block and oil pan heaters

i live in valdez, but often work brings me to copper valley and fairbanks, would i be fine with just an oil pan heater or would i need to go all out with a block heater and battery heater? and which brands would all of you suggest

 

I've considered the plug in heat options but have yet to install anything yet.

The oil pan heater (Wolverine pan heater comes to mind) I will be installing during the next oil change since the skid plates are a bit hefty (Bud Builts). The factory block heater (for the V6) makes me a bit nervous since I have heard many reports of them leaking water and my truck needs to be as reliable as possible. I've considered a battery heater too, but I will need to modify the existing battery tray for that to work.

In my mind the V6 doesn't need a block heater. My truck warms up to full operating temperature within the first 2 miles even when the temperature is 0F. The pan heater is piece of mind when it comes to wear and tear. The battery heater would be nice for those extended periods when the temperature doesn't get above 0F for days on end.

For what it's worth, the factory block heater (400 watt) on my old 2002 Chevy Silverado 5.3 really didn't make much of a difference hence why I'm even more skeptical against it.

 

I ran a block heater in my 1992 Toyota (V6) Pickup and LOVED it - easy starts and instant heat! It had been in the truck for ~2yrs when I upgraded to my current Tacoma. FWIW, it NEVER leaked or gave me any problems.

I've thought about putting one in the Tacoma, but never found any solid part number or reliability reports from owners. The same was true of oil pan heaters and battery blankets when I considered those a couple of years ago.

 

I have a magnetic oil pan heater that seems to do the trick. Went to go get it and found my wife had lent it out to a friend in town Her excuse was good: "You got a Toyota, all she has is a Jeep Cherokee." Good point, and good girl

 

I was stationed in North Dakota for 4 years. I did have a garage and when I got home the truck would always go in the garage. My garage was insulated and not heated. I still had ice on the windows and doorknobs inside the garage and any liquid kept in the garage (except for oil and some alcohol would freeze. I did not have any type of heater on my truck and it would spend anywhere from 10 to 16 hours exposed to temps as low as -40 ambient (without wind chill). I did have a block heater on my jeep that I kept outside all the time. Both vehicles started up every time. Only one time did I have a battery trouble, block heater was not going to help me out in that situation. I did put what ever motor oil I was using in a plastic bottle and when it was unusually cold I check that oil to see if it still moved. Wasn't really worried about the engine block as long as the right antifreeze mixture was maintained. Just a thought

 

I say go for it. The heater pads for the oil pan are cheap and easy to install.

I have a block heater, oil pan heater and a battery warmer. I usually don't plug the truck in the until about 15° or colder. While it's nice to have since your truck warms up a lot quicker, I don't feel that the heaters are necessary. I've had my truck as cold as -30° and it fired up just fine without being plugged in. I also run synthetic oil.

 

my 96 had a block heater..busted out on my while at my first TW meet..coolant everywhere. Screw those things.

 

Oil pan heater is worth the investment, synthetic oil helps as well