Installing a diesel heater

JayDee · Guru

Installing a diesel heater

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Did it come with instructions?

JayDee · Guru

Ha!!!ha!!!

I guess it is my fault.

Answer is.... I have not purchased one as yet. But certainly serious re buying same.

Researched the unit/s on google, but still a little concerned re the working and noise factor, hence my request.

We will in the outback and down south come this winter, so heater is on our must have list.

Anyone in region, I would appreciate contact.Yhanks

Jay&Dee

Brownie2 · Senior Member

Hi Jay & Dee,

We bought our van from a mate who had installed a diesel heater to it. His advice was to lay all components out on the floor and do all the measuring and thinking before you start to drill holes etc. Made sense to me. It is a great thing to have but I have a couple of comments. There IS a smell outside from the exhaust when you fire it up, and that smell is always there. I would not use the heater if we were in a caravan park with near neighbors. The people down wind would not be happy. Of course you would have 240v for a heater in a park anyway. Fantastic for bush camping though. I'll be interested to hear from others if they too have a smell from their heater. Maybe it is just an issue with ours. I understand they were designed originally for European trucks for heat if they were caught in the snow etc. They are very good, and efficient. Interested to hear how you go. Cheers, Bob

-- Edited by Brownie2 on Monday 9th of February 2015 09:31:55 AM

Brenda and Alan · Guru

John I have sent an Email.

Alan

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

I have purchased a Webasto Thermo Top E that will het the van plus provide hot water, but have yet to install it.
Heating the HWS with diesel instead of gas was a prime objective to save cost and reduce reliance on gas.

Cheers,
Peter

PeterD · Guru

There is plenty of discussion on this and every other caravan/camping forum. Just click on "Search" near the top of this page and type in "diesel heat" (that will capture heating as well as heater.)

PeterD · Guru

Brownie2 wrote:
There IS a smell outside from the exhaust when you fire it up, and that smell is always there. I would not use the heater if we were in a caravan park with near neighbors. The people down wind would not be happy.

That is not my experience. I have a Webasto, there is a whiff of diesel smell on the first start up but not on subsequent running. I do run mine in parks when I require a quick heat up after coming home from visiting at night. I run it a while in conjunction with the electric fan heater until the climate stabilises to my liking. I frequently talk to my neighbours the following morning. Even those in tents have not been aware that I have run the diesel heater the previous evening.

dragonfly1 · Senior Member

Hi there

I have installed a planar diesel heater in our motor home not hard to do bought it off pinnacle wholesales on eBay $800 with separate diesel tank they are good to deal with.

It works very well slightly noisy but not annoying very good on fue

Dragonfly 1

elliemike · Guru

PeterD wrote:
Brownie2 wrote:
There IS a smell outside from the exhaust when you fire it up, and that smell is always there. I would not use the heater if we were in a caravan park with near neighbors. The people down wind would not be happy.
That is not my experience. I have a Webasto, there is a whiff of diesel smell on the first start up but not on subsequent running. I do run mine in parks when I require a quick heat up after coming home from visiting at night. I run it a while in conjunction with the electric fan heater until the climate stabilises to my liking. I frequently talk to my neighbours the following morning. Even those in tents have not been aware that I have run the diesel heater the previous evening.

Same here as with Peters responce.

Ours is the Eberspacher (Dometic) They need to be serviced yearly. Renewing the "Glow Plug Screen" and the Fuel Pump Filter Screen". Also cleaning the "Glow Plug" with emery or scotch bright. Not forgetting clean out the little port where the Glow plug is housed.

Mine started smoking on start up, last September, but ran OK when heated up. Done the maintenance and all is OK again and running well.

If camping in a C.P. on 240v we just run the little electric heater. Our van is so small that it takes no time to heat it up.

P.S. This had not been serviced in two and a half years.

PPS

D2 Airtronic Servi9ce periods.JPG

-- Edited by elliemike on Monday 9th of February 2015 07:43:15 PM

-- Edited by elliemike on Tuesday 10th of February 2015 12:08:07 AM

-- Edited by elliemike on Tuesday 10th of February 2015 04:57:24 PM

Treecrest14 · Senior Member

dragonfly1 wrote:
Hi there
I have installed a planar diesel heater in our motor home not hard to do bought it off pinnacle wholesales on eBay $800 with separate diesel tank they are good to deal with.
It works very well slightly noisy but not annoying very good on fue
Dragonfly 1

Hi

I've been thinking of purchasing one of these and then just read about another brand which requires yearly servicing of the glow plugs etc. Do you have the same with the Planar brand? I also read on the Jayco forum that people with these heaters found they reduced the outside noise if the put a bend in the exhaust pipe!

Glen

Delta18 · Guru

Depending on the kit you buy there may (should) be a muffler for the exhaust pipe and another for the intake.

I got mine from a Tasmanian business http://www.dieselheat.com.au so I had an aussie speaking expert to talk to if needed.

I was very happy with the product and support from there.

Actual fitting was pretty straightforward, just read, read & re-read instructions to be very clear what will go where especially prior to cutting the 145mm hole in the floor! cry biggrin

I am so looking forward to winter now to try it out in anger.

dragonfly1 · Senior Member

Hi Glen

i fitted a muffler to the exhaust and there is nothing in the instructions about any yearly maintence and I have not done any.

If you get the diesel heaters up on pinnacle wholesales web site you can bring up a copy of the instruction manual hope this helps you

Dragonfly1