Heating whilst travelling

[Jofang]

As a newcomer to motorhomes can anyone tell me if it is ok to use the ALDI central heating whilst travelling?

 

[LesW]

I wouldn't, but then we don't have an automatic gas cut off in the event of an accident of some sort... besides our 'little' Inca gets very warm with the vehicle heater on.

 

[Googlebot]

As long as you have a crash safe regulator then yes.

 

[peterc10]

If you have a heat exchanger fitted to the engine's coolant system you can use it without using any gas. Just set it to the desired temperature and switch off gas and electric on the Alde control panel.

If you don't have the heat exchanger you may be able to use it on gas. But for that you will need a secumotion type gas regulator and also anti-rupture valves on your pigtails.

 

[ctc]

Mine came with the heatexchanger, works like dream. The whole van warm and hot water available en route.

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[tonyidle]

I have always used hab heating on the move. I have Secumotion (equivalent) on my current van but the lack of one would not make any difference to my use. Just turn it off before entering a filling station.

 

[Jake Royd]

Mine has a space heater blowing rearwards under the drivers seat , takes it’s heat from the engine coolant circuit. Crude, in sense that it on or off, no thermostat but it’s effective.

 

[Ridgeway]

Mine has a space heater blowing rearwards under the drivers seat , takes it’s heat from the engine coolant circuit. Crude, in sense that it on or off, no thermostat but it’s effective.

Same here, just sits under the bench seat behind the drivers seat and only on/off but does wack out some heat and definitely needed in Winter. We just have to be careful not to store things on top of it, forget about them and then switch it on..... uhmmmm what's that plastic burning smell (was a buoyancy aid last time)

 

[rod_vw]

This is why many of us fit Eberspacher or Webasto diesel powered heaters, they can be used any time anywhere.
My biggest problem is remembering to switch it off as we use the camper as an every day vehicle.

 

[Dorset Diver]

As a newcomer to motorhomes can anyone tell me if it is ok to use the ALDI central heating whilst travelling?

We do but mainly getting the energy from an engine heat exchanger. When we first had the van I was not keen to use the gas for heating during travel but one day I did so by accident and all was fine so if it is really very cold I do use it.

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[Mikey RV]

We have our heating on and then drive off leaving it all on and keeps it toasty and hot water for when we arrive at our next destination.

 

[dipsie]

Friends of ours had a new Auto Trail V Line 636 that they could not afford. They tried to reject it when it was several months old as the Truma heating would not work when travelling and they said the salesman who sold it to them told them that the heater would work on the move.
That did not get very far though.
I can’t say that we have ever tried it in our V Line as if the weather has been could when going away in ours I’v usually had the heating on for a while before leaving and the cab heating is more than sufficient when the motors warmed up.
If I think about it in the future I will try it just out of curiosity. If this subject is still going in a few weeks time i’ll Report back.

BernieT

 

[Lenny HB]

We only have a Truma Combi we could run it when driving but we don't. If we are camping the van is warm and the cab heater can maintain it.
If setting off in a cold van I run the Truma for about 20min to warm the van then cab heater maintains it OK. Ours is a 7.5m A Class.

 

[Scotch mist]

If you can get Alde with the heat exchanger ( free heat from the engine radiator while travelling)
it’s a no brainier, probably more common on newer vehicles over 3.5 T
I wouldn’t be without it

 

[peterc10]

Friends of ours had a new Auto Trail V Line 636 that they could not afford. They tried to reject it when it was several months old as the Truma heating would not work when travelling and they said the salesman who sold it to them told them that the heater would work on the move.
That did not get very far though.
I can’t say that we have ever tried it in our V Line as if the weather has been could when going away in ours I’v usually had the heating on for a while before leaving and the cab heating is more than sufficient when the motors warmed up.
If I think about it in the future I will try it just out of curiosity. If this subject is still going in a few weeks time i’ll Report back.

BernieT

The reason for the heating not working is probably that Autotrails, like most other UK made motorhomes, automatically switch off the habitation 12v electrics when the engine is running. Daft idea, but I understand it is easy to change it. .

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[JockandRita]

The reason for the heating not working is probably that Autotrails, like most other UK made motorhomes, automatically switch off the habitation 12v electrics when the engine is running. Daft idea, but I understand it is easy to change it. .

You are right Peter, on both points.

I once had a major UK MH insurer, refuse to insure our imported Hymer (with TUV approved gas and electrical systems), until it had been to a UK NCC approved workshop......................................to have the habitation electrics and heating isolated once the engine was running. I took great pleasure in informing them that it just wasn't going to happen, so found another insurer.
12 x months later, the cheeky bu@@ers contacted me to say that although they couldn't do business with me previously, perhaps I would consider them for my next policy.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Chris51]

My vans own coolant fan heater blowing on high keeps whole van warm on its own .

 

[raymarg]

We use the alde heating whilst on the move,it allows us to have a warm van throughout.In the previous m/home the effective heat from the cab heat was lost in trying to heat the 6 metre 'box'.

 

[nicholsong]

You lot have just prodded me into doing a modification in our MH which has been in my mind for some time for cooler weather.

That is to buy an expandable curtain rod with sprung ends and suckers to attach to 'walls' and two fairly thick curtains to serve three purposes:-

1 To rig across rear passageway to give privacy for rear bedroom and vestibule for dressing.
2 To rig behind cab seats when parked and when not in use to avoid the hab heating having to heat the cab area with its 'gigantic' w/screen.
3 Same position as 2 above but to keep cab heater heat within the cab area.

Does anyone see any drawbacks to the above? Speak now or forever.......

Geoff

 

[peterc10]

Does anyone see any drawbacks to the above? Speak now or forever.......

Geoff

It will stop you using the best seats in the motorhome for lounging. We find the cab seats support our heads much better when we are relaxing.

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[JockandRita]

2 To rig behind cab seats when parked and when not in use to avoid the hab heating having to heat the cab area with its 'gigantic' w/screen.

Ideal if wild camping too Geoff, ie, ready for a sharp exit should the need arise. By leaving the cab blinds open overnight, and that curtain closed, the screens all remain clear.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[nicholsong]

It will stop you using the best seats in the motorhome for lounging. We find the cab seats support our heads much better when we are relaxing.

I agree about the best seats.

My solution, if we wanted to use one or both seats, would be to drape the curtains behind the backrests or to reposition the pole to be forward of the turned seats, which would at least blank off the windscreen.

Geoff

 

[peterc10]

I agree about the best seats.

My solution, if we wanted to use one or both seats, would be to drape the curtains behind the backrests or to reposition the pole to be forward of the turned seats, which would at least blank off the windscreen.

Geoff

We have an internal screens for all the cab windows, and they seem to work fine for us. The Alde heating has several convectors in the cab area including two at the base of the windscreen, so that area stays as warm as the rest of the motorhome.

Our Hymer came with an insulated external screen, but we rarely use it. It is much quicker to use the window vac to get the condensation off the screen rather than faffing about putting the screen on and then taking it off and packing it away.

 

[nicholsong]

We have an internal screens for all the cab windows, and they seem to work fine for us. The Alde heating has several convectors in the cab area including two at the base of the windscreen, so that area stays as warm as the rest of the motorhome.

Our Hymer came with an insulated external screen, but we rarely use it. It is much quicker to use the window vac to get the condensation off the screen rather than faffing about putting the screen on and then taking it off and packing it away.

But one is still heating the volume of air in the cab area from the seat backs across the seats and big dash area in an 'A' Class to the screens.

Agree about window vac being easier than external screens.

Geoff

 

[two]

I used to run the Alde whilst on the move, together with heat exchanger.
Now I have Truma and run that on the move, too.
The Fiat cab heater is pathetic, so you need additional support from the gas heater.
Secumotion (or whatever it's called) is fine, but I'd still use the heater even without it.
The boilers can cope with the van moving. Secumotion is only there in case of an accident.

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