First night away in Cali planned - 3rd November! Advice on heater please

[Mark Garrett]

Hi All,

We took delivery of our new Cali Ocean in September and only now are planning the first night away.

I'm taking our 2 boys (5&7) to Silverstone to watch a friend race on Saturday, so planning to camp in the van Friday night.

The night time temperature is likely to be around 5 degrees, I have the Comfortz pop-top cover, but want to ensure the boys upstairs are warm. I realise that warm air rise, but will the heat from the night heater keep them sufficiently toasty? I need to read up on setting it correctly!

Thanks!
Mark

 

[sapto]

I have no experience with kids sleeping upstairs however IMO it is enough to set the heater on level one/two and let it on during the night.
I guess you‘ll stay up longer than your boys so it will be easy to adjust befor sleeping. Or ad another blanket.

BTW: I like to open the side window slightly to keep ciculation going (there‘re some specific threads about this topic).

Enjoy your first time out!

 

[johnyboy]

Easily warm enough - 3 is too high, not even sure what it goes up to

 

[WelshGas]

Not as much warm air rises as you might think with the roof up and roof bed down. Heater on 1 overnight should be more than adequate. Sleeping bagsfor the chidren should befine but take an extra blanket or thin duvet in case as it is your first cold night. Bed socks good also. Until you find what works for you.
Ventilation is important with 3 sleeping in a confined space.. Open front windows by about 1 cm each side.

 

[andyinluton]

Have you used the heater at all? If its the first time you will be using it, its worth running it for an hour or so at home to both check it works & get rid of the burning smell that accompanies the first use.

 

[Sp0_0k]

From my observation setting 2, occasionally shuts heating down in average +5+10c'
A bit uncomfortable to hear the heating wind up several times at night.
Setting 3 usually goes a steady not very hot flow.

A huge problem with heater design it doesn't really work effectively for the top tent.
You will make a sauna at the bottom to make comfortable temperatures at the top.(when it is below +5c outside. Was a huge concern with 2 freezers below on our last Norway trip. We didn't need a sauna for them but comfortable warmth at top.

I have a solution with a tube now which is working pretty good. It is a foldable contraption that guides a warm air directly from the vent to the top, leaving bottom cool and tent comfortable. (Need to make a photo of that)
I used to make a simple trick before that. Simply hanging some blanket over the rear bench, kind of blocking the airflow just for the front seat area, that made a warm air rise better and again leaving bottom cooler.

 

[Sp0_0k]

I think it was already discussed here but at least in T6 the heater level simply means the Temperature setting.
1level doesn't mean it will go the lowest steady flow.
It means the heating might shut down at night altogether because level 1 means a top temperature of like 15'c or so. Don't have exact figures.

 

[kurienp]

.
I have a solution with a tube now which is working pretty good. It is a foldable contraption that guides a warm air directly from the vent to the top, leaving bottom cool and tent comfortable. (Need to make a photo of that)
.

Yes, a photo would be great please.


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[MattBW]

I have an after market on my beach and that too has the problem that the warm air doesnt get into the poptop. Decent duvets though and we are never really cold if you have a topper I suspect it will be much better anyway. Keep the roof pushed up when you are not sleeping and the heat can rise

Because my vent is in the seat base I may add a Y piece to my heater to have a second pipe pointing out of the front of the seat and slightly up, should help the heat get up there.

 

[sapto]

Just found this in the German caliboard.de from „Salzman“. He‘s great in doing cool stuff!

 

[Mark Garrett]

Thanks All,

I did run it for 10 minutes last weekend and it was a bit 'diesely' when running. Also noticed it was quite loud.

That was on 7, so I'll lower the temp to 1 or 2 and get it running for a longer period one evening this week.

They have sleeping bags and blankets, so will probably be fine without it...

Thanks
Mark

 

[Jay586]

Yep, I put mine on last night whilst cowering away from fireworks on the Great Orme. Not sure I'd put it on near other campers, was like a jet engine going off outside. Mine is the Eberspacher tho, is the Webasto quieter? Came home and ended up googling intake silencers...

 

[RoB5urf]

It can be a bit draughty on the top deck. We bought a topper primarily for rainy conditions but we are using it to help keep the top deck snug more than I expected.

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[briwy]

We were in the top last weekend with temperature around 4/5. Had the heater on for about half an hour before going to bed and then turned it off. If you have decent bedding then it shouldn't be needed at that temperature. We have the internal topper which makes a surprising difference to the temperature as well.

 

[GrannyJen]

Without rebuilding the interior of the Cali ...

I would think warm sleeping bags and the heating on low background they should fare well. Yes, the tent will be cold, but kids can cope with that, and if they can climb down into warmth then they should be happy.

Lucky thing you are My Grandchildren are 4.5 and three and I can't wait for them to be old enough to come camping with me.

 

[WelshGas]

Yep, I put mine on last night whilst cowering away from fireworks on the Great Orme. Not sure I'd put it on near other campers, was like a jet engine going off outside. Mine is the Eberspacher tho, is the Webasto quieter? Came home and ended up googling intake silencers...

Only on startup. Once upto temperature you barely know it’s on unless stood next to the vehicle.

 

[marshian70]

As others have said, the heater is very effective at warming up the main compartment but it is not particularly effective at warming the upper bed area. I would say a topper of some sort is essential in cooler conditions in addition to a decent sleeping bag. We use a comfortz internal topper and it made a significant improvemt but it can still be a little cool

 

[DGM]

Has anyone went as far as an electric blanket yet?

 

[andyinluton]

No, but you could go one better, Outwell do a range of heated carpets!

 

[EddieEagle]

We found that downstairs toasty, up top less so.
Lucky that youngsters are built tough enough to cope, given decent sleeping bags or duvets.
If you want them to be toasty from the night heater upstairs you will be very hot downstairs. The heater ticks, comes and goes all night.
Set on 1 or 3 max. is enough for sure but surely the ankle biters are hardy? They will love it......

 

[BerndRos]

It’s funny how we adapt......

Years ago I dropped down through Romania, Bulgaria in Oct/Nov with plenty of ice & snow, getting colder and colder in my Cali with no interior/exterior insulation and then into Turkey and onto Istanbul & the west coast looking for slightly warmer weather. Then onto Greece and the Peloponnese in an attempt to find a little warmth. I was content.

Now I have an isotope internal insulation, but as I now wander up the west coast of Portugal I am feeling a little cold at night even though the night time temps are still about 18c.

Duvalay then & now.

 

[Grant Foster]

we bought the Ocean recently and were in the Highlands of Scotland last weekend, the overnight temperature was around 4-5C. We didn't have the parking heaters on it, I slept up top and it was absolutely perfect. I have a topper which probably keeps it more insulated though.

 

[glen]

Hi All,

We took delivery of our new Cali Ocean in September and only now are planning the first night away.

I'm taking our 2 boys (5&7) to Silverstone to watch a friend race on Saturday, so planning to camp in the van Friday night.

The night time temperature is likely to be around 5 degrees, I have the Comfortz pop-top cover, but want to ensure the boys upstairs are warm. I realise that warm air rise, but will the heat from the night heater keep them sufficiently toasty? I need to read up on setting it correctly!

Thanks!
Mark

 

[glen]

Hi All,

We took delivery of our new Cali Ocean in September and only now are planning the first night away.

I'm taking our 2 boys (5&7) to Silverstone to watch a friend race on Saturday, so planning to camp in the van Friday night.

The night time temperature is likely to be around 5 degrees, I have the Comfortz pop-top cover, but want to ensure the boys upstairs are warm. I realise that warm air rise, but will the heat from the night heater keep them sufficiently toasty? I need to read up on setting it correctly!
This should help Mark
Thanks!
Mark