Diesel heater on Wirral. (1 Viewer)

[EuroTrotters]

I fitted one.I haven't died yet ? I don't think? & it is quiet ,Far quieter than I expected it to be ,to the extent i have to put hand under exhaust to check it is working.

That was my intention how to fit ours but when I was forced to improvise & fit it in the UK last year I installed it inside the van-
If it was under the van surely you would be better with the air inlet drawing air from the air inside the van? Otherwise you are continually heating cold air & also additional air in the van has to be got rid of somewhere.?

Reminds me of my brother buying a house with central heating & wondering why gas & water use was so high? Until we found that it was installed with the water connected to boiler , went all around radiators & then straight down the drain!!

That’s good to know gus-lopez .

im thinking of one for my sprinter van

 

[angusboy]

Hi guys any funster willing to fit one in somerset regards chinese one

 

[gus-lopez]

There is a funster on here that does work.@machzoneman was his name but he changed it a while back & I cannot remember what the new one is ?

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[Two on Tour]

If it was under the van surely you would be better with the air inlet drawing air from the air inside the van? Otherwise you are continually heating cold air & also additional air in the van has to be got rid of somewhere.?

When the heater is running it's that good that we normally have it on the lowest temperature setting, in fact I have gone into the hidden away setting and lowered the fuel pump rate and fan speed setting to have the ability to have it running cooler than the factory settings, so picking up cold fresh outside air is maybe a blessing in disguise, plus I would rather not drill any more holes through the floor than I have too.
Our van as is the way it seems with newer vans, has ventilation in all the roof lights and ventilation vents floor of the cupboards and wardrobe, so the extra air I'm drawing in has an easy pathway out.

 

[Romolo]

Thanks everyone.

Any comments on gas heaters in comparison?

Thank you
R

 

[Two on Tour]

Thanks everyone.

Any comments on gas heaters in comparison?

Thank you
R

As I said, our factory fitted gas heating on our van is crap and the blower fan going on off during the night kept waking me up.
Maybe worth considering that diesel is easy to find, LPG might be a problem finding at times of need and gas is bloody expensive unless you are in Spain when it seems to be dirt cheap.

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[RubyOptics]

Romolo you said in your other post that the van is new to you and your partner I think? If so, may I suggest starting with one thing at a time and seeing what the results of that change are before going down the route of trying to fix all the things you think are "wrong" at the same time. The reason I suggest this is that you will able to see and gauge the results for each individual change and then be in a better position to decide what next needs to be done.
For example...you now have a much bigger hab battery to hopefully supply your power needs. Before, for example, fitting 2 extras solar panels as you "think" you need them...I would go and stay in the van for a night or 2 and see if you actually do or not. We recently rented before buying, and although we don't really watch tv as a family, we were charging an awful lot of personal electronics, as well as running a lot of lights late into the nights (to support our board-gaming obsession!!) The van we rented had a 100Ah AGM battery fitted and a single solar panel. By the time we were up and about each morning, the battery was completely charged to 100% (although we were lucky with the weather I admit). We did a mix of staying on sites as well as wild camping.
For the usage type you are saying, a diesel heater really does tick all the boxes for you. It isn't eating into any other resource (be that electricity or gas), is incredibly effective, even more so in the smaller size of a transit van, and is terrific value for money.
If you want a more integrated solution, this is an example of a diesel fuelled combi boiler - it will provide your van with both blown air heating as well as a supply of hot water for washing/showering etc. The problem is that it is MUCH more expensive as well as being more difficult to fit and plumb into your various van systems.

 

[Raul]

I have a propex heatsource hs2800, very pleased with it camping at sub zero, it takes about 1,5l of lpg per day, at -10C outside. It’s like a central heating in the home. Set the thermostat and forget. I have fitted it myself with the combustion and exhaust through the floor. Is under the sink cupboard and I have optimised it as best as I could. I use acoustic ducting, and a additional exhaust and a filter for intake. The good part about it is quiet, compared to diesel. The downside is the fan single speed but less than 15w if wired with appropriate wire gauge. Our shower room can dry clothes in winter with hot air and the van can warm up very fast.

 

[Romolo]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Yes I came to that decision today about taking it bit by bit.
I was fuelled with the excitement of the van and also wanting to make it the best experience I could for my wife.
But I was talking earlier to my wife and have come to the conclusion that I will do the following to the Van as a minimum and then see how it goes.

a) Rear Camera and Monitor - DONE.
b) Cosmetics like new car badge and hubs etc... makes it feel like ours.
c) New radio to replace tape - MAX £100 inc deliver with bluetooth etc... instead of more costly DVD, touchscreen etc....
d) New Battery - Will fit this weekend.
e) Review wiring as shocked to see poor connections. Will do when fitting the battery this weekend.
f) Purchased long USB cables and DC barrels for input and output and 2 core cable to run some wires around the van when needed and plug all into Solar Unit.

Then see how it goes. With the knowledge that possibly within 4-6 weeks I may buy a chinese diesel heater and fit.

We bought this van to help us understand what we wanted from a van to make it our perfect ball of joy. So this is the learning curve. So happily accepted that and will plug the gaps as I see fit... but really... I know I will prob move this van on when we feel totally up with what we want and do not want.. so very fair point.

Many thanks everyone

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[Tinker2]

I can vouch for what two on tour has written, I have the same system and it knocks our original heating into a cocked hat.
No more turning the TV up, every time the heating comes on, or going cold whilst waiting for the thermostat to switch it back on.
I was very lucky to have a kind Gentleman fit mine.