The 15th International Portafold & Ansfold Gathering) (i.e. 2024)

Our annual gathering will be returning to the Newbury Retrofestival.

So put the dates 9th, 10th & 11th of August 2024 in your diary now and get those dates booked off work early.

Show Address: Newbury Showground, Priors Court, Hermitage, Thatcham, West Berkshire, RG18 9QZ

Don't book direct with the show organisers it will cost you more money, just contact me (07771544419) to get your pitch saved.

Heating

Any talk that's not covered by the other forums.
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aallen
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon, 27 Sep 2010, 2:42 pm
Location: Northamptonshire

Heating

Post by aallen » Fri, 25 Feb 2011, 3:33 pm

Can anyone tell me what type of heating you use inside the portafold when mains hook up is not available.
Thanks----Tony

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Admin
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Joined: Sun, 05 Nov 2006, 8:53 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset

Re: Heating

Post by Admin » Fri, 25 Feb 2011, 5:35 pm

Ooo, good one. Options I've come up with so far:

1) Shared body warmth. Bit obvious but it has to be said.

2) 12 volt electric blanket. The one that Towsure sells is an over-blanket though, not a traditional electric blanket like you'd have in your bed at home. Not sure how safe it would be if you were to lay on it, or have it actually in your bed.

3) 12 volt / mains inverter powering a mains fan heater. Nope, not going to work. Even my powerful inverter runs a continuous 800W or peak of 1200W (ish, from memory) and that's just not enough for a fan heater. Plus your leisure battery will last about 2 minutes!

4) Gas canister heater. Green stand alone heater that takes a cannister that's similar to a large aerosol can. Good heat but as with any 'naked' flame not great to keep on overnight. Plus they do create moisture in the air.

5) Cooker ring. Turn on your cooker, and in short bursts, use that to heat up the caravan. Again, it's a naked flame and it will create moisture in the air. Both Butane (blue bottles) and Propane (red bottles) will create moisture when burnt. Whilst it's not a cheap way to warm up the caravan, it worked for me at Melton Mowbray when the temperature dropped to zero degrees, in August!

There are probably more but can't think of them at the moment...

The best way of keeping warm at night I've found so far is use a high tog duvet as an underblanket, and another high tog duvet on top as normal. Toastie warm! Beats any sleeping bag, plus you don't have to zip yourself into a cacoon!

And if you're on a site hook-up, get a small fan heater with a thermostat setting. It just kicks in and out when the temperature drops, plus some switch off if they get knocked over, due to a safety switch underneath.
Matthew
portafold.co.uk
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wanted: Any original Portafold, Ansfold or Mini-Motel brochures, adverts or magazine articles.
Also, any chassis numbers for the above caravans!

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bigbird
Posts: 172
Joined: Thu, 11 Sep 2008, 3:36 pm
Location: Ryde, Isle of Wight

Re: Heating

Post by bigbird » Sat, 26 Feb 2011, 12:46 am

Hi there, well I've used all sorts for heating, being a reptile..... I've used elc with a small electric fan heater (low watt) good, but noisy,so you wake up in the morning feeling like you haven't slept. The small canister gas heaters are great, but obviously not too good to leave on over night with the naked flame and be warned they flare out when you light them.... I've found that the gas lanterns (with mantles) chuck out an amazing amount of heat..but then you can't sleep because it's like daylight in the caravan and you're invaded with squadrons of moths!! I've actually used an electric blanket in a canvas trailer tent, when I had elc, that was fantastic, I think I did take the precaution of using a circuit breaker though..lol. All in all, you can't beat a hot water bottle and a couple of duvets rather than sleeping bags, much warmer!!
Harley Davidson 1340, Smartcar, 1969 MKIII Triumph Spitfire, Matilda the Portafold and Marvin the Combi Camp...

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Admin
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Re: Heating

Post by Admin » Sat, 26 Feb 2011, 1:23 pm

bigbird wrote:All in all, you can't beat a hot water bottle and a couple of duvets rather than sleeping bags, much warmer!!
Doh! I knew they'd be one I'd forgotten. Hot water bottles!

I borrowed my mums old one for a show last year, and it even had it's very period knitted cover on it from the 1950's. Knitted by my mums mum back in the day.
Matthew
portafold.co.uk
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wanted: Any original Portafold, Ansfold or Mini-Motel brochures, adverts or magazine articles.
Also, any chassis numbers for the above caravans!

DanBoy
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue, 19 Oct 2010, 4:11 pm
Location: Lichfield, Staffordshire

Re: Heating

Post by DanBoy » Sun, 27 Feb 2011, 11:33 am

Beware of gas powered products! Without adequate ventilation they turn the air into Carbon Monoxide and WILL kill you. I have used a small oil filled radiator to good effect with electric hook up. Without mains there are some 12v heaters available, usually ceramic, designed for car use but they will take a lot of juice out your battery. The hot water bottle is effective and cheap and you can get hand warmers (usually in the fishing department) which rely on a chemical reaction which are a handy (pun intended) back up for the early hours when the bottle has gone cold.

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bigbird
Posts: 172
Joined: Thu, 11 Sep 2008, 3:36 pm
Location: Ryde, Isle of Wight

Re: Heating

Post by bigbird » Sun, 27 Feb 2011, 2:48 pm

DanBoy wrote:Beware of gas powered products! Without adequate ventilation they turn the air into Carbon Monoxide and WILL kill you.
Absolutely agree DanBoy, I should have put that on my posting, but I only mentioned the naked flame issue. I think occasional use of a gas lantern for the purpose it is intended is fine. On a sadder point a traveller friend of ours lost a very dear friend of his fairly recently, he lived in a caravan and that had I presume either a gas heater or a solid fuel stove unfortunately there wasn't adequate ventilation in the caravan, the carbon monoxide built up and he lost his life...not good at all.....
Harley Davidson 1340, Smartcar, 1969 MKIII Triumph Spitfire, Matilda the Portafold and Marvin the Combi Camp...

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Admin
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Joined: Sun, 05 Nov 2006, 8:53 pm
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Re: Heating

Post by Admin » Sun, 27 Feb 2011, 9:28 pm

DanBoy wrote:Beware of gas powered products! Without adequate ventilation they turn the air into Carbon Monoxide and WILL kill you.
Another Doh! I should've mentioned that I have a small battery powered Carbon Monoxide detector in my Portafold, similar in size to a smoke detector. I also have one in my kitchen at home, my boiler is getting on in years so it's better to be safe.
Matthew
portafold.co.uk
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wanted: Any original Portafold, Ansfold or Mini-Motel brochures, adverts or magazine articles.
Also, any chassis numbers for the above caravans!

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