If we plan to extend our camping season to cold weather I would add one of these:
It is 12v and my plan would be to put it down under our feet and let the heat build up and fill the cabin. To really winterize it you would want:
- The headliner kit or other insulation
- Some insulation on the floor (as catcamper mentioned we did interlocking floor mats from costco, and with a 4″ mattress the 1/2″ it adds is right at the limits for my foot size under the galley flat)
- Insulate the transom/quarter panels as the headliner does not
- Insulate the bottom of the galley flat as the headliner does not
- Insulate the bulkhead, as again the headliner does not. I would lean towards doing this on the galley side as I would not want to lose shelf space or the pretty wood look.
I looked at even small ceramic 12v heaters and they draw a lot of amps and would take a lot of amp hours to cover a weekend. I think if you insulated as well as you could, which would be WAY more than a tent, you might be okay. Especially in a sleeping bag; in which you can toss a Hothands warmer down by your feet.
As catcamper said, we will likely add a layer of foam to the transom and quarter panels, but at this point the galley flat and bulkhead will not be insulated as I doubt we’ll sleep in that cold of an environment.