12 Volt Electric Blanket
- Thread starter piper1
- Start date
chefdennis
Veteran Expediter
i don't have one, but id think they really suck up the power from a battery bank......
I blame Jack for getting me hooked on Panera Bread. Now I want that warm bowl of soup feeling all the time.
My Artic Breeze A/C system has a heater in it that If I run the genset it will run all night. I was just thinking maybe the blanket/mattress pad might be able to get me thru the night genset free.
I should buy an Espar but want to see if I can live without it (sorry Ray).
My Artic Breeze A/C system has a heater in it that If I run the genset it will run all night. I was just thinking maybe the blanket/mattress pad might be able to get me thru the night genset free.
I should buy an Espar but want to see if I can live without it (sorry Ray).
Some of them blankets have warnings that say something like make sure there are no folds or not doubled over...guess the wiring might go weird....
Wife uses a real electric blanket...she wouldn't leave home without it....runs off generator
Wife uses a real electric blanket...she wouldn't leave home without it....runs off generator
Humble2drive
Expert Expediter
I just don't trust those things.
My wife sleeps with an electric blanket on her side and I sleep with a fire extinguisher on mine. I think we have reached a good compromise.
My wife sleeps with an electric blanket on her side and I sleep with a fire extinguisher on mine. I think we have reached a good compromise.
I just don't trust those things.
My wife sleeps with an electric blanket on her side and I sleep with a fire extinguisher on mine. I think we have reached a good compromise.
I have a built in extinguisher ..so to speak...
My first year expediting I had one, when I was doing the Primitive Camping thing (a.k.a., Before Espar). I got it at a Pilot, I think. You need to plug it in a long time before you'll need it, as it draws very little power and thus takes a while to warm up. But once it got warm it was very warm. Worked well enough. (For long term use I'd still recommend plugging it into an auxiliary battery rather than subjecting a cranking battery to that kind of drone load.) The next winter I got an Espar. I'll never do another winter without an Espar.
Keeping warm in the winter is like trying to get on top of the roof of your house. You can use a ladder (Espar), or you can spend time trying to figure out 17 different ways to do it without the ladder, not one of which works as well as the ladder.
Keeping warm in the winter is like trying to get on top of the roof of your house. You can use a ladder (Espar), or you can spend time trying to figure out 17 different ways to do it without the ladder, not one of which works as well as the ladder.
I would LOVE to put an ESPAR in my truck, BUT, they cost SOOO much!! I realize that they will pay for themselfs sooner or later but that huge outlay is daunting. Why is truck stuff SOOO expensive? A typical APU costs more than the furnace, A/C unit I put in at the house last year!! They sure see use pulling in. A captive group with little compition to drive costs down. NOT a good thing.
The upfront outlay is a little daunting, but when you run the numbers of cost analysis you see that it looks like a lot up front, but it saves you several times the upfront costs over the long run. It just depends on how you keep warm, as well as how often you are out, especially over the weekends. If you mostly idle to keep warm, you'll pay more than $2000 in fuel (and oil, filters, wear and tear) in one winter. If you're a team and are moving a lot, lot, lot, and don't sit much, you'll spend less to keep warm. An Espar costs about (I don't know the latest prices) $2000, depending on the model. So, that first winter for a lot of people it's a break even proposition. After that it's two grand in your pocket every winter. For others, it may take two winters to pay for itself, but after that it's a grand in your pocket every winter.
Oh, I get it Turtle. We run pretty hard in the winter so it might take two years to pay for itself, IF, you only consider fuel. I know enough to take ALL costs into consideration, like wear and tear on my APU engine etc. It still amazes me just HOW much they cost when compared to a house furnace. About the same for an Espar. My house furnace, A/C was LESS than a new APU. When I take into account the amount of square feet involved, I don't even want to think about it. It just gives me a headache.
moose
Veteran Expediter
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There ya go Joe...ya should maybe jump all over that deal....
RLENT
Veteran Expediter
Yeah ...... unless your significant other is already in there, and has been using "his built-in extinguisher" .....I LOVE my electric blanket...use one at home and in the van. Nothing like crawling into a warmed bed on a cold chilly night!
Yeah ...... unless your significant other is already in there, and has been using "his built-in extinguisher" .....
hehehe....ya got that eh?....you were paying attention....
of all the members it be you I expect to catch that...touche..
rfields200
Seasoned Expediter
I have used one in a straight truck. I laid on it and put my blanket over me to hold the heat in and I stayed toasty all night. It never ran the batteries down.