. If you refill the 1lb bottles you should cut a hole in the bottom plastic base , otherwise rust develops on the bottom of the bottle from condensation after each use, and it never dries.
I paid for a 4 pack at Academy for 10$. But I’m in South Louisiana.
Just a little FYI, the heater will not operate at 9000 feet due to low oxygen at high elevation but WE can breathe at 10,000 feet...so if the oxygen drops too low in your camper the unit turns off. I never sleep with the heater on because it just gets so dang hot using propane. But I worry about gas leaks as I sleep with propane in the room,even after soapy water leak testing, my next investment will be some kind of RV propane leak detector. Great video Bob.
Always is good to see Bob. 🤗🙏🏼
Thanks Bob! Again you offer excellent advice.
You are really good , thanks
I like the color you painted the ambulance. I have 12 one-pound bottles that I refill from my 20 lb (5gal) bottles. All you need is the refill adapter.
I have 2 co2 detectors and 2 smoke detectors and 3 fire extinguishers in my 16ft cargo trailer and a large first aid kit I made myself with stuff you can't get in cheaper first aid kits!!!
I know this sounds extreme but I work and live out of my trailer!!!
Also I have a small all metal trash can inside with a lid and I have a full size one on the tongue of my trailer!!! Safety has to be first!!!
I use to be a shop steward and I'd tell my people Safety first they don't pay you to get hurt!!!
Thank you Bob, very helpful info!🦋
nice paint job on the ambulance by the way. I bet your in some place that exotic today, good for you.
Great video! Thanks😊
Good video Bob……👍👍😁😁😁😁
Thanks Bob
I'm a trucker.make instant coffee and soup with the single burner stove.just made coffee,and its hot in here.my point is ...I couldn't live without little green bottles. ! Tighten em up good.even with open flame,if they knock over,u just pick it back up...providing the area around it is clear. Good day everyone ! Hope to c y'all sometime.- neal a.
In a truck why not use an electric saucepan to heat your coffee and soup?
Great information 👍
Thank you Bob. Good creativity!
Cheers👍🇺🇸
Will probably be on the road in the near future will head to Arizona where all the fun is been there before lovely State
Very cool innovation
Great Bob👍👍
Bravo! Very good again
Thank you for this info 😊
I have a Olympia Wave 8, I love it. Its safe and sleek.
Those are nice but very expensive.
Great video. Great idea for little buddy Heater
These are great heaters, A friend I horse camped with years ago turned me on to these. She used them in her horse trailer and her house. Thanks for the review so more people know about them. Oh and Coleman (green) are not the only tanks out there. The ones I use are blue and a lot cheaper
Hi, where do those blue bottles sold? Anywhere in the Az or Calif area?
I bought the ones I had over in Central Oregon on a camping trip.
When I run the buddy in my van I also run a small USB fan to circulate the heat that comes up from the buddy. The heat from the unit wo a fan circulating it will rise directly above the buddy and heat up pretty intensly whatever is above it. Also run the USB fan when running stove directing it out a window.
Top heavy.stuff setting fire to my van.
I also carry my propane bottle inside my van with no issues. When I lived in my camper I used a kerosene heater with no problems. I would not recommend it to anyone just what I feel comfortable doing. Also I have the same Carbon Monixide detector. I like the thermometer on it.
Another great idea 💡
Thank u bob
another great vid bob
I too have used propane in my van since I started in a vehicle. I was told it wasn't safe but I've always had a carbon monoxide detector in the vehicle I wish I was camping and cooking, all the way back when I was using kerosene. I'm still alive + kicking and have most of my faculties(🤣). I've never had a fire inside my vehicles and pray I never do🤞 but I will take every precaution in using propane inside my van. Thanks Bob for the video! A helpful hint as always
also with any of the buddy heaters, when using it with a bull tank turn the tank off first. let the heater run out of fuel before turning it off. if you don’t they will clog up and quit working.
I like funky but that is over the top funky..
What about keeping cold in the heat of Florida and Arizona? Do you have a video about that?
Excellent info! Thank you! 🤙
First Hand Experience: yea I had a little buddy the first year we RV'd (six years ago) and it worked great - for about a month - I would not suggest this particular heater
I really wish the Mr. Heater company just made a selectable 2000 /4000 btu unit in the same form factor as the little buddy heater. The heating element would be smaller and the internals changed a little but it would give those of us who need a more subdued form of heat a more stable design and the ability for plumbing it in with a hose. Maybe a Chinese manufacturer through a retailer can save us since Mr. Heater is missing a huge market now and into the future. Just saying.
The portable buddy is a much better unit. Have owned both.
Thank You for the video, very informative.😉