We do require heating as we seem to van in winter a bit and we are unashamed sooks. When on power, we just have the blow heater on 1.2kW with the thermostat on nothing. I am not prepared to pay 2.5 grand for a heater but I do notice there are diesel/12volt 5kv heaters around 300 bucks. These units carry diesel with themselves. Now we know that gas heaters burn the air and suck up all the oxygen around the place and are a risk to life and limb. Has anybody had any experience with the diesel units I mention?.
Keep travelling safely
Chasser
Dougwe said
03:31 PM Oct 29, 2018
Welcome to the gang Charles, enjoy here and out in the playground.
I don't have a Diesel Heater in my aluminium teepee but I do have a Truma fitted and ducted gas heater and have used it heaps this winter and have kept warm as toast and so glad I had it fitted. I believe the Diesel ones are similar and work just as good. I chose gas cos I already have 2x9kg gas bottles on front A frame and didn't want to add a diesel container somewhere as well.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Treecrest said
03:36 PM Oct 29, 2018
Have installed a $400 heater into our Jayco. Works well - put the 10l plastic diesel tank in the front boot as the heater is under the front U lounge.
We just use the basics on the controller - no timer etc, and it keeps the van warm.
Had a $800 one in our previous van - Windsor and no probs with that either. This one had a metal tank, so had it mounted on rear bumper next to the spare.
Evernew98 said
03:57 PM Oct 29, 2018
Highly recommend the Truma gas heater. This has a flue to the outside unlike the old gas heaters that screw onto the top of a gas bottle and which should never be used in a caravan. Very safe, quiet, efficient and low maintenance.
Mike Harding said
04:05 PM Oct 29, 2018
Chasser wrote: Now we know that gas heaters burn the air and suck up all the oxygen around the place and are a risk to life and limb.
*ALL* combustion heaters behave in this manner and anyone who uses one in a confined space *SHOULD* purchase a CO alarm.
Chinese, knock off, diesel heaters are available on e-bay for about $400 and according to reports I hear work well.
I have one friend who has one but he runs it on kerosene rather than diesel and maintains it burns well and is much cleaner.
KJB said
04:33 PM Oct 29, 2018
The combustion in the type diesel heaters (Webasto etc.. ) used in caravans , occurs in a seal combustion chamber which is vented via an inlet and exhaust pipe to the outside of the vehicle. The air in the vehicle is heated via a heat exchanger and can be ducted to where needed utilising a built- in fan . Hence no burnt gases or odours in the van . An excellent, safe , efficient addition to a caravan.
Chasser said
04:55 PM Oct 29, 2018
Thank you all on the clues on van heating.
Chasser
Yuglamron said
05:18 PM Oct 29, 2018
All I would add to the thread is that Trucks have been using diesel heaters for donkeys years quite safely. Pretty much all of them are the same design and as mentioned combustion is done in a sealed unit where the exhaust is outside the truck MH or Caravan.
There are even models now that can be operated by a smart phone for not a lot extra.
I would add an LPG/CO and CO2 monitor with any sort of combustion heater in an enclosed space. Vibration can raise it's ugly head and vibrate the exhaust pipe off. A $29 12 Volt monitor is always a safety help. Plenty on eBay from here in Australia to chose from, and could be a lifesaver.
Mike Harding said
05:31 PM Oct 29, 2018
KJB wrote:
Hence no burnt gases or odours in the van
That's the theory.
aussie_paul said
06:43 PM Oct 29, 2018
It is obvious to me, having installed and operated a diesel heater, that there are some posters here who have never installed, operated, or laid their hands on a diesel heater. Although this is pretty common among most forum threads.
Aussie Paul.
Peter_n_Margaret said
07:29 PM Oct 29, 2018
We have a Webasto diesel heater. The furnace unit is under the floor. It heats glycol, not air.
It provides hot air (via fan assisted radiators) for central heating, cloths drying and hot water.
The system is also connected through the engine glycol system and that can also provide hot water without running the diesel heater itself.
It is "the ducks guts".
Cheers,
Peter
Mike Harding said
07:29 PM Oct 29, 2018
I can't tell whether you're referring to me Aussie Paul, your post is far too obscure.
However I would say that someone who fails to buy a $20 CO alarm in this circumstance is just as much a fool as someone who fails to buy a $20 smoke alarm.
Your life, your $20....
Eaglemax said
09:16 PM Oct 29, 2018
Two week ago I installed a 5kw diesel heater in my cousins 26ft caravan. My first attempt.
The 5kw heater is more than adequate though if I had a van 18ft or less a 2kw would be more economical and better suited eg the thermostat would work better if the heater size matched the van size.
The purchase price on ebay was $225. Cheap as chips. No instructions but not hard for a reasonable handy person.
The ticking of the fuel pump was an issue for my cuz so we wrapped it in a plastic swimming noodle say 6 inches long. made a big difference.
We installed the diesel fuel tank onto his drawbar mounted toolbox with a checkerplate protecting shield. We preferred this to the inside of the boot due to possible fuel leakage when refueling. The unit was installed under his bed and both ducts at the end of the bed one on the side and one of the end. Both can be rotated to heat the kitchen or one for more heat in the bedroom.
He has had it running every morning (they are Queenslanders holidaying in Victoria lol) and it hasn't missed a beat. It has a lit up control screen. Some don't have that- buy one that does.
Tony
Wanda said
09:02 AM Oct 30, 2018
Hi all
Could not agree more with your, quite clear, comment Aussie Paul, nothing obscure there mate.
As far as MH wrote, well I think that is a seperate issue Mike and I can't quite see what that has to do with AP's simple comment?
regards
Ian
Peter_n_Margaret said
09:06 AM Oct 30, 2018
Who has a CO alarm inside their car?
Cheers,
Peter
aussie_paul said
09:50 AM Oct 30, 2018
Mike Harding wrote:
I can't tell whether you're referring to me Aussie Paul, your post is far too obscure.
However I would say that someone who fails to buy a $20 CO alarm in this circumstance is just as much a fool as someone who fails to buy a $20 smoke alarm.
Your life, your $20....
I already had a CO alarm before I installed the diesel heater Mike.
Aussie Paul.
-- Edited by aussie_paul on Tuesday 30th of October 2018 10:06:47 AM
Mike Harding said
11:54 AM Oct 30, 2018
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Who has a CO alarm inside their car?
People don't routinely sleep in their cars and especially not with the engine running.
In general domestic deaths from carbon monoxide occur when people are either relaxing in a chair in the evening or when they are sleeping.
CO has no taste or aroma we simply fall asleep and never wake up.
But, hey, I don't have shares in The CO Detector Company so you guys save your $20.
iana said
12:34 PM Oct 30, 2018
To be able to buy that heater, and its components for $400, begs the question how do they do it. These heaters are fireboxes, and the last thing you would want is any kind of failure due to inferior workmanship or material quality. I would only buy off a trusted supplier and use a quality (or so) product, and this would all come at a price. I think we paid a thousand for ours, but I see that as insurance.
As for a Co meter, we have one, and its never registered.
Yuglamron said
06:21 PM Oct 30, 2018
To give you a simple answer iana.
Copyright laws or lack of them in China.
If you design something and build it in your own country say the US of A you have copyright protection and if someone copies your design you can sue and have the protection of the laws of the land.
Get your design built in China and you basically have your design ripped off. The thread we are on is mainly about diesel heaters. If you go back thirty or forty years about the only diesel heater for Caravans, trucks Motor Homes etc were designed by Eberspacher. I think they were built in Germany. They date back design wise to the 1930's They were originally designed to preheat Porsche car engines in Winter.
Now you have many companies in China making direct copies. You only have to look at the originals to see.
This copyright issue is one of the reasons that Trump, Love him or Hate him or ambivalent is up in arms with China because their designs are stolen. How many of our forum members have bought generators built by Honda.(Japanese Company) generators built in China. I would guess that many have bought generators with a knock off design of the Honda Motor which has come out of the same factory as the genuine Honda at a fraction of the cost. I think the latest genuine D2 Eberspacher diesel heater is nearly $2K here in Oz.
Yuglamron said
07:37 PM Oct 30, 2018
In answer to your comment" Who has a CO monitor in their car"
You do not generally have your engine in the car with you. The design of the car and firewall are all there to not allow gases into your vehicle.
An awful lot of the diesel heaters fitted are in the Van, quite often under the bed. Makes complete sense to have a monitor in the van.
Eaglemax said
08:45 PM Oct 30, 2018
iana wrote:
To be able to buy that heater, and its components for $400, begs the question how do they do it. These heaters are fireboxes, and the last thing you would want is any kind of failure due to inferior workmanship or material quality. I would only buy off a trusted supplier and use a quality (or so) product, and this would all come at a price. I think we paid a thousand for ours, but I see that as insurance. As for a Co meter, we have one, and its never registered.
There is merit in your thinking, but there is justification for not agreeing either.
Some of us cannot afford to spend $1000+ on a "reputable" diesel heater especially when your analogy simply implies if it costs more it's better quality.
I buy my wheat syle brick breaky cereal from Aldi. The other stores costs double and blowed if I can see the difference but if it cost $3 more it must be better??
I'm not jealous- good luck to anyone that can afford the best of everything but in the case in point, cheap diesel heaters, I've read many owners reviews and havent come across a bad one yet. Ok, no instructions, some accounts of items missing in the package etc, but I was very impressed with the unit I installed.
I also own a Kipor 2kva genny for 8 years. I saved $700 by not buying a Honda. I'd prefer a Honda but top quality isnt possible.
So at $220 I could buy 5 of these chinese heaters for the price of a European unit...that could breakdown also. I'll take my chances....
Tony
Eaglemax said
08:48 PM Oct 30, 2018
iana wrote:
To be able to buy that heater, and its components for $400, begs the question how do they do it. These heaters are fireboxes, and the last thing you would want is any kind of failure due to inferior workmanship or material quality. I would only buy off a trusted supplier and use a quality (or so) product, and this would all come at a price. I think we paid a thousand for ours, but I see that as insurance. As for a Co meter, we have one, and its never registered.
There is merit in your thinking, but there is justification for not agreeing either.
Some of us cannot afford to spend $1000+ on a "reputable" diesel heater especially when your analogy simply implies if it costs more it's better quality.
I buy my wheat syle brick breaky cereal from Aldi. The other stores costs double and blowed if I can see the difference but if it cost $3 more it must be better??
I'm not jealous- good luck to anyone that can afford the best of everything but in the case in point, cheap diesel heaters, I've read many owners reviews and havent come across a bad one yet. Ok, no instructions, some accounts of items missing in the package etc, but I was very impressed with the unit I installed.
I also own a Kipor 2kva genny for 8 years. I saved $700 by not buying a Honda. I'd prefer a Honda but top quality isnt possible.
So at $220 I could buy 5 of these chinese heaters for the price of a European unit...that could breakdown also. I'll take my chances....
Tony
Mickannie said
10:21 AM Oct 31, 2018
Had an expensive ($1400) 2.5 kw diesel heater in our first van, fitted in the ensuite cupboard and blew directly down the middle of the van worked a treat.
On our second van now and fitted $500 5kw from China fitted the complete unit under the van with only the duct coming through the floor.
The heat produced by both of these units is a better heat than anything the reverse cycle can produce and you don't need 240 to run them.
First unit got us through a Tassie winter and the second one got us through most of this winter in Gippsland before we smartened up and went to Cairns.
The Chinese unit has 7 heat settings but seldom gets above 3 as it gets to damn hot, we were advised to occasionally give it a burst on a high setting for 5 minutes to give it a clean out.
Cheers
Aus-Kiwi said
11:21 AM Oct 31, 2018
Thing is WHERE are the expensive heaters made ? What is there mark up ? Ill bet the Manufacturer makes possible the same amount ? Just theres no or little middle man taking the profits . The Dairy industry here is prime example . The retailer takes most the money .
Chasser said
01:32 PM Oct 31, 2018
Wow, Thanks to all for your feedback. It has always been buyer beware. I have been advised by European Car expert, the French and German Cars were better in the older days.
Thank you all for your interest.
Chasser
Peter_n_Margaret said
06:35 PM Oct 31, 2018
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Thing is WHERE are the expensive heaters made ? What is there mark up ? Ill bet the Manufacturer makes possible the same amount ? Just theres no or little middle man taking the profits . The Dairy industry here is prime example . The retailer takes most the money .
I bought my Webasto in Germany (where they are made) from a retailer (it was a good price) while we were there in 2015 and brought it home in my luggage (declared).
The complete kit for just the furnace part cost AUD$980. Webasto Australia quoted me $1,347 for the same thing in Oz.
Cheers,
Peter
Mike Harding said
07:20 PM Oct 31, 2018
A few years back I bought a high end Garrett metal detector. The Australian agent was asking A$2500 for them.
I imported one from the USA (where they are made - bought from a USA retailer), I paid the air freight shipping, GST, import tax and customs agent clearance fee and landed it at my door for A$1700.
Australian retailers have been ripping the Australian public off for years - I have no sympathy for them.
-- Edited by Mike Harding on Wednesday 31st of October 2018 07:21:52 PM
Hi Everybody,
Subject: Heating when no power:
We do require heating as we seem to van in winter a bit and we are unashamed sooks. When on power, we just have the blow heater on 1.2kW with the thermostat on nothing. I am not prepared to pay 2.5 grand for a heater but I do notice there are diesel/12volt 5kv heaters around 300 bucks. These units carry diesel with themselves. Now we know that gas heaters burn the air and suck up all the oxygen around the place and are a risk to life and limb. Has anybody had any experience with the diesel units I mention?.
Keep travelling safely
Chasser
I don't have a Diesel Heater in my aluminium teepee but I do have a Truma fitted and ducted gas heater and have used it heaps this winter and have kept warm as toast and so glad I had it fitted. I believe the Diesel ones are similar and work just as good. I chose gas cos I already have 2x9kg gas bottles on front A frame and didn't want to add a diesel container somewhere as well.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
We just use the basics on the controller - no timer etc, and it keeps the van warm.
Had a $800 one in our previous van - Windsor and no probs with that either. This one had a metal tank, so had it mounted on rear bumper next to the spare.
*ALL* combustion heaters behave in this manner and anyone who uses one in a confined space *SHOULD* purchase a CO alarm.
Chinese, knock off, diesel heaters are available on e-bay for about $400 and according to reports I hear work well.
I have one friend who has one but he runs it on kerosene rather than diesel and maintains it burns well and is much cleaner.
The combustion in the type diesel heaters (Webasto etc.. ) used in caravans , occurs in a seal combustion chamber which is vented via an inlet and exhaust pipe to the outside of the vehicle. The air in the vehicle is heated via a heat exchanger and can be ducted to where needed utilising a built- in fan . Hence no burnt gases or odours in the van . An excellent, safe , efficient addition to a caravan.
Chasser
All I would add to the thread is that Trucks have been using diesel heaters for donkeys years quite safely. Pretty much all of them are the same design and as mentioned combustion is done in a sealed unit where the exhaust is outside the truck MH or Caravan.
There are even models now that can be operated by a smart phone for not a lot extra.
I would add an LPG/CO and CO2 monitor with any sort of combustion heater in an enclosed space. Vibration can raise it's ugly head and vibrate the exhaust pipe off. A $29 12 Volt monitor is always a safety help. Plenty on eBay from here in Australia to chose from, and could be a lifesaver.
That's the theory.
It is obvious to me, having installed and operated a diesel heater, that there are some posters here who have never installed, operated, or laid their hands on a diesel heater. Although this is pretty common among most forum threads.
Aussie Paul.
It provides hot air (via fan assisted radiators) for central heating, cloths drying and hot water.
The system is also connected through the engine glycol system and that can also provide hot water without running the diesel heater itself.
It is "the ducks guts".
Cheers,
Peter
I can't tell whether you're referring to me Aussie Paul, your post is far too obscure.
However I would say that someone who fails to buy a $20 CO alarm in this circumstance is just as much a fool as someone who fails to buy a $20 smoke alarm.
Your life, your $20....
Two week ago I installed a 5kw diesel heater in my cousins 26ft caravan. My first attempt.
The 5kw heater is more than adequate though if I had a van 18ft or less a 2kw would be more economical and better suited eg the thermostat would work better if the heater size matched the van size.
The purchase price on ebay was $225. Cheap as chips. No instructions but not hard for a reasonable handy person.
The ticking of the fuel pump was an issue for my cuz so we wrapped it in a plastic swimming noodle say 6 inches long. made a big difference.
We installed the diesel fuel tank onto his drawbar mounted toolbox with a checkerplate protecting shield. We preferred this to the inside of the boot due to possible fuel leakage when refueling. The unit was installed under his bed and both ducts at the end of the bed one on the side and one of the end. Both can be rotated to heat the kitchen or one for more heat in the bedroom.
He has had it running every morning (they are Queenslanders holidaying in Victoria lol) and it hasn't missed a beat. It has a lit up control screen. Some don't have that- buy one that does.
Tony
Could not agree more with your, quite clear, comment Aussie Paul, nothing obscure there mate.
As far as MH wrote, well I think that is a seperate issue Mike and I can't quite see what that has to do with AP's simple comment?
regards
Ian
Cheers,
Peter
I already had a CO alarm before I installed the diesel heater Mike.
Aussie Paul.
-- Edited by aussie_paul on Tuesday 30th of October 2018 10:06:47 AM
People don't routinely sleep in their cars and especially not with the engine running.
In general domestic deaths from carbon monoxide occur when people are either relaxing in a chair in the evening or when they are sleeping.
CO has no taste or aroma we simply fall asleep and never wake up.
But, hey, I don't have shares in The CO Detector Company so you guys save your $20.
As for a Co meter, we have one, and its never registered.
To give you a simple answer iana.
Copyright laws or lack of them in China.
If you design something and build it in your own country say the US of A you have copyright protection and if someone copies your design you can sue and have the protection of the laws of the land.
Get your design built in China and you basically have your design ripped off. The thread we are on is mainly about diesel heaters. If you go back thirty or forty years about the only diesel heater for Caravans, trucks Motor Homes etc were designed by Eberspacher. I think they were built in Germany. They date back design wise to the 1930's They were originally designed to preheat Porsche car engines in Winter.
Now you have many companies in China making direct copies. You only have to look at the originals to see.
This copyright issue is one of the reasons that Trump, Love him or Hate him or ambivalent is up in arms with China because their designs are stolen. How many of our forum members have bought generators built by Honda.(Japanese Company) generators built in China. I would guess that many have bought generators with a knock off design of the Honda Motor which has come out of the same factory as the genuine Honda at a fraction of the cost. I think the latest genuine D2 Eberspacher diesel heater is nearly $2K here in Oz.
In answer to your comment" Who has a CO monitor in their car"
You do not generally have your engine in the car with you. The design of the car and firewall are all there to not allow gases into your vehicle.
An awful lot of the diesel heaters fitted are in the Van, quite often under the bed. Makes complete sense to have a monitor in the van.
There is merit in your thinking, but there is justification for not agreeing either.
Some of us cannot afford to spend $1000+ on a "reputable" diesel heater especially when your analogy simply implies if it costs more it's better quality.
I buy my wheat syle brick breaky cereal from Aldi. The other stores costs double and blowed if I can see the difference but if it cost $3 more it must be better??
I'm not jealous- good luck to anyone that can afford the best of everything but in the case in point, cheap diesel heaters, I've read many owners reviews and havent come across a bad one yet. Ok, no instructions, some accounts of items missing in the package etc, but I was very impressed with the unit I installed.
I also own a Kipor 2kva genny for 8 years. I saved $700 by not buying a Honda. I'd prefer a Honda but top quality isnt possible.
So at $220 I could buy 5 of these chinese heaters for the price of a European unit...that could breakdown also. I'll take my chances....
Tony
There is merit in your thinking, but there is justification for not agreeing either.
Some of us cannot afford to spend $1000+ on a "reputable" diesel heater especially when your analogy simply implies if it costs more it's better quality.
I buy my wheat syle brick breaky cereal from Aldi. The other stores costs double and blowed if I can see the difference but if it cost $3 more it must be better??
I'm not jealous- good luck to anyone that can afford the best of everything but in the case in point, cheap diesel heaters, I've read many owners reviews and havent come across a bad one yet. Ok, no instructions, some accounts of items missing in the package etc, but I was very impressed with the unit I installed.
I also own a Kipor 2kva genny for 8 years. I saved $700 by not buying a Honda. I'd prefer a Honda but top quality isnt possible.
So at $220 I could buy 5 of these chinese heaters for the price of a European unit...that could breakdown also. I'll take my chances....
Tony
On our second van now and fitted $500 5kw from China fitted the complete unit under the van with only the duct coming through the floor.
The heat produced by both of these units is a better heat than anything the reverse cycle can produce and you don't need 240 to run them.
First unit got us through a Tassie winter and the second one got us through most of this winter in Gippsland before we smartened up and went to Cairns.
The Chinese unit has 7 heat settings but seldom gets above 3 as it gets to damn hot, we were advised to occasionally give it a burst on a high setting for 5 minutes to give it a clean out.
Cheers
Thank you all for your interest.
Chasser
I bought my Webasto in Germany (where they are made) from a retailer (it was a good price) while we were there in 2015 and brought it home in my luggage (declared).
The complete kit for just the furnace part cost AUD$980. Webasto Australia quoted me $1,347 for the same thing in Oz.
Cheers,
Peter
A few years back I bought a high end Garrett metal detector. The Australian agent was asking A$2500 for them.
I imported one from the USA (where they are made - bought from a USA retailer), I paid the air freight shipping, GST, import tax and customs agent clearance fee and landed it at my door for A$1700.
Australian retailers have been ripping the Australian public off for years - I have no sympathy for them.
-- Edited by Mike Harding on Wednesday 31st of October 2018 07:21:52 PM