Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2000 22:56:35 -0700
Reply-To: Jeff and Deb <jeffndeb@GCI.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeff and Deb <jeffndeb@GCI.NET>
Subject: Re: hydroflame heater
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
My 12,000 btu Hydroflame was installed with the rest of the Automotive
Services Industries appliances and conversion in my 1986 vanagon. It seems
to work great and draws from an aux battery controlled by an isolator (all
part of the package). The wall mounted thermostat provides easy temperature
control. I have all of the original installation technical sheets. It
draws less than 2 amp/h. I keep a carbon monoxide detector going during
most use, just as insurance. Frankly, I can't see why Westphalia didn't
offer furnace arrangements. We have been spoiled to the extent that it
would be hard to adjust to an unheated compartment on many a spring/summer
night in Alaska.
Jeff Hartman
Juneau, Alaska
jeffndeb@gci.net
----- Original Message -----
From: MOST,DAVID <most@UCLA.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2000 10:17 PM
Subject: hydroflame heater
> I thought I'd add a little bit of data to this discussion. My '85
> adventurewagen has one of those 12,000 BTU heaters, and according to old
> brochures, this was a standard feature. I haven't owned this vanagon very
> long, but I have played with the heater a bit. I ran it for 24 hours
> starting yesterday afternoon in a place that gets pretty cool at night
> (upper 30's) and I set the thermostat in the upper 70's. I also turned on
> the fridge and set it to almost the max. cold setting (made a nice tray of
> ice). I didn't spend any time in the van while the appliances were on.
>
> At the end of this test, the aux. battery needle was at the border of the
> yellow and red section (1/3) up from the bottom. Both appliances were
> still churning away, but I imagine that the battery power would have only
> lasted a few more hours. However, the propane level needle hadn't even
> budged. My sense is that this heater is pretty efficient, and though it
> is 15 years old, new RV catalogs show the same basic model for sale. I
> get the sense that it's one of these things that was designed well and is
> a workhorse. If I didn't have the fridge on, or I had put it at a temp.
> setting more in the middle of the range, this would have added to the
> battery life. In addition, I could have lowered the temp. setting on the
> thermostat as it was much warmer than necessary. Still, I wonder if the
> battery would have lasted for a few days without recharging. So, extended
> camping without moving would require a solar panel. The aux. batteries
> charge up quite quickly, however, and the adventurewagen brochure even
> mentions the possibility of idling the engine for this purpose.
>
> In any case, based on my very limited experience, the hydroflame heater
> seems like a great heater for a vanagon, and I couldn't help but think
> about how nice it would be to have one installed (somehow) in a Westfalia.
> I'll leave that project to the engineers among you.
>
> David
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