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.

Chasser wrote:

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 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.

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*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.

Thank you all on the clues on van heating.

Chasser

KJB wrote:

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Hence no burnt gases or odours in the van

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That's the theory.

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

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

Who has a CO alarm inside their car?
Cheers,
Peter

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:

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Who has a CO alarm inside their car?

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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.

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.

iana wrote:

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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.

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 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

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

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