Having just been away to a windblown Yorkshire coast for a week we found we were almost unable to use the awning, as the heater (2.5kw electric patio heater - looks a little like 2 electric bar fires on a stick!) was unable to bring the awning up to a reasonable tempreature.
Its quite a large area (around 12' by 20') and I wondered if a calor type heater might be a better solution?
It wouldn't be extra, as we always have two gas bottles - one propane, one butane - I'll just have to watch the consumption a lot mjore closely I guess.
And we would be able to lose the weight of the patio heater - which on closer inspection seems to have a block of concrete in the bottom of it!
***Inside the van????? With all them kids and the dog? NEVER!!!!!!
We've used a 2kw heater from dunelm mills. We have a large awning and it takes the chill off.
http://www.dunelm-mill.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_11100_-1_77505_10551
Stay home in the autumn and winter? It's an awning, surely it's always going to be cold when the weather is cold? You might take some of the chill off it but it's never going to be well insulated.
If it's a patio heater on a stick you are probably heating the roof only.
Since heat rises you need something low to the ground which will then heat the bulk of the air inside. Perhaps a fan heater would work better since it is drawing in cold air from floor level, heating it, then circulating warm air.
Calor gas heaters are pretty good...maybe even two if you have the space.
Last weekend we used one fan heater and a twin element parabolic gas heater and that warmed up the camper cabin and the awning quite nicely. I wouldn't have wanted to sit there naked but with jeans, socks and a fleecy jumper, I was fine and so, most importantly, were the kids.
We have used the calor style heaters several times and they have done the job very well. We warm the awning up on full then drop it down to keep it comfortable. No doubt it will be coming out again this winter.