Electric blanket when wild camping

[Pudsey Bear]

I have nerve damage which makes my left leg feel like ice when it's cold, and due to the current (sorry) energy cost I invested in a electric throw, it arrived yesterday and it seems to work really well I was actually over warm last night in the lounge, I don't need it on the bed as I have a decent duvet.

But I of course have the same problem in the van, the heater is enough for me but Liz gets too hot and starts opening windows defeating the process, so I was wondering if I could take the throw with us and run it off the 300w inverter, Liz is happy and we save gas, I think the LB is 100ah, not actually checked, so would i get say 4-5 hours out of it before it dropped to far to recover wit say 50+ miles of driving plus whatever Solar is available.

I tried it on the hottest setting last night and it was too much, so I think I'd be on 2-4 max.

I honestly wish I could figure this out, I know it's only maths, but I was crap at that and my mind just goes blank, being thick as heck doesn't help either.

 

[trevskoda]

Bears are a bit thick, but normly around the middle, would help if you told us the wattage of the blanket.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

At the bottom of the picture Trevor.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Been using it at home for two days now and setting 2-3 seems enough, way cheaper than putting the heating on which is crap in this house anyway.

 

[wildebus]

I have nerve damage which makes my left leg feel like ice when it's cold, and due to the current (sorry) energy cost I invested in a electric throw, it arrived yesterday and it seems to work really well I was actually over warm last night in the lounge, I don't need it on the bed as I have a decent duvet.

But I of course have the same problem in the van, the heater is enough for me but Liz gets too hot and starts opening windows defeating the process, so I was wondering if I could take the throw with us and run it off the 300w inverter, Liz is happy and we save gas, I think the LB is 100ah, not actually checked, so would i get say 4-5 hours out of it before it dropped to far to recover wit say 50+ miles of driving plus whatever Solar is available.

I tried it on the hottest setting last night and it was too much, so I think I'd be on 2-4 max.

I honestly wish I could figure this out, I know it's only maths, but I was crap at that and my mind just goes blank, being thick as heck doesn't help either.

Obviously it will be down to the battery bank to how long you can run the blanket for, but I think you will be pleasently surprised how little power it really uses.
As Trev mentions, be useful to know the wattage (you said it is stated in the picture, but there is no picture in your post - just a bad link to a jpg).
What you can do for best use:
1) Turn it on while you are still driving so you are maximising the 'free' power from the engine. Get it nice and warm for when you want to use it.
2) Maybe use a plug in timer so it is only on for a certain length of time and so not draining the battery away staying after you have fallen asleep in the sofa

To get an idea of the actual consumption, buy a "wattmeter", plug it in via that and then use it as normal one evening and see how many Wh it used (12Wh = 1Ah, a normal 100Ah lead acid battery in good condition has 600Wh available until it gets to 50% discharged

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Obviously it will be down to the battery bank to how long you can run the blanket for, but I think you will be pleasently surprised how little power it really uses.
As Trev mentions, be useful to know the wattage (you said it is stated in the picture, but there is no picture in your post - just a bad link to a jpg).
What you can do for best use:
1) Turn it on while you are still driving so you are maximising the 'free' power from the engine. Get it nice and warm for when you want to use it.
2) Maybe use a plug in timer so it is only on for a certain length of time and so not draining the battery away staying after you have fallen asleep in the sofa

To get an idea of the actual consumption, buy a "wattmeter", plug it in via that and then use it as normal one evening and see how many Wh it used (12Wh = 1Ah, a normal 100Ah lead acid battery in good condition has 600Wh available until it gets to 50% discharged

That's odd David screenshot on mine shows the pic, it says 120w on the box

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I bought a watt meter for the scooter, not a clue how to use it, I'm crap with instructions, I look at the page but it just goes out of my head before I can utilise the information, I wonder if there is anything on YouTube about them.

 

[wildebus]

I bought a watt meter for the scooter, not a clue how to use it, I'm crap with instructions, I look at the page but it just goes out of my head before I can utilise the information, I wonder if there is anything on YouTube about them.

If it is like a typical watt meter, just press buttons and yuou see voltage, current, frequency, power, and the power button will show cumulative power when pressed again. and switch off and all gets reset to zero.

Ref picture. Prob reason you saw it is it is a link to an image saved on your own computer.

 

[Squiffy]

I have nerve damage which makes my left leg feel like ice when it's cold, and due to the current (sorry) energy cost I invested in a electric throw, it arrived yesterday and it seems to work really well I was actually over warm last night in the lounge, I don't need it on the bed as I have a decent duvet.

But I of course have the same problem in the van, the heater is enough for me but Liz gets too hot and starts opening windows defeating the process, so I was wondering if I could take the throw with us and run it off the 300w inverter, Liz is happy and we save gas, I think the LB is 100ah, not actually checked, so would i get say 4-5 hours out of it before it dropped to far to recover wit say 50+ miles of driving plus whatever Solar is available.

I tried it on the hottest setting last night and it was too much, so I think I'd be on 2-4 max.

I honestly wish I could figure this out, I know it's only maths, but I was crap at that and my mind just goes blank, being thick as heck doesn't help either.

At only 120w Pudsey if it was me I'd just try it out and see how long the battery lasts as 120w would be the max wattage during use on it's highest setting.
Certainly in my view a 300watt inverter would be more than sufficient. The best test is to try it suck it and see. Phil.

 

[wildebus]

I had an electric blanket in my camper. Sandwiched it between the mattress and mattress topper and that allowed the bed to warm up nicely hours before and retain the heat for longer. It was luuurrrvvvveeely
I liked it so much I put one in the overcab bed in the Motorhome (but had to get a single one due to the folding bed design - but again, sandwiched between mattress and topper).

 

[Pudsey Bear]

At only 120w Pudsey if it was me I'd just try it out and see how long the battery lasts as 120w would be the max wattage during use on it's highest setting.
Certainly in my view a 300watt inverter would be more than sufficient. The best test is to try it suck it and see. Phil.

Cheers Phil.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I had an electric blanket in my camper. Sandwiched it between the mattress and mattress topper and that allowed the bed to warm up nicely hours before and retain the heat for longer. It was luuurrrvvvveeely
I liked it so much I put one in the overcab bed in the Motorhome (but had to get a single one due to the folding bed design - but again, sandwiched between mattress and topper).

I'm okay at night with a 10 tog double duvet folded in half (single beds) it's just when I'm sat reading or watching something on the tablet.

 

[Dinosawus]

I can recommend the electrowarmth.com 12V electric blanket which is very high quality and draws about 80W I think. It has a variable heat control but it pulses at 80W for different lengths of time instead reducing the output to a lower wattage. I use this under my topper mattress and provides a good warmth across the whole bed. It is just a bit larger than single size so might work well for you where your wife doesnt need the heat on her side.

Many people from the wild camping community recommend this product. It comes from the US so may take sometime to arrive.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I can recommend the electrowarmth.com 12V electric blanket which is very high quality and draws about 80W I think. It has a variable heat control but it pulses at 80W for different lengths of time instead reducing the output to a lower wattage. I use this under my topper mattress and provides a good warmth across the whole bed. It is just a bit larger than single size so might work well for you where your wife doesnt need the heat on her side.

Many people from the wild camping community recommend this product. It comes from the US so may take sometime to arrive.

Thanks but already bought and linked to

 

[wildebus]

For pure laziness, I have my (240V) electric blanket plugged into an Alexa compatible device which is plugged into the Mains (inverter) socket so I can tell Alexa to turn the blanket on and off when lying in bed (the socket is at the foot end of the bed so too much of a reach ) or if I want to prewarm the bed while I am away.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I put my inverter next to the bed head, I'm wondering if just turning it off at the inverter is enough, should I have an inline switch? And which one?

 

[wildebus]

I put my inverter next to the bed head, I'm wondering if just turning it off at the inverter is enough, should I have an inline switch? And which one?

depends on the Inverter.
Some inverters use so little power on no-load power saving is an irrelevence.
Some inverters have fans that come on and off when switched on - could be annoying if left on and sleeping.

In general terms, I'd look at turning off the inverter when not in use if the use was very limited and 'random'.
I leave mine to its own devices as it comes on when things like the Fridge want it to, so out of my control, as it were.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

It'll only be used when I'm awake and turned off to sleep using its own switch, I could find any info of quiescent drain.

 

[trevskoda]

For pure laziness, I have my (240V) electric blanket plugged into an Alexa compatible device which is plugged into the Mains (inverter) socket so I can tell Alexa to turn the blanket on and off when lying in bed (the socket is at the foot end of the bed so too much of a reach ) or if I want to prewarm the bed while I am away.

Tell alexa nout, bin the spyware.

 

[RV2MAX]

isnt the element on a 3 way fridge 110w ?